Term 1 2015

Welcome back everyone and a special welcome to our 21 new entrants* and their families, the 16 new children at other class levels* and their families and to Ms Sarah Cattell (Home Group 2).  Welcome back to Ms Jessica Burton who is working part-time, sharing a class with Mrs Lynda Harris (Home Group 5) and to Ms Joanna Nelson (Home Group 7), currently filling a maternity leave position.   * see photos below

WAITANGI DAY 6 FEBRUARY

Waitangi Day

February 6th is Waitangi Day in Aotearoa/New Zealand. It celebrates the date of the first signing of the Treaty of Waitangi Te Tiriti O Waitangi in 1840. Waitangi is in the Bay of Islands in Te Ika A Maui / North Island.

Waitangi Day becomes a public holiday

The New Zealand Government announced that Waitangi Day would be a national holiday from 1974. It was called New Zealand Day at that time. In 1976 the Waitangi Day Act was passed to change the name back to Waitangi Day. From 2013 the public holiday to celebrate Waitangi Day is held on the 6th of February or on the Monday following if it falls on a weekend.     (from Christchurch City Libraries/Kids/Treaty Zone)

“Every year on 6 February, New Zealand marks the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840. In that year, representatives of the British Crown and over 500 Māori chiefs signed what is often considered to be New Zealand’s founding document. The day was first officially commemorated in 1934, and it has been a public holiday since 1974.

Waitangi Day is recognised as New Zealand’s national day, but the long-standing tensions associated with it are always likely to surface in one form or another. The date is an important marker in the country’s history. Recognition of the significance of the Treaty of Waitangi as the nation’s founding document will continue to encourage leaders, communities and individuals to mark the day in new ways.”   Extract from NZ History

 

 

The Building Programme

Work continues to progress as scheduled. The roof is on! The staff and board have had a chance to go on sight and explore which made it all seem very real. Teachers were amazed at the size, once inside the building. We should soon see windows being installed and weather boards going up.

click on images to enlarge

Our Term’s Living and Learning Focus is

TEAM    KOTAHITANGA

Our School Values are

Tina Justice, Pono Truth, Aroha Compassion, Manaakitanga Hospitality and Tapu Respect for the Environment

Lived out in our Motto

Courtesy Care Co-operation Courage

Children New to the School

 

Home Group 11 Kea Team

 click on images to enlarge

Home Group 12 Kea Team

Home Group 14 Kea Team 

 

Kereru Team

Kakariki Team in 2 Instalments!

The wanderers return!

 

Pick Up, Drop Off and Parking

Thank you so much to everyone who has made a huge effort to ensure all runs 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!

• Children from Rooms 9 &10 – (Kakapo Team) and 11,12, 13 and 14 (Kea Team)    and their older siblings in Rooms 1-8, are dropped off and picked up in the hall car park. Please use the new path on the Rosmini side of the hall to get to and from classrooms.

 

• Dominion Street Bus Children and all children who have older siblings at Rosmini meet at the top of the steps by the hall after school and are accompanied by a teacher to the buses 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
• Rooms 1-8 children (Kakariki and Kereru Teams) 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 VEHICLE access to the school at any time, for staff or parents, from Fred Thomas Drive. This access and parking is for the St Joseph’s Centre only. Please respect this.
• 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.

 

 

 

Ka kite ano!  Have a wonderful weekend.

Phil

 

P.S. Remember School Prayers on Monday at 8.50 in the Hall (back entrance only) and

Teacher Only Day on Friday 20 February