Forward Focus

We have made it to Term 4 2023! It is going to be a busy term for teachers and the leadership team as we prepare for 2024. Currently staff are considering how classes will be structured next year. We have had families leave over the last two years to move to more affordable places including offshore. As a result, we will have seven classes for 2024.

We are looking at having the following organisation.

As you can see there are some options for some year levels to have different combinations but there are limited options for Year 4 and Year 8 students due to small numbers in these year levels.

We have  changes happening for staff as well. We will be farewelling Nik Solia at the end of the term as he has won a position at Sacred Heart School in Thorndon. We will be very sad to see Nik go but we have a term to enjoy what Nik brings to our school. He has invested a large part of his career and has been a supportive,  caring and talented teacher in our midst, playing a very important role as our Director of Religious Studies.

Ethel Renata will also be on Study Leave for term 1 and 2. Ethel applied for and won a study grant to complete her PhD in Education. This has been a long journey for Ethel and she is looking to give some focused , dedicated time to bringing this project to completion.

With Matua Tala stepping into the Principal role from the beginning of term 1 2024, Lyn will be the Deputy Principal sharing a teaching  role (2 days a week) in the Year 4/5 class. Lyn will also be back in the role of DP/ SENCO, continue to co- lead the Wellington Catholic Schools Kahui Ako for one day a week and have a specialist ORS teacher role as well.

So we are advertising for an Assistant Principal, a Director of Religious Studies and will also be looking for a fixed term teacher for Term 1 and 2. As a result of these changes we will be able to give you a clear picture of which teachers will be leading classes about week 8.

Schools aren’t the only places considering changes at this time of the year- this can be a time of decision making and change for families as well. If you are making decisions that will mean your tamariki are not with us for 2024, please let us know. You may also have younger tamariki at home who may be turning 5 in 2024. If so please make sure you have visited the office and picked up an enrolment form before the end of the year so that we know they are coming. You might also have friends or other family members who may be considering Holy Cross as their option for their tamariki in 2024. Please encourage them to make contact with the office. We would love to meet and show them around.

 Senior Syndicate, Rooms 1 & 2 

This term will be a busy one for our senior syndicate team. Following is a breakdown of what we will be focusing on. Please contact Matua Tala or Ethel if you have any questions about things we have coming up.

Leadership Day: Next Wednesday we will be guiding Room 1 & 2 through the SLiCs (Servant Leaders in Catholic schools) program. Ethel, Clare and Matua Tala have set up an exciting day of learning which will include;

• Learning about the purpose and functions of a Mass
• Learning how to lead our own Masses and Liturgies
• Leadership challenges
• A shared lunch and morning tea
• Donating goods for social justice

The purpose of the day is to encourage a lift in senior leadership whilst having a focus on encounters with Christ.

Virtual Reality Marine Education: “If we can’t take every child to the ocean, let’s bring the ocean to every child.”

The team from Blake Environmental Leadership will be visiting our class on the 16th of November. The team comes in and spends an hour per class using 360-degree VR headsets to let kids experience different marine environments, including comparing a thriving marine reserve with a polluted unprotected location. The purpose is to encourage change around how we treat our marine environment.

More information can be found at https://www.blakenz.org/programmes/blake-nz-vr/

EOTC: Wellington Museum & Space Place:  In week 5 or 6, Rooms 1 & 2 will be visiting the Wellington museum and Space place at the Carter Observatory. This connects to our foci of Journey, Te Ao Māori, Kaitiaki and looking after our whenua for future generations.

Wellington Museum: Te Ara Māwhitiwhiti | Star Path is an immersive show, Ngā Tohunga Whakatere  - The Navigators, takes ākonga on an unforgettable journey across Te Moana Nui a Kiwa. Ākonga explores navigation through mātauranga Māori and mātauranga Tauiwi, and how wayfinding stories and practices continue to hold significance in Aotearoa.

Space Place: share the stories of our New Zealand skies through multimedia exhibits, interactive galleries, the historic Thomas Cooke telescope and our digital, full-dome planetarium. Learn about planets, stars, constellations and galaxies and New Zealand’s contribution to astronomy and space sciences.

