1 March

Dear Parents

A big thank you to parents for supporting us with the children bringing their sun hats. Of course as soon as we do this the weather changes, but it is important to have them at school. We will be praying for a fine Tuesday next week for the Zone Athletics and also the junior athletics that afternoon at school.

A very disturbing story is currently in the public domain regarding the convicted paedophile who has been teaching in some Auckland schools. A question I have been asked is how this could happen and in short, it shouldn’t have.

In normal circumstances a conviction of this sort means automatic de-registration as a teacher.

Thus a new employment check would mean no likelihood of any work in a school.

It appears in this case multiple levels of deception by the offender have bypassed the normal security procedures. I await with interest the outcome of the Ministerial review.

Standard procedures for all school employees include:

· Teaching staff need to be registered teachers which includes police checks by the Teachers Council and verification of any supplied qualification.

· Non-teaching staff are police vetted on a regular basis.

Welcome to Jack Moir and his family. We hope they enjoy their time at Sacred Heart.

Jack joined the children in Room 3.

PALM Sunday MASS

Our school will be attending the Palm Sunday Mass this term on the 1st of April at 10.30am. Please add this date to your calendars as we expect all children to attend. Thank you

Almsgiving for LENT

Thank you for the contributions to the Mission Box that some children have made over the past week. We will continue to bring the box around each day for the period of Lent. Here are some other ideas about "giving" for Lent.

Giving alms, Jesus teaches, means making the needs of others our own, especially the needy of our world. They are all around us: children and the old, the sick and the suffering, families and individuals, next-door neighbours and people in lands faraway.

We easily forget them. Rather than just looking out for ourselves — what people say today — see those in need, Jesus says. Giving will make you live.

And what shall we give? Some time, some of our talent, material resources, perhaps. Almsgiving is not just for the rich. Poor or rich, we all have something to give.

Whatever we give, though, should be something of ourselves, something that costs us. Paradoxically, Jesus also teaches, when we give, we receive some blessing from God in return.

What shall we give to the needy this lent? In deciding, decide generously. After all, before us is the great alms Jesus gave: “He loved us, and gave himself up for us.”

Junior Sports

On Tuesday, 6 March, at 1.15pm, the children in Room 1 – 6 will have a Sports afternoon. The children will take part in a number of "Run, Jump, Throw" activities so they will need to be in their sports uniform, including their sunhat. If possible, please ensure your child has plenty of healthy options in their lunch box and a water bottle. Parents are welcome to join us.

This sports event will take place while the older children are at the All Saints Athletics day at Surrey Park. The cancellation day for this is Thursday, 8 March. We intend to have the same arrangement for the junior sports.

We require 5 parents to assist with the running of the sports. Please let your child's class teacher know if you are available to help. Many thanks for your support ~ The Junior Syndicate team.

School Interviews

These will be held on Monday 26 & Tuesday 27^th March. Parents will be able to book online again this year. I will let you know the url and password when it is set up. If you do not have internet access, we will book them for you.

Bike/Scooter Fridays

A reminder the bike/scooter Fridays has been cancelled till further notice. Thank you.

Enrolments

It is the time of the year when we send roll returns into the Ministry of Education to predict future year staffing. If you have a pre-schooler or know of someone who is intending to enrol at Sacred Heart, could you please let me know.

Year 4, 5 & 6 Cricket – this team plays against Rimu at Marist, 4pm tomorrow.

PTA – Meeting 7.30pm tonight in the School Staff Room

PTA – 2^nd Hand Uniform Sale – Friday 2^nd March 2.30 pm

A massive secondhand uniform sale will be held on the above date.

Items will be sold for as low as .50c so this is a great opportunity for parents to come along and get a bargain.

2012 Southland Junior Schools Swimming Champs

This is being held on Sunday 1^st April at Splash Palace. Entries close 21^st March.

If your child is interested in competing in this, please see me.

Achievements

On Waitangi weekend Ben Bryan walked the hump track with his family. He was the youngest person to walk the 55km, 3 day tramp, also one of the first to the hut at the top of the hill.

Well done to Erik Cahill who competed in the Southland Island Town & Country Swimming Competition last weekend and gained 2 x 1^st and a 3^rd.

Altar Servers

Saturday 3^rd March 7.00 pm Piper & Bronte Adams

Sunday 4^th March 10.30 am Eli Winders & Elsie Wallace

Children’s Liturgy Cecelia Russell

Sports Results

The Seals Flipperball team won last week against Newfield Park 10 – 0.

The Sharks Flipperball team won 7 – 1 the 1^st week and 6 – 3 last week.

Sacred Heart Under 6 Soccer team - played Otatara and lost 0 - 4. Player of the Day was Jesse Richardson.

Touch Southland Trials Sunday 11 March 2012 Turnbull Thomson Ingill 9.30am

Start U9/10/11 boys & girls 10am

U12/13 Boys & Girls 11am

U14/15Boys& Girls 12am

U16/17 Boys& Girls 1pm

Everybody who plays in a Touch Southland module is welcome - Winton, Otautau, Invercargill.

