Teacher Only Day - Tuesday 27 October

We have set our final Teacher only day of the year, this will be Tuesday 27 October (the day after Labour day) School will be closed. 

Principal's Message

Feast of the Assumption.

On Friday, 14th August, our school community gathered in reverence and joy to celebrate the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Our Senior students did an outstanding job leading the Mass with dignity and leadership, while the rest of the school joined together to sing heartfelt waiata and reflect on the significance of this special day.

Classrooms, through the week, brought the celebration to life through impressive creative expression:

Tarawera (Room 2) and Wheke (Room 7) produced beautiful art pieces and heartfelt poetry honoring Mary.

Their works beautifully showcased her grace, strength, and unwavering faith, filling our shared spaces with color and inspiration.

Understanding the Feast of the Assumption: A Catholic Perspective

From a Catholic lens, the Feast of the Assumption honors the belief that at the end of her earthly life, Mary was taken up—body and soul—into heavenly glory. Because she said a complete, sinless "yes" (fiat) to bearing the Son of God, her body was preserved from decay, making her the first among all believers to experience the fullness of the Resurrection.  

The Assumption is not just about Mary’s past; it is a powerful sign of hope for our future. It reminds us that our human bodies and earthly lives are sacred to God. In Mary, the Church sees a mirror of its own destiny—a promise that eternal life, holiness, and complete union with God await all who walk faithfully with Christ.  

Living Mary's Example: Atawhai Mary’s life serves as a practical, guiding light for our everyday actions. Her constant gentleness, patience, and humility reflect the heart of atawhai (kindness, grace, and care for others). When Mary accepted God’s call, she did so with quiet courage, always seeking to serve and comfort those in need.

As a school community, we are called to bring Mary's atawhai into our daily lives—extending unconditional kindness, empathy, and hospitality to our classmates, teachers, and families.Thank you to everyone who helped prepare this special liturgy, and to our students for displaying such reverence throughout the celebration. May Mary’s gentle spirit continue to inspire our hearts and guide our actions.

Ngā mihi nui,

Nikolai Solia

Principal

Sports

Sports Information Session

We are holding an information session for families to come along and learn about sports that are on offer through school. This session will be beneficial for families new to our school, new to New Zealand, new to having school aged children or anyone who would like to find out more about the sports children can join through school. The session will be on Thursday 10 September, 3.15pm, in one of our classrooms at school. 

Term 4 Sport

The information and registrations for Year 1 - 4 Junior Netball and Year 1 - 8 Touch Rugby are now on Kindo. Please register and pay through Kindo if your child/ren is going to join either of these sports.

Southern Zone Swimming Sports

This event is coming up on Tuesday 1 September. Please look out for Hero posts and hard copy information coming home with the child/ren who will be attending soon.

Weet-Bix Tryathlon

We have created a school group for this event happening on 28 February next year. If your child/ren is going to participate, then please feel free to add them to our school group via this link: https://raceroster.com/registration/df716efc-0904-4a40-b337-1e7a67710272/entry?team=1047249

PSL

Parent School Link (PSL) Meeting - Monday 24 August – Come Along and Get Involved!

Our next PSL meeting is Monday 24 August at 6:30pm in the school staffroom.

Wondering what PSL is all about? Come along and find out! 

Whether you have lots of time to give or can only help every now and then, there’s a place for everyone. Come along, see what we do, find out how you can help, and meet some of the awesome people who make things happen at our school.

You don’t have to commit to anything — just come along and see what we’re about! 

We’d love to see some new faces! 

Garden to table 

What a busy, hands-on day in the garden today! Our group was absolutely buzzing with energy, starting with a soil science experiment led by Ann, a former secondary school science teacher who taught us all about acid and alkaline levels and how to test our soil pH. The kids were so engaged putting their science skills to work before moving on to potting up our saved capri tomato seeds from last year's harvest and planting more peas. 

We also designed a handy new poster on what can and can't go into our compost bins, and tucked our potato beds in with a fresh layer of organic matter. 

A massive thank you to Kai Cycle for generously donating 5 large bags of compost to support our patch while we get our own composting system up and running, we can't wait to see those new seeds start sprouting! 

Dates to Add to Your Diary

Our  SFDS Events Calendar is the best way to stay up to date with everything happening at school — including PE days, special events, and other important dates. You can find the calendar by clicking on the link above or either on our school website or through Hero. 

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