Tēnā koutou katoa St Michael’s Catholic School Community,
 

May is the Month of Mary and each class is saying a decade of the Rosary just before lunch. Your child is welcome to bring their own special rosary from home to use during this time.

We are thrilled that the Year 6 Camp was able to go ahead. Please keep them in your prayers. 

It was great for all of us to learn more about autism. I was lucky enough to be taking Room 8 and they were fascinated with their new learnings. 

We would like to welcome the following new families and students who have joined us this Term: the Howie family (Arabella) and the Yan family (Chloe) who has an older brother at SMCS.

Congratulations to the Hickey Family on the birth of your baby boy Luca Thomas Hickey and to the Stewart Family on the birth of your baby girl, Asher Stewart. 

We are delighted to announce that Charlotte Bagnall is pregnant with her first baby, due in July! Charlotte will be on maternity leave from Term 3 and we look forward to welcoming her back at the conclusion of her leave. It is great to share this happy news with you all.

The students have been using their science and engineering skills to construct the following models. 

On Friday 19 May, students are invited to wear brightly coloured clothing to celebrate our differences as part of our school’s Kindness Day! 

On this day, we will launch our newest initiative - the Kindness Cup. The Cup encourages us to be kind within our school environment and to the people around us. Developing the ability to be kind and empathetic is a skill we want children to practice so it becomes their natural behaviour as an adult. 

This initiative aligns well with our school’s KiVa programme, where students learn to identify bullying and its many forms. 

Please try to send litter-free lunches each day. If this is not possible, please ask your child to put their rubbish back in their lunchboxes to be returned home (and recycled if possible).

School lunches (Subway, sushi and pizza). All rubbish from these lunches will also need to go home. If your child is getting a school lunch, please provide a lunchbox or bag that your child can put the rubbish into and take home.

We will be composting all fruit and vegetable scraps, so these will be able to be disposed of at school in the designated bins. Thank you for your support!

Please ensure that if you are dropping off or picking up your child/ren from Bassett Road that you do not park over or in our neighbours’ driveways, as we have had a number of complaints recently.

This year St Michael’s Catholic School will be entering a team into the Auckland Region Jump Jam competition. We are looking for a team of Year 5 - 6 Jump Jam enthusiasts to represent the school. These children will need to be willing to commit to practises during some lunch times. The competition will be held on Sunday the 10th of September.

Miss Brown and Mrs Spora will be holding tryouts at lunch time on Tuesday the 9th of May, in Room 5. The children don't need previous dance experience, just a big smile and lots of energy! 

SMCS alumni Dora Slavich, Stella Valerio and Hayden Betham are part of the Baradene orienteering team that has qualified to represent New Zealand at the Under 15 World Schools' Games, to be held in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil in August 2023. A team of 12 girls led by Mrs Buyck will be travelling across with their coach and two parents. The girls are training hard toward the event and now also fundraising toward the costs of the trip. Please help the Group attend this event - they are selling samosas - please see flyer below.

 

Please send orders to Denise Valerio on email dfpvalerio@yahoo.com. All orders and payment must be received by 8 May 2023, with the samosas to arrive fresh the following week. Thank you for your support!"

A committed Catholic family is urgently seeking a 3 x bedroom rental property. Maximum rent: $550.00 per week. If you can help, please contact 021 240 6454. Many thanks. 

“Achieving the best possible academic standards is a goal for all Catholic schools. In its academic standards the Catholic school is required to be “at least as outstanding” as other schools in its area. Parents should not have to choose between the best academic standards and a Catholic education; the Catholic school should embody both. Expecting and facilitating the achievement of the best possible academic standards for all children, whatever their ability, is part of enabling each student to use his or her God-given talents in promoting the good of society and the spread of the kingdom of God14.  ” (Page 6, 18). 

Rosary Group Meet Every Friday at 1:15pm to 1:30pm at the Reflective Area (Church if raining)

St Michael’s Parish Website – Mass times - Sunday 8am, 10am & 5pm; Monday - Friday 7am & 12noon; Saturday 8am.

04/05/23 - Rooms 2 & 7; 11/05/23 - Rooms 10 & 6; 18/05/23 - Rooms 8, 5 & 3; 25/05/23 - Junior School Mass - All Welcome;  01/06/23 - Rooms 9, 4 & 1; 08/06/23 - Rooms 2 & 7; 11/06/23 - School Parish Mass - All Welcome; 16/06/23 - Grandparents Day Mass - All Welcome - 12 noon in the Church: 22/06/23 - Rooms 10 & 6; 29/06/23 - Senior School Mass. 

Worldwide, the UN marks 21 May 2023 as World Day for Cultural Diversity.  St Michael's Parish is inviting you to a Cultural Potluck to celebrate the multiple cultures in our Church, all united in our faith.  You are welcome to bring a plate, a drink, your service or participation.  

To help us plan, please sign up through https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PLCJ2GS.  We look forward to seeing you there! 

Term 2 is packed with some exciting events! We created a key dates flyer to make it easier for you to remember! Make sure you add them to your calendar and keep an eye out for more details from us.

Let’s get quizzical! Our very famous quiz night runs again this year. A great way to get to know other parents and have a fun night out.  

Put your teams together (teams of 6 are ideal!) and email us at ptasmcs@gmail.com.

More details about the night will be shared next week. 

Scholastic Issue 3 is out! Children should have received a flyer to take home and orders can now take place via Loop. Remember, orders must be completed online by 12 May. Books are delivered to the school the week after orders close and will be handed out to your children in their classrooms once they have been sorted. 

 

Unsure how to order? 

Ordering from the brochures is easy, it is all done online via LOOP (the Linked Online Ordering and Payment platform for parents). There are two ways you can order online: 

1.  Visit mybookclub.scholastic.co.nz to set up your account and order through the website. 

2. Download the LOOP App (this is a different LOOP from the Skool LOOP App!) and follow the prompts. 

 

It can be a bit daunting setting it all up for the first time, so here is an easy to follow guide how to do it: -https://www.scholastic.co.nz/media/1664/loop_how_to_4-changed.pdf. 

 

Each year remember to log on to your account and update your Child/Children's Year Level and Classroom to ensure that ordered books will be delivered to the correct place! 

 

Please do not hand in any orders or money to the Office, all orders must be placed online via the website, or through the LOOP App. 

 

Any questions please feel free to contact our Book Club Team on ptasmcs@gmail.com. 

Thank you to Rooms 2 and 9 for helping with Pizza this week. We really appreciate your support. 

 

Use My Kindo for ordering school lunches, buying uniform items at the 2nd hand school uniform shop and events. 

Lucy Carter is aiming to start a running club before school on Friday mornings throughout terms 2 and 3. This would be open to kids year 3 and above and parents alike. A great way to get social and train for cross-country at the same time! 

 

Running club kicks-off next week on Friday 12 May at 8am. 

 

Keen to be part of the club or can help? Get in touch with Lucy on 021 224 2502 or email ptasmcs@gmail.com.  

Take care,

Gio and Sam