St Benedict's School Pānui ā-rorohiko (Online Newsletter) Term 2, Week 2, 2024
- Upcoming Events from our Calendar
- Tumuaki Korero
- School Leaders
- Seasons for Growth
- Kiva Reflection
- Student Celebrations
- Scholastic Book Club
- Sports Updates
- Amesbury Junior (Years 0 - 3) Cross Country Invitational
- Northern Zone Cross Country (Years 4 - 8)
- Jumping June!
- 2024 Construction St Ben's
- St Patrick’s and St Mary's College Open Day Tours
- YUMMY STICKERS
- After School Care Vacancies
- Helping Our Kids
- Parent Road Patrol Roster
- Wider Community Notices
Upcoming Events from our Calendar
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Sports Uniform Days Kōwhai and Kāuri Tuesday
Mānuka Thursday
Term 2 2024
Week 2- 9 Swimming Days Rooms 8,9, 12 and 13 (Year 6-8) Tuesday 7 May-25 June
Mānuka + Rooms 6 and 7 Thursday 9 May-27 May
Week 2 Term 2
Friday 10 May Pink Shirt Day - Non uniform with a touch of pink - or all pink!
Week 3 Term 2 Cultural Week
Monday 13 May KiVa Parent Meeting 6pm Library
Tuesday 14 May Swimming for Rooms 8,9, 12 and 13 (Year 6-8) (last session Week 9)|
Mānuka visit to Khandallah Library R2 10:30-11:15 R5 1:45: 2:30
Northern Zone Cross Country - Years 4 - 8 - Parent Helpers Required
Wednesday 15 May Mānuka visit to Khandallah Library R3 10:30-11:15 R4 1:45: 2:30
Thursday 16 May Swimming for Mānuka + Rooms 6 and 7 (last session Week 9)
Junior Cross Country Invitational Yr 0 - 3
Class liturgies 9-9.45am, Room 6&7
Northern Zone Cross Country Rain Day - Years 4 - 8 - Parent Helpers Required
Friday 17 May Non Uniform day wear culture costume and/or colours that represent your culture
Pentecost Liturgy 9.15am
Week 4 Term 2
Tuesday 21 May NZ Playhouse “The Reluctant Dragon” 9am and 11 am shows
Swimming for Rooms 8,9, 12 and 13 (Year 6-8) (last session Week 9)
Thursday 23 May Class liturgies 9-9.45am Room 8 & 9
St Ben’s Catholic netball tournament Yr 7 & 8 netball teams
Junior Cross Country Invitational Yr 0 - 3 Parent Helpers Required
Items found in the School APP
School Notices
Teacher Messages
Documents Section
Syndicate Newsletter Term 1 and 2
2024 School Dates
Winter Uniform Order form
St Ben's Handbook
Road Patrol Roster
Widget link
Newsletter
SchoolDocs (Board Policies)
Account information
Absences notification and rate of absences.
School Calendar
MyKindo for lunch orders
HoK Facebook and Instagram
Tumuaki Korero
We welcome Magnus (Room9) and Chantelise (Room 4) and their family into our school community.
Tēnā koutou e te whānau,
There was a lot of excitement as the world of shopping came to St Ben’s with the help of our awesome HoK volunteers. Our tamariki loved visiting the Mother’s Day Shop in Room 1. We hope you enjoy the gifts your tamariki carefully chose for you on Mother’s Day! Thank you to our HoK volunteers for making this happen.
Tomorrow we are celebrating Pink Shirt day early (the official day is 17th May). Tamariki can come with a touch of pink or as much pink as they can find! Pink Shirt Day is about working together to stop bullying by celebrating diversity and promoting kindness and inclusiveness. As a new KiVa school our lessons focus on diversity, kindness and inclusivity as these are proven ways of reducing bullying. We are looking forward to sharing the KiVa programme with you at our Parent Meeting on Monday 13th of May 6pm in the Library.
Week 3 we will be celebrating the cultural diversity of our school as we prepare for our Pentecost liturgy at the end of the week. We have members of our community sharing their culture on Monday 13th between 9:15-11:45am. We still have a few slots available if you’d like to come and share a special aspect of your culture with our tamariki. Please email cheryl.taylor@st-benedicts.school.nz if you would like to do so.
Did you know that you can view our newsletter in different languages? You can choose your preferred language at the top of the newsletter.
Our second non uniform day is Friday 17th May to acknowledge Penetecost which we celebrate on Sunday 19th May, the birthday of our church. Please send your tamariki in cultural dress, and/or colours that reflect your culture, and/or by bringing a special taonga/treasure that reflects your culture. Our Pentecost liturgy will be held at 9:15am at school on the same day and you are very welcome to join us.