For all information please go to the Touch Southland website www.touchsouthland.co.nz

AMP Tryathlon this Sunday – starting at Splash Palace and finishing at Rugby Park.

Entry forms are available from the office.

Central Pirates Rugby Club Registration Morning – ‘Milo Cereal Breakfast’

Come for Breakfast - Saturday 3^rd March 8.30 – 10.30 am.

Enquiries to Nanette 235-8908.

Waikiwi Rugby Football Club - Schoolboy Registrations

Tuesday, 13 March and Thursday, 15 March, 4.00 pm – 6.00 pm and

Sunday, 18 March, 2.00 pm - 5.00 pm (final registration day)

Subs - $30.00 1 child / $45.00 2 children / $55.00 3 children

Any enquiries to Paul Tomlins, phone 217 8115

Invercargill Children’s Day Celebration Sunday 4^th March 11.00am – 2.30pm

Southland Boys High School Gymnasium & Field

Bring along a picnic and enjoy a day of fun activities for the whole family. Crafts, games, face-painting, music, bikes, bungy and lots more. ALL FREE !

White Hill Windfarm Classic Bike Ride & Run – this Saturday.

Visit & enter online at: www.whitehillclassic.co.nz

Marist Rugby Club – Weighin/Registration Days Miller Street

Sunday 18^th March 10 am – 2 pm and Tuesday 20^th March 4.30 – 6 pm.

Children’s Cooking Classes – Adventist School, 3.30 – 5.30 Monday & Wednesday 7 – 12 yrs

All food provided - $25 each for 8 lessons. Enquiries to Bernice Debono 2304119. There are only 9 places available so be in quick. There is a meeting at the Adventist school hall tomorrow @ 6pm to outline the course.

Room 5 Class Happenings

Last week Megan, Scarlett, Anika & Summer read a story about Magic Glasses.

After we read half of the story, the next day we read the other half with our groovy sunglasses on.

We then made magic glasses. In the afternoon we helped the rest of the class make their own magic glasses too.

It was fun when I was making magic glasses because I put some rubies and glitter on it. It was fun making magic glasses. – Anika Winders

It was fun when we made magic glasses. I put glitter and feathers on mine and buttons too. I put pipe cleaners on mine too but they didn’t stick. – Summer Smith

I liked decorating my magic glasses. I put jewels and pipe cleaners on mine. – Scarlett Meikle

I liked decorating my glasses. I liked the magic glasses, they were cool. – Megan Sullivan

23 February

Dear Parents

Thank you to those parents who were able to come to the Parent Information night on Tuesday. If you were unable to be there, please make sure you get a copy of the class newsletter which explains the routines and expectations.

Some of the other topics discussed include:

Newsletter – Sent home on a Thursday. Send your email address to Christine at office@shsinv.school.nz to be put on the mailing list.

Also please let us know if your child has achieved something special outside school that we can celebrate in the newsletter.

Communication – A reminder about no teacher interviews after 8.30 am.

The easiest and quickest mode of communication with your child’s teacher is email. Mail will be cleared daily.

moneill@shsinv.school.nz vstupples@shsinv.school.nz tswney@shsinv.school.nz

stagomoa@shsinv.school.nz rbuxton@shsinv.school.nz nwinders@shsinv.school.nz

jharding@shsinv.school.nz klieshout@shsinv.school.nz

Lent

Lent is a 40-day period of preparation for Easter Sunday and one of the major liturgical seasons of the Catholic Church. The season is a time of prayer, fasting, giving to those in need and preparing ourselves for Easter. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Easter Sunday. (The Sundays are not included in the 40day count.)

This time is an opportunity to focus on things about ourselves that we know we need to change and is a time to give to others in need.

A Lenten box will come around the classrooms each day for children to put a donation in, if they wish. The money will be sent to the Pontifical Mission which helps children.

School Jubilee

This year is the schools 50^th Jubilee. We celebrated the opening date of 4 /2/1962 during our opening school mass. A jubilee committee has been established and plans are under way to hold jubilee celebrations in conjunction with our school fair in November.

Enrolments

It is the time of the year when we send roll returns into the ministry of education to predict future year staffing. If you have a pre-schooler or know of someone who is intending to enrol at Sacred Heart, could you please let me know.

PTA – Meeting 7.30pm Thursday 1^st March School Staff Room

Welcome back to school everyone, to what’s started back as a very busy term already. The PTA are getting together to discuss what’s happening in this first term, make arrangements for a fun family event, and to organise our AGM, later in March. We would love to meet some new people who are keen to come and help with organising fun children, family or parents events, and/or help out when they can with our fundraisers.

We are again selling the Entertainment Books and these will be on offer to our parents, families, friends and work mates. The school receives $10 from every book sold, so if you know of people wanting to buy the book, let them know that you can get them for them when they become available later in March. A flyer will come out in the coming weeks explaining all you need to know about the Entertainment Book or you can have a look at their site www.entertainmentbook.co.nz. The money we earn from the sales of these books is to be used to purchase new gym mats.

