Here are five key lessons I’ve learned as I move forward while reflecting on my past:

1. Be Yourself

While it may sound cliché, being authentic is crucial. I’m gradually discovering my unique leadership style, which is built on transparency, clear communication, collaboration and trust. Working closely with staff, students and families to achieve our goals has been incredibly fulfilling.

2. Be a Student

As educators, we must remain lifelong learners. Embracing humility and recognising that mistakes are part of growth has been essential for me. Each challenge is an opportunity to learn resilience and adapt for the future.

3. Listen More Than You Talk

There’s hidden treasure in every conversation. By actively listening, I have learnt the value of different perspectives and understanding them, which enriches our community. By listening actively it gives you the opportunity to  contribute thoughtfully when the time is right.

4. Prioritize and Manage Your Time

Effective time management is vital for any leader. I continuously assess how I allocate my time and strive to find balance—not just for the school, but also for my family and myself.

5. Enjoy the Journey and Know Your Why

Leadership isn’t about status or salary; it’s about effecting positive change in our community and serving as a role model for all our students. I also want to be a strong role model for our Pasifika and Māori students. My commitment comes from a deep-seated purpose, and I encourage all of us to embrace this journey together.

Important Dates:

• Monday, October 14: Term 4 starts
• Thursday, October 24: Whole School evacuation (Pick up at 2:30pm from the top of the zig zag at Athens St). 
• Friday October 25: Teacher Only Day

Closing Thoughts:

Thank you for your ongoing support. Enjoy the break, and I look forward to seeing everyone back, refreshed and ready for the next term!

Ngā mihi nui, 

Tala Moemai

Te Tikanga-rua / Being Bi-Cultural in the new RE Curriculum

Source:  https://www.totatouwhakapono.nz/chapel-wharekarakia/prayer-resources/

One thing we haven’t talked about in a while is how much our tamariki shine at Holy Cross. We have very clear values- whānau: be inclusive, aroha:be kind and yes:be brave.  Every day of every week our tamariki show they understand our values by showing these in action in class, in the playground, on trips and visits to the office- they shine! 

Since 2010,  Holy Cross School has been part of a long running program which is in many New Zealand schools called Positive Behaviour for Learning- or PB4L. This is a program that focuses on coaching kids to show positive behaviour represented in our values. We take time in class to talk about what these values mean and we also acknowledge when our tamariki show behaviours that support our values. 

This term we have revamped our acknowledgement (reward) system. Tamariki are now awarded lumens when they have shown positive behaviour related to our values. These lumens are collected on a class chart and can be given out by teachers and other adults around the school. At prayers every fortnight, we celebrate how brightly our tamariki shine. Matua Tala gives out certificates to people who have been outstanding in showing our values. We hope these certificates make it home and efforts are celebrated. Each class tally of lumens is also collected as we work for a range of acknowledgements. So far this term the whole school has had an extra 15 minutes play and an iceblock. We are working towards a Super Hero non-uniform day, a fun sports afternoon and the ultimate- a whole school dance party. We will let you know via our newsletter when we have reached our goals so you can celebrate too.

UPDATE- we have made it!  Wednesday 16th October of Term 4 we will have our hero dress up day where tamarki can come in non uniform as their chosen hero- super hero, sports hero, pop start hero, character hero etc. We will also have our dance party on Wednesday too. Friday 18th we will have our special sports afternoon. What a fabulous way to start the term.

 ‘Ake ake ake – A Forever Language’. This represents the resilience, adaptability and endurance of our language. It also reflects the commitment New Zealanders have to embracing and learning te reo Māori long into the future.

Last Rāmere (Friday) we had a hikoi (parade) at our school. My class made posters. My friend and I wrote: Kōrero te re Māori. He reo taonga. This means: Let’s speak Māori. The language is a treasure.        

By Enzo and Hendrix

On the last day of Māori Language Week we walked along the footpath. Our banner said: E te Atua aroha mai, which translates to: God loves us.

By George and Jacob

We were proud to be holding up the Māori flag. It was fun walking around the block and waving to the cars passing by. 

By Anna, Eva, Moana

I wrote “Kia kaha” on my banner which means - be strong. I liked watching the cultural group dancing and doing the haka.

By Aarav

Rūma Tahi

We’ve had an amazing term of learning, and developing our tuakana-teina relationships and leadership skills. We were fortunate to hear from talented speakers on leadership and explore the importance of personal and worldly sin in relation to kaitiakitanga. We also investigated te ngahere (the forest), learning about the creatures and plants that grow at different levels of its ecosystem. Special thanks to Whaea Cilla for sharing her ataahua (beautiful) te reo knowledge with us. We’ve also enjoyed swimming, touch rugby, and out-of-school sports.