Upcoming Parent Meetings
Part of our communication strategy is to have regular parent meetings that share our school process or offer education to parents on areas that affect our tamariki daily lives. During Term 1, we ran a school direction meeting with our School Board and an information meeting on Better Start Literacy.
In Term 2, as already mentioned we have our first KiVa information evening next Monday. Our second Positive Behaviour for Learning meeting will be held on June 17 at 6pm. Within this meeting we will share our recently developed behaviour in school guidleines and the processes we go through to support positive student behaviour. We are currently implementing PB4L schoolwide which is a Ministry of Education funded initaitive. You can learn more about this by visiting https://pb4l.tki.org.nz/
In Term 3 we will focus on supporting our school and community with their online world, how people use Digital Communication Technology to affect others and what we can do to have effective boundaries in this space. Our school has booked John Parsons from Citizen 21, https://www.citizen21.co.nz/, to work with our tamariki, staff and parents to support practical ways we can keep ourselves and our tamariki safe online. John will work with our school throughout the day and run a parent meeting on the 28th of August from 7pm in our parish church. John is an amazing presenter with a wealth of knowledge to share and willingness to interact with the questions you ask. Please prioritise this date in your diary, you won't regret it.
BREAKING NEWS: BetterMan will be on Seven Sharp tonight!!!!!!
BetterMan is the brainchild of former athletes' Ged Robinson (rugby for the Crusaders, Highlanders, Hurricanes, Rebels), Todd Astle (cricket for Canterbury, Black Caps) and Todd’s brother Ryan Astle (football for the under-7 Hokowhitu Zodiacs). Click here to learn more: https://www.betterman.org.nz/
Mā te Atua koutou e manaaki,
May God bless and care for you.
Tania Savage - Principal
School Leaders
Last Monday, we awarded badges to our student leaders, recognising their roles and responsibilities within our community. It was wonderful to see the pride on their faces receiving these badges in front of the school.
What makes this achievement even more special is the active involvement of our tamariki in the selection process. Each tamaiti had the chance to apply for roles by writing a letter, showing their passion and commitment to serving our school community.
The leadership roles are: Librarian, Enviro Group, Recycling, Principal's Team, Tuakana, Tech Support, First Aid, Art and Sports Monitors. These join our House Captains and Catholic Character team in helping our school to run smoothly.
Play Pals
Our Tuakana leaders have been training with Mrs Minto to offer a new playground initiative called Play Pals. Play Pals runs on Tuesday and Thursdays at 1pm. Our Tuakana leaders will run inclusive games for 15 minutes. This week is our first week and we look forward to watching our tamariki having fun together.
St Mary's College experience day
I really enjoyed our visit to St Mary's.
The students and teachers there are amazing, kind people. It's a wonderful hardworking environment with lots of creativity.
While we were there we learnt all about the Sisters of Mercy and how the school was founded in 1850.
My personal favourite was science! I loved the Van de Graaff generator which made your hair go wild using electricity!
It was a fun experience to do, especially with all my friends! St Mary's is a fantastic place!
By Ellie, Room 13
Seasons for Growth
Tamariki and whānau support is available for those dealing with grief, loss and change in their whānau through the Seasons for Growth programme. We will be running the tamariki programme in conjunction with Challenge 2000 in Term 4. The below video gives a preview of the programme. If you'd like to register interest in your tamaiti/tamariki attending this wonderful course please complete this form.
Kiva Reflection
Silent - An Award-Winning Short Film about the Power of Kindness
This video is a powerful example of bullying and harassment. It is set in a high school, with a deaf girl being the main character. Three girls notice, smirking with an evil shadow embracing them. The bullying started
with something that even friends do sometimes. Scrunching a piece of paper, then throwing it at her. Soon, the girls notice our main character eating lunch alone on the concrete steps. Of course, they decide to take photos with their brand-new iPhones and post them on every social media imaginable, making the girl’s life a miserable jail. After school, the girl decides to draw, the only thing that makes her feel better. Obviously, the girls have to come up at the exact moment when she finishes the beautiful sketch. Thinking making a deaf girl’s life unhappy is the key to contentment, they rip the paper in half. In despair, the girl runs away in tears. Here comes the last straw. When the students were leaving home, the bullies made a plan. One girl distracts the hall monitor, and the other two drag her into the girls’ bathroom, slamming her down to the ground. Painting her forehead with the words: sorry I didn’t hear you. The girl walks home in tears, again. Amelia, one of the bullies, realises now that she is a bully. She decides to now be nice, after all that they did to the deaf girl. She runs up to the mean bullies and confronts them. She writes you don’t deserve to be treated badly, -Amelia on the sidewalk. And when she passes by, Amelia signs out I’m sorry, will you forgive me? She crosses over and hugs her tightly, in tears of now happiness.
