Tēnā koutou katoa St Michael’s Catholic School Community,
In today’s Gospel, Jesus reminds the Pharisees that God values compassion over strict rules. When the disciples are hungry and pick grain on the Sabbath, Jesus teaches that mercy and care for others come before ritual. He challenges us to look beyond laws to the heart of God’s love, a love that forgives, includes, and uplifts.
Let us remember to act with kindness and mercy in our daily lives, just as Jesus teaches.
Welcome back to Term 3! I hope you all managed to spend some quality time with your families despite the less than ideal weather.
I would like to extend a warm welcome back to Mrs. Georgina Van Schaijik, who has returned from maternity leave. She will be with us on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, continuing her role as DRS (Director of Religious Studies).
We are also thrilled to welcome our two new staff members who joined us on Monday: Miss Rodangela Palaypay in Room 2 and Mrs Zaza Fristiasa in Room 4. We are delighted to have them as part of our St Michaels school community.
Week 2: Welcome to Our New Librarian – Kath Twomey
We are thrilled to welcome Kath Twomey as our new school librarian at St Michael’s Catholic School. Kath brings a wealth of experience and passion for encouraging children to read for enjoyment. Originally a primary teacher, Kath discovered her love for school libraries while raising her two daughters and has since worked in both primary and secondary settings. Most recently, she revitalised the library at Parnell District School, and her dedication was recognised nationally when she was nominated as one of eight outstanding school librarians across Aotearoa. Kath is excited to join our team and looks forward to creating a vibrant, welcoming space where a love of reading can flourish.
Just a reminder with changes in some roles at school:
Assistant Principal/Lead SENCO: Rebekah Capon
Junior Lead/Junior SENCO: Clare Fala
Senior Lead/Senior SENCO: Emma Cotterell
Director of Religious Studies (DRS): Georgina van Schaijik (Returning from Maternity leave)
New Entrant Lead: Isabella Anderson
Events Lead: Chelsea Nawisielski - Room 7
During our Monday morning meditation, Fr Tony blessed to new Staff, children and their families to our school: the Jimenez family (Czara), the Chan family (Irene), the Lacey family (Theodore), the Aquino family (Jasper), the Don Wijesinghe family (Joel), and the Boaz family (Audrick).
We hope your time here is filled with joy, growth, and wonderful experiences. Welcome to our school family!
We would like your Help
With the winter weather upon us we want to create more opportunities for students to participate in activities during lunch times in the classrooms.
Do you have a skill or craft which you can teach the children during Term 3 at a lunch time?
Please email me directly if you can help.
Homework Expectations at SMCS
This year, homework was formally introduced for students in the Senior School (Years 4–6), and this will continue into Term 3 and Term 4 as part of our commitment to developing strong learning habits.
We are also pleased to share that a new homework structure has now been introduced for students in Years 0–2 and Year 3, with a focus on fostering a positive connection between home and school learning from an early age. These expectations are designed to be manageable, purposeful, and supportive of each child’s learning journey. For full details, please refer to the Curriculum section of this newsletter.
Working together with whānau helps ensure consistency and support for our tamariki as they grow in both confidence and independence.
Parent Portal-Ministry of Education
I would like to again draw your attention to the recent changes to the New Zealand Curriculum and the growing importance of strong partnerships between home and school.
To support this, the Ministry of Education has developed a Parent Portal that outlines what your child will be learning each year, beginning from their first six months at school. It also provides practical ways you and your whānau can support your child’s learning journey at home.
I strongly encourage all families to explore this resource and become familiar with the updates to the curriculum and how they impact your child’s education. Working together ensures the best outcomes for our learners.
Supporting attendance during winter Regular school attendance is vital for learning, social development, and overall wellbeing. As we enter the winter, there will naturally be times when it is appropriate for tamariki to stay home and recover from illness.
However, minor symptoms do not always require time away from school. Below is a link to information that will help parents and caregivers decide when it is okay to send their child to school, when they should keep them at home, and when they should contact a health professional for advice.
