19th June

Dear Parents

I hope to see some of you at the PTA Rugby night at the Northern tomorrow night. I was fortunate to be in Dunedin last week and enjoyed the game (not the results) and look forward to the next test.
The countdown in on …… only 5 sleeps until our school production on Wednesday night. A lot of work has gone into the class items and we are thankful for all the parents who have helped the children and teachers prepare for the big night.
There has been much in the news about the HINI Influenza (Swine Flu) and the school has received regular updates about it from the Ministry of Health. Initially only returning travellers were affected but now it is spreading through the population through normal contact.
Many are wondering why is there such a fuss – as it isn’t any more serious than the ordinary flu. The reason is infection rate – normal influenza rates are 1 in 20 people. The swine flu can infect up to 1 in 3 people.
Having that high an infection rate has serious economic consequences if large numbers of children (more susceptible) have to be looked after at home in terms of parents leave provisions and potential loss of income.
In our schools case, with the lack of relieving teachers, we could be forced to close if teaching staff were infected. This is why we are continually reinforcing the importance of personal hygiene at school – washing hands, not sharing food and drink and covering mouth when sneezing and coughing.

BOT ~ The next meeting will be held in the staffroom this Monday 7.00 p.m. All parents are welcome to attend.

OTATARA BUS ~ WEDNESDAY 24th JUNE ~ LEAVING 1 PM
Please make arrangements for your child to be picked up from school on this day as we have been notified again from McDermott’s that the bus will be leaving early. Because we have a dress rehearsal in the morning, we won’t be returning back to school till approx 12.30 pm. If you want your child to get on this bus at 1 pm, please ring Christine and leave a message. Thank you.

HOCKEY TURF ~ Could parents please be aware that you should not park closer than one metre from any driveway entrances around the Hockey Turf. Residents have contacted the police and tickets have been issued.

PUSH PLAY AEROBICS & HIP HOP FESTIVAL ~ SUNDAY 21 JUNE STADIUM SOUTHLAND
Good luck to our 2 teams – Briar Kilsby, Erica Forde & Shelley Mitchell plus Mackenzie Wild, Maria Sutherland, Georgia Mackie, Meg O’Connell and Abby Humm, and Mrs Williams and Bella Forde their coaches.

COMPULSORY WORK BOOKS FOR EACH CLASS
Please calculate your child’s books along with their Activity Fee costs ($70 for 1, $100 for 2 & $125 for 3).
Room 1 = $14 Room 2 = $16 Room 3 = $28.50 Rooms 5, 7 & 8 = $30.50 Room 9 = $36.50
We welcome parents to pay the total amount at the office please. Thank you

CONGRATULATIONS TO:
Caitlin Russell, Olivia Thornbury, Sarayha MacDonald and Briar Kilsby, who attended the All Saints Netball Trials yesterday. We are thrilled to announce that Olivia, Caitlin and Sarayha have secured a place in this team.
ALSO TO Keegan, Tylee & Devan Fiebig who all received The Sacrament of Baptism last week. Congratulations!

SOUTHLAND SCHOOL TABLE TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS ~ TUESDAY 30 JUNE 4 PM
Anyone interested in entering a team of 3 players ($12 per team) for this can obtain info from the office on Monday. Entries close Friday 26th June.

ALTAR SERVERS ~ Sat 20th June: Tomas Adams Sun 21st June: Caitlin Russell & Bronte Adams

PTA
SACRED HEART FEAST DAY ~ The PTA kindly provided a free sausage sizzle at lunchtime to celebrate our Sacred Heart Feast Day. A big thank you to Paul Wallace and Countdown Supermarket for generously supplying all of the food free.

CAR PARK ~ Remember:
Parking - Please use the space wisely, large gaps between cars mean fewer cars.
Drop Off/Pick Up Area - is only a Drop Off/Pick Up point!
North Road Access - Please do not park directly either side of the North Road driveway.
Parking and collecting children - Please don't let your children walk across/through the car park without an adult.
Your help with this is making the car park a safer place for our children.
.
TOMORROW TOMORROW TOMORROW
"Fantastic All Blacks Fun Nite" to be in the Grannies bar (Northern Tavern) TOMORROW NIGHT Sat June 20th @ 7.00pm. Come and join in the school community.
We have a big screen to watch the All Blacks vs France rugby game. Dress up as an All Black supporter (optional). Tickets are $5 each AT THE DOOR Please bring a plate for supper. There will be prizes ..oh and kick off is 7.30pm.

School assembly is Monday at 2pm. Families are welcome to attend

Sacred Heart PTA and daizychain.co.nz
Fundraising opportunity for parents and the Sacred Heart Community. It requires donations for good quality second hand clothing. A new clothing trading internet business has been set up where clothes that are donated and meet a good standard are placed online at daizychain.co.nz. Here the clothes are auctioned in a similar fashion to Trademe and then 50% of the profit is donated to the Sacred Heart PTA.
Clothes can be placed anytime into the box beside the School office to allow students and parents to drop off their clothes with ease. So if you have quality clothes that you wish to donate you can do so until the end of this term. Clothes will be collected for the rest of the year, however it is the goal that they are collected at the end of each term (this is flexible however and clothes can be dropped off when it suits).
Also there is a separate opportunity for whose who wish to sell clothes for themselves via a meeting with Patrice Spencer-Humm who is a registered trader. She will sort through your clothes and then place them online for you. (The profits will be divided between the trader and individual).
So donating your clothes and buying online at daizychain.co.nz is an excellent way to support the PTA.
Please contact Patrice Spencer-Humm at 2157973 or patricespencer@hotmail.com if you have any questions or wish to have your clothes listed on an individual basis.

As part of the daizy chain promotion a colouring competition is being held for all students at Sacred Heart. Children are to design a picture (the winning entry will have their picture laminated and placed on the collection bins that will collect clothes. Also there will be prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd with vouchers from Warehouse Stationery.
Entries close on the 25th of June and are to be handed into your teacher or the office. Prizes will be presented at assembly on the 29th of June, the judge will be a member of the Sacred Heart PTA. Therefore get designing and get ideas for your children by logging on at daizychain.co.nz, remember it is a z in daizy not an s!

YMCA HOLIDAY PROGRAMMES ARE ON THEIR WAY. Get in quick these school holidays for all new and exciting programmes. Kayaking, flipper ball, ice skating, animals, mountain biking, crafts, pj parties, lazer strike, fire station, police station, cycle park and so much more. Drop into the YMCA on Tay St for more information.

ROOM 1 CLASS HAPPENINGS
ROOM 1 children have been busy practising for our school production. We have taken a picture of our class wearing some parts of our costume clothes.
When you come to see our school production you will meet “Unkulunkulu”, the first man. He will in turn introduce you to the wonders of the African world. You will see an African man and woman, the sun, the moon, mountains and land, rain and animals from the mighty African plains. You will see that the Land of Africa is filled with amazing people and animals and that the air is filled with the music of life.
Look out for (in order of age) KATELYN, CORBYN, TESSA, MATTHEW F, WILL, BILLY, XANTHE, PARIS, ALEX, LUCY, BROOKLYN, OLIVER, AVA-MOLLEE, GRETA, MATTHEW H, BREYAH, CALEB, and LUKE.