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Our inspiration this week is ‘Mā te kōrero, ka ora’ (take time to kōrero) inspired by Mental Health Awareness Week. So many problems in the world are solved when we communicate with one another so this is a wonderful theme. We invite you all to just take time to kōrero whether it’s checking in with a friend or colleague, having a kōrero over some kai, or saying hello to a stranger. Everyday conversations create connections.
Strategic Plan- thank you to the wonderful whānau that have taken the time to read through our tamariki’s ideas for the strategic plan and sent in yours - we are so appreciative of this. Your voice is invaluable so we ask the rest to take time over the holidays to complete this and send it to school on our first day back.
Grandparents Mass and morning & Pōwhiri for our new families
We go forward in faith that by November 3 we will be at Level 1 and so are able to proceed with our long-awaited Grandparents Mass and morning. We will combine this morning with our beginning of term mass and pōwhiri to welcome our new tamariki and families. We are delighted to welcome Anna, Mason, and Riyanshi to our school this week and into Te Ākau Class. Level 2 and wearing masks is a difficult way to join a new school so please go up and chat to their whānau when they are standing at the gate.
Te Maunga Camp
Our grateful thanks to all of you who have so actively supported the fundraising for the senior camp. We were incredibly grateful for this support and with Teapot Valley Christian Camp working with us to ensure that our week could go ahead despite Lockdown. Week 9 for Te Maunga was simply amazing! Once again the senior students showed the value of going on camp as we witnessed the personal growth in each student as they overcame the fears, worries, and of course, being out of their comfort zone. These are lifelong lessons learned and we are proud of each one for making the most of every opportunity. A huge thanks to Mike Blades and Ollie Meech who were superb parent help - they worked incredibly long days to ensure that all our tamariki had the best opportunity and outcomes possible. Ka Pai Mike and Ollie!
I extend my thanks to all the staff and especially Francesca for their continued hard work and support while Helen and I were away. It takes a great deal of pressure off me when I know the team will go on as usual and for this I say thanks.
Te Maunga wants to thank you all for your fundraising efforts by running the film evening as a fundraiser with the profits going to FOSA. Please see below the details for this night.
Nature Area with Red Slide
It was with great excitement that Phase 1 of our nature area with the much-loved red slide is now planted with both Jack Spratt Flax and stepping logs. A huge thanks to Craig Smith for his time and effort to support Helen and Te Maunga with this phase. Tino pai all! Phase 2 will be the sanding and replant of the slide as well as a mural being planted along the white fence. We would love someone to volunteer to water blast the area including the wooden slat fence in preparation so if you are happy to do this please email Denise.
A huge thanks to Kirsten, our wonderful office manager for organising the school photos - always a busy event it was compounded this time by the endless rescheduling and then reworking of the timetable to ensure our tamariki could be in their school photo. - Thanks Kirsten as we know it was challenging and we are grateful for your endless patience!
Thanks to everyone for the donations of coins today for our end-of-term mufti. We raised $88. Following on the tradition of being a Mercy school, these donations will go to helping those more vulnerable than ourselves.
Please take time to look at our tamariki's learning about being a Mercy School as we celebrated that along with Catholic School's Day yesterday. Our tamariki had a fun time yesterday looking at Tūrangawaewae - Catholic Schools our place to stand and we have displayed their thoughts and illustrations on the notice board. Thanks to Amy Troy for leading this.
We have our Teacher only Day tomorrow which was postponed from Lockdown but we also remind you that we have the one scheduled for Friday, October 22. This is attached to Labour Weekend so that families can get away earlier. As you know these days are part of the 8 days negotiated in the teachers' collective agreement in 2019 and must be used by the end of 2022.
We hope you all have a wonderful whānau time over the next fortnight and for those who are traveling, travel safely and we look forward to seeing you all again in Term 4. Don't forget this is the term that everyone needs their sunhat :)
Ngā manaakitanga
Denise
Faith News
On Friday 24th September, we celebrated Mercy Day. Then as a school, we gathered this Wednesday to reflect on and celebrate the Mercy values, on the very fitting day of Catholic Schools Day 2021.
Archbishop Paul Martin shared the following with all Catholic Schools:
‘Our schools are part of something much bigger than themselves, namely the Catholic Church. This community of faith finds its local expression in the parish and the school. It is in this context that we reflect on our schools as Tūrangawaewae, a place to stand.
This place to stand comes from belonging to the school community but also beyond that to the Church community of faith. We know that we extend this welcome also to those who may not be from our faith community. This gift of hospitality and desire to share what we have with others is at the heart of the gospel call. This is the place where we have a right and desire to belong to, it is Tūrangawaewae for all.
Our Catholic schools as places of belonging allow us to celebrate and grow in what we have in common, what binds us together. As Christian people, it is our baptism in Christ. It is also the call of the Gospel and the Church to live in the way that Jesus taught us.’
Reflection
The theme for Catholic Schools Day 2021 is ‘Tūrangawaewae: Catholic Schools - A Place to Stand’. Tūrangawaewae is the understanding that we have places where we feel connected and inspired. This is our place of security and foundation. We do not thrive in isolation: we need community that supports and helps us to learn to be a gift of self to others and to seek the best for them.
Let us reflect on these two important questions:
What is it that binds us together and how can we celebrate this?
What is makes us different and how can we celebrate this?
Te Moana Weta have been busy this term developing their persuasive language skills. We worked on creating strong persuasive arguments to help us advertise products or convince others to agree with our point of view. We also looked at how lawyers try to persuade a jury to find their client innocent or guilty of a crime. We conducted a mock trial in class based on the fairytale Jack and the Beanstalk. After the witnesses were questioned by the defense and prosecuting teams, the jury found Jack guilty of theft and trespassing!
