Dear Whanua and Parents…

Welcome to the end of what has been a long week for us all. The Leadership Team has just met online to review the week and plan for the up coming week in light of the Prime Minister’s 3pm update today.

On Monday, the Prime Minister will give us a better understanding as to the anticipated length of Alert Level 4.

However based on what she said today, the teachers will be putting in place a week long Online Programme of Learning, for the coming week. This will go live on the evening of Sunday, August 22nd.

We are all living and working in the midst of the region where the NZ Covid Delta variant outbreak has occurred. Many of the places we shop in and frequent are “Locations of Interest”. It is important that as community we follow the guidelines of the Ministry of Health.

Please monitor the Locations of Interest website and if you’ve attended one of these sites, at the time identified, please follow the Ministry of Health’s guidelines.

The Ministry of Education has repeatedly reminded staff that schools, buildings and grounds, are closed to everyone. No one should be entering the buildings or grounds, unless attending to live stock. Mr Kelly and I are looking after the chickens, guinea pigs and gold fish. They are all well. All staff are working from home with their families.

Thank you for the great feedback teachers have received regarding the Team Google Sites. I would like to thank the teachers for the time and energy they put into these Google Sites. They ensure that your children have a range of activities available to them. The children can do these activities when, and where, it works for their individual family unit.

My prayers are with you all as we continue with Alert Level 4 and the COVID Delta variant. It is different to what we experienced with the 2020 Alert Level 4. However we will hopefully return to school under Alert Level 3, then Alert Level 2 and finally Level 1 in the not too distant future.

Take care. Stay safe. 

The Principal’s Message will cover the following topics:

• School Calendar
• Cyber Safety
• Community Involvement Survey
• Monsignor David Tonks
• Out of School Sports
• NZ Catholic

Ka manaakitia e te Atua

Alister Bridgman
Tumuaki

The school calendar on the school website is updated on a regular basis. During lockdown the events will be either postponed or cancelled. This will be recorded on the calendar.

All NZ schools have their networks and cyber safety provided by the Government funded Network 4 Learning (N4L). This means that when the students are using their devices at school there is a high level of safety in place. All homes need to be providing their children a cyber safe environment.

Two weeks ago we held a Cyber Safety Information Evening. The presenters, Rob and Zareen Cope shared their research and practical tips on cyber safety. All our children use devices and access the interweb. It is important that we have systems in place to protect them while they are in this space. Zareen and Rob have kindly shared their information sheet for all our parent community to read and use. This information on cyber safety is important for all parents to read.

Cyber Safety Presentation Follow Up

On Friday evening, 13 August, all parents will have recieved a link to the Community Involvement Survey from AskYourTeam. This is our third annual Community Involvement Survey. The responses we receive from this survey, combined with the responses we have received from our recent strategic plan survey, will assist us in our planning process for the next three years.

If you have not received your link you may find the email in your spam email box. Links can only be used by one person and cannot be shared.

If you are unable to locate the email with the link in it please email secretary@sj.school.nz.

Thank you for completing the survey.

Ka manaakitia e te Atua

Alister Bridgman
Tumuaki
St Joseph’s Catholic School, Takapuna

Dear Parishioners of St Joseph,

With the Prime Minister’s announcement this evening that Auckland moves into Covid level 4 from 11.59pm tonight for 7 days, there will be no public Masses celebrated, and the churches at Takapuna and Milford will remain closed – as will the parish office.

If you wish to contact one of the priests or our deacon Mark, don’t hesitate to call the presbytery on 09 489 6338. We are available to serve and to respond to important situations.

We plan to have Sunday Mass from St Joseph’s available for you on our parish website www.takapunacatholic.org.nz and Facebook page. We will not stream weekday Masses unless the level 4 lockdown lasts longer than a week. However, the presbytery household will celebrate Mass together each day, and remember you all before the Lord at those Masses.

I am delighted to be back in the parish after three months’ absence following a blackout and fall. I know that my great recovery from open heart surgery is due in large measure to the tide of your love and prayer. I am deeply grateful for your amazing support, and thankful for the way my brothers in the presbytery and the other parish staff members assumed energetic responsibility during my absence.

I will be in touch again as our Covid levels change. I do look forward to our gathering again for Mass – hopefully in not too long. Thank God that Bishop Michael Gielen was with us last Thursday to Confirm our children, and that we celebrated the children’s first Holy Communion last Sunday. I think Mary, mother of Jesus, was looking after us from her heavenly place of assumption!

God bless,

David Tonks

St Joseph’s 22 August Parish Newsletter

All out of school sports are postponed and will not resume until the Government lifts the lockdown and it’s safe for sport to continue. Until this time, Kidzplay Netball, North Harbour Netball, Breakers Basketball, North Harbour Basketball and North Harbour Flippaball and Newbies are all on hold.

Coaches and managers will be contacted when we receive any information from the respective organisations. They, in turn, will be able to inform teams of when sports will be resuming. When sports do begin again, there is no pressure for your child to play unless you and your family feel comfortable.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to email sports@sj.school.nz . Thank you!

Here is a digital link for the monthly Catholic publication, NZ Catholic.