Dear Parents

Today we welcomed eight new students who had their first day at school this week. It is a very special celebration for the children and their families.

Next week we have our parish feast day. Our Kakapo and Kakariki children will be attending the parish mass on St Joseph’s day, Wednesday, 15th March, at 9:30am. Whanau are welcome to join us for this Mass. The school is not leading the Mass.

Over the next couple of weeks the Kiwi and Kakapo teams will be going on school trips. Kiwis are going to the Auckland Art Gallery and Kakapo is going to the Tip Top Factory. The Kiwi team are looking at NZ Portraits as part of their NZ study this term. The Kakapo theme for the term is Kiwiana which is Tip Top.

This week our Kiwi and Kakapo teachers completed the MOE structured literacy professional development that they began last year. This term, the teachers of the Kiwi team will begin implementing the programme. The programme does not include a book coming home each night. Parents will receive further information about the programme from the team in due course. For the Kakapo children there will be little change to what the children have experienced due to the level they are reading at.

The Kakariki teachers will be doing their structured literacy professional development in terms two to four.

The school has been doing a structured literacy spelling programme called ‘The Code’ for a couple of years, along with handwriting. The spelling programme is aligned with the structured literacy reading programme. 

Enjoy another lovely, fine weekend.

Ka manaakitia e te Atua

Alister Bridgman

Tumuaki

The Principal’s Message will cover the following topics:

• Welcome
• Pope Francis – Lent
• Lost Property
• Kiwi Team Art Trip Reminder
• Shore-to-Shore Fun Run & Walk
• Crazy Colour Day
• Netball Registrations
• PTFA Meeting This Coming Monday
• St Joseph’s Parish Sacramental Programme – 2025
• St Mary’s College Enrolments – 2026
• SKIDS Holiday Programme
• Parish News
• Community Notices

We would like to extend a very warm welcome to new students who have joined us at St Joseph’s this week:

Adriel, Barry, Ephraim, Evelyn, March, Psalm, Rafael and Stephen 

2. The destructive power of sin When we fail to live as children of God, we often behave in a destructive way towards our neighbours and other creatures – and ourselves as well – since we begin to think we can use them as we will.

We exceed those limits imposed by our human condition and nature itself. We can think “I want it all and I want it now!” and “Too much is never enough”.

Sin, from its first appearance has disrupted our communion with God, with others and with creation itself. Sin leads us to consider ourselves the god of creation, and to use it, not for the purpose willed by the Creator but for our own interests, to the detriment of other creatures.

Once God’s law, the law of love, is forsaken, then the law of the strong over the weak takes over, as do greed and unbridled pursuit of comfort, lack of concern for the good of others and even of oneself. This leads to the exploitation of creation, both persons and the environment.

Parish Lent 2025 Notice Link

Please check the Lost Property outside the Kakapo, Pod 3 area.  There are a large number of school jackets in ‘Lost Property’.  Many of them look like they have had a name on them at some point, but the name is now illegible.  If the jackets are not claimed by next Friday, they will be washed and put into the ‘second hand uniform’ collection.

Thank you!

• Home Groups 14, 16 and 18 are going on Monday, 17th March.
• Home Groups 13, 15 and 17 are going on Tuesday, 18th March.
• Please remember the bus leaves school at 9.15am

Thank you to all the parents who have said they will come with us.  

• Has your child registered yet? Don’t miss out!
• We have just reached $10K of fundraising – WOW!!
• Home Group 8 was the class that had the most children registered first – well done! They’ll now get to enjoy “Juicies” for their class and will get the opportunity to run first on the day of the fun run.  😀 

Netball registrations are open!

Please refer to the Sports section of the school website for more information.

FIRST CONFESSION, CONFIRMATION & FIRST HOLY COMMUNION

If your son or daughter is 8-years-old and you now wish for them to prepare for the Sacraments of Reconciliation, Confirmation and First Holy Communion this year, you will need to complete a Registration form.

The Year 4 children have been given a form – please check your child’s bag. If your son or daughter is in another year group and meets the criteria, the form is available in the Church entrances and our school office.

Deadline for completed forms is the 11th of April, 2025 at 2pm. Completed forms can be dropped-off, on Mondays /Tuesdays 10am-2pm and Thursdays/Fridays 10am and 2pm to the Parish Office or the box into the School Office.

Orientation dates are either on Monday, the 28th of April at 6pm; or Wednesday, the 30th of April at 6pm, in the Church.

For inquiries, please email the Sacramental Programme Co-ordinator: Edwin on pastoral@stjoseph.org.nz

SKIDS HOLIDAY PROGRAMME

Latest News from St Joseph’s Takapuna Church

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