On-line Safety

As parents (and in my case as a grandparent) the world has become very complicated when we consider the impact of on-line technology on our own lives and also on the lives of our tamariki. 

I was a parent in the 90s and 2000s where we were navigating the challenges of appropriate text messages and the amount of time my tamariki should  spend on the home computer. The phones weren’t smart but problems still occurred around what was appropriate  for my children to be texting and communicating with their peers. 

Parenting in the 2020s- you are navigating many platforms that tamariki can now be on, learning on-line, social media, digital images and privacy, screen time and the impacts of this on tamariki’s development, online bullying- the list has become quite extensive. Where can you go for help? 

We do have a great resource in New Zealand- netsafe.org.nz. Over the next few newsletters I will share some practical tips from Netsafe to help support you in your journey as parents in this digital age. This week let's look at what Netsafe could provide in the way of support and information. 

The Online Safety Parent Toolkit  is a simple and practical seven-step framework to help parents with digital parenting in a rapidly changing world.  It explains the online challenges young people are likely to encounter, how to best support them and what you can do to teach your tamariki to have a safer online experience.   

As young people spend more time online, it’s important that parents and whānau can teach their child to have a safe online experience. A downloadable version pdf the Online Safety Parent Toolkit is available so parents, families and whanau can have information on hand when needed.  

If you have questions about platforms your children and young people are using or want to know what to be mindful of as they navigate the online space, check out Netsafe’s resources for parents.  All you need to know about online bullying, online gaming or the latest video conferencing craze.   

How much time are young people in New Zealand spending online? Who are they engaging with when they are there and who do they turn to when things don’t go as planned? How do young people feel about pornography and how prevalent is online harm? If you are interested in reading more about how children and young people in New Zealand are interacting online, some of the challenges they face and how they are dealing with those challenges, check out Netsafe’s latest research. 

Even just exploring one of these useful resources can provide some valuable information as you journey with your tamariki through the digital world. 

A list of  thanks! 

Last week was a big week on the Holy Cross School calendar as we completed our Catholic Schools Evaluation. We had an intense but heartening time with Zita Smith, Anna Maria Vissers (from the Catholic Education Office) and Lindsey Dailly, principal from St Teresa’s in Featherston, looking at the effectiveness of how we deliver Special Character Education. The team heard from many people in our school community; teaching and support staff, students, Board of trustees and proprietors, Father Bill our local parish priest and from a selection of parents who were able to meet at specified times. 

I want to thank all who made themselves available and contributed so generously to the process. We are awaiting a draft from the team but early discussions indicate we have real strengths in delivering our Catholic Character and also some exciting next steps that we can take. I will share the outcomes when we receive the published report within the next few months. Special thanks and recognition to Nik Solia, our faithful DRS who worked tirelessly throughout the process too. 

Second thanks to all those parents who helped support us as we ran the Eastern Zone netball tourney last Wednesday. The event was organised and executed by Nik Solia, Tala Moemai,  Ben Gittos and Kirsten Puddick but  parents stepped up to help transport tamariki, manage teams, umpire and support the day- once again thanks for taking time out to be there for our tamariki. 

Finally the middle syndicate- Rooms 6,8 and 3 had a great trip to Te Papa yesterday despite the extremely cold weather. We had a brave group of parents who came to support the groups as they explored all Te Papa had to offer, including a special presentation on Te Paewai- the Horizon: Pacific Navigation and Voyaging. This trip is part of our focus on Journeys. Thanks parents- you were a big help!

Feast of the Assumption

On the 15th August we celebrate the feast of the Assumption. On this day we recognise that Mary was raised to heaven, body and soul. There are many ways that people around the world celebrate this special day. In many places they hold festivals, and in many Eastern countries, ladies with the name ‘Mary,’ or having a name derived from ‘Mary’, welcome everyone to their homes in honour of the Blessed Mary. 

Next Friday 11th August we will hold the feast of the Assumption Mass and we warmly invite you to join us at our school hall @ 9:30am. We will hold a special morning tea for our visitors at the end of the service.

Father in heaven, all creation rightly gives you praise, for all life and all holiness come from you. In the plan of your wisdom she who bore Christ in her womb was raised body and soul in glory to be with him in heaven. May we follow her example in reflecting your holiness and join in her hymn of endless love and praise.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen 

Congratulations to Meisha from Room 2 who's work "A Glistening Light"  will be published by Toitoi. Toitoi is a quaterly journal that publishes work from young writers and artists.

Well done Meisha, we are very proud of you! 

A Glistening Light

As my group flooded into the room I slowly followed behind unaware of what
they had seen, peering around the corner all I could see was darkness. And
within that darkness, a glistening glow had erupted from in the room
revealing the crowd of people surrounding this light but then I started to
ponder. What was the illuminating light that glistened in the shadows that
made the room feel a lot more lively? Perhaps I should look more
thoroughly.
I came closer and closer to the mysterious light and to my surprise it was
such a fascinating thing. There was a glass barrier of some sort
surrounding it. In fact 9 of them actually I think one of them had Te
Tiriti O Waitangi inside as we were instructed to gather around the boxes
each having 1 treaty inside. I was fascinated by the little buttons on the
boxes and the instructor spoke and said ‘They are timed lights which are
for if you couldn’t see perfectly since the room has only a bit of light
but since the documents are light-sensitive they are timed so they won’t
get damaged by the light.’
Interesting. Then I took a look at the women’s suffrage petition and
noticed something, the people who had come to sign it not only had to write
in pen and pencil but also coloured pencils and crayons too! All sorts of
stationery had been used to sign it, perhaps there were no limits to what
you could use. ‘The women’s suffrage petition is the most light sensitive
since people used crayons pencils and other materials’.
I tried to keep track of the key information the guide shared but she spoke
a bit fast saying, ‘The tears and rips are actually from rats and mice who
nibbled on the treaty’ ‘The rats had nibbled on it because it was made out
of sheepskin’ ‘183 years ago the treaty had been signed.
Writing my notes really fast I had a thought, this was about a privilege.
The privilege was we got to see Te Tiriti o Waitangi, the women’s suffrage
petition and the Declaration of Independence. I’m sure none of my family
has seen them up close. Inside I felt sparks tingling inside of me. I was
so amazed that I didn’t even know how to react.
After our time had expired it was time for the next group to come in.
Before we left we sang Te Aroha to the guide as a thank you. We left the
room, and this time I proudly walked with the people at the front. I could
feel many emotions inside of me getting ready to burst and I was absolutely
amazed with what I had seen.

