Kia ora e te whānau, 

Over the past couple of weeks I have come back to my “why” of teaching by being in and around the children and even back in the classroom for a day. I think it’s really important to get back to where the action happens and I acknowledge the effort that our students and teachers put into classwork but also out in the community. This week I spent some time with students at Bonobo in Lyall Bay. It was such a great way to see these students take risks, feel successful and have fun at the same time. 

On reflection, I missed being in the classroom but I also realised that I am in the principal seat to affect change. That starts with our strategic and annual plans. In short, the annual implementation plan measures how we are tracking towards our strategic plan at the end of  2024. 

During each newsletter, I will make some comments on what we are doing to reach our goals outlined in the documents above. I will be uploading our annual implementation plan to the school website shortly. Previously I have looked at why we have chosen our strategic goals, this time I will look at some of the actions we have in place and what targets we are aiming for this year. 

Goal 1 Kotahitanga/Community: To work with whānau/ family to celebrate the identity, cultures and learning needs of all ākonga/ learners. 

What are the targets for 2024? 

• Hold termly services involving input from Holy Trinity Parish, with the first combined mass taking place in Term 1, 2024.
• Consult, Create and share our school tikanga and kawa with the community by Term 4, 2024.
• Consult with families 3-4 times a year - first consultation to take place at whānau hui (junior syndicate) in Term 1 2024.

Goal 2 Ako/Learning: To actively involve ākonga/learners in purposeful and accessible learning opportunities.

What are the targets for 2024? 

• Integrated termly planning showing authentic connections to our theme kaitiakitanga, beginning Term 1 2024. 
• More student participation and agency in leadership around the school. 
• Consistently using a student feedback rubric to show us what our students are learning and their next steps. 

Goal 3 Whakaako/Teaching: To strengthen kaiako/teacher practice in teaching diverse ākonga/learners. 

What are the targets for 2024?  

• Teachers will set a development goal based on the New Curriculum, Te Mātaiaho or the Common Model Practice. 
• Create a formalised process for teachers to reflect on the success of their teaching of the new RE curriculum Tō Tātou Whakapono.
• Te reo Māori simple commands, greetings and language used in all classes, aligned with Kura Ahurea termly signposts. 

Lots of the actions from our strategic and annual plans have already started and I will continue to update you of our progress with lots of pictures and student work. These will also be updated in the board meeting reports which will be available online. As always, I love to sit down and chat with our families so if you need anything from me, please get in touch and let's make time to sit down and korero. 

Ngā mihi nui, 

Tala

Sacrament of Confirmation

Last Sunday on 26th May, 7 students  from Holy Cross School and one adult received the Sacrament of Confirmation at St Patrick’s church in Kilbirnie. Archbishop Paul Martin SM presided over the beautiful mass. Congratulations to: Haven Fitu, Avery Kameta-Paese, Terissa Paese, Angelia Setefano, Moana Sullivan, Cleo Te Huia and Zoe Govender.

“First received at one’s Baptism, the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are traditionally referred to as wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and fear of the Lord. They are brought to fruition through the Sacrament of Confirmation, during which the already-baptised individual receives a particular outpouring of the Holy Spirit.”         Pope Francis, Oct. 2024

As part of the preparation program for confirmation the candidates remembered their baptism and related it to Jesus’ baptism in the river Jordan. They also each chose the name of a Saint to remind them of a holy person who demonstrated by their ordinary life how to live the Christian life.

Bishops send latest NZ Synod consultation document to Rome

Kia ora koutou everyone

A new consultation document prepared by the bishops as part of the Holy Father's Synod 2021-24 process has been sent to Rome.

This document, titled Towards October 2024, follows the NZ Catholic Bishops Conference being asked to establish a consultation process to discern responses to specific questions related to the Vatican’s Synodal Church in Mission report. That report was published after the First Session of the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, held in Rome last October.

National Catholic lay organisations, agencies of the bishops conference, religious, diocesan bodies, educational institutions, young people’s groups, parish groups and groups involved in previous synodal processes took part in the consultation, between February and April this year.

Copies of Towards October 2024 are attached in Word and PDF versions. A statement about the document, and the document, are online here:  https://www.catholic.org.nz/news/media-releases/synod-4/

Ngā mihi, David

David McLoughlin

Communications Adviser, NZ Catholic Bishops Conference

Te Huinga o ngā Pīhopa Katorika o Aotearoa

5^th floor, 204 Thorndon Quay, Wellington

Mobile: 021 611 052

www.catholic.org.nz

F: facebook.com/CatholicNZ

Lots of happiness!

Today room 1, 2, 3 & 5 were blessed to be chosen to attend the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra Firebird's school concert at the Michael Fowler Centre. What a treat! A big shout out to the parent helpers/caregivers that gave up their time to assist.

And away they go!

