Tēnā koutou whānau,

What an Amazing Week!
We’ve had the best week ever with the arrival of our hive of bees! They are absolutely fascinating to watch, and we encourage you to pop in and see them in action. The hive will be with us until the middle of next week, and our tamariki are thoroughly enjoying observing the different stages of the bees’ lifecycle, as well as watching the hive grow and change each day. We’ve all learned so much already! Enjoy Te Moana’s insights on the Bees. 

Save the Date – Learning in Action: June 5
We warmly invite you to join us for our Learning in Action on Thursday, June 5, from 9 - 11 am. Come and see your children engaged in their learning during the school day. This is a great opportunity to experience the rich and dynamic learning environment we offer.
Please feel free to bring along any friends or whānau who may be considering St Anthony’s for their tamariki– we’d love to welcome them too!

We hope you have noted that Friday, May 30, is our next planned Teacher Only Day as we join with Holy Cross and St Patrick’s for the next Ministry of Education Professional Learning Day. Our focus is to continue to explore and deepen our understanding of the New Zealand Curriculum - Mathematics and Statistics. 

Finally, congratulations to our tamariki - Chiara and Ben, who, along with the other tamariki in our parish, received the Sacrament of Confirmation last Sunday.I was also present at a Confirmation that day, though mine was in Christchurch. Bishop Michael’s message to the confirmands was powerful: he reminded them that from that moment on, each of them would have their own special angel standing at their shoulder for the rest of their lives.

He connected this message to a powerful story from Church history—of Pope Leo the Great. When Attila the Hun approached Rome intending to invade, Pope Leo went out to meet him and raised his hand to halt the advance. According to legend, Attila saw two mighty angels standing one on each of Pope Leo’s shoulders, and behind them, a host of heavenly beings. Struck with awe, Attila turned his army around and chose not to attack the city.

May our tamariki always remember that they, too, are never alone—God’s grace and protection walk with them always.

Ngā manaakitanga