St Gerard’s School Newsletter LOVE - AROHA AI 03 448 8339

LEARN - AKO AI

GROW - TIPU AI

www.stgerards.school.nz

[email protected]

Week 6 Term 1:Wednesday 8th March 2017 PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE

WELCOME Last week we welcomed Rocky Lemuelu to Room 1. Rocky joins his big brother Quinn at St Gerards. Thank you Room 1 for helping Rocky feel so welcome at our school.

REMINDER - INTERVIEWS March 21st 3-7pm and March 22nd 2.30-5.30pm A reminder to go to www.schoolinterviews.co.nz and use code: fbrcx to book your meeting with your child’s teacher. This meeting is to set goals and share information in regards to your child and their learning. This interview opportunity is for all students at the school, not just seniors. SCHOOL COUNCIL Last week the final members of our school council were elected in their year groups. Year 3 rep- Liam Baxter Year 4 rep- Sophie Tait Year 5 rep- Sophia Lyon Year 6 rep- Libby Handford Year 7 rep- Rafe Davidson Year 8 rep- Eben Vermaak On Friday these members will receive their badges from Student Council leaderHannah Tait. Please come along to Fridays assembly to celebrate with them.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY George Donaldson -Tuesday 14th March

LEARNING OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM Boston Irving Dowling takes his learning opportunities every Thursday when he takes part at Riding for the Disabled. Boston has learnt how to care for his horse Jake and is now able to steer him around a course and complete set tasks set up for him by the wonderful volunteers who run the programme. RDA- is totally voluntary based and run and is doing a fabulous job of offering learning experiences that some of our local students would never get otherwise. They raise funds for the premises, the horses , the food for the horses and the gear to offer safe riding. We thank them for what they do and hope others will join them to maintain this excellent service for our students. Boston you are learning so much about how to ride and care for Jake. This Friday Boston has been invited along, with other riders at RDA, to take part in the horse events at the Wanaka Show. All the best Boston and have a great day.

SENIOR SYNDICATE DISCOVERY TIME Two senior syndicate discovery time groups have now visited the Otago Skink enclosure at Landcare reasearch/Department of Conservation on Dunstan Road. The first group entered some wonderful photos in the Otago Museum photography competition. The second group were lucky to have local scientist Grant Norbury speak to us, and to be able to meet the Skinks up close, and even hold them! These Skinks are critically endangered so it was a pretty incredible experience and we hope we can help find ways for them to thrive again!

Here is Ana Flannery showing off her waf2le and homemade icecream that the students made as part of their Discovery programme. The theme was “belonging” and Ana said they came together to share the food they made.

SPECIAL CHARACTER

Important Dates coming up: •

Parish Mass with School – Wednesday 15th March at 9 am - led by Room 5.

•

Bishops Forum – Dunedin, 23rd March. Mrs Ward, Mrs Flannery and Mrs Middendorf will attend.

•

Catholic Teachers Regional Twilight Meeting: 27th March at 4.30 pm.

•

Week 11 - Holy Week. Good Friday 14th April.

Reflection for Lent The readings for the first Sunday of Lent set the scene for the next six weeks of Sabbath ‘time out’. Lent lavishes on us the grace and the space for ‘time out’ - time to reflect on the treasure that is our faith, time to reflect on our lives, to be still and to pray. In the gospel account for the first Sunday of Lent, we find Jesus having some ‘time out’ of his own in the desert. After his baptism, Jesus was driven into the wilderness by the Spirit to reflect and to pray for forty days! What happens to Jesus in the desert? The desert or wilderness was seen as a place of trial, a place of aloneness, a place in which all is revealed, for there is simply nowhere to hide! It is the place in which Jesus is forced to come face to face with himself and his identity. During the season of Lent we are asked to reflect on our identity as daughters and sons of God, men and women made in God’s image, and how we are called to die to self and become alive in Christ. In this season we seek to give of ourselves to others, and to place ourselves vulnerably in prayer before our God. We take upon ourselves the reality of the bare branches of the tree upon which hung the Saviour of the world

PTA

Monday - 2.45pm to 3.15pm Friday – 8.45am to 9.15am (Located Beside Room 3 – open other times by request) Contact Details: [email protected] or Kate Donaldson 027 6229226

PTA AGM The AGM will be held on March 29th at 7.00pm in the school staffroom. Everyone welcome to attend. Position Vacant………President. It is not a huge job as there is a fabulous committee to support you so have a think about it and if you think this might be you just come along to the AGM or let one of the PTA know. Many thanks

FUNDRAISING OPPORTUNITY Stocktake at the Warehouse on April 7 & 8, 7 pm to 4 am both nights. We want to get 20 volunteers (10 people for each night). Planning on 3 or 4 hour shifts per person. We have the potential to make upwards of $4000. Any questions, contact Jen McLean @ 021 2700 760 To join up, contact your class rep or Jen McLean.

