Term 3 is set to be a busy term. A great way of keeping in touch with what is happening at St Anthony's is 'liking' us on Facebook as well as downloading the Schoolzine App: http://www.schoolzine.com/szapp-installation

A reminder to check your phone settings to ensure notifications are turned on.

The Staff and I look forward to continuing our important partnership with you this term as we journey into the second half of the year, ensuring your children are happy at school, making progress and being the best they can be!

Ngā manaakitanga

Jennifer Ioannou

PRINCIPAL

A special thanks to everyone who helped with the big move at the end of Term 2 in preparation for our junior block renovations. You may have seen the photos on our school Facebook page of our dedicated teachers preparing the classrooms during the school holidays. A big thank you to our senior teachers and students for kindly given up their classrooms to our junior students.

Hopefully, you have all had the chance to read your children’s mid-term reports over the holidays. Thank you to our teachers for their dedication and professionalism in taking the time to produce such detailed and thoughtful reports. It is obvious from reading these reports (of our own children) that a lot of work has gone into them including a high standard of continuous assessment of each student.   

Finally, a big thank you to all our families who have paid their donations. To date, we have received 73% of our donations which is absolutely fantastic. We rely on our family donations to continue to provide our students with the learning resources that they need.  With still five months of the year left we are of course hoping to get this up to our usual level of over 90%. Remember that school donations qualify for a tax rebate and you can find more information about this here http://www.stants.school.nz/enrolment

Beginning of Term Mass

Thank you to everyone who joined us for mass on Wednesday; it was lovely to see so many of you there sharing in the celebration. As always we were so proud of our students as they showed respect and thoughtful reflection during the mass.

Reflection from Fr James Lyons

My first bicycle was a present on my tenth birthday.  I was able to ride it to school that same day as I had already learned on a cousin’s bike.  On the way home I looked behind to admire the shiny back wheel and the chain pulling it along and rode into a parked van.  The front part of my new bike was buckled.

I remember the horror and the disappointment – and am reminded whenever the gospel at Mass is Jesus’ image of the farmer ploughing the field – knowing not to take his hand off the plough to prevent forming a crooked furrow that would make planting difficult.  [Lk 9:51-62]

Jesus tells those who follow him not to look back.  The command to love your neighbour as yourself is the plough you take hold of when you take his path.  With focus on neighbour you will always be moving forward, following the one who came not to be served but to serve, who was always there for others – who felt their fear, suffered their pain, rejoiced in their success and loved them for themselves.  Once you take that path don’t look back!

We are extremely proud of Wilkie Proudfoot (Year 8) for his wonderfully powerful and beautiful Artwork. His work has been published in the latest edition of Toitoi: A Journal for Young Writers and Artists. 

You are an incredibly talented artist, Wilkie! Congratulations!

This week we hear from our Year 8 student Elena Boulieris.

Introduction

My name is Elena Boulieris I am 12 years old and am in the Year 8 group in team Tui 2019. I have two brothers called Stephen and Christopher who both came to this school a few years ago now. I am lucky enough to have two other family members here at St Anthony's they are Petra in Tui and Jamie in Takahe. 

Favourite subject

My favourite is Physical Education because I love working together with others, being active and just having fun. I also love creating artworks, using new materials and learning new skills such as watercolour painting.

When I am not at School I like…

In my own time, I like to get out of the house I go out with my friends, sometimes we go to the movies in town, or go shopping. I spend lots of time with my family and we go to my Grandma's house for dinner. I also play sports outside of school like soccer. I play for the Seatoun Mermaids.

I like coming to school because…

I like coming to see my friends.  Everyone is wonderful at St Anthony's. It's a great learning environment everyone is super supportive especially the teachers who always help us with our learning. Small school; Strong spirit!

On Monday we began Kapa Haka with our new tutors and we are very fortunate to be working with them for the rest of the year. We all loved the first session with them!

Here are some comments from our tamariki...

Kapa Haka was great! We sang cool Māori songs. I liked singing 'Tutira Mai Nga Iwi'.

Liam Morrison (Hoiho Class)


They taught us some Māori language and were speaking to us and each other in Māori.

Rueben Webley (Takahe Class)


I thought it was really fun. David was really funny!

Isobel Mulhern (Takahe Class)


I enjoyed how we respected them and they spoke their own language. I also enjoyed singing Māori songs, especially 'Ka Waiata'.

Marimatina Peni (Kea Class)

I liked it because I am Māori and even though I didn't know what they were saying, I liked learning te reo and they translated for us. It was really great to learn the language and I enjoyed the dances.

Summer Hood (Tui Class)


I liked going over what we have learnt previously and learning new songs. I enjoyed learning more about the Māori culture.

Daniella Zadimas (Tui Class)

Eymard and Theodore Houses won the House points for Terms 1 and 2 and their reward was a House coloured Mufti Day today which also included going to the Seatoun Beach Park/Playground for the afternoon to play games together. 

Swimming sessions at the Kilbirnie Aquatic Centre started today, 25 July. The children will be grouped according to their ability and will take part in eight sessions in total on Thursdays. The exclusion dates are 1 August (note no lesson next week) and 12 September. Please ensure your child wears their P.E. uniform to school on swimming days and brings along their swimming gear.

DCM (Downtown Community Ministry) Bookfair

This wonderful annual event is being held again on Saturday 17 August in Shed 6 at Queens Wharf from 8am to 6pm.  As well as books, you'll also find magazines, CDs, DVDs & vinyl.