Vignettes from our Moment in Time Writing - Cultural Festival and the Hikoi

Alazanda, Y8
Finally, the words came: “Please welcome Holy Cross School.” As soon as I heard them, I knew I couldn’t muck this up. All our practice had led to this moment. I wasn’t just spinning a stick; I was doing it for my fa’asinomaga—my identity as Samoan. I was doing it for my ancestors, who taught us respect, and for my villages: Fasito’outa, Safune, and Nofoali’i.

Cian, Y8
Before our performance, I sat mesmerised by the quality of the cultural acts I had just watched. I was awe-filled and inspired, hoping our performance would match the same high standard.

Jonathan, Y8
As I stepped onto the stage, my heart jumped into my throat. We were performing in front of ten schools! A wave of nervous chatter swept through our group, but we knew we had to stay focused.

Leya, Y7
My heart pounded as I stepped onto the stage. The music beat loudly in my ears. As I watched the siva group, I felt a shiver of emotions—nervousness, excitement, and pride all at once.

Willy, Y7
When it was time to walk out, I heard the first strum of the guitar and thought, “Wow, this is really happening.” As we walked on stage, my legs trembled, and my stomach flipped with nerves.

Lofi, Y8
My heart raced faster with each step towards the stage. I could feel my confidence building. As the beat started for the siva, I watched with pride. Even though I didn’t perform the siva, I was so proud of my cousins and friends who did.

Lilith, Y8
As I stood on that stage, adrenaline rushed through me, and my nerves were high. But once I heard the music, they melted away. I danced with the biggest, brightest smile I could manage, wondering how many people were in the hall watching us at that very moment.

 Mia, Y8 - Te Wiki o Te reo Māori - Holy Cross School Hikoi
As I stood there waving my flag, my friends and I welcomed whānau, guiding them to their seats with a “Kia ora” or “Good morning.” My heart swelled with amazement as the culture groups began to perform. They looked phenomenal.

Room 3 and 5 News

We have had an action-packed end of term 3, including the following:

• A hīkoi to celebrate Te Wiki o te Reo Māori
• Pedal Ready bicycle programme for our year 5’s
• Athletics day
• Connecting with our community to grow our Te MotuKairangi Pollinator Pathway
• Visit to Zealandia
• A visit for three ākonga to Government House for a Garden to Table event
• Cultural Performance at St Pats College
• Weekly music lessons focussing on singing skills
• A visit to Palmers Garden Centre to look at pollinator-friendly plants

In class, our ākonga have been learning skills in reading, writing and maths, including:

• Length measurements, including perimeter of shapes
• Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication and Division 
• Constructing grammatically correct sentences
• Participating in a structured literacy spelling programme
• Report writing
• Persuasive text
• Note taking
• Reading deeply into text
• Non-fiction text reading

Our tamariki are ready for a well deserved break to refresh and prepare for another term of learning in and out of the classroom.

Government House with Garden to Table.

Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori Hīkoi with banners.

GTT visit to Miramar Central Kindergarten and Miramar Community Centre to share our Pollinator Garden ideas and pollinator-friendly flower seeds.

Linking our maths knowledge to real life through planning our pollinator garden.

Fractions with sandwiches and pizza

To learn about fractions we have been cutting sandwiches into halves, quarters and eighths. 

Square sandwiches can be cut diagonally into 8 triangles or straight into 8 rectangles. When we shared the pieces between 2 people we each got 4 out of 8 tiny sandwiches.

On another day we learned how to cut a round pizza into sixths. Cutting a round shape into 6 equal pieces is hard. First we needed to cut the pizza in half, then we cut the halves into thirds, starting from the middle. 

Life Cycle of a bean plant - Kaitiakitanga (looking after nature)

First we planted the bean. After that the root evolved. After that the plant turned into a seedling and a shoot popped out of the soil.  - Rosa

First we planted a bean below the soil and watered it. After 8 days the roots came out. A few days later we noticed a shoot so we planted the bean plant into a box outside. - Dreius

First we planted some beans in soil in a plastic bag. After eight days the roots started to grow. Next the bean plant started to grow. After some time the bean plant will turn into a flowering plant. - Serah

Olani and Atarangi - Tala’s and Lucy’s beautiful daughter.

In Term 3, the children have enjoyed learning about being firewise, magnets and reusing items for art! They loved hands-on experimenting with the magnets, and learning about all things magnetic in our lives. In RE, we have learnt about The Trinity - The Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and we celebrated The Feast Of The Assumption on August 15th. We are all looking forward to a restful break over the holidays, so as to return refreshed and ready for more learning in Term 4!

