TUMUAKI/PRINCIPAL NEWS
Talofa lava St Michael’s Catholic School Community,
Last week I had the opportunity to attend a retreat and conference entitled “A Current of Grace”. It began with a beautiful retreat on Pentecost Sunday, and I truly felt God’s love pour into my heart through the Holy Spirit. The retreat and conference reminded me to prioritise Christ as the centre of my life.
Grandparents Day was a successful event and it was a real joy to have so many Grandparents and significant others attending. The children were thrilled to share the dances that they had learned over the past two weeks with their families, and we know that this is always a highlight for our grandparents. I would like to thank Leah Zazulak-Baker and her team of parent helpers for organising the morning tea, and for ensuring the morning ran smoothly down in the Hall.
I am delighted to announce the appointment of Clare Fala, who will be teaching in Room 1 on Thursdays and Fridays for the remainder of 2024. Clare is hugely experienced, and we know that she will be an asset to our school. Please join us in making her feel welcome as she begins her teaching here at St Michael’s.
Samoan Language Week
Students have been learning about the Samoan Culture this week as part of Samoan Language week. On Friday 31st May we would like to celebrate the Samoan Culture, and invite children to wear a Samoan accessory with their uniforms. Children are welcome to wear a lavalava over your uniform, a lei, a sei (flower) behind your ear.
School Parish Mass - Sunday 9 June (10.00am)
Please join us for this term’s School/Parish Mass on Sunday 9 June. Children need to wear their full school uniform and meet their classroom teacher at 9.40am in the Parish Centre. Please continue to donate non-perishable food items to Monte Cecilia - these can be placed in the baskets outside the office.
Parking - Beatrice Road Driveway
We are receiving complaints from our neighbours who live on the Beatrice Road driveway that access to their home is being blocked by parents at drop-off and pick-up times. Please be considerate of our neighbours, and ensure that you are parking legally before and after school.
ICAS
The following information is for Year 4-6 families interested in registering students for the online International Competitions and Assessments for Schools (ICAS) testing scheduled to be sat during school time in Term 3. This year students can register for exams in English, Mathematics and Science.
ICAS exams are run through a private company based in New South Wales, and are “user pays”.
These exams assess higher order thinking and problem solving to extend students beyond their expected achievement level for their age. We have found in the past that some students find the examinations, and receiving their results, extremely stressful. It is important that if you enrol your child for these exams, that you take the time to prepare them for this. There are example test papers available on the ICAS website to purchase.
The school does not receive feedback regarding each student’s performance in these exams. The results do not inform or guide teaching and learning at our school.
Our school has signed up for the ICAS Assessments parent payment system (PPS) and registrations are now open. Please use the below details to register and pay directly online, no later than Wednesday 3 July 2024.
Please take care to register your child for the appropriate tests depending on their year level.
Access details:
School access code: OOA123
Parent page link: https://shop.icasassessments.com/pages/pps
Pricing for New Zealand: NZD$20.70 (incl. GST) per test.
- ICAS English – Year 4, 5, 6 – Wednesday 14 August
- ICAS Science – Year 4, 5, 6 – Wednesday 21 August
- ICAS Mathematics – Year 4, 5, 6 – Wednesday 28 August
SMCS Policies – all our policies are on SchoolDocs, please follow the next four steps:
- Go to www.schooldocs.co.nz
- Click Search for your school
- Start typing the school name and then select from the dropdown list
- Enter the community username and password: Username: smcs Password: mackillop
This term we are reviewing
Appointment Procedure (Board); Equal Employment Opportunities; Teacher Relief Cover;
Safety Checking (Board); Police Vetting and Classroom Release Time
Please click on “Current Review” and then click on and read the policies. Next you click on “Under Review” and complete the survey. Your feedback would be appreciated.
Health Notice From Ministry of Education
Winter illnesses are taking hold across the motu, with ‘flu season’ arriving earlier than normal. Aotearoa is also at a high risk of a measles outbreak with immunisation rates dropping off since COVID-19. Please follow Te Whatu Ora advice, particularly that the best protection against an outbreak of measles is the MMR vaccine. Measles – Te Whatu Ora
Wednesday 05 June - Room 1, Room 3 and Room 8 Assembly (2.00pm)
Sunday 09 June - Parish/School Mass (10.00am)
Wednesday 12 June - Talent Extravaganza (4.00pm)
Wednesday 19 June - Room 6 and Room 9 Assembly (2.00pm)
Thursday 27 June - Matariki Breakfast
Friday 28 June - Public Holiday (Matariki)
Wednesday 3 July - Room 5 and Room 10 Assembly (2.00pm)
Friday 5 July - YCC (Young Catholics Care) Mufti fundraiser, last day of Term 2
The Catholic Education of School-Age Children This document of the NZ Catholic Bishop’s Conference is to guide those involved in the work of Catholic Education. Each week we will place excerpts of this book.
“A genuine and ongoing encounter with Christ gives rise to a desire to know more about him and his teaching. Facilitating that encounter is an essential function of the Catholic school. Without it the student will not have a passion for those things which pertain to Christ and his Church, and religious education will have little effect on the heart, the mind and the will” (p5).
Religious Education Term 2 Overview
For Years 3-6
Week 3: Liturgical Year - Pentecost
Weeks 4-8: Strand - Holy Spirit
Weeks 9-10: Strand - Church
The themes in our Religious Education Programme are broad categories of knowledge and learning that overlap, weave together and build upon each other.
For Years 1 & 2
Over the last 4 years, a new Religious Education Curriculum, To Tātou Whakapono Our Faith, has been developed. Level 1 (Year 1 & 2) students will be learning through the new Curriculum from this year. The Term 2 Theme is Te Rongopai - Good News. This theme focuses on Sacred Scripture. Children will learn that the Bible is filled with good news for us all. Learners are given opportunities to explore, grow in understanding, wonder about, reflect on and connect with stories from the Old and New Testaments.
St Michael’s Parish Website – Mass times - Sunday 8am, 10am & 5pm; Monday - Friday 7am & 12noon; Saturday 8am.
Adoration: Monday - Friday 7.30am-8.30am
Rosary: Monday – Friday 8.30am & 12.30pm; Saturday 8.30am
School Masses - Every Thursday at 9:15am (except Feast days)
06/06/24 - Rooms 6 & 9; 13/06/24 - Senior School (Rooms 7, 8, 9 & 10); 20/06/24 - Rooms 5 & 10; 27/06/24 - No Mass; 04/07/24 - Rooms 1, 3 & 8
The Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Ia faamanuia le Atua ia te oe,
Ann McKeown
Principal Tumuaki
