Mālō e lelei,
Ko hoku hingoá ko Dallas Wichman. Although you know my name, I love writing this in Tongan after Cook Islands Language Week where you would say;
Ko tōku ingoa, ko Dallas Wichman (we say a soft ‘h’ in front of ingoa). So could be written, Ko tōku hingoa, ko Dallas Wichman.
I love the similarities in pasifika languages.
This week is ‘Uike Kātoanga’i ‘o e lea faka-Tonga’ or Tongan Language Week. The 2024 theme for Tonga Language Week is ‘E tu’uloa ‘a e lea faka-Tongá ‘o ka lea’aki ‘i ‘api, siasí (lotú), mo e nofo-‘a-kāingá – The Tongan Language will be sustainable when used at home, church and in the wider community. This, like most of our language weeks reminds us of the importance of maintaining and using our family languages and the Māori language in different places to strengthen and maintain it. This is happening this week with Rooms 5 and 7 attending a Noho Marae where a lot of Māori will be spoken and used. It is great to use languages in different situations, below you will see us using Māori at Spencer Park. I was at St Marys in New Brighton on Sunday and during the prayers of the Faithful, the community was asked if they had any prayers. A man said a prayer in Samoan. It was great that all the Samoan’s heard their language somewhere else (not just the home) and more importantly, from different people. Charge up your use of Tongan, Māori or a home language this week e te whānau!

Our website was ‘out of action’ on Friday so hopefully you got a paper copy of the newsletter home. We were hoping to start our ‘opt out’ of paper newsletter to save some paper and printing but so far we only have two families who have opted out, so maybe it is not really what the community is after?! If you do want to opt out, let us know asap and we will start to make a database to use. Ensure you are good with Skool Loop though, as we do not want you missing out on important information.

No Relievers / Kāhore he kairīwhi
Our website is not the only thing struggling at the moment, we have had many teachers unwell with various illnesses over the last few weeks and there are NO RELIEVERS available. Sometimes if you book one a few days in advance you can get them, but it is hard to predict illness a few days in advance. We thank our teachers who have come in when not 100%, to those who have taught two classes at a time, who have had children in their class who have had to be sent from their own classes due to no teacher. I have taught a lot of the last week, when not 100% myself, just to literally stay open as a school. Some staff missed professional learning courses to be at school to cover also. We thank you for your patience and although the government is pushing 90% attendance, if your child is unwell, please keep them home!
Please be aware, although we survived the week, next week is a new week. We will give you as much warning as possible if we do have to close any part of the school or the whole school. Please also be understanding if your child comes home saying they were in a different class for the day. It is not something we want to do!

RE in Room 6 / MK i Rūma 6
Room 6 has been learning about the liturgical year. The liturgical year is divided into different seasons, each marked by special colours with unique meanings.
Advent (Purple): This season prepares us for Christmas. Purple represents penance, reflection, and the anticipation of Jesus’ birth.
Christmas (White/Gold): Celebrating Jesus’ birth, white and gold represent joy, purity, and light, capturing the festive spirit of this season.
Ordinary Time (Green): These weeks between major seasons symbolise growth and new life, encouraging us to live out Jesus’ teachings every day.
Lent (Purple): A time of penance, fasting, and prayer leading up to Easter, purple again signifies penance and preparation for Jesus’ resurrection.
Easter (White/Gold): Celebrating Jesus’ resurrection, white and gold symbolize joy, triumph, and the glory of Christ’s victory over death.
Pentecost (Red): Marking the arrival of the Holy Spirit, red symbolizes the fire of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the Church.

Cook Islands Language Week
The sounds, the smells, the looks and the tastes of the Cook Islands were at school last week to celebrate Cook Islands Language Week. Storytelling, food, drums, pe’e chants, music and dance were all squeezed into the feast day. Big meitaki to the Kūki families for stepping up with great food and help, Lalelei Cuisine & Catering for the raw fish (Ika Mata) and taro and Shelley Nicholson for helping Theo finish our Banana (meika) Poke! To Carl from Langham Signs for coming today and Room 5 for a great assembly. To my awesome drummers and my fam also, you rock. Kia orāna, kia manuia, ā, te Atua te aro’a ki a kōtou kātoatoa. Pāpā Dallas. Ko kā oro, kā roko, kā āhua hoki o kā Kūki Airani ki te kura i tērā wiki hai whakanui o ‘Te Epetoma o te reo Māori Kūki Airani’. He pūrākau, he kai, he taramu, he karakia, he waiata, he kanikani hoki, i te rā nei. Meitaki Maata ki kā whānau Kūki, Shelley, Lalelei hoki. Ki tōku kaitaramu, ki tōku whānau rawe, he mihi mutuka kore tēnei mai i tōku kakau ki a koutou. Matua Dallas!
Pic above: Gabby being acknowledged by Langham Signs for her potential in design.

