Dear Parents

The end is nigh!

Today we had our final celebration for the year. The children, staff and parents joined together for the End of Year Liturgy. It was a wonderful occasion to reflect on the year that has been and to farewell our Year 6 children. It was lovely to have the support of whanau at this celebration.

Earlier in the week we had the Year 6 Mass. The children and their families celebrated their time at St Joseph’s. At the end of Mass, the 2024 Edmonds Cup recipients were announced. The Edmonds Cup acknowledges the participation and contribution the child has made to the life of St Joseph’s School in the fields of leadership, empathy for others and upholding the Special Catholic Character. This is the 30th year the Cup has been awarded. Year 5 / 6 children and staff are asked to nominate a Year 6 girl and boy who they feel have contributed in these fields. This year’s recipients were Renessa Pillai and Alex Robinson. Congratulations to them both on this award.

This evening you will be receiving your child’s End of Year report by email. If it has not arrived, please email your child’s teacher and we will organise to get you the report on Monday.

Our school year ends at 1:00 pm Wednesday 18 December.

For the final three days, children can wear their weekend wear. Parents are welcome to consider donating school uniform items that are no longer of use to the family, to the school. You are welcome to drop off the uniform items at the school office.

The children’s first day for the 2025 school year is Monday 3 February. Mark it on the calendar!

The staff and I wish all our families a happy and Holy Christmas. May the Christmas break be one full of fun family time.

Meri Kirihimete

Alister Bridgman
Tumuaki

The Principal’s Message will cover the following topics:

• PTFA Update
• Angel Tree Christmas Giving
• Skids Holiday Programme
• Parish News
• Community Notices

Celebrating a Year of Achievement and Gratitude

We want to extend our heartfelt thanks to all the teachers, parents and families who have supported us throughout the year. Our Tamariki are truly fortunate to be part of such a strong and caring community.

This year has been filled with exciting fundraising events and memorable community activities. Some highlights include the Colour Fun Run at the end of Term 1, which has quickly become a favourite for both students and parents. We also enjoyed our annual Matariki School Disco at the end of Term 2, and in Term 3 we had the pleasure of hosting the Fathers’ Day Breakfast and the Musical Bingo and Auction Night.

Thanks to your generous support, we are proud to have raised over $20,000 for our school.

How We Allocate Funds

When it comes to how we spend the funds raised, we take a thoughtful approach by dividing them into three categories: short-term, medium-term, and long-term projects.

Here’s how we allocate the funds:

• Long-term projects – Such as the new junior playground in 2023 – 1/3 of the funds.
• Medium-term projects – Such as equipment upgrades – 1/3 of the funds, with a focus on projects to be completed within 1–3 years.
• Short-term projects – Annual Community events like the Matariki Disco, Mothers’ Day Coffee & Cupcakes and Fathers’ Day Breakfast – 1/3 of the funds.

Our Focus for 2024

After the completion of the new junior playground in 2023, this year we turned our attention to upgrading some existing school equipment, including the following:

• New netball hoops
• New shade sails for the outdoor areas
• New Bibles for each of the classrooms
• New school gazebos for athletics/sports days (currently underway for start of 2025)

We’re also excited to share some long-term initiatives with you in 2025 that we’re working hard to bring to life.

Building Community Connections

One of the PTFA’s core goals is to strengthen the sense of community within our school. We achieve this by organising fun, inclusive events like the Colour Fun Run, Matariki Disco, and Family Breakfasts. These events are a fantastic opportunity to bring us all together, to celebrate and connect.

We’re always eager for new ideas and extra hands, so if you’d like to get involved, we would love to hear from you. Your time, ideas, and enthusiasm make a world of difference!

How to Get Involved

There are many ways in which you can support the PTFA:

1. Become a member! We meet every 2nd and 6th Monday of the term at 7.15pm in the staff room. By becoming a member you will be part of the core team to help shape events and areas of focus.

2. Join a committee for one of our bigger events. Contribute your ideas and help plan the event and/or help on the day.

3. Join the Friends of the PTFA Whatsapp group to stay connected and volunteer, to support where you can. Click the link here to join now. 

Plus stay up to date with everything that’s coming up and be part of our shared community, by joining our Facebook page.

Thank you once again for your continued support. We wish you a very happy Christmas and New Year.

– The PTFA Team

https://www.skids.co.nz/locations/st-josephs-takapuna/

Latest News from St Joseph’s Takapuna Parish

Please check out the latest community notices  which you can find on our school website.