Kia ora whānau,

Over the past year, our staff has been reflecting on our student leadership model, considering how it can better address the evolving needs of our students while upholding our commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi. We are excited to present the new model - Te Ara Tū - The Path to Standing Strong, which will be further shaped by the thoughtful reflections of our current Year 8 students. These students have now applied for the opportunity to take on the role of rangatira | leadership for 2025.

Tomorrow, the leaders of each Whare, along with our Senior Boy and Senior Girl, will be formally introduced at Assembly as Ngā Kaiārahi ākonga | The Student Leaders. These six ākonga are entrusted with the important responsibility of guiding and inspiring others, upholding our school’s values, and leading by example with integrity and compassion.

Kaumatua | Senior Leader: Emily Kempton

Kaumatua | Senior Leader: Luka Kelly Bews

Manaakitanga | Care and Respect : Viraneath Chieap

Kaitiakitanga | Guardianship and Responsibility for our space: Bianca Handscomb
Hauora | Wellbeing | caring for our Wellbeing: Cedric Thurston

Wairua | Spirit | caring for our Faith: Ethan Tye

As part of this new chapter, we are also focused on ensuring that our connection to the history of the original house names is preserved. We will be gathering student voice to explore meaningful ways to incorporate these names into our school life, ensuring that our rich heritage is not forgotten.

Congratulations to our 3 ākonga who were baptised into our Catholic community last week - it was wonderful to be part of this special sacrament. May these boys always feel the love of Te Atua guiding them in their lives and we ask you to keep Justin, Ryan and Adrian in your prayers. 

It was also our time to formally welcome our new students who have joined St Anthony’s this year. We pray that they have many great times of fun and learning with us all. Ka pai to Father Bill on his wonderful words of welcome - he did a great job.

Finally, do pop in and see the wonderful Colin McCahon-inspired Art work that our tamariki have been creating, your tamariki are superb creative thinkers! The art is up in the He Atawhai corridor and Te Aroha's Investigation Space.

Dates to remember:

• Monday, 8:30 Movin March Celebration- come along to join our tamariki and kaiako on a scavenger hunt, followed by Hot Chocolate. 
• Thursday, April 10 - last day of school for our tamariki
• Friday, April 11 - Teachers’ Only Day 

Ngā manaakitanga

Denise

Kia ora e te whānau

As we journey through Lent, we reflect on the values of faith, kindness, and community. It has been a busy and exciting term so far, with many reasons to celebrate. Here are some key updates and acknowledgments.

Nau mai, haere mai – welcome to our newest tamariki

A very warm welcome to our new student Harry Campbell, Hugo’s younger brother who has joined our school this month. We are blessed to have you as part of our faith-filled learning community. May your time here be full of growth, friendships, and joyful experiences. If you see a new face in the playground, take a moment to introduce yourself — a simple hello each day at the school gate makes a huge difference to building our school community.

Sacrament of Baptism 19 Poutū-te-rangi (March)

A huge congratulations to our three students, Adrian & Ryan Moinfar, and Justin Brown, who received the Sacrament of Baptism on 19 March. This is a significant milestone in your faith journey, and we pray that you continue to grow in the love of Christ. It was a beautiful celebration, and we thank their whānau and sponsors for their support.

Moving March – Ka mau te wehi!

It has been inspiring to see so many tamariki (and their parents!) walking, biking, and scooting to school as part of Moving March. Not only does this help reduce traffic congestion around our school, but it also promotes healthy habits and protects our environment—he taonga te taiao! (Our environment is a treasure.) Let’s keep up this great effort throughout the year.

Celebrating our past pupils’ NCEA achievements – Kahui Ako success

We are incredibly proud of our past students who have gone on to achieve outstanding NCEA results at their secondary schools in Wellington. Across our Kāhui Ako*, their achievements have surpassed the national average in these subjects —he mihi nui ki a koutou! These achievements reflect our past pupils’ hard work, resilience, and the strong foundation built during their years at St Anthony’s school and the other Catholic Primary Schools that feed into St Patrick’s, St Mary’s, and St Catherine’s. It is wonderful to be part of this shared success.

*Kāhui Ako, or Communities of Learning, are a group of schools that bring together education and training providers with the aim of helping students to achieve their full potential.  Our school is part of the Wellington Catholic Schools Kāhui Ako Ngā wāhi e mōhiotia ai ngā ākonga katoa.

Curriculum Day – Teacher Only Day on 11 Paengawhāwhā (April)

A reminder that Friday, 11 April, is a Teacher Only Day and the school will be closed for students but open to the many teachers that are joining our staff on that day. On this day, our staff will join colleagues from St Patrick’s Primary and Holy Cross, as well as from Clifton Terrace Model School for a special professional development session on the new Math’s Curriculum led by the Ministry of Education. This is a valuable opportunity for our teachers to collaborate, learn, and ensure we continue delivering high-quality education for our students. 

