Our Term’s Living and Learning Focus is
CARE ATAWHAI KUMANU
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
The Learning Model for our school is: “To Know To Do To Use”
Learning to Learn at St Joseph’s #L2L
Some background on our school
Our school has an interesting history. Bishop Pompallier negotiated with the Chief Eruera Patuone for land for church and school. St Mary’s Industrial School was started here in 1846, staffed by lay people and designed to educate the young boys of the area, both Maori and Pakeha. This school had success for a few years before closing. In 1893 the building was handed over to the Sisters of Mercy to provide a home for orphaned and destitute boys. Sisters Alphonsus and Mildred rowed across the harbour and started the home and then a school for boys under the name St Joseph’s. Eventually girls were included! The Mercy Sisters served our school until Sister Gemma left in 1989.
As a Board, Principal, staff and school community, we carry on the Mercy Tradition which is reflected in our School Vision Statement “Inspiring children, through Catholic Education, to love God, to love learning and to fully give of themselves.” Our School Values also reflect the Mercy Charism: Tika Justice, Pono Truth, Aroha Compassion, Manaakitanga Hospitality and Tapu Respect for our Environment. They are summed up in our motto “Courtesy Care Co-operation Courage”. All these underpin how we live and learn at St Joseph’s.
School Prayers
This Monday 15 at 8.45, we will have the first of our Monday morning school prayers for 2016. These prayers are led by our Year 6 students and are based on a theme related to our school values, the liturgical year e.g. Lent, Easter or the concept for learning e.g. Care Atawhai.
We also take the opportunity to welcome new people or to mark some achievement by one or more children.
Parents are always welcome to join us.
Year 6 Leadership Day
Today the Year 6 students have been involved in a leadership day organised by Erika Bon and Ingrid Young. The guest speaker and motivator was Sue Morris, Author and Trainer for Crackerjack Kids. Our Year 6 students are an enthusiastic bunch and participated wholeheartedly. Here are many of them with the motivational slogans they created today.
Click on photos to enlarge. Click on the link to see some action.
Click to enlarge photos
GO YEAR SIX LEADERS 2016!
MURAL
Some updated photos of progress on the Mural. Anyone who is keen to give Carol a hand, this would be welcomed. Children are helping to a degree, but if you are a dab hand with a paint brush and can work under Carol’s direction, we would love to hear from you!
click on images to enlarge
WATERWISE
Year 5 students had an adventurous morning at the Waterwise Training at the Millennium. Thank you so much to the instructors and the large number of parents who helped out on the day. Apparently the teachers were too busy to take any photos. The only one I received was this! Guess who?
Message from Shane Coleman and the BOT of Trustees
Appointment Process Underway
As you may well be aware from my announcement at the end of year School Mass, our Principal, Phil O’Connell-Cooper, will retire at the end of Term 2. We have been very fortunate to have the leadership of our current Principal, during the past 8 years, who has ensured that we have been inspired to think deeply about the kind of education we need to provide for the children of today and in the future.
The process for seeking the new Principal is underway. The advertisement has been posted in the Education Gazette. We hope to be able to appoint a new Principal by the end of April.
BOT Elections
Every three years elections are held and Proprietor’s appointees are nominated. Nominations will be called for this term with a closing date of Friday 6 May. Elections will be held between 25 May and 3 June. The new Board takes office by Friday 10 June. There will be a meeting held for interested people at 7.30 p.m. on Tuesday 22 March as an opportunity to meet BOT members and find out more.
Becoming a School Trustee Click on this link you can find out more.
http://resources.nzsta.org.nz/videos/PD/Becoming%20a%20Trustee/html5video.html
Shane Coleman
BOT Chair
Staff Professional Learning and Sharing their knowledge and expertise.
In the last week of January all members of our staff were involved in professional learning. One day was spent on the topic of Future Focus. We joined with staff from Carmel, Rosmini, St Mary’s, St Leo’s and Stella Maris. 6 people from various schools presented, which included three of our own. They were superb and we were all really proud of how they presented and the content of their presentations. I am continuing to get feedback from other schools about how impressed they were!
Have a lovely weekend.
God bless!
Phil
Remember:
School Prayers (to which parents are always welcome) start on Monday 15 at 8.50 in the Hall (back entrance only) New Entrants and other students new to the school will be welcomed. We will also meet the 4 Rosmini teachers who will be working on our site this year. Hopefully, we will also be able to welcome Monsignor David Tonks who is our new Parish Priest.