Here are some examples of our work!
Read some of the children’s opinions about the mock trial.
At school we started doing mock trials. These are our take on court trials that happen every day in the real world, except fairy tale characters were trialled-instead of an actual person. Our fairy tale was Jack and the beanstalk, Jack was being trialled. The roles included: Witnesses (Giantess, Bean seller, Jack’s Mum, etc), Lawyers (Defense and Prosecution), Court Judge, Jury and the Defendant. My role was the Golden Goose and I was accusing Jack of kidnapping me and my eggs and chopping some of my wing off! In the end Jack (played by William) was sent to jail!
CAMP showed me some new things about myself that I didn’t know were there. I learned to trust people more, but still always listen to my instincts. I also learned to ‘do the scary thing first and get scared after’, and to be proud of myself for what I have achieved. I so badly wish that I could go to CAMP again, but this time bring my family with me!
CAMP… thank you for the lessons you taught me. Thank you also to the people that did everything they could to make it happen and make it happen well. Bye!
Mia, Year 8
Camp was an amazing experience that changed everyone. It taught us so much about life skills, their classmates and themselves! When people returned they thought about their classmates differently. They were confident to try new things. We were all very lucky to have actually gone there and have done all the stuff that we did, and we are very grateful to all those who helped us!
Sophia, Year 8
Camp brought all of Te Maunga closer together. We had some highs and lows, and we got to know who we really are deep down inside.
Maritmatina, Year 8
When I got to camp I was shocked by how lovely it was there. The activities were really fun and challenging. It pushed me out of my comfort zone. I was pretty amazed. I also made some new friends in my class, Chloe, Mia, and Nina. They were really funny to hang out with and were kind to me.
Dannielle, Year 8
Camp has taught me to try new things and to face my biggest fears. It made me want to try new and challenging activities. Camp has also taught me to work with new people and get to know them a bit more. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to be able to do all of these fun activities with my class.
Jessica, Year 8
Camp was really good to be honest, abseiling was my favourite. Put me up to any challenge at camp and I'll complete it. That's how good I was at camp. Our last day ... breakfast was amazing.
Peyton, Year 8
We welcome St. Anthony’s school whānau and friends to join us at our school movie night.
This will take place in the senior block at 5:00 to 7:00 on Friday 26th November to watch 2 very special films.
The first film that we will be showing is Hamlet, as a movie. 7 students have written, directed, acted, and produced Hamlet the movie.
The second film that we will be showing is this year's school production, The Green Balloon, a heartfelt film about finding Kaitiakitanga.
So please come and join us to watch our school movie-making skills.
Tickets will be $5 each or a family ticket of $15 to purchase, and there will be fun snacks for you and your family to enjoy, like pizza and ice cream.
We hope to see you there!
If you have any Yummy Stickers that you have collected for the school please drop them into the office during the first week of Term 4 so we can collate them and send them in.
Thanks to all the families who have been collecting for us this year.
October School Holiday Classes for Children at the Wellington Sewing Centre
The Wellington Sewing Centre in Coutts Street, Kilbirnie is running school holiday workshops for children 8 years old and over: make bags, pillowcases, decorated cushions, aprons, slippers and sheep! Friendly, patient tutors and small class sizes with lots of individual attention. For more information and to enrol, check out our website https://sewingdirect.co.nz/
What: Mr Fungus
Tickets $15.00pp, family pass of 4 tickets $50.00, Children under 2 Free
Bookings: https://www.circa.co.nz/
Children LOVE learning how to Cartwheel, Handstand, Round-off, Handspring and Flip at BIGAIR GYM! BIGAIR’s GYMNASTICS, TRAMPOLINE, CHEERLEADING, TUMBLING & FREE RUNNING classes are excellent for fun and fitness! We focus on safety, technique, fundamental skills, right through to more advanced skills, such as summersaults and twisting flips. Bigair Gym is a pristine, exciting, kid friendly gym! Our skilled and experienced coaches run structured and organized stimulating gym classes, that follows a badge programme which creates goals and allows children to plan for success!
Book now for Bigair’s October School Holiday Programme! Full day and half day sessions available. This is a wonderful opportunity for kids to keep active and to learn something new during the holidays! BOOK NOW for Term 4 Classes. Spots are limited so book now on www.bigairgym.co.nz
Bigair Gymsports Kapiti ph. 04 297 0400 e. kapiti@bigairgym.co.nz @. 4 Manchester Street, Kapiti.
Bigair Gym Owhiro Bay ph. 04 383 8779 e. wgtn@bigairgym.co.nz @.14 Landfill Road, Owhiro Bay.
Bigair Gym Tawa ph. 04 232 3508 e. office@bigairgym.co.nz @. 10 Surrey Street, Tawa.
Cricket’s Back and Junior Club Registrations are open for the 2021 – 2022 season!
Local cricket clubs offer a range of opportunities to play cricket this summer for participants aged 4 to 12.
The Superstar Cricket Programme is available for participants aged 4 to 7, with Junior Club Cricket available from Year 2 to 8 in dual-pitch, softball, and hardball formats.
New to cricket? No worries! You can find your local club by clicking on the link here or reach out to Cricket Wellington on community@cricketwellington.co.nz
We look forward to seeing you on the park this year!”
Club registrations are open from 1 September until 30 September 2021.
Miramar Junior Softball Club
Interested in playing softball? For more information please contact Janine on 021 1585539 or miramarjuniors@gmail.com for more information.
If you would like to register please do so by using this form link:
https://www.sporty.co.nz/miramarsoftball/Online-Registration-Form