Board Meetings – Have Your Say!

A strong school community is built on partnership, and we encourage all whānau to be part of the conversation. Our Board of Trustees meetings are open to everyone, and we welcome your input. Our next meeting is on Tuesday, 13th May starting at 6pm at school. If you have ideas, questions, or just want to learn more about how our school is run, we’d love to see you there.

Mā te ngākau aroha koe e ārahi | Let a loving heart lead you

This whakatauki is often said during Lent. Lent is a time for renewal, and as Pope Francis reminds us, it is a season of hope and conversion. May this Lenten season bring peace and reflection to all our school whānau. 

Tuesday was the Feast of the Annunciation when the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and told her of God's plan for her to be the mother of Jesus. Mary's response to God's call is a shining example to us all of how to 'go in faith.' The challenge for us all is to 'Believe God’s Word Like Mary'

Enjoy reading what some of our juniors have shared about Mary...

He Atawhai 

Here is the word of the lord.

A word that has come.

I believe in God.

Live here God.

Mary had faith in God.

Amen.

Recreate God in Jesus.

Yes Lord.

Ralph

Here are the words of Lord.

A special woman who is helpful, is nice and caring.

Loves all the people.

Mother of Jesus.

A person to pray to God.

Really full of Love.

Yes to God's plan.

Lourde

Mary is the mother of Jesus.

A kind person and a nice person.

Respectful person and cool.

You are kind and helpful.

Nikodimos

The Annunciation by Cindy 

Non-Uniform day - Thursday, April 10

As is tradition our tamariki are welcome to wear nonuniform on the last day of the term. If they do so they bring along a ‘gold coin’ donation that will go towards the work of Caritas. 

Caritas (meaning Love in Action)  is the second largest aid organisation in the world and it is part of our work as the Catholic Church to help those who are more vulnerable than ourselves. The Bishops have said that the Caritas Lenten Appeal donations for 2025 will support vulnerable communities in countries like Cambodia, Fiji, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, and Tonga, focusing on development, emergencies, and advocacy.

This half term, we have all been exploring and writing poetry. 

Check out some of Te Moana’s amazing haikus and limericks!

Sam: The Tornado                                                                                                         

A moving windstorm.

Destructing all in its path.

Fierce, swirling, strong winds

Olivier: The tsunami

It roars in the sea.

It rises up like a mountain.

Go up a hill now!

Benedict: Blizzard

Swirling frosty storm.

It is destructive and fierce.

Danger for drivers!

Chiara: The sun

Burning rays touch me.

Shining brightly in the sky,

A huge ball of fire.

Alexander: Mount Fuji

Alexander: Mount Fuji

Majestic views gleam,

Casting rays of pink and blue.

This is Fugisan.

Mya: The snow dance

Snow dance above.

A fall of soft iciness-

It flies by like time.

Pippa: The fox

A baby fox lies,

The lonely water flows.

The fox falls asleep.

Veadpotnin: Beach day

Clear water looks fresh.

The golden sand is burny.

The view is pretty.

Marianne: The swan

Once there was a big lake with a swan.

He loved to dance at dawn.

He danced alright,

And all through the night,

But he never danced hip hop on the lawn.

Paige: Poor Jerry

There once was an ice cream named Jerry.

He enjoyed having lots of cherries.

He played in the sun,

It was so much fun,

But then he got eaten by a girl named Mary.

Sakora: The blooming flower

There once was a flower that was growing,

But suddenly it started snowing!

It was soon to be doomed,

But somehow it still bloomed?

Then the wind started strongly blowing!

Ben: Gill’s bill

There once was a man named Gill,

Who lost his yearly bill.

It was quite a disaster,

So he phoned the master,

But he couldn’t help because he was ill!

Kia ora,

We are excited to announce we are hosting another Wellington Phoenix Experience camp in Wellington at Fraser Park during the April School holidays. This camp will take place on the 17^th & 18^th of April between 9am and 3pm and is targeted for children born between 2011 – 2016.

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 from 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 will be conducting coaching and parent workshops aimed at fostering growth within football communities and bridging the gap between grassroots and academy-level football.

 For further information including how to register please visit: https://wellingtonphoenixacademy.com/experience-camps/

 Kind regards,

Jessica Fuller
Head of Junior Youth Development Phase &

U16 Girls Head Coach

M: 027 515 1477
W: https://wellingtonphoenixacademy.com/
A: 237 Taita Drive, Avalon, Lower Hutt 5011

Event Details:

 Location: Miramar Community Centre, 27 Chelsea Street, Miramar
 Date: Saturday, April 19th, 2025
 Time: 11 AM – 1 PM

We provide free face painting, balloon animals, a coloring competition, Easter eggs for each child, and a free coffee for every adult. 
Plus, Miramar New World has once again kindly donated all the food for a free sausage sizzle & little bread loaf has donated some special special treats