Whole School/Parish Mass - (SMCS hosting M/tea) - Sunday 10 August 10am (compulsory attendance)
Parent Teacher Interviews - Tuesday 12 August. School closes at 1pm. Parent interviews from 1.30pm-7.30pm
School Cross Country - Wednesday 13 August
TODThursday 14 August there is no school on this day to allow the teachers to participate in professional development across our kahui Ako Schools.
School Safety 2025
Auckland Transport has emailed all Primary schools a 'Campaign' for School Safety at the school gate.
Please click on the link below to view the “Nice Karen” way to behave at the school gate to avoid getting a fine and to keep our children safe. Let’s make our roads safe for drop-off and pick-up.
By now, all families will have received an email with a Nomination form and Eligibility information for this year's 2025 Triennial Election.
There are 5 vacancies for parent representatives, and I encourage you to think about standing for the Board. The Board's role is a governance one, and it works with the senior leadership team to set the strategic direction for the school.
Please click on the links below to provide you further information on the role of parent representatives on School Boards:
There are spare Nomination forms available at the School Office.
Nga mihi Marija Batistich-Slavich SMCS Board Chair
Director of Religious Studies
The new national Religious Education curriculum, ‘To Tātou Whakapono – Our Faith’, is now being fully implemented throughout Catholic schools. This aligns with the revised Maths and Literacy curriculum.
This term, the whole school theme is: Te Rongopai - Good News.
The Good News is understood to be the revelation of Godself to human beings through Scripture. It is about God’s relationship with us, and our relationship with God. It is fundamentally and joyfully… Good! The story of Jesus and the first disciples is told in the New Testament. The revelation of God to the Hebrew people, which forms the foundation for Jesus’ life and teachings, is told in the Old Testament. The Bible is part of everybody’s story.
Young people need to develop familiarity with the stories and messages of the scriptures, but also need to develop knowledge and skills to make sense of what they read.
Each theme has Whānau pages which provide an overview of RE learning. Teachers will share these pages in hard copy in children’s RE books and on the Class Dojo page. Please look out for this fabulous resource as it will help you support your child with their RE development and understanding and has ideas on how to connect learning to everyday home life. Here is an example from the Year 3 page:
St Michael’s Bishop Robert Barron Video Series
Join us as Bishop Robert Barron takes us on a journey of the lives of four pivotal saints who have helped shape our Church and advance civilization by challenging the status quo. Live the stories with the assistance of Dr Dan Stollenwerk, Catherine Lipski and Vernon Tava.
4x Wednesday evenings from 30 July * 7:00pm – 8:30pm * in the church crypt
For more information & to register see our website: remueracatholic.org.nz or fill out a form in the church foyer and place in the drop box.
2025 Retreat Information for Parents from the Sisters of St Joseph Aotearoa New Zealand
** July **
REFLECTION DAY on Creation and the Incarnation (Part 2)
Date: Saturday 19 July; 10am - 1pm Venue: Meeting Room 2 Facilitator: Ann Neven rsj From: “An Astonishing Secret” – by Daniel O’Leary Session Two – The More Human We Are, the More Divine We Become
This is an opportunity to reflect with Fr Daniel O’Leary on a further Chapter of his book – An Astonishing Secret. He quotes Pope Francis who wrote: “The Son of God becoming (hu)man summoned us to become our truest selves.”
** August **
TWO-SESSION REFLECTION DAY: Spirituality of Eldering via Zoom
Date: Wednesday 6 August; 1st session 10am; 2nd Session 4pm Facilitator: Lyndall Brown rsj Cost: Koha
Discovering the wisdom of Eldering its blessings and its invitation to journey from aging to sage-ing will be reflected on during this day. The day will draw on the writings of Joan Chittister and other wise mentors.
There will be a morning and afternoon session with a handout for reflection.
A time of prayer to honour Mary MacKillop and how her life is an inspiration for us today.
Just One Primary Reflection Days and Confirmation Retreats
We’re excited to let you know that JUST ONE will be in Auckland from October 13 for three weeks, and we’re now encouraging bookings for Primary Reflection Days and Confirmation Retreats.
What’s on offer:
Reflection Days (Years 5–6) Faith-filled, fun days with prayer, storytelling, and activities that explore identity, kindness, and living like Jesus.