School Lunches

Following on from the School Lunches survey last term, below is a summary of responses and analysis suggest we note:

• the main reason for school Lunches is to raise funds for FOSA;
• parents want a healthy lunch for their children but most are prepared to accept an occasional treat lunch such as pizza;
• extra items such as chippies, brownies, grain waves & doritos will not be offered in term 3 as the orders do not justify continuing to supply these;
• lunches will be offered fortnightly in term 3 because there is not enough parent volunteers for a weekly lunch and at the moment there aren’t enough orders to justify a weekly lunch;
• the most popular lunch items will remain (pizza, sushi, hamburgers, subway) with other items being discontinued; 
• lunch orders will revert back to being required on a Friday morning EXCEPT on the last week of term when Sushi orders will need to be in on a Thursday);
• term 3 will be used as our test to see if orders increase and to determine the minimum number of orders / funds raised required to justify continuing FOSA lunches.

Following the departure of Sarah, we are very pleased to announce that Debbie Johnson has kindly taken on the role of Lunch Co-ordinator.  Debbie will be contacting parent volunteers to determine suitable dates, etc., to ensure the roster is workable.

Below is a ‘draft’ for Term 3 School Lunches.

Friday 2 August

Pizza

Thanks to our fabulous parent lunch heroes Miriama Williams & Amanda Burke. Year 6 helpers are James Pink & Billy Proudfoot, thanks guys!

As part of our Kahui Ako (Catholic Schools - Community of Learning), we have been invited to share in an evening being organised by Friends of St Teresa’s School Karori (FOST). 

The main driver behind this event is that we know that the one thing most parents want for their children is happiness. Research is clear – a happy young person is much more likely to be confident, connected, engaged and able to contribute positively to their own and others’ learning.

Dr Denise Quinlan is a leading education from the NZ Institute of Wellbeing & Resilience. She will deliver The Talk - Kicking for the Surface: Practical Strategies to Protect and Support Wellbeing - which promises to be a practical session with tips and strategies that parents can use to support their wellbeing and their children’s wellbeing in a busy year.

Wellbeing is our best protection against the stresses and challenges of everyday life. Learn more about what wellbeing is made up of and simple ways to support it; why focusing on what’s right and knowing your strengths can help wellbeing and achievement; how to combat the ‘fragile thoroughbred’ syndrome that sees many teenagers afraid to try or giving up after failure; and why we can all benefit from more self-compassion. Last but not least, this session will remind parents that love, acceptance and belonging are the most important wellbeing supports you give your child.

The talk is being held at Samuel Marsden auditorium, Karori, August 28 at 7.30pm, and we have 2 tickets still available.

Tickets are $10.00 and have been subsidised by our school as we want to make this evening accessible for our community.

If you are interested in attending, please contact Yvonne in the school office.

St Patrick's College, Wellington

Please note that enrolments for Year 9 2020 students close on Friday 2 August.


Yummy Sticker Promotion 2019 - TERM 3

The Yummy Sticker promotion is now in its 22 year and there is another $200,000 available to spend on sports gear for schools. 

The promotion finishes at the end of Term 3 (Friday 27 September), so there is only another 9 weeks left to collect as many stickers & bag cut outs as possible.  

Please print off sheets at home to enable you to 'stick labels straight on', or please pick up hard copies in the school office (see Yvonne).

Yummy_Sticker_Collection_Sheet.pdf

Yummy_Sticker_Collection_Sheet _pdf 49.26 KB

Yummy_Cut_Out_Label_Collection_Sheet.pdf

Yummy_Cut_Out_Label_Collection_Sheet _pdf 36.41 KB

Yummy_New_Variety_Sticker_Collection_Sheet.pdf

Yummy_New_Variety_Sticker_Collection_Sheet _pdf 453.37 KB

  

Music Lessons at School

Dynamite Music offer piano, guitar and drum lessons during the school day. For more information visit: https://enrolmy.com/dynamitemusic/book-now/49-StAnts


NZ Fire Service - Free Home Fire Safety Visit

Fire and Emergency NZ are endeavouring to reduce the incidence and consequences of residential property fires. The approach of the Free Home Fire Safety Visit initiative is to educate families on home fire safety, working smoke alarms and safe meeting places. Annually Fire and Emergency NZ attend an average of 5226 residential property fires, resulting in 262 injuries and 19 fatalities. The average house can become totally involved in fire within 5 minutes, un-survivable in as little as 3 min and reach temperatures in excess of 1200 degrees Celsius (4 times hotter than the average oven).  In Wellington, we are offering Free Home Fire Safety Visits to families with school children and also the elderly. Contact FENZwellington@fireandemergency.nz for more details.

BIGAIR Gymsports, Owhiro Bay

Cartwheels, Walkovers, Flips, Kongs, Handstands, Barrel Rolls, Handsprings - it’s all here at Bigair Gym! Kids love learning a vast range of skills in Gymnastics, Trampolining, Tumbling, Parkour and Cheerleading! We have classes to support children of all levels and interests. These classes are designed to increase children’s strength, flexibility, balance, coordination and fitness. Children also learn extensive personal skills, including increased self-confidence, self-determination, listening skills, persistence, self-pride, increased self-esteem and much more! BOOK NOW for TERM 3! Bigair Gym Owhiro Bay on 3838779 or email wgtn@bigairgym.co.nz

Wellington Floorball Junior Trainings

Would you like some fun floorball trainings before the Junior League starts up in Term 4? Wellington Floorball runs junior trainings for U9, U11, U13 and U15s on Tuesdays after school at the ASB Sports Centre. The cost is $65 per term, all gear is provided and no experience is necessary. For more information check out www.wellingtonfloorball.org.nz or email Sophie at: admin@wellingtonfloorball.org.nz