HAPPY FATHERS’ DAY!
This Term’s
Living and Learning Focus is
DISCOVERY TUHURATANGA
Our School Values
Tina Justice, Pono Truth, Aroha Compassion, Manaakitanga Hospitality and Tapu Respect for the Environment
lived out in our Motto
Courtesy Care Co-operation Courage
Learning to Learn at St Joseph’s #L2L
St Joseph’s Catholic School Takapuna Learning Model
TO KNOW What Do I Know? What Do I Need to Know?
TO DO What Do I Need To Do? How Do I Do This?
TO USE How will I Use What I Am Learning?
What Other Ways Can I Use It?
Some great writing from two of our budding authors: Lauren T–Kereru Team- and Conor S – Kakariki Team:
SHOOTING STAR by Lauren Turnbull
And we are off! We are sliding down the hill. Someone has slipped. We are still running except the person who fell face first into the mud.
I felt so puffed but I wasn’t going to let myself down. “Come on, Lauren Turnbull. You can do it!”
As I was coming down to the finish line, all I heard was clapping and screeching. Dad, you, Mrs Wannenburg and little children saying, “Go Lauren!”
I felt active and oh, so proud!
Click on images to enlarge.
Connor S went to the Storylines festival of authors at Aotea Centre last weekend and entered the writing competition. Conor came second place in his age group for a creative writing piece based on a day in the life of a sea captain that he’d developed in Mrs Bon’s class on Pirates! The Judge was Tessa Duder, who presented Conor with a book.
The Monster
Ding! Dong! Ding! “Yes boarding call,” I thought, as the crew were bunching up like cauliflowers trying to get on board. But nobody was expecting the creature that was lurking in the darkness of an abandoned cabin.
While I was walking to see my friend in his cabin I thought “Man, he must be fast asleep because I should’ve heard him by now, he is quite loud.” When I got to his door I tried to open it.
Rattle, rattle, rattle. To my surprise it wasn’t open. I knocked, waited a second… nothing. Why wasn’t he opening his door?! I looked around. A block of wood. Just what I needed, bang, bang, bang, crash! Wood chips spray everywhere as the door flies off its hinges straight into the room. A cloud of dust surrounds me.
Through the haze I start to see red gooey ink on the floor. Blood! What’s happened here? Suddenly the dust clears, but I wished it hadn’t cleared at all. What I saw will haunt me for the rest of my days… a grisly Sea Serpent! What happened next was so fast I could barely take it in. My friend lying on the ground, covered in blood, dead. Next to him was the beast itself, glaring at me while licking his lips! He could see terror in my eyes. Before I knew it he lunged at me and I felt his jaws crunch the bones of my legs. He broke through the cabin window and started to swim, dropped me and left me. Catching my breath I started to look around. I was in some sort of underwater lair.
An old man, about in his 50’s, started to circle me. “Who are you, young man?”
“I’m the dead guy’s friend,” I cried in horror. The old man took out his knife and waved it threateningly. Suddenly, the Sea Serpent returned. Fearing the worst I crouched up in a ball, I knew it was my end. Two seconds later I heard a scream, I looked up. The old man was dead! The Sea Serpent had saved me. He started walking toward me, picked me up and gave me a ride to the closest spot of land and left me alone. ”Never again will I go on a pirate ship!” I shouted in joy.
By Conor Sheridan
Something to think about!
Why should my family think about 21st century learning?
“Today’s students will graduate into a world where the demands of our professional, personal and public lives grow more complicated every year.
· An innovation and creativity-driven economy: They will enter a job market that rewards creativity, flexible thinking, on-the-job learning and comfort with technology.
· A more globally-connected world: Their classmates and co- workers may live in the same zip code or across the globe.
· Information overflow: We get dizzying amounts of information every day. It can be hard to figure out what is reliable and how to use it.
· An expanded civic life: citizens are active in physical communities, online and through social media, getting involved in local politics as well as global initiatives.
Instead of slowing down, these trends are gaining momentum. As a result, our students need to be more globally aware, better able to navigate the digital world and more engaged as 21st century citizens.
Parents, families and schools play a key role by supporting the development of 21st Century Skills and 21st century citizenship. Providing your child with a 21st century education will give them opportunities to develop the skills, knowledge and mindsets they need to be successful in college, career and life.”
Still not sure what these terms mean? Check out our key words & glossary.
An extract from: What is 21st Century Learning and Citizenship all about? www.p21.org
Download the guide in PDF format to read about the Top 5 questions parents have about Instagram
Remember to “sign up” in the office, for the Bingo Night on the 18 September!
BLESSING AND OPENING of the Pompallier Learning Centre
All of our families, ex-families and parishioners are invited to the blessing and opening of our lovely new building, the Pompallier Learning Centre, which will be held on 8 September (Our Lady’s birthday!) starting at 10.30 a.m. in the Father David Nolan Hall. Please be seated by 10.20.
All families: Please remember to supply a plate of food for the morning tea.
This can be left in the kitchen in the Hall before school.
Kakapo children engrossed in their learning at Reading Time.
Our School Cross Country
Thank you to Kakariki Team for organising the event. The children were very fit and ran with enthusiasm and energy.
5 students from Years 3-6 will be representing us at the Catholic Schools Cross Country at Monte Cecilia on Monday and 4 from each age group at the Pupuke Schools Cluster event next Friday.
HOCKEY
Congratulations to our St Joseph’s hockey teams who have just concluded a very successful season of hockey!
– our St Joseph’s Years 3/ 4 mixed team have finished the season undefeated to win their competition playing in the Boys grade
– our Year 5/6 mixed team have finished in the top 4 of the Advanced Boys B grade
Congratulations to both teams who have worked so hard on improving their hockey skills all season. Watch this space; we have Future Black Sticks and Black Ferns in the making!
Thank you to coaches and managers as well!
NETBALL
I heard a rumour that our Year 4 Netball Team beat the Year 5 Team. That sounds a bit like Australia beating New Zealand doesn’t it, or is it the other way round?
Home Group 14 from Kea Team celebrated their Creation Liturgy with family, friends and
Father Phil on Thursday 3 September.
Kereru Team (Home Groups 5, 6, 7 & 8, celebrated Mass together with their families, especially fathers and grandfathers, teachers, Father Phil and the parishioners on Friday 4 September. They presented their fathers with letters and word art related to what their fathers mean to them.
Thank you to the families who supported McAuley House Family Mass and the children who took part in the various ministries. The very small turnout of choir members did an amazing job. Thank you to the teachers from McAuley House and to Debbie and Kim for the choir and to Luke Duignan and Calli for the music
Have a lovely weekend.
Ma te Atua manaaki ! God bless!
Phil