Confirmation Retreats (Year 6) Support your candidates in discovering their gifts and how they’re called to serve with the help of the Holy Spirit.
What to expect:
Facilitated by JUST ONE
Engaging, age-appropriate sessions rooted in Gospel values
Creative, reflective, and action-focused experiences
We bring everything needed and adapt the day to your space and students. Limited dates available — get in touch to secure your booking! Visit our websitefor more info.
Curriculum Updates
Introducing Homework in the Junior School
As part of supporting your child’s learning journey we’re gradually introducing homework activities in the junior school. These tasks are designed to be short, purposeful, and developmentally appropriate, helping children build good habits and reinforce what they’ve learned in class.
Please look out for a St Michael’s word and Alphabet book or a St Michaels Homework book in your child’s book bag. These books will have a simple explanation in the front so you can see the learning focus and feel confident supporting your child at home. Whether it’s a reading task, word or spelling activity or practising number facts our aim is to keep it manageable and meaningful.
Thank you for working with us to make learning a positive experience both at school and at home!
Clare Fala - Junior Team Lead
The Buzz about Enrichment - Save the Bees!
Last term, small groups of our senior students took part in an exciting enrichment programme all about bees and their importance to our environment. The children were incredibly enthusiastic and eager to learn, exploring the vital role bees play in our world.
Through a series of fun, hands-on activities, students deepened their understanding in creative ways. One highlight was designing vibrant “Save the Bees” posters - featuring a QR code linking to a video the children created. The videos share information about bees, why bees matter and how we can help protect them.
It was a wonderful blend of science, creativity and technology and we’re so proud of the curiosity and passion our students brought to the programme!
This programme will continue this term and will give others an opportunity to learn about bees. This term the children will be helping our school “Do our bit” by creating and planting our very own bee garden! Watch this space...
Chess Power Term 3
2025 Sports News/Events
SMCS Cross Country
Wednesday 13th August is the day that the full school Cross Country has been set. It will be held at Monte Cecilia Park. If you can assist in anyway on the day please email me at c.bagnall@smcs.school.nz. Many thanks.
Football with Julia (Term 3, 2025)
Catholic Diocese of Auckland News
Auckland Common Fund Ltd is very pleased to offer the Reuben O’Neill Bursary for 2026. Reuben and Alice O'Neill both passed away earlier this year, Alice in January and Reuben a few months later. Their generosity of spirit and deep faith continue to inspire and touch the lives of many. May they rest in eternal peace.
The Reuben O’Neill Bursary has been established by the Catholic Diocese of Auckland to assist in making Catholic education available to some families and their children who otherwise would be unable to receive a Catholic education. The Reuben O’Neill Bursary has been established to honour Reuben O’Neill, who was an exceptional volunteer and supporter of Catholic education throughout his lifetime. Reuben O’Neill (1932-2025) was a husband, parent and grandparent and was recognised by Pope John Paul II in 1989 receiving a papal knighthood for his services to the Catholic Church of New Zealand. Reuben was proud of his own Catholic education and worked faithfully to make Catholic education accessible to as many people as possible, through building the Common Fund Cooperative, developing new schools, and improving the standard of existing schools across the Diocese of Auckland.
Whānau/families can apply at primary or secondary levels. Eligibility criteria include a desire for Catholic education for their child, and financial benefit to their family. Students of any year level can apply for the scholarship.
In 2025 5 Primary and 5 Secondary Bursaries were awarded and are for the duration of a student’s time at primary or secondary school. In 2026 an additional 5 Primary and 5 Secondary Bursaries will be offered. It may be a family whose child is already enrolled in a Catholic school, or someone you know who desires a Catholic education for their child but for whom the associated cost of Attendance Dues are a barrier.
All applications should be emailed to Viki Trainor at scholarships@cda.org.nz or posted to Pompallier Diocesan Centre, Private Bag 47904, Ponsonby, Auckland 1144.