More information can be found at: https://www.museumswellington.org.nz/wellington-museum/

2024 Camp Fundraising (Yr 6 & 7): This term, we will be focusing on a school disco to fundraise for next year’s camp. We are looking to hold the disco around week 5 this term. We will need some parent volunteers to help with this and we will be looking for food donations to sell too. Matua Tala will contact you closer to the date with more details.

Year 8 Graduation: This term, room 1 will be working on the year 8 graduation. The date is the 12th of December with a start time of 6pm. Like last year, the event will be catered for the students with light refreshments for adults. Tickets will be available from the office shortly. Please contact Matua Tala if you have any questions about graduation.

Middle Syndicate, Rooms 3, 6 & 8 

Welcome Back! I hope you have managed to spend some quality time with your whanau during the school break. What a fantastic term 3 we had with production (Well done to all of our tamariki for challenging themself to perform in the arts!) and now we look forward to ending our year on a high.

Here are a few things to take note for term 4:

• The topic theme for this term is Planning for the journey. Often during the summer holidays we tend to take a trip somewhere. Some might go somewhere around the country; others might travel overseas. Our tamariki will learn what is needed to organise a trip/ holiday. We will also look at means of transportation and how they might look in the future.

• Our RE theme is Saints and qualities of a saint. Students will develop an understanding of how to be a good friend (through the lens of how saints behave). We will also explore famous Saints and the process of Canonization.

• We are very fortunate to have Aleksandra (our kitchen coordinator) and Olivia (our garden coordinator) who teach and manage our students during our Garden to Table programme. This programme takes place every Tuesday from 9am- 12:30pm. Although they do a fantastic job, we are seeking volunteers to play a support role. If you are interested in gardening or cooking in the kitchen please let the office know.
  
  
• PE Gear for fitness/ PE- Please remind your child to bring their full PE uniform every day except Friday.
  
  

Hats. This term children are required to wear a school hat. Please ensure your child has one to protect their head while at school.

Junior Syndicate 

In the garden

Our immunisation team are coming to your school on Thursday 26th October 2023.

We will vaccinate the Year 7 and 8 students who have returned their form giving consent to receive these vaccinations (including catch-ups for any students who have previously missed their vaccine).

A Big Thank You to Our Road Patrollers and the Wellington City Council!

We want to take a moment to express our thanks to the HCS Road Patrollers. We're also deeply thankful to the Wellington City Council for hosting us at the parade in Term 3 and for awarding us the 3rd place Banner prize.

The prize includes a complimentary swim pass and sticker pack for our team of Road Patrollers who have performed patrol duties from Term 1 to Term 3. We look forward to presenting these prizes to the students during our upcoming school prayers in the next few weeks.

Hand Foot and Mouth

Hand, foot and mouth disease is a common viral illness in children. It is not related to foot and mouth disease associated with cattle.
Symptoms of hand, foot and mouth disease can vary for each person but usually includes a mild fever, painful sores in the mouth, a rash that can be flat or raised with blisters on hands and feet and feeling unwell.

We have had a suspected case of Hand and Foot and Mouth in the school so please be extra careful and keep your child at home if they are unwell.

We also note there has been a case of measles in Wellington so this is a good reminder to make sure all immunisations are up to date.

The best prevention against measles is to ensure everyone in your family (born after
1969) has had two MMR vaccinations. If you are unsure, you can check your vaccination status with your family doctor or general practice, although there is no harm in getting an additional dose. Vaccines are free for tamariki and adults who have not had two doses of the vaccine.

Measles

Te Whatu Ora is asking members of the public to monitor for measles symptoms after an individual with measles flew from Wellington to Auckland (Tuesday October 3rd). This individual (who lives in Northland), was in contact with students who attended a week-long SGCNZ National Shakespeare Schools Production event at Scots College. The first symptoms of measles include fever, cough, runny nose, and sore ane watery pink eyes. This is followed by a blotchy rash.

Information and print package details for our upcoming photo day which will take place on Wednesday 28th February 2024. Please take the time to read over.

Parish newsletter for this Sunday