• Māori Language Week
• History of the Māori language
• 100 Māori words every New Zealander should know
• A Māori word a day
• 1000 Māori place names
• Waitangi Tribunal claim
• Further information

In getting to know the children in our school, we want to recognise the identity, language and culture of each one.  Because we have very many cultures in our school, our starting point is that we all belong to Aotearoa New Zealand, bringing to our country the many “riches” from our own families and cultural backgrounds. Our families have all come to this land, whether it was recently or many generations ago. As New Zealanders, we recognise that the tangata whenua or first people of this land are Maori. In recognition of the place that Maori hold in our country, all children have the opportunity to learn something of the language Te Reo and culture Tikanga. While English is the language most commonly spoken in New Zealand, Te Reo Maori could well be the language and tikanga, the culture that future generations hold in common as the unifying language/culture of Aotearoa New Zealand. Who knows?

 

Each Monday, Hone Harrison works with our children and teachers helping us to learn through the Te Reo Tuatahi Programme. Some of you may have seen him on Campbell Live on TV3 on Thursday night. He also works with a group of children (volunteers) from Year 3-6 in the Kapa Haka Programme. We try to integrate Te Reo as much as possible in other learning areas as well.

School Organisation

As you know our school is divided up into 5 teams. This term we have made some changes* to the composition of the teams because of various factors.

*Kakariki – Rooms 1, 2, 5 & 6

*Kereru – Rooms 3 & 4

Kakapo – Rooms 7,8,10

Kea – Rooms 9, 12, 13

Kiwi – St Joseph’s Centre (Rooms 14, 15 & 11)

Working in small teams enables teachers to work even more collaboratively, providing support for each other, sharing expertise, and together, ensuring that the children – learners āko-  get the very best deal. Children will also have the opportunity to mix with others in their team, in a variety of ways.

 

School Timetable

8.45                  Hand bell

8.50 – 10.50      First Learning Block

10.50 -11.20      Break

11.20 -1.10        Second Learning Block

1.10 –  1.50        Lunch Break

1.50 –  2.50       Third Learning Block

2.50                  End of the school Day

 

 

#L2L   Learning to Learn at St Joseph’s

Mercy Values

Tika – Justice       Pono – Truth      Aroha – Compassion        Manaakitanga – Hospitality        Tapu – Respect (of our Environment)

We use our school values to help guide us in the choices we make in our learning and our behaviour.

 

 

OAR 

Take O wnership Be A ccountable, Be R esponsible  for our actions.

BED

B lame        E xcuse        D enial

 

Muck Up / Own Up / Put it Right / Move on

We use OAR and BED to help us manage our behaviour and recognise what we need to do.

We use the saying “muck up…” from our Health & PE Programme, Crackerjack Kids, to help us sort out problems by taking ownership and being pro-active.

Tinana – Physical Health

Gymnastics has started for many of the children and will be continuing this term.

Jump Rope for Heart skipping has started in preparation for Jump Rope Day on 15 August.

Cross Country Training is beginning in preparation for the school Cross Country on 28 August.

One of our Rippa Rugby Teams has already participated in a tournament this week, playing exceptionally well, only being pipped at the post in the final. Congratulations to the team and their coach Mr Linstrom and accompanying parents.

Hockey, mini-ball and netball practices have resumed.

Cricket Skills, Year 6 Netball Field day and a Rippa Rugby Tournament are all on the horizon.

 

The Building Programme

The building programme will last for a minimum of 8 months, more likely for a year. Information about the type of building and the modern learning environment within, will form part of information meetings for parents that will be scheduled between now and then.  At the moment we are concentrating on practical organisational details.

 

 

Pick Up Drop Off and Parking

Thank you so much to everyone who has made a huge effort to help all the changes run smoothly!

There may be additional changes, but we will advise you, as needs be.

A brief reminder below for those who missed out on the information or who still have some confusions!

• Rooms 7,8,9,10, 1 & 13 children and their older siblings in Rooms 1-6, or younger siblings in Kiwi Team, St Joseph’s Centre, are dropped off and picked up in the hall car park
• Dominion Street Bus Children and all children who have older siblings at Rosmini meet at the top of the steps by the hall and are accompanied by a teacher to the buses and/or outside Rosmini (to wait for their Rosmini sibling) These children can then be picked up from outside Rosmini without the need for parents to come into the St Joseph’s Carpark
• Kiwi Team parents can park in the top centre park and walk past the admin block through the garden to the driveway leading to the St Joseph’s Centre (and vice versa)
• Rooms 1-6 children (who DO NOT have younger siblings at St Joseph’s, nor older siblings at Rosmini,) are dropped off or picked up outside the administration block, using the DRIVE THROUGH. There should normally be no need to park, but if that’s required, please park in the top centre park NOT the church one, especially if you arrive after 8.30, as parishioners are arriving for Mass.
• Taharoto Bus Children, Independent Walkers, Bikers and Scooter riders, Kumon attendees meet outside the staffroom on the far side near the Green.
• There is NO access to the school, at any time, from Fred Thomas Drive
• St Joseph’s is no longer a thoroughfare for Rosmini boys or for Rosmini parents to park and pick up their sons. This arrangement has been decided on with full agreement and co-operation from Rosmini College.

 

St Joseph’s has been awarded a TravelWise Bronze Award!

Thanks to Cate Dunne who co-ordinates our school efforts and our group of TravelWise students who work with a Rosmini group to try and create some changes or initiatives.

There’s also plenty of walking happening, as part of every day, as there are no shortcuts to anywhere in the school these days.

 

The children attended Mass this Friday to mark the beginning of the school term. We didn’t advertise it as the limited parking may have caused some issues. The children were excellent and very calm, prayerful  and settled at Mass.

Ka kite ano!  Have a great weekend.

Phil