Strong people don’t drag people down, they bring them up.
By Hanna, Room 12
Student Celebrations
Congratulations to the children who received certificates at Assembly
Congratulations to Samantha who placed 1st, four times (Ballet, Jazz, Lyrical and Duo) and one 3rd Place (Musical Theatre) of which 2 are Platinum awards. Samantha has qualified for Champions of the Champions so watch this space. Good luck Samantha.
Isabella and Siobhán sang with a combined children's choir at the concert ‘The Armed Man - A Mass for Peace - by Carl Jenkins’ at the Michael Fowler Centre recently. The event featured the Wellington Orpheus Choir and Wellington Brass Band. Included was a newly commissioned work by New Zealand composer Takerei Komene, E Kiwi E. Combining a te reo translation of For the Fallen with verses by Tuini Ngāwai, it paid tribute to the 28th Māori Battalion and its service in World War II. The performance was poignant given current conflict around the world and received a standing ovation.
Congratulations to Jurek who placed 2nd for his poem in the Challenge 2000 ANZAC Poetry Competition 5-7 year old catagory.
A time of sadness.
No one will not remember it.
Zest for power
A time to remember
Can anyone change that?
By Jurek , 7 years old
Scholastic Book Club
Scholastic brochures were distributed last week and all orders are now due at the school office by Friday 10 May.
This year we would prefer if people paid online with a credit card, although IF NEEDED you can still order with cash (correct change, please). Return any cash orders to the school office.
To order and pay with a credit card, go to mybookclub.scholastic.co.nz
All orders earn rewards which buy books for the school library.
Sports Updates
Zespri AIMS Games - 2024 - 7th - 13th September
The Zespri AIMS Games registration is open for our Year 7/8's. Please see the attached information and let me know if you would like to register your tamariki for any event(s). There will not be a representative from school attending the games. The cost, travel and tournament is organised by individual families.
2024 Event Information Booklet and Eligibility Criteria can be accessed below. Please email molly.kelly@st-benedicts.school.nz if you would like to register. Entries close 5th June 2024.
Amesbury Junior (Years 0 - 3) Cross Country Invitational
Amesbury Junior (Years 0 - 3) Cross Country Invitational is being held at Amesbury School on Thursday 28th May (PP 28th May). An email has been sent to families of students who have qualified for this event. Please check your emails and fill in the sausage sizzle order form before 20th May. Our races will begin at 9:30am. Thank you to all of the parents who have volunteered and made it possible to take this group.
Northern Zone Cross Country (Years 4 - 8)
Northern Zone Cross Country is being held at Grenada Park on Tuesday 14th May (PP 16th May). An email has been sent to families of students who have qualified for this event. Our races will begin at 12:30pm and the aim is to be finished by 2:00pm. We are still looking for 2 parent volunteers to help out on the day. Due to health and safety, we are unable to attend if we do not get enough parent help. Please email molly.kelly@st-benedicts.school.nz if you are able to help on the day.
Jumping June!
St Benedict's will get Jumping in June to raise money for Heart Foundations and to keep our own hearts healthy.
More information to follow but if you would like to get a head start on fundraising, visit the link below and register under St Benedict's School!
2024 Construction St Ben's
Update 9 May
Then retaining wall has been a challenge with the underground stream making digging wet and muddy. However last weekend we had our first concrete pour for the foundations. The block work will begin this weekend. There are some pictures below that show the progress of the works.
The wonderful team from Freear Philip have kept our turf as clear as possible and have not yet needed to move the fencing. It has been a real blessing to continue to have that play space available.
Construction @ St Ben's
Stage three is starting with cladding starting to be removed from Room 9 and 10.
Thankfully we will now have access to the library for the majority of term 2.
The Library skylights and roofing replacement will now occur in the next school holidays. In week 10 of Term 2 we will need some community suppoprt to pack up the library books in the areas that will be affected.
We now expect:
After School Care will operate out of one of our classrooms on the middle floor for approximately 5 weeks in Term 3. They should then be able to move back in - though the library will not be operational.
