Kā mihi o te rā whakamutuka o te wāhaka!

The term has flown by! Mahuru Māori is close to finishing, so keep up the use of te reo Māori until mid next week! We hope after all the events, illness and work of the term, our children get a bit of a rest and recovery over the break and look forward to seeing them next term.

Our shade sails are up as burn time is already less than the time they are at lunch break. Find those hats for next term and get in the habit of sunscreen over the holidays.

We have some exciting works happening in the holidays but in case they do not get completed, we will save them for a surprise.

Uniform / Weruweru Kura
The Board appreciated the uniform feedback we received from the school community. In all there were 30 responses and some clear themes came through.
We heard that durability and affordability are key considerations, as well as ensuring a cohesive and smart look as a school group.
Common points included:

• Greater flexibility for footwear
• The style of the culottes is much liked
• Providing a non-gendered pants option
• Support for cultural traditional dress when appropriate
• White socks are challenging to keep clean
• Enabling children to wear appropriate uniform based on the temperature, not the defined summer/winter uniform seasons.
  

As a result of the feedback, the board have considered and adopted these changes:

• Socks: plain black or navy blue year round
• Shoes: plain black safe and appropriate footwear, with the option of plain black safe sandals in summer months
• Pants and shorts can be worn by all students (culottes remain as female option)

• Students can wear appropriate uniform depending on the weather (beanies are for winter only)
• Plain black jackets can be worn to and from school 
• Hats (bucket or full brim) remain compulsory in terms 1 and 4 due to NZ having the highest rates of skin cancer in the world. Hats optional terms 2 and 3.

Whilst these are probably seen as tweaks, any other changes will not be rushed and have much consultation.

Tino whakahī ana mātou nā te tutuki i te kōhi Te Pae kahuraki i a Dean Isherwood ki te taha o Kāi Tahu. He mea whakanui tēnei!!! Kai te hiamo mātou ki te roko ki kā kōrero. (I te rā whakapōtae ka māuiui a Dean-kāhore ia i roto i te whakaahua)

Koru Games / Kā Kēmu o Koru
On Tuesday the Koru Games began. This was a three day tournament involving schools from all around the South Island, some call it the South Island Champs. It started with an Opening Ceremony followed by round robin games then quarter, semi and then finals. Final results were:
Volleyball Boys – 2nd
Volleyball Girls – 3rd
Ultimate Frisbee – 6th
Kī o Rahi – 15th

Parish Day / Rā o te Pāriha
Parish Day 2024! Well done Stella Maris Parish on this day. A big thank you to all the parents for getting children there and ready for their performances. Also thanks to our staff for being there to help or in support.
Ko te Rā Pāriha 2024! Ka pai rā Stella Maris Parish i tēnei rā. NUI ā mātou mihi ki kā mātua i te kawea mai kā tamariki ki reira, i te whakaritea rātou mō kā whakaraka. Waihoki, ki kā kaimahi i te haere mai hai āwhina, hai tautoko, hai akiaki hoki.

NZPF Conference
It was a packed house at Te Pae for the New Zealand and Australian Principals Conference last week. It was a great time to catch up with colleagues and be inspired. Great to see St Thomas’ and, Jonny Leo’o leading the group.

Kua kī Te Pae ki te Hui mō kā tumuaki nō Aotearoa me Ahitereiria i tērā wiki. I tino pai te wā ki te kite anō kā hoa tawhito me te whakakī te wairua. I pai te kitea te rōpū St Thomas me a Jonny Leo’o e ārahi ana i taua rōpū.

Wiki o te Reo Māori / Māori Language Week
Ko te Wiki o te Reo Māori! I whakaako ā mātou ākoka nō kā rūma reorua i roto i ia akomaka i tēnei wiki. Ko te hītori me te reo te arotahi. I wehe rātou ki Hato Mere me Hato Hemi whakaako ai ki te pao. I whakanuia te rā whakamutuka e tātou ki tētahi hāngī, e kai ana i roto i ō mātou rōpū whānau. Kia kaha tātou ki te kōrero Māori!!! E rere atu ana ā mātou mihi ki a Matua Te Māio rāua ko Matua Josh i te whakarite o te wiki.

Māori Language Week! Students from our bilingual rooms taught about Māori Language Week history and some language each day in each classroom. They also went out to St Mary’s School Christchurch and St James School, Christchurch to teach them how to pao (like a call). We celebrated the last day with Hāngī in our whānau groups (classes). Let’s strengthen the language together! Thanks heaps Matua Te Māio and Matua Josh for the organisation of the week.

Basketball / Pahiketepōro
Final game of basketball for the year for St Annes Nga Hato 7/8s, and for some, their last for St Anne’s. With only four players tonight, they still finished strong, securing a 29-16 victory! So incredibly proud of their dedication, especially after playing their hearts out over the last three days at Koru Games. I am going to miss this wee team of great athletes 🙂 – Penny Cherry
Ko te kēmu whakamutuka i tērā pō mō te kapa Kā Hato 7/8 waihoki, ko te kēmu whakamutuka i roto i te hikareti Hato Ani i tērā pō mō ētahi tamariki. E purei ana me kā kaitakaro tokowhā anake, ka toa, ka wini 29-16! Tino whakahī ana ahau nā te whakapau kaha o te kapa, whai muri kā rā kaha e toru ki Koru Games. Ka nui te aroha nā te mutuka o tēnei tīma pūkeka 🙂 Nā Penny Cherry

Policies / Kā Here
A reminder, if you are interested and would like to take part in our termly reviews of policies, or are interested in any, they can be found here. Please follow the link and then have a look around!
He mea maumahara tēnei, mēnā tō hiahia, tirohia kā here, mahia kā arotake hoki. Kai konei kā here. Whāia te honoka, kātahi, tirohia!

UPCOMING EVENTS / KĀ TAIOPEKA E HAERE MAI ANA
If you have any questions, please email or talk to the person whose email address follows the reminder. If there is no email address, it is just something to be aware of.

TERM 4 / WĀHAKA WHĀ
DATES TBC-Production and All Cultures Day
WEEK 1 / WIKI KOTAHI – Filipino Language Week
Monday 14 October – First day of Term 4 start 9am sharp
Tuesday 15 October – Hip Hop practice 3pm-4pm
Friday 18 October – Feast Day – bring some lunch as per normal but also a fork and spoon to try some Filipino food! 12.30pm lunch
WEEK 2 / WIKI RUA
WEEK 3 / WIKI TORU (Tokelau Language Week)
Monday 28 October – Labour Day (No school-public holiday)
Tuesday 29 October – Teacher Only Day (No school)
Thursday 31 October – Cultural Festival 1pm-3pm josh@stannes.co.nz
WEEK 4 / WIKI WHĀ
WEEK 5 / WIKI RIMA
Monday 15 November – Canterbury Anniversary Day (No school-public holiday)
WEEK 6 / WIKI ONO
WEEK 7 / WIKI WHITU (Solomon Aelan Pijin Language Week)
Thursday 28 November – Production ‘Jonah and the Whale’
WEEK 8 / WIKI WARU
WEEK 9 / WIKI IWA
WEEK 10 / WIKI TEKAU
Monday 16 December – Last full day for 2024
Tuesday 17 December – Pop in and meet your 2025 teacher and Room