Swimming time with Ruma Weta! What a great start!

Room 16 and 17 are swimming as Ruma Weta in two groups over one hour on odd weeks. Mrs Hall and Mr Bach will take one week at a time and give the children the benefit of their knowledge and try to improve their general skills and freestyle stroke.

Weekly Notices Week 3 Term 1 2017

Week 3, Term 1 -

Homework -  Middle School children are expected to read a book at their level every evening (some will need parent guidance) and do a little bit of maths whizz and/ or spelling each day, if possible. Children have their maths whizz passwords and spelling assessments are happening now. Parents and caregivers may also read to a child if he or she is too tired or is really resisting reading. Children who like it and have the time may want to do a little journal writing or story writing at home. All children now have logins to Google - G Suite and can access their learning site and Google Drive from home. Homework should not be a stressful time or too long as this may put kids off learning or doing certain tasks, especially at this young age. Each family has to make their own decision about how busy they are and how much homework is possible.

Chromebook user agreements need to be returned ASAP from children who are new to chromebooks or those who have been asked to complete a form. Children who have not had this form filled out and signed cannot go onto the school network.

If you are able to help out at the school in any way it would be most sincerely appreciated. We have an active PTA who are at the moment organising the school gala and are in need of as many helping hands as possible. We also have working bees, school gardens to maintain and a host of other things going on throughout the year, which require volunteers. Please enquire at the school office if you are able to assist in any way.

On Thursday the Diocese have their Commissioning Mass at St Thomas More at Mt. Maunganui. There will be school staff and children from schools from the Bay of Plenty present. Mass is at 6.00pm.

Thanks to Bernie and her team for a great ‘Opening Mass’. Thanks also to Margot for the music. I think the children did very well for their first Mass for the year.

Thanks to all those parents who made themselves available for the ‘Meet the Teacher’ last Thursday afternoon.

The Bike to School Day was a hit. Thanks Mrs Todd for organising this and also to staff who supported this event. Children and parents enjoyed participating in the bike ride.

Our school app had a few issues which have now been sorted. Parents will be able to access blogs, newsletters, draws, school calendar, book school interviews, order Pita lunch, buy school uniform from our shop, and submit a child’s absence using the App. Please download the app from the android or apple store..

Android : https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nz.school.stmarysrotorua

Apple - St Mary's Catholic Primary School

https://appsto.re/nz/xbD6eb.i

Our school facebook page is going along very well. Photos are often posted on this page.

Parents and caregivers will love seeing photos of the children so check it out.

Thanks to Mrs Cato, Mr James and Mr Volschenk for getting blogs, devices, maths whizz etc up and running and also to Mrs Tabuteau who is looking after the setting up of Reading Eggs. We place a lot of importance in Maths Whizz and will be using this programme consistently in class. Parents and caregivers are encouraged to access these programmes at home. If your child can’t remember the login please see the class teacher concerned. Children should do 60-90 minutes per week on tutor in maths whizz but can do more if they go into replay. If your child isn’t doing a minimum of 60 minutes in class per week they should make up the difference at home.

Our school leaders have been selected for the year. Thanks to the teachers who have offered to help with the leadership programme. It is interesting to see which former students have been appointed as  School Leaders at Secondary level.  Head Girl, at JPC  Theresa McLean and Deputy Head Girl, Anna Piebenga, Rotorua Girls’ High Head Girl, Pareunuora Pene and King’s College Auckland Head Girl Rita Shasha.

MONDAY 13TH FEBRUARY.

9.00-11.00am Dynamos Leadership Training for 20 Yr 6s. Hall.

3.15pm Team Mtgs.

TUESDAY 14TH FEBRUARY.

8.15am Staff Prayer - Mrs Nieuwboer

3.20pm Staff Meeting. Maths PD

WEDNESDAY 15TH FEBRUARY.

8.45am School Singing.

THURSDAY 16TH FEBRUARY.

6.00pm Commissioning Mass at St Thomas More, Mount Maunganui.

FRIDAY 17TH FEBRUARY.

11.00am School band

11.45am Pasifika group practice

2.05pm School Assembly. Room 1.

Destin with Butterfly Friend

Destin brought in an Admiral Butterfly to show the class and he took a liking to her, resting on her nose. These butterflies are a lot smaller and rarer than Monarch Butterflies, and they also have distinct beautiful markings.