On Wednesday this week we had the wonderful opportunity of a local yoga instructor to come and share some yoga with us to help us learn how different types of movement can make us feel good and support our wellbeing. It was a great opportunity to stretch, focus on our breathing and feel relaxed.  I noticed lots of smiling relaxed faces coming back from the session and lots of thumbs up! Thank you Greg for teaching us.

Who's celebrating their Birthday over the next couple of weeks? 

Cattleya, Dreius, George, Zac Y, Ezekiel, Brooklyn, Marios, Ocean, Rosa, Cody, Anna, Ishaani and Marlon.

Happy Birthday to you all, have a wonderful fun-filled day. 

Basketball

Great effort from the Y5/6 Basketball team last night.....(Played on Monday May 20th)

They won in the last second 17-16!

Showed great team spirit and played the Holy Cross way!

Player of the day Angelia!

CROSS COUNTRY 

Soifua Manuia i tatou aiga i Holy Cross Miramar. Ua faapitoa lenei vaiaso mo le gagana Samoa!

Well greetings to all our families of Holy Cross.  This week is specifically for Samoan Language and this year's theme is:  Ia tautua ile alofa, manuia le lumana’i - Serve in love for a blessed future.  The Parents’ group hope that we show this value in all that we do, as we work together to serve our aoga. 

To start term 2 the parents group helped to run a wonderful book week in conjunction with Scholastic. Our Parents’ Group were able to help bring author Vasanti Unka to our aoga with the help of Read NZ, donate $130 worth of prize vouchers and treat our tamaiti with ice-blocks!  A highlight for us all was seeing so many of our tamaiti loving books and of course watching the wacky parade.  Thank you to all our aiga who came and joined in the fun.  Over the week we were able to sell $3,409.14 worth of books, which means we earned $681.83 in cash rewards to go towards furniture for our library.  This is an amazing amount and Sophie is busy working out what exciting furniture we will be adding to our much loved library.  A special thank you to Sophie and to all our staff for their support and help in organising this event and of course all of our families for helping us to raise this amount. 

Last term our Easter Raffle raised $4,552.50! This is the most amount of money we have ever raised through our Easter raffle.  We are still working with our aoga to see how we are able to best allocate these funds to suit our aoga’s needs.  However our priority still remains to decrease the stationary costs for our families for 2025.  We will keep you updated. 

In term 4 we will be holding our Food Fair.  This is a huge community event and the perfect opportunity to celebrate our beautiful diverse school community.  We will send out more information in term 3, but in the meantime, if you would like to help in anyway or have an idea for a food stall or any other ideas please come and talk to Malisha or Karin.  You can also email us anytime on psg@hcm.school.nz.

Ia manuia tele le vaiaso ole gagana Samoa! Happy Samoan Language Week and speak soon. 

Soifua,

Holy Cross Parents’ Group 

We have an abundance of jerseys and rain coats sitting in lost property. If your child has lost any school items please pop into the office and check through the lost property - you might be pleasantly surprised! Remember to clearly label items with your child's name and room number as you will have a better chance at getting it back.  Also lots of drink bottles and lunch boxes.

Our Experience Camps provide a unique opportunity for us to engage with young football enthusiasts from diverse communities across New Zealand. It serves as a platform for local talents to interact with Wellington Phoenix staff, offering them a glimpse into the life of New Zealand's sole professional football academy. Moreover, it marks the initial step in our talent identification process. Promising players identified during these camps may be invited to join a Discovery Camp later in the year. Additionally, we'll be conducting coaching and parent workshops aimed at fostering growth within football communities and bridging the gap between grassroots and academy-level football.

These camps are open to all young football enthusiasts eager to enhance their skills and passion for the game. The team at Wellington Phoenix is eagerly looking forward to meeting the talented young players in Wellington for two days filled with fun and learning.

Registration Link: https://form.jotform.com/233256788302056

Kia ora Parents,

Are Your Kids Ready for Basketball Fun? 

Sign them up for the BNZ Kiwi Hoops Afterschool Programme! Designed for girls and boys in Years 0 - 2, it's the perfect way to start their basketball journey.

Why Choose BNZ Kiwi Hoops?

• Fun & Play: They'll enjoy lots of basketball activities designed just for fun.
• Friendships: They'll meet new friends and be part of a team.
• Skills & Confidence: Our coaches will help them grow their skills and confidence.

Quick Details:

• Who: Girls & Boys (Years 0 - 2)
• Skill Level: Beginner
• When: Tuesdays (28 May - 2 July)
• Time: 4:15pm - 4:45pm
• Where: Ākau Tangi Sports Centre
• Cost: $35 (6 weeks)

Ready to Join?

Don't miss this chance for your child to have fun and learn basketball basics. We can't wait to welcome them to our community!

Warm regards,
The Afterschool Team

Parish Newsletter and June Mass roster