Our Visit from a Firefighter.

By Amelia Room 8.

This morning, a firefighter named Firefighter Hugh, came to our class to talk about fire. We watched a video about a fire. In the video, a window was open, a candle was lit and a curtain was flapping above it. Then a few seconds later…. the curtain caught on fire! (firefighters did this on purpose). 

Then the video showed a room full of smoke! Then the video showed the same room (at the start) and this time the curtain was on fire, and the smoke alarm went off!  Fire is dangerous if it starts by itself. So we always get down, stay low, get out fast! We have only got 2 minutes to get out of the room. Don’t get toys or books or anything from the building. Matches and lighters are dangerous for little kids. Hugh pretended we evacuated the classroom. We went to the courts and called some people’s names!

Futsal Tournament

By Solomon Leota and Conor Sullivan, Room 8

On Tuesday, the 10th of September, we went to a futsal tournament at Akau Tangi.  There were 9 rounds, and there were lots of other schools there too. We were both in the same team. We won some games and we lost some games too. We loved it!. After playing futsal all day, we had to play basketball after school too, and it was exhausting!

We have been learning about repeating patterns over the last few weeks.  We have explored different ways to make them with shapes, numbers, colours and clapping.  We have enjoyed noticing patterns we see around us and can talk about the way they repeat and how to continue them.

Last week we visited Miramar Library.   We said a karakia in English, te reo Māori and NZ sign language.  In preparation for Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori, we listened to some traditional Māori stories and a modern one with te reo Māori kupu (words).  We also had time to browse and borrow some books.  It was so much fun that we are planning to visit every term.

Hei konā mai,

Kirsten, Brenda, Lyn and Malisha

Kihini

In 2023 the Board of Trustees conducted a review of the uniform to see if changes were needed.
As part of the review students and whānau were asked what they liked and didn't like about the uniform. We displayed a range of possible new uniform items at the Food Fair in November 2023. 

The Board felt it was important to offer choices to students, so they can dress in a way that supports their identity and enables their learning at school.

Some small changes to the uniform were made and we have listed them below for your reference.

The uniform items we are removing from the uniform can be worn until the end of 2024, and from the beginning of 2025 we’re hoping everyone will have changed to the new uniform. 

Junior school (NE - Year 6) - summer (term 1 & 4) 
- Shirts: blue, white, and maroon polo shirt.
- Bottoms: navy shorts or navy 4 pleat skort.
- Footwear: sandals -no socks (all black), or shoes (all black) with new navy cotton ¾ socks.
- Hat: navy bucket hat
- Optional: existing summer dress.
- Removed: grey woollen socks.

Junior school (NE – Year 6) – winter (term 2 & 3)
- Shirts: blue, white, and maroon polo shirts, or the navy skivvy.
- Bottoms: navy shorts, or navy 4 pleat skort, or navy trackpants.
- Footwear: shoes (all black) navy ¾ cotton socks, or navy tights
- Jacket:  Holy Cross blue school jacket
- Jumper: Holy Cross woollen maroon jersey or maroon polar fleece
- Removed: white girls polo shirt, girls pinafore

Senior school (Years 7-8) – summer (term 1 & 4)
- Shirts: blue, white and maroon polo, or Holy Cross white short sleeved shirt or
pale blue long-sleeved shirt (as worn at St Patrick’s College)
- Bottoms: navy shorts, or navy 4 pleat skort, or tartan skirt
- Footwear: sandals-no socks (all black), or shoes (all black)  navy ¾ cotton socks.
- Hat: navy bucket hat
- Removed: grey woollen socks

Senior school (Years 7-8) – winter (term 2 &3)
- Shirts: blue, white and maroon polo or navy long sleeve skivvy or Holy Cross white short sleeved shirt or pale blue long-sleeved shirt (as worn at St Patrick’s College)
- Bottoms: navy shorts or navy 4 pleat skort, or tartan skirt or navy tracksuit pants.
- Footwear: Shoes (all black) navy cotton ¾ socks, or navy tights.
- Jacket:  Holy Cross blue school jacket
- Jumper: Holy Cross woollen maroon jersey or maroon polar fleece
- Removed: grey woollen socks.

PE uniform: Years 1-3 (optional), Years 4-8 (compulsory)
- Holy Cross PE shirt (with logo)
- PE Shorts (no bike pants)

Remember in term 4 a navy hat needs to be worn by students during morning tea and lunch time.