Welcome back to Term 3! A very warm welcome to new families joining St Michael’s this term! If there is anything around the school that you need help with please do not hesitate to email ptasmcs@gmail.com with your questions. There are so many new things to figure out with your child starting school, so please reach out if you need to.
Here are a few updates for you:
Quiz Night
There is quite a buzz around the school about the upcoming Quiz Night! So here’s an update and some information for you! Great opportunity for meeting new people, having fun and a boogie!
St Michael’s Catholic School Fundraising Quiz Night is booked for Saturday, 2nd August and tickets are on sale now via MyKindo.
What you need to know
Venue: Dalmatian Cultural Society - 10 New North Road, Eden Terrace, Auckland 1021
Price: Single ticket - $40 pp, Table of 10 - $400 per table
Time: Doors open at 6:45pm
Quiz starts at 7:30pm
DJ & Dancing from 9.30pm till late
Our local businesses and school community have been very generous to us with our raffle and silent action items for our fundraising activity. Here are a few of them to give you an idea:
Raffle
| Business | Prize | Manuka Phuel | Bluetooth Chillybin filled with Phuel - Value $600 | Burger Burger | $100 Gift Voucher | Sills & Co | $100 Gift Voucher | Woop | Classic Box 4 pax, 3 nights (Value $205) | Nestle | Huge hamper filled with Nestle treats (Value $100+) | Velocity Bay @ Remuera Golf Club | 90min velocity range for 4 pax
Silent Auction
| Business | Prize | Brydon Photography | Family Photoshoot - 30 mins in Cornwall Park delivering 10-15 edited photos | Armstrongs | A weekend behind the wheel of a high-end car from Armstrong's | Manuka Phuel | Corporate Box at Eden Park for an upcoming Super Rugby Game
We have some awesome talent lined up, the quiz is being run by David Oakes from Believe It Or Not Quiz Masters who has over 10 years of experience as a quizmaster hosting some of the biggest quizzes in the country including the largest inaugural BION quiz ever! After the quiz we have DJ Sample Gee on the decks, who is a multi-platinum selling DJ & Producer and will be pumping out all the 80's hits.
FAQs:
Q: Do I have to dress up?
A: Prizes for best dressed teams will be up for grabs. But don’t worry if you don’t want to dress up - just come for a fun night.
Q: What if I don’t have a team?
A: If you don’t have a team, we can easily put you at a table with others who are there. Great opportunity to mix and mingle and meet new people.
Q: I have some friends who are not parents of the school who want to come along, can they?
A: Pre-purchasing helps us get an idea of how much food and drinks we need to make available. But no, you don’t have to - there is a full bar available for you to purchase drinks. Hot food and pizza from Pizza Presto are also available for purchase on the night.
Q:What is parking like?
A: There is a limited number of parking available, but there is side street parking available nearby. Uber or rideshare options may make things more convenient.
We look forward to seeing you all on Saturday, 2nd August for a night full of fun, fundraising, and 80s dance-offs!
Run-A-Thon
Introducing the SMCS Run-A-Thon. The money raised from this fundraiser will go towards ensuring that the school’s sports equipment (e.g. goal posts, pumps) and sports shed (shelving for different types of balls and storage) are sufficient for the various sports our children participate in.
As winter is here, it is also a great way to encourage our children to get active whilst doing some training for the school Cross Country on 13th August!
This week, your children will bring home a Run-A-Thon card with them. It will contain all the information on the Run-A-Thon.
Run-a-thon starts: Friday 18th July
Run-a-thon finishes: Friday 15th August
Run-a-thon sheets final due date: Monday 18th August (Children can return the sheet to their teacher earlier if they have achieved their distance targets earlier)
The target distances for the children are:
Junior distance target: 21 km (just over 5km per week)
Senior distance target: 42 km (just over 10km per week)
How it works
The children will get up to 4 weeks to complete the target distances for their age group. They can choose to run, walk or bike the kilometres. It doesn’t matter if they don’t reach those targets – the important thing is that everyone takes part! They can also run as many kilometres as they want to, right up to completing a full marathon. The idea is that the more kilometres they run, the more sponsorship money they raise from their friends and family. This provides them good training leading up to the Cross Country event.