DAFFODIL BULB FUNDRAISER Just letting you all know that we have managed to sell all 3250 daffodil bulbs raising $1625 for the school. A huge thank you to Chrissy for facilitating this with me she has been amazing at keeping things ticking over. There is also some smaller ones that I have kept to be planted at the school which I will get the seniors to plant. Thanks everyone who helped me with this. Cheers Tracey

SPORT Central Otago Swimmimg Sports Good luck to the 19 people representing St Gerard’s tomorrow at the meet in Cromwell starting at 9:30am. Everyone received a note yesterday, which has a list of the event numbers each person is entered in. Highlight your events and bring this with you tomorrow. Mrs O’Neill, the team manager, will make sure that each person gets to the marshalling area at the right time for each race. Mrs Eastwood is the staff member with the team. Good luck everyone – go hard and remember to support each other. Otago Primary Schools Swimming Championship Saturday 25th March at Moana Pool. Entries close Friday 10th March.

Please email [email protected] if you wish to enter. These sports have specific qualifying times and entries can only be made with actual qualifying times recorded to hundredths will be accepted. Miniball 2017 Yes, all sports are now kicking in! After the AGM on Monday it was decided to have 2 grades for teams - Years 4 - 6 and Years 7&8. Miniball runs on a Friday night at the Molyneux Stadium and will begin on Friday 19th May. The cost for playing has stayed the same as last year with subs being $20 per player or $35 per family. It is exciting that Mr Aaron Dyson has offered to coach the year 4-6 team this year and brings fantastic skills to this role. Keith Dacosta will continue to coach the Year 7 & 8 team. Miniball skill training for anyone wanting to play in 2017 will begin with Mr Dyson on Wednesday 22nd March 1pm – 1:30pm. If you are interested in playing miniball this year please email [email protected] . Registration forms will be given out to players on Wednesday 22nd. Thank you Mrs Jenny Constable for already offering to assist as a manager for miniball. Always keen to have support from other parents. Netball 2017 The AGM for netball is next Tuesday 7:30pm at the netball rooms. We have been notified that there will be discussion about subscriptions for 2017. The options that are to be discussed are that subscriptions stay at a similar level to last year with fundraising – all netball players and families would need to commit to assisting with this, or that subscriptions are increased negating the need for major fundraising activities. If you feel strongly about either of these options you are encouraged to attend the meeting to express your views or let Jayne Battrick or Camille O’Connor know so that they are aware of the views of the St Gerards Community. If your child wishes to play netball this year, please email [email protected] or complete the form below. The annual Alexandra Rugby and Netball Tournament has been moved forward to April 1st this year, so we need names of those wishing to play netball this year by Friday so that decisions about entries can be made.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------St Gerard’s Netball 2017 ______________ will be playing netball this year. Year level ___________ I _____________ am available to coach a team. I _____________ am available to manage a team Phone: _______________ Email: _______________________ Primary Tennis Compe//on The Primary school Friday after school tennis competition will start this Friday 10th march and run for 5 weeks..Teams will consist of two or 4 players depending on availability and ability. All those interested please contact Coach Wally (Co-ordinator) .

Phone 034492843/0274368562 Email-wally1@vodafone co.nz

Triathlon: Thank you so much to everyone who supported the school triathlon yesterday – special thanks to the parents who assisted as marshalls, especially those who were prepared to monitor the bike through the pines. Wonderful to see the commitment of all the competitors as each pushed hard to achieve their best. Thank you Mr Yeoman for your great organisation.

HOUSE POINTS FOR TRIATHLON Congratulations to Kea House who earned 54 house points. Second was Kiwi with 51, Third was Tui and Ruru with 47

ALEXANDRA FOOTBALL It is not too late to register for football!! Visit our Facebook page www.facebook.com/1aufc/ for more details. Trials are on: Tuesday, 7 March - U10 and U12 4.30-5.30pm. Thursday, 9 March - U10 and U12 4.00-5.00pm Tuesday, 7 March - U14 and U18 5.30-6.30pm Thursday, 9 March - U14 and U18 5.00-6.00pm Under 8 players - Fun “Kick Around” on Thursday, 9 March - 4-5pm

Please bring sun protection, plenty of water and shin pads.

GENERAL NEWSBOARD

SAUSAGE SIZZLE Thursday lunch - $2 in named envelope to office by 9.00am please. LOST JERSEY Size 12 with the name Constable on - please check your children’s jerseys. CADRONA SKI SEASON PASSES If you would like to apply for one of these see Chrissy at the office. The passes are discounted for school students.

The Terrace School

KIWIANA GALA SAT 25 MAR 10AM-1PM PIONEER PARK

kiwiana food stall raffles chocolate wheel little flick pre-loved clothing toys fruit stall face painting bbq dunk the teacher books children's crafts cake stall children's playhouse raffle silent auctions and more...