SCHOOL HATS FOR SALE

We are selling school hats in the office, priced @ $10 each. Sizing - small (54 cm), medium (58 cm) and large (61 cm). Cash ONLY please. 

Things are well and truly underway for our Festive Food Fair, Friday 8 November! Our amazing food stalls have been confirmed and are starting to plan out their menus. If you are able to help with serving, baking, setting up or cleaning up on the day, we would greatly appreciate it.
We would also greatly appreciate any donations of ingredients or supermarket vouchers for us to help buy supplies – keep an eye out for a list we will be sending out next week! If you are able to help, please email  psg@hcm.school.nz or speak with Malisha

 We'll also be running raffles on the night with some great prizes from our amazing sponsors:

Miramar Auto Centre: miramarautocentre@gmail.com

Bonobo https://www.bonobo.co.nz/

Haylo Skin and Body https://www.haylo.co.nz/

Butterfly Builds https://www.butterflybuilds.co.nz/

Maia CrossFit https://www.maiacrossfit.co.nz/

Vietnameezy Vietnameezy – Lunch Made Easy

Monsoon Poon Monsoon Poon – Restaurant – Bar – Functions

Art for Kids Art for Kids | Art Classes for Kids & Adults | Wellington,NZ. (stephaniewoodman.com)

 Keep an eye out for more prize updates! All funds raised will go towards new iPads for our students.

We can't wait to see you there  

 The Holy Cross Parents Group

A huge 'thank you' to Kevin Sinnott and the UP Foundation for supporting our tamariki in term 3 and 4. UP foundation is all about levelling the playing field and providing fees free support for our sports teams.

We really appreciate this support and are extremely grateful. This support has meant lots of our tamariki have been able to try out a new sport at no cost to their whanau.

THANK YOU !

Futsal Tournament at Akau Tangi Sports Centre

On Tuesday 10th and Wednesday 11th September three teams of Year  1-2 , Year 3-4, and Year 5-6 students got to play in a futsal tournament at Akau Tangi Sports Cenre.  Everyone had a great time and all played really well.

Thank you to all the parent helpers who provided transport and supervison and coaching over the 2  days. Without your support we couldn't have taken up this opportunity so a big thank you !  

Basketball Update 

A very solid all round game from the “Green Machine”

We won 54-6 and even tried a few three pointers with Moana coming close!

 Anna and Eva were good mid court and under the hoop with Mila and Reef everywhere.

Angelia and Millie were also working very hard.

 Well done team!

A big shout out to the girls who fought hard going down 42-27 in our final versus Sacred Heart.

 All season we have tried our best; worked hard and played with excellent team spirit.  Showing the Holy Cross WAY.

It is time for a well earned rest now but it has been a pleasure guiding the team from the sidelines.

Thank you Holy Cross Green!

The Holy Cross Yellow yr 3/4 team won 17-5 against Brooklyn on Tuesday in the finals! 

Wishing the following a very Happy Birthday - Isabella, Tallulah and Sarkis and for those also celebrating their Birthday over the school holidays, Ledayna, Lily, Cian, Bawi, Sophie X and Maia. Have an awesome day everyone.

A reminder: for those who are on the 8.30am Mass roster and are available, the familiarisation session is tomorrow Saturday 28th September 2pm at St Patrick's Church in Kilbirnie.

SCHOOL HOLIDAY ACTIVITIES

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October Holiday Computer Classes.

Grand Training runs educational and fun computer classes over the holidays at our Wellington City location for ages 5 to 16.

• Minecraft from Introduction to Mods.
• Learn to Code; Scratch, Python.
• Discovery Course in Computing - suitable for younger children

Information & bookings: grandtraining.co.nz or call 499-2211

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Who's ready for an adventure at Staglands these school holidays?

Be the early bird that gets the worm, or in this case, a FREE ADULT TICKET, to return again!

Just purchase your entry tickets at our Ticket Office by 10am, and voila!

Don't hit the snooze button, it's time to rise and shine! 

Offer runs from 28th September - 13th October 2024.

Conditions apply, see website for details.

We will also be running our ever-popular, free Tractor-Trailer Rides (circumstances permitting).

Beyond the Page 2024 - a literary festival for tamariki and their whānau

Kia ora Wellington schools and kura,

“Beyond the Page is back for a seventh year! During the next school holidays, from 28 September – 13 October, you are invited to libraries across the Wellington region for over 120 awesome and totally FREE events for tamariki and their whānau. From interactive storytimes with Orchestra Wellington and the NZSO, workshops with award-winning authors and illustrators like Paul Beavis, Steve Mushin, and Isobel Te Aho-White, and classes on how to become a D&D Dungeon Master, through to meet-and-greets with Llamas at the Llibrary, immersive theatre experiences, and even the chance to create your own Alien Junk Monster – there’s something for everybody at this year’s festival.