We encourage families to complete as many kilometres as they can together. There are some great apps available which are useful for measuring distances, such as Strava Training, Runtastic Running and Nike Run Club. You can also join the SMCS Running Club on Friday mornings organised by one of our parents, Lucy Carter. Each class will also be training for the Cross Country during their PE time, and these distances can also be included in the Run-a-thon.
SMCS Running Club Info
Meet every Friday morning at 7:50am outside the school office. There will be a quick warm up and then we start at 8.00am sharp. They run down Arney Rd and back - roughly the same distance the children will cover at cross country. Runners of all abilities are welcome. Junior kids will need to be accompanied by an adult runner please. Children to come dressed in their P.E. gear and running shoes.
Please email ptasmcs@gmail.com if you want to be added to the Whatsapp group. Lucy and her team would love any parent runners to join in or marshall the intersections along Arney Road and the crossing (the kids are usually done by 8:30am).
SMCS School Disco
This is probably the most popular event for our children at St Michael’s! The date that we have confirmed for our School Disco is Friday, 5th September 2025 in our school Hall. The event will start at 5pm and run through till 8pm. Put this in your calendar, we will share more details on this soon.
Pizza Duty
Every Friday, pizzas can be ordered for your children through MyKindo for their lunch. All families take turns to do pizza duty each Friday. We will also be putting the Pizza Friday schedule on the PTA Notice Board so that you can refer to this from time to time.
Please remember to order pizzas for your child(ren) by 9am on Friday mornings to avoid them having no pizza for lunch. Cancellations are also accepted by 9am.
Thank you to the following families for helping with pizza and ice blocks on 27th June and 18th July:
Dewage (Rm04)
Donnel (Rm09)
Carter (Rm09)
Goldring (Rm0
Calkin (Rm06 & Rm05)
Colombie (Rm06)
Au (Rm06)
Aziz (Rm06)
Here’s the list of families scheduled for two weeks on pizza/ice block duty on Fridays between 12.30pm to 1.30pm in the school hall kitchen. If you are unable to do your shift, please try and find someone else to fill your spot or email ptasmcs@gmail.com:
25th July:
Abasolo (Rm05)
Concepcion-Perez (Rm05)
Costuna (Rm05)
Ebbett (Rm05)
1st August:
Barredo (Rm07)
Cachay Sarmiento (Rm07)
Calapuz (Rm07)
Casim (Rm07)
Uniform Shop
Our second hand uniform shop has a good selection of uniform for your children. The shop will be open next on Friday, 1st August 2025 from 2.45pm to 3.30pm. This shop is kindly run by volunteers. We are looking for more people to help us, if you have about 30 to 45 mins to spare during pickup on Fridays, please email ptasmcs@gmail.com or come over to say hi when the shop is open!
Warmest wishes SMCS PTA Team
SMCS Students Shining in our Community
Peru's National Dance
The Marinera is Peru's national dance, with roots in the Spanish fandango, African zamacueca, and indigenous couple dances. Please click on the link below to view one of our Senior student's Cayla Kachay doing a Peruvian dance.
Cecilia (Rm 8), Eira (Rm 8) & Bea (Rm 10) were part of a musical theatre programme called National Youth Theatre (NYT).
We were all part of a musical at the end of last term, Seussical at Aotea Centre. My favourite part was the bows when the audience is cheering and the fact that the lead casts get separate bows.
I love being on stage, singing and acting. It builds friendship and confidence. But most important of all is to … have FUN!
The next musical we are involved in is Wizard Of Oz that starts in August.
Written by Cecilia Wong
Keeping Our Tamariki Safe Online
As part of our ongoing commitment to supporting safe and responsible digital citizenship, we’d like to introduce Netsafe.
A trusted New Zealand organisation that provides expert advice and resources to help keep tamariki safe online. With technology playing such a big role in our children’s lives, it’s important that we, as parents and caregivers, understand how to guide and protect them in the digital world. We encourage you to visit the below link which offers practical tools, tips, and advice to support online safety at home.
It’s a valuable resource to help navigate issues like screen time, online bullying, and social media use in a positive and informed way.
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