There will only be enough space to check books out – not for library visits. That will be out of action from the last week of Term 2 until mid-Term 4. We will explore visiting Khandallah Library as an alternative.
Assemblies will go on hold while the library is out of action during Term 3 however we will be able to continue our house meetings.
The expectation of a fully operational library is now mid Term 4.
St Patrick’s and St Mary's College Open Day Tours
Tēnā koutou katoa,
It is with pleasure that I invite you to register to attend one of our Open Day Tours which are to be held on Tuesday 28 May between 10.00am to 11.30am and from 12.30pm to 2.00pm and again on Thursday 30 May at the same times.
To make a booking please either email admin@stpats.school.nz with your request or to make a booking yourself visit the St Patrick's College website: https://www.stpats.school.nz
On the front page of our website you will see a drop down menu labelled Enrolment; and if you click on that and scroll down on the left hand side you will see a tab for Open Day. Open this section and click on the Blue button – Sign up. Enter your details and make your selection regarding day/time.
A reminder email will be sent closer to your booked day.
Open Day is a chance for parents to visit our College and learn about the opportunities and
experiences that we offer across Years 9 to 13.
Mike Savali
TUMUAKI |RECTOR
YUMMY STICKERS
‘YUMMY’ STICKERS’ – Now until the end of Term 3.
It’s time to start collecting yummy apple stickers and the cut-out labels on the yummy 1.5kg apple bags. You will find all your favourite yummy apples at your local New World or Pak’n Save (and some participating 4 Square stores). Plus three new varieties now.
Eat ‘Yummy’ and support our school. Crunch on apples and collect ‘yummy’ sports money.
Collect the ‘cut out’ labels from the 1.5kg bags of ‘Yummy’ apples or individual ‘Yummy’ apple
stickers, available from New World and Pak’n Save stores. Cash them in for Rebel Sports
gear for our school. Send all your ‘Yummy’ stickers to the office.
* Collect your sticker sheets from the office or visit www.yummyfruit.co.nz. Let’s get munching.
After School Care Vacancies
We currenly have vacancies at our After School Care on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. If you require After School Care for your child/ren please contact Donna Wilson. Spots will fill up quickly so don't hesitate, contact Donna for more information TODAY- asc@st-benedicts.school.nz
Join the fun at ASC
Helping Our Kids
Second hand uniform sale:
The second-hand uniform sale was held on the last Saturday of the holidays. This is always a big sale with the changeover from summer to winter uniform.
The uniform sale is a great example of a whole school community fundraiser as families donate items their tamariki have outgrown for the benefit of others, we minimise waste and raise funds to reinvest – thank you for your donations, to the team of HOK members who sorted, bagged and labelled over 500 donated items and gave up their Saturday afternoon to run the sale.
The sale raised over $1,500 to be reinvested into our school community.
If you missed out on the sale, please check in with Coralie as there are second-hand items in the uniform cupboard that she will kindly sell on behalf of HOK – there is a good supply of small sizes in particular.
Please note, we will not be taking any donations this term as we have very limited space to store these and plenty of winter stock to last this term and next. Please hold on to these at home and we will take donations again later in the year – thank you.
Mother's day shop:
We hosted a very successful Mother's day shop on Monday 6 May, with lots of excited kids choosing a free gift for their mum/mother figure. Huge thanks for Jason Naylor and his support crew, and thank you everyone for all the wonderful donations. We hope that our amazing community of mums/mother figures has a wonderful day on Sunday.
Matariki event:
Our next event will be on Wednesday 26 June to celebrate Matariki. We will be putting out more information on this in the coming weeks, but mark it in your diaries.
HOK on your socials:
HOK run a Facebook and Instagram page where we keep you updated with what is coming up, so give us a follow/like:
https://www.facebook.com/
https://www.instagram.com/
Entertainment Book
Parent Road Patrol Roster
NICHOLSON ROAD
(Mornings and Afternoons)
Parents: Please be present from 8:25am - 9:00am and again from 2:45am - 3:15pm
| Term 1, 2024 | ||
| Thursday | 09 May | Rieger family |
| Friday | 10 May | Robbins family |
Monday | 13 May | Robilliard family |
| Tuesday | 14 May | Rohorua family |
| Wednesday | 15 May | Rubio family |
| Thursday | 16 May | Schultz family |
| Friday | 17 May | Sharah family |
Monday | 20 May | Siby family |
Tuesday | 21 May | Smith family |
Wednesday | 22 May | Southee family |
Thursday | 23 May | Stephen family (Jehiel) |
Friday | 24 May | Stephens family (Ellie) |