 All events are free, but some require registration as space may be limited. Find out more, and view the entire calendar of events, at www.beyondthepage.nz.”

Hoop Kids Spring Camp: Sign Up Now!

Hi Parents,

Looking for a fun and active way for your child to spend the school break? Hoop Kids Spring Camp is here with basketball, smiles, and skills for every ability level.

Why join us?

• Daily Fun & Learning: 6 hours of basketball, teamwork, and confidence-building.
• Supportive Coaches: Focused on positive growth, not pressure.
• For Every Kid: Open to Years 3-8, all abilities welcome!

Camp Details:

 When: 30 Sep - 2 Oct
 Time: 9am - 3pm
 Where: Ākau Tangi Sports Centre
 Cost: $160

Don't let your child miss out on all the fun!

info@wellingtonbasketball.co.nz

Email: admin@ngamanu.co.nz

COMMUNITY EVENTS/NOTICES

Forum on Housing sponsored by the Ecology Justice and Peace Commission. 10am-3pm Saturday 28th September, St Bernadette’s Church Hall, Naenae.

Adequate housing, a place to call home, is fundamental to living a life of dignity. The Forum on Housing will raise awareness about housing issues in Aotearoa, and provide an opportunity to consider our personal and collective responsibilities as Church. Keynote speakers will provide an overview of current housing issues and group discussions will surface responses for action and advocacy.  This forum is for everyone concerned about housing issues. For more information, please contact Deirdre Meskill, d.meskill@wn.catholic.org.nz; phone:  04 385 8642. A contribution of finger food to share for lunch is appreciated.

Forum on Housing sponsored by the Ecology Justice and Peace Commission. 10am-3pm Saturday 28th September, St Bernadette’s Church Hall, Naenae.

Adequate housing, a place to call home, is fundamental to living a life of dignity. The Forum on Housing will raise awareness about housing issues in Aotearoa, and provide an opportunity to consider our personal and collective responsibilities as Church. Keynote speakers will provide an overview of current housing issues and group discussions will surface responses for action and advocacy.  This forum is for everyone concerned about housing issues. For more information, please contact Deirdre Meskill, d.meskill@wn.catholic.org.nz; phone:  04 385 8642. A contribution of finger food to share for lunch is appreciated.

Compassion Events (30 September – 6 October)

Kia ora,

We’d love for you to share these activities with your parish networks.

Thank you so much!

Taizé
Friday 4 October, 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Venue: The Chapel of Our Lady of Compassion, 2 Rhine Street, Island Bay, Wellington.

Inspired by communities in France, Taizé incorporates music and chanting into a restful and reflective practice.

Join our Sisters for a Taizé session in our chapel. A reflective time with simple songs and scripture that brings us to stillness and silence.
Everyone is welcome.

Morning Prayer / Mass
Wednesday and Thursday 8:30 am – 9:00 am

Venue: The Chapel of Our Lady of Compassion, 2 Rhine Street, Island Bay, Wellington.

Join us for a contemplative morning mass to start the day.
For more information contact ph. (04) 383-7769 or events@compassion.org.nz

ALL are welcome. 

Meditation in the Christian Tradition
Monday, 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Thursday 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Venue: The Chapel of Our Lady of Compassion, 2 Rhine Street, Island Bay

Join our ancient form of contemplative prayer, deeply anchored in the teachings of the ancient Christian traditions of the Desert Fathers and Mothers. All are welcome.

Craft Gathering at the Home of Compassion
Wednesday, 12:00 pm

Venue: Suzanne Aubert Heritage Centre, 2 Rhine Street, Island Bay

Join us for our weekly craft gathering.
For more information contact ph. (04) 383-7769 or events@compassion.org.nz

Miha Māori ‒ Māori Mass

Every Sunday, 11:00 am – 12:00 pm

Venue: The Chapel of Our Lady of Compassion, 2 Rhine Street, Island Bay, Wellington.

For more information contact ph. (04) 383-7769 or events@compassion.org.nz

The Suzanne Aubert Heritage Centre and Cloister Café are open
Everyone is welcome to spend some time in our public spaces. 

Cloister Café: 10:00 am – 3:00 pm, Tuesday to Friday.
Suzanne Aubert Heritage Centre: 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, Tuesday to Friday
Chapel of Our Lady of Compassion and Resting Place of Suzanne Aubert: 8:00 am – 4:00 pm, Everyday