Note: Language Weeks are primarily organised by families of that culture or descent. Tongan Language Week is next week, if you are of Tongan descent and would like to organise anything for the week, please contact me principal@stannes.co.nz

Some prayers by Room 5 / Ētahi karakia nō Rūma 5

NZPPA
We went to West Rolleston Primary on Friday to thank Sylvia Fidow (Principal) for her years of work on the New Zealand Pasifika Principals’ Association Executive Committee. I was proud to have four students come and play some pasifika beats at the beginning of their assembly, and give her gifts made by Room 7 last week. Thanks for the help to all the students!!!
I haere mātou ki Te Kura o Uru Kōwhai i te Paraira hai whakanui i a Sylvia Fidow mō āna mahi ki ruka i te kōmiti o Kā Tumuaki Pasifika o Aotearoa. I whakahī au, ka haere tokowhā o āku akoka ki te purei piti pasifika hai tīmataka o tā rātou hui-ā kura, ki te hoatu koha nā Rūma 7 i tērā wiki. Nui āhaku mihi ki a koutou, akoka mā!

Awhe Ararau / Orienteering
He mea Māori ki te mōhiotia, ki te āta mātakitakitia, ki te whakamahia, ki te tiakina te taiao. He mea pākehā ki te oma awhe me he takata poraki, e tarai ana ki te kite i ētahi pou me ētahi tapatoru karaka/mā kai ruka. I wheako a Rūma 7 i te taiao, ā, ka oma ki wīwī ki wāwā e tarai ana ki te kite i ētahi pou me ētahi tapatoru karaka/mā kai ruka mō Awhe Ararau i Te Pāka o Spencer.
It’s a Māori thing to be in touch with nature, observe it, use it and protect it. It’s a pākehā thing to run around like crazy trying to find posts with white and orange triangles on them. Room 7 got in touch with nature and then ran around like crazy trying to find white and orange triangles during Orienteering at Spencer Park.

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.
WEEK 5 / WIKI RIMA (Tongan Language Week)
Note: Language Weeks are primarily organised by families of that culture or descent. Tongan Language Week is next week, if you are of Tongan descent and would like to organise anything for the week, please contact me principal@stannes.co.nz
Monday 19 August – Rāpaki Noho Marae (Rooms 5 and 7) temaio@stannes.co.nz
Tuesday 20 August – Zone Winter Sports tournament (selected students) penny@stannes.co.nz
Tuesday 20 August – Hip Hop Dance Practice in Hall 3pm-4pm
Wednesday 21 August – Filipino Dance Practice (right side of Mission Centre)
Thursday 22 August – Dallas away at NZPPA Hui (Clara Fleming Acting Principal)
Thursday 23 August – Zone Winter Sports tournament (selected students)-back up day
WEEK 6 / WIKI ONO
Tuesday 27 August – Hip Hop Dance Practice in Hall 3pm-4pm 
WEEK 7 / WIKI WHITU
Monday 2 September – Times TBC – Swimming Starts for Years 0-6 (two weeks)
Tuesday 3 September – Jubilate (Pro Cathedral) jo@stannes.co.nz
WEEK 8 / WIKI WARU
Friday 13 September – Swimming Last Day for Years 0-6
WEEK 9 / WIKI IWA
Sunday 22 September – Parish Mass for all students 10am Haeata Community Campus (more information to come) This will be our only school weekend Mass for the term so all students can make it. Performances from school culture groups will be held immediately after (11am) and a huge feed at 12pm for those who want to hang out.
clara@stannes.co.nz
WEEK 10 / WIKI TEKAU
Tuesday 24-Thursday 26 September – Koru Games
Friday 27 September – Last day of the term 2.50pm finish

TERM 4 / WĀHAKA WHĀ
WEEK 1 / WIKI KOTAHI (Filipino Language Week)
Monday 14 October – First day of Term 4 9am sharp start
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)
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)
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

‘Oku lelei ‘a e ‘Otua
Te Atua te aro’a ‘ē kia manuia,
Dallas Wichman
Tumuaki / Principal / Pū ‘Āpi’i Ma’ata