27 Whiringa-ā-rangi

27 November '24

Welcome

Thank you for your continued support for your child(ren)'s learning - you are their most important teacher, so keep up the good work! Thankfully, as a Catholic school, we can teach the children about Advent and Christmas from a Christian perspective as we move through the final weeks of the school year. Don't forget to join in with our Family Fish and Chip night coming up at 4.30 - 6.30pm on Friday 13 December!

Nativity Play – Calling All Young Actors!

We’re seeking enthusiastic child actors to take part in the St. Francis de Sales Christmas Nativity Play, happening during the Christmas Eve Mass on Tuesday, 24 December at St. Francis de Sales Church, Island Bay.

Our nativity play is always a highlight of the season, and we’d love for children from all around the community to join in the fun! Whether your child wants to take on a speaking role, a non-speaking part, or help behind the scenes with props, there’s a place for everyone.

If your child is interested in participating, please email winandmaria@gmail.com to sign up. Let’s make this year’s nativity play a heartwarming success!

Before and After School Care

As shared through Hero last week, we have the need to arrange a new before/after school care programme from the beginning of 2025. It would fabulous to take this opportunity to provide a service onsite here at our school, as a number of families currently have their children being collected from SFDS and taken elsewhere. The end of day pick ups by one of these services often cuts significantly into learning time before 3:00pm.

You have been sent a survey put together by one company called 'sKids', and here it is again: https://bit.ly/sfdsssurvey It is very important that all families who need this care complete the survey, so that we can demonstrate the viability of such a service in our school.

Catholic Character

Keeping Jesus at the Centre During Advent

Advent begins this Sunday, and takes us through until 24 December in the lead up to Jesus' birth. The word 'advent' stems from a Latin word that means “coming” or “arrival.” This time is all about preparing for the arrival of Jesus. Each week features a different liturgical theme.

Week 1: We focus on hope, as did the Jewish people as they looked forward to the Saviour’s arrival.

Week 2: Focuses on peace, to slow us down from the busyness and chaos around us as.

Week 3: We celebrate joy in the coming of Jesus, and the gifts around us every day.

Week 4: We celebrate God’s light and love - lighting the way for us as we journey through life.

Advent Wreath: A helpful symbol to focus prayer on these themes - by lighting a candle on the wreath each day of the week while you share prayer together as a whānau. This site has a useful guide to prayers you could use: https://www.littlewaychapel.com/blog/advent-wreath-prayers

Jesse Tree: A fun thing to do throughout Advent - adding a different symbol of a story from Jesus' whakapapa - starting with Adam and Eve, and adding a symbol for Jesus' birth to finish. Here is a guide to help you: https://www.faithward.org/jesse-tree/

Jesse Tree Example

Advent Wreath Example

Learning

Timetable

We will be making some improvements to our school timetable next year, to make our routines respond better to student needs. The teaching blocks will be broken up to provide more focussed teaching times, and allow more regular breaks for the children. The actual time spent teaching and play will remain unchanged. The new timetable is below for your information. If your child has activities that take place during the school day (e.g. tutoring), please take note in case you need to make adjustments.

We will contact parents of children with diabetes, and medication routines at school - to plan ahead for these. If you have any questions, feel free to email Mary-Angela Tombs at this email: principal@sfds.school.nz.

Sports

Inter Zone Sports Update

Over the past few weeks, our students have had the exciting opportunity to participate in the Inter Zone Swimming and Athletics events. These occasions not only showcase the incredible talent and sportsmanship of our young athletes but also highlight the supportive community that surrounds them.

Inter Zone Swimming A huge congratulations to all the swimmers who represented our school with determination and enthusiasm! Your hard work and commitment were evident in every race, and we couldn’t be prouder of your efforts. We would also like to extend a heartfelt thank-you to the parents who supported their children, especially as the event coincided with our Teacher Only Day. Your involvement and encouragement were invaluable and truly appreciated.