Chromebook learning with Mrs Cato

Mrs Cato came into Ruma Weta today to introduce the children to the rules and responsibilities of using a chromebook and using Google - G suite at St Mary's.

Weekly Notices Week 2 Term 1

Week 2 Term 1

Sorry to those parents who were given the wrong information about the swimming roster. Initially room 16 and 17 were swimming together in even weeks, but in the end to stay together we needed to change our week to odd weeks. This happened on the first day.

We hope all St Mary’s families passed an excellent Waitangi Day on Monday, enjoying the lovely weather but also remembering the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840 and what this means for us.

We think Team Kahikatea (Middle School) has had an excellent first week and all teachers reported a positive start to the year. Our children seem to have settled in well and parents are happy to have their children back at school.

We have a school app that parents and caregivers are being encouraged to download. Parents will be able to access blogs, newsletters, draws, school calendar, book school interview, order Pita lunch, buy school uniform from our shop, and submit a child’s absence using the App. Parents will need to download the app from the android or apple store.

Android : https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nz.school.stmarysrotorua

Apple - St Mary's Catholic Primary School

https://appsto.re/nz/xbD6eb.i

Thanks goes to Mrs Hall for organising the Liturgies we had llast week. They have been great and I know they require a lot of organisation and set up.

St Mary’s Catholic School has a facebook page and photos are often posted on this page. We have 647 likes so far and would appreciate more. We encourage whanau to check out our facebook page and like what they see.

Parent-Teacher interviews are this week. The purpose of these interviews is to hear from parents and caregivers about the aspirations that you have for your child and also anything else you might want to say about your child. Interviews are 5 minutes as these are only introductory meetings. If you need to talk in a little more detail to your child’s teacher about important issues please book a separate meeting with the teacher concerned.

Parent Interviews : Thursday 9 February: 3.15pm to 6.00pm

To book an interview with your child's teacher please follow this process

* www.schoolinterviews.co.nz

* parent/teacher interview school bookings

* event code 6w7hp

A group of Mandarin Language Assistants are visiting our school as part of their orientation to the Rotorua area. They will be with us from 9.00 Thursday and leaving us after morning tea. We will make them feel very welcome.

Thursday is our ‘Bike to School Day”.

You can bike from home, or for students from outside the area, please get dropped off outside the Arawa Bowling club in Lytton street between 8 and 8.20.  Students will be able to cycle or scoot from there to school.  You MUST have a helmet.

Upon arrival, senior students will put their bikes in the Mary Garden area beside Room 1.  Middle school students will put their bikes around the back of Rooms 16/17 and Junior school students will keep their bikes by their classes.

MONDAY 6TH FEBRUARY.

Waitangi Day.

TUESDAY 7TH FEBRUARY.

8.15am Teacher Prayer, Staffroom. Mrs Todd.

8.30am Senior School Assembly

3.20pm Staff mtg: Sue Winters.

WEDNESDAY 8TH FEBRUARY.

8.30am Totara (Senior School) Assembly.

8.45am School Singing

THURSDAY 9TH FEBRUARY.

8.30am Bike to School Day. Poster from Sheryl.

When students have arrived at school bikes are to be stored in the following places:

Totara (Senior School). In behind Mary garden

Kahikatea (Middle) Behind Room 17

Manuka (Year 2)- outside their classrooms.

9.00-11.00am MLAs’ Orientation visit. Morning tea will be provided. We will meet our MLA,  Bethany Lu Wenyu. School tour and a class observation.

3.15-6.00pm Parent Interviews.

The interview is 5 minutes in duration.

FRIDAY 10TH FEBRUARY.

9.00am Opening School Mass

11.00am School Band (Margot). Hall

11.45am Pasifika Performing group (Mrs Wallbank). Hall

NO Assembly.

Birthday girls Billie and Lilly 1st February first day of school

Lucky Billie and Lilly got to have their first day back at school in wonderful Ruma Weta and celebrate their birthdays on February 1st.

Class photo with birthday girls standing up

The first day of school for 2017 in Ruma Weta, Room 16 and 17. We had two birthday girls today. See the girl's photo together on the next post.