Catholic Character

Atawhai - Kindness

Heavenly Father, grant me the strength to be kind, even when it's difficult. Help me to forgive and extend grace. 

We start term 3 with a focus on teaching about our school value of Atawhai - kindness. Here at SFDS, we see this as using a friendly voice, thinking of others’ feelings, sharing, having gentle hands and feet, including others, thanking others, and being thoughtful. We support the children as they mature, to develop personal habits of kindness:

• Years 1 – 5:  Being sympathetic when others hurt themselves, sharing, helping others, being friends with everybody and including others.

• Years 6 – 8:  Helping others without expecting anything in return, practising random acts of kindness, including others and looking beyond their friendship group, being kind to their family members and acknowledging the things they do for them every day.  

External Catholic Character Evaluation

In a few weeks we will welcome a team representing the Archdiocese of Wellington, who will carry out their 3-yearly evaluation of our school from 4-6 August . The evaluation process is designed to assist schools to provide authentic Catholic education, which is focused on continual improvement and transformation. 

As part of this review. the team are seeking feedback from our whānau. It would be much appreciated if you would complete this Parent/Whānau survey that has been shared with us, to share your perspective on the Catholic Character of SFDS: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdd_g6xJxR9esNi2D03kTpvQTxuEFB83R7TUXixR5VcMz2FkA/viewform 

Thank you for your support. 

Learning Updates

Reports on Hero

As communicated during the holidays, your child's report against the refreshed NZ Curriculum is now available for you to view on Hero. In case you missed it, below is a guide for you to read so that you know what is different from 2025. Please keep in mind that it is likely to take at least a whole school year to see the progress graphs settle with the new curriculum content. If you have questions about your child's progress, please feel free to make contact with their teacher.

School Notices and Events

Teacher Only Day Reminder: School Closed 1 August

A reminder that on Friday 1 August, we will be holding our final Teacher Only for the year. On this day, all of the staff will be joining around 250 staff from our Wellington Catholic primary and secondary schools for the Kāhui Ako Mid-Winter hui at St Patrick's College. This annual event is always popular with our staff, with expert speakers and teacher presentations from teachers across our schools. 

The theme for this year's hui is Healing Minds / Empowering Futures. The programme for the day is here, if you would like to explore what the staff will be learning about: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VHGUnuW1C5t6jgpol8e-uoK07pgaYPPiUvkTH5GetIQ/edit?usp=sharing 

PSL Quiz night! Save The date!

PSL Quiz night is coming up soon!! Save the date Friday 12 September!

Island Bay Arts trail 

The Island Bay Art trail is back! Saturday and Sunday 14-15 September! We are excited to once again be part of this fantastic community event. We'll be exhibiting the art work created by our students!

CAN YOU HELP?

We are looking for volunteers to help supervise the exhibition in 2 hour slots over the weekend. 

If you are available and would like to support our young artists please contact Mrs Stewart on usha.stewart@sfds.school.nz 

We truly need your help—without enough volunteers, we won’t be able to go ahead with the exhibition. So please spread the word! Ask friends, extended family, or anyone who might have a couple of hours to spare.

Your support will make a huge difference!

 Ministry of Education (MOE) Website

Whether your child is just starting school or you’re looking for guidance on common topics like illnesses, absences, and school routines, the Ministry of Education (MOE) website is a fantastic resource for parents and whānau.

From what to expect on the first day to understanding school policies and how to manage time away from school, the site offers clear, up-to-date information to help you feel informed and supported.

Check it out : Here 

Knowing if your child is well enough to go to school — guidance for parents and caregivers

Going to school every day is important for all school aged tamariki (children). It helps build their confidence and social skills, and to achieve their education and life ambitions. This information helps you decide when it is okay to send your child to school, when you should keep your child at home and when you should contact a health professional for advice. You can find more information at the following link.

Term 3 SKIDS Programme

The Skids programmes is packed with exciting activities to keep your child engaged, active, and entertained all term long! Here’s a sneak peek at some of the fantastic things happening this term:

• Amazon Antics – Explore the rainforest and play fun games that explore the Amazon environment.

• Space Week – Get ready for an out-of-this-world adventure! Learn about planets, astronauts and space missions through fun games, crafts and activities!

• Daffodil Day – Explore with us the significance of Daffodil Day through engaging activities including crafts, puzzles, poetry, and baking!

• Safety Week – Teaching kids essential life skills through fun, hands on activities, from first aid to basic fire safety and emergency responses.

• Engineers Workshop: 4 Weeks of STEM Fun! Get ready to design, build, and create! Over 4 exciting weeks, kids can dive into the world of engineering and STEM, testing their skills with hands-on challenges that spark curiosity and creativity.

Here’s what’s coming up soon:

Week 3 – Build It (Wed 30 July)
Put your building skills to the test and create awesome structures from scratch!

Week 4 – Marine Engineering (Wed 6 August)
Design and experiment with boats, bridges, and underwater inventions — can your creation stay afloat?

Week 5 – Flying High (Wed 13 August)

Explore the science of flight with paper planes, rockets, and other flying wonders!

Week 6 – Tinker Lab (Wed 20 August)
Get creative and experiment with all kinds of materials to invent something truly unique.

Join in with Skids for one or all of these sessions , it’s the perfect chance to tinker, learn, and have a blast with engineering!