Inter Zone Athletics Last week, our athletes took part in the Inter Zone Athletics event, and what a fantastic day it was! From sprints to field events, our students demonstrated excellent sportsmanship, teamwork, and perseverance. A special shoutout to our Year 6 teacher, Jo, who played a key role in the success of the event by assisting with the shot put, discus, and quoit. Thank you, Jo, for your dedication and for ensuring the day ran smoothly for everyone involved.

We are immensely proud of all our students who participated in these events and look forward to seeing them continue to enjoy their chosen sports.

School Notices and Events

Year 8 Leavers Dinner- Tickets available on Kindo

Join us for a special evening to celebrate our Year 8 students as they are individually farewelled and presented with their leavers' books. This memorable event, exclusively for Year 8 leavers and their parents/caregivers, will take place on Wednesday, 18 December, from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM at The Pines, 50 The Esplanade, Houghton Bay. Tickets are $40 per adult and $30 per Year 8 leaver (paid prior to the event), with drinks available for purchase at the bar. Tickets are available now on KINDO, and we kindly ask that you RSVP with numbers and payment by 3:00 PM on Thursday, 12 December. We look forward to celebrating this milestone with you! – Tom, Jemma & Lauren (Ranginui Team)

Message from Attendance Dues

Attendance Dues will be increasing by 5% in 2025. Attendance Dues have remained at their current rates since 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the decision to increase the rate was due to the increasing costs of materials and construction as part of the National Attendance Dues pool – Te Puna Waihanga component.

Across the year, this is an approximate increase of 0.50c per primary student and $1.00 per secondary student per week. Change to rates Primary School: $572.00 per student (previously $545.00). Secondary School: $1,147.00 per student (previously $1,092.00)

For more information visit www.wn.catholic.org.nz/about/schools-in-thearchdiocese/attendance-dues

Dr. Seuss’s The Cat in the Hat – Enter the prize draw!

Exciting news! The wonderful team at Showcase Group has generously gifted us two complimentary tickets to see the beloved Dr. Seuss classic The Cat in the Hat – live on stage!

Want a chance to win? It’s simple:
Email: office@sfds.school.nz
Deadline: Tuesday, 17 December
Subject Line: Cat in the Hat
Include: Your child’s name

We’ll randomly select a lucky winner and send the tickets out before the end of the school year! Please only enter if you are able to make the following date and time:

Show Details:
Date: Thursday, 16 January 2025
Time: 11:00 AM
Venue: Lower Hutt Town Hall, Lower Hutt

Don’t miss out on this magical, family-friendly adventure!

Congratulations to the following students who received a values certificate at school hui last week: Apollo L, Amen Y, Jaxon G, Blen D, Luke N, Joanne M, Taliya RH, Tanisha P, Fletcher K and Taya B

Dates to Add to Your Diary

Please also check our SFDS Events Calendar

Thursday 28 November

Papatūānuku Swimming Day - Bring Togs
Tangaroa Swimming Day - Bring Togs

Friday 29 November

2nd Dose Gardasil Year 7
Rm 13 & 8 Buddy Mass
Room 10 Assembly - Library

Monday 2 December

Koura (rm 6) Library Visit

Friday 6 December

Rm 6 & 14 Buddy Mass
Year 8 v the Teachers Basketball Game
Tangaroa EOY picnic in the park
Turning 5 Party!

Monday 9 December

Curriculum progress graphs opened on Hero
SFDS Board Hui

Thursday 12 December

Leavers dinner closes on Kindo

Friday 13 December

Year 6&7 Leadership day
Year 8 Home of Compassion Retreat
Family Fish'n'Chip night

Wednesday 18 December

- Year 8 Leavers' Dinner

Thursday 19 December

- End of Year Liturgy (early evening - exact time to be confirmed)

Friday 20 December

- Last day of the school year (12.30pm)

Page updated

Report abuse