Words by Meisha  age 11

I put seeds into a pan and then stirred it for a while. They were sunflower seeds. The seeds went brown because they were getting warmer. Hendrix

We measured the temperature of the compost and we wrote it down in our books. We put seeds in little paper pots that we made. We put the dirt in the pots and then we watered it. Robbie

Greater Wellington Regional Council, are running a pilot program to see if increasing bike and scooter parking in primary schools encourages more families to make active trips. Our school has been selected to take part in this pilot program.

The details:

The Racks.

Every school in the program will be offered two bike racks and one scooter rack to keep. You will see these around the school.

The bike racks are made by a local designer out of timber and upcycled car tyres. Each rack has five tyres and is heavy enough to be secure and stable yet light enough to be moved if needed. The bike racks will come fully constructed and require no installation.

The scooter racks are bought from Urban Effects in Whanganui, and they can accommodate ten scooters. They need to be fixed to a wall, fence, or to the ground. We can help with this if needed.

Evaluations.

To measure the impact of this initiative we provide data on the number of bikes and scooters on the school site on given dates. There will be two counts before the racks are in place and two counts after they are in place. There will also be a short survey after the count data is in.

That’s it. It’s a very simple pilot to see if this type of support encourages active transport.

We encourage our tamariki to make use of the bike and scooter racks around the school.

Thanks to Aimee for her support.

Understanding Eczema: Discover what eczema is, helping you recognize and differentiate the symptoms with ease.

Identifying Triggers: Learn about common triggers that exacerbate eczema and strategies to avoid them.

Symptoms: Get familiar with the symptoms of eczema, enabling you to take prompt action when needed and providing your child with relief.

Practical Self-Care Tips: Explore an array of effective self-care techniques that you can implement at home, reducing the impact of eczema and promoting healthier skin.

Children under 14 who require additional support to manage their eczema can access our free Te Whatu Ora Minor Ailment Service which provides free treatment and delivery, ensuring that they receive the necessary care without any financial burden.

See below a message from the NZUniform shop.

We have recently conducted a detailed analysis of our retail pricing given the cost of inflation of fabric, manufacturing and freight in the last 12 - 24 months.

This has resulted in some changes to your school uniform pricing.

The new price list for your information and the pricing is scheduled to become effective from 1^st September 2023.

We have done our best to absorb increases where possible, and where pricing has had to increase, we have tried to keep it to the bare minimum.

                                                                  Was                  Now

Parent Information Evening: Vaping Facts and How To Talk To Young People About Vaping

An informative event will be held at Scots College at 6:30pm on Monday 21 August to address vaping facts and how to effectively communicate with young people around this topic. Experts, including representatives from Life Education Trust, the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation, teachers and students will share their insights. The objective is to help attendees to deepen their understanding of vaping and gain practical tools to make a positive impact in the lives of young people. Tickets are $5 and are available at https://events.humanitix.com/2023-speakers-series-vaping-facts-and-how-to-talk-to-young-people-about-vaping

St Catherine's College - Finance Administrator

St Catherine’s College seeks applications for the position of Finance  Administrator
As part of the administration team, you will be responsible for accounting and assisting with
reception and back up payroll (EdPay) support within the College.  Predominantly accounts
payable, accounts receivable and daily banking.  Knowledge of Xero, and GST would be
preferable.
This is a permanent position.
You will have: strong attention to detail, with accurate numeracy skills being paramount: 
computer literacy; excellent communication and time management skills; a positive attitude
with a commitment to teamwork and sharing tasks.
Hours are: 10.30 am to 3.30 pm Monday to Friday (22.5 hours) in the school term time.
Some hours will be required to be worked in the school holidays. These are negotiable.
Written application including CV and the names of two referees should be directed to
Katrina Kerr-Bell, Principal, St Catherine’s College, P. O. Box 14076 Kilbirnie, Wellington 6241
or emailed to chris.perry@scc.school.nz. To obtain a copy of the job description or if you
have any queries please contact Chris Perry, PA on (04) 939-8988.
Closing date is Friday 18 August 2023 at 3.00pm

SAMUEL MARSDEN COLLEGIATE SCHOOL - GIRLS ENTERING YEAR 9 IN 2024 

Marsden School warmly invites families of girls entering Year 9 in 2024 to their Open Morning on Friday 11 August, 8.45am - 12pm. Please register at marsden.school.nz/register 

Marsden's Māori & Pasifika Scholarships for entry in 2024 close 25 August 2023. For more information and to apply, visit marsden.school.nz/about/scholarships/