Our meeting is this Thursday evening, 1^st March in the staff room at 7.30am. We’d love to see you there. So if you’re keen, come along, bring a friend, and get to know how the school runs. You will meet people who share the common goal of wanting to help where possible to ensure our children get to enjoy their time at Sacred Heart School and have access to all that’s required to help in their learning and development.

PTA – 2^nd Hand Uniform Sale – Friday 2^nd March 2.30 pm

A massive secondhand uniform sale will be held on the above date.

Items will be sold for as low as .50c so this is a great opportunity for parents to come along and get a bargain.

Year 4, 5 & 6 Cricket

We are looking for a couple more players for this team. Games are at 4 pm on Fridays. Please see me if your child is able to play. Thank you.

Lost Jersey - Please check your child has the correct jersey at home.

Aubrey Page from Room 5 has misplaced his.

2012 Southland Junior Schools Swimming Champs

This is being held on Sunday 1^st April at Splash Palace. Entries close 21^st March.

If your child is interested in competing in this, please see me.

Altar Servers

Saturday 25^th Feb 7.00 pm Nathan & Sam Russell

Sunday 26^th Feb 10.30 am Charlotte & Sam Sherriff

Children’s Liturgy Trish Sherriff

Sports Results

Seals Flipper -ball team beat Waianiwa 7-0. They all played really well for their first game.

Under 6 Soccer team played All Brights and drew 1 all. POD was Matthew Winter.

Dore Programme - FREE Information Evening

7.30pm on Monday 27^th February. Southern Institute of Technology, 133 Tay Street

Dore is holding a free information evening, which we believe will be of particular interest to special needs teachers and the parents of students who have learning difficulties such as Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, ADHD and Asperger’s Syndrome.

The Dore Programme is a highly effective drug-free exercise based programme for those with learning difficulties. To reserve a place phone 0508 520 000 or email info@dore.co.nz. For further information on the Dore Programme visit www.dore.co.nz

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Heritage Harvest Festival 24-25th March

Celebrating Southland¹s Home Harvest. Mark on your calendar and come along for a family fun weekend, competitions, workshops, displays and stalls. Gold coin entry for adults, kids free. Harvest themed stall space available, only $20 for 2 days or $15 for 1 day. For more information check out our webpage www.sces.org.nz or phone 2348 717.

Camp Columba

Check out the notice board in the junior corridor if you are interested in attending a ‘Mother Daughter’ or ‘Father Son’ Camp at Pukerau in March/April.

Room 3 Class Happenings

What a great start we have had in Room 3! As you all will know, yesterday saw the first anniversary of the Canterbury earthquake. To remember the hardship that the Canterbury people have had to face, Rooms 2 and 3 put flowers in a road cone that had been placed in front of the Sacred Heart church. As we stood around the road cone in a circle, each one of us put a flower in the top of the cone or around the base, and if we chose to, we could also say a prayer.

In class, we also practised what to do in the event of an earthquake if we were in the classroom. We all moved to under a table, holding onto a table leg while forming a ‘turtle’ to keep ourselves safe. A ‘turtle’ is where we make ourselves as small as we can. We would be happy to show you if you asked us to. We learnt that it is important to know what to do even if we do not have an earthquake.

16 February

Dear Parents

With swimming almost finished a big thank you to all the parent helpers.

It has been a big effort to have swimming so soon after school started, but we have been fortunate to have had such good weather.

School will return to some degree of normality next week and we will have our first school assembly on Monday @ 2.15pm.

Miss Gaines

We farewell Miss Gaines on Monday as she begins her studies to become a teacher at the College of Education.

I wish to take this opportunity to thank Nichola for her excellent contribution and commitment to the students at our school and wish her all the best in her studies.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the Horrell family.

Upcoming Events

21 Feb Meet the Teachers Night

22 Feb Ash Wednesday Mass 9.30 am

6 Mar Zone Athletics

13-16 Mar Year 6 Bannockburn Camp

26/27 Mar Parent Interviews

31/3 Mar Southland Athletics

Meet the Teacher

A reminder about the ‘Meet the Teacher Night’ on February 21^st starting at 6 pm. Each teacher will run 2 info sessions, then there will be a parent meeting in the library at 7pm.

The format for the ‘Meet the Teacher’ is:

6.00pm Session 1 – Each teacher will give a brief overview of the class routines and rules, modes of communication and issues such as class events, sports days and homework.

6.25pm Session 2 – A repeat of session 1.

6.55pm There will be a whole school meeting in the library to briefly go over school wide issues, such as reporting, school events, our RE Programme and events associated with the school jubilee this year.

Ash Wednesday

Families are welcome to join us as we attend Ash Wednesday Mass next week – 22^nd Feb @ 9.30 a.m. in the church.

PAT Tests

Next week the middle and senior classes will be sitting PAT tests. These will be in the morning so please be aware of this with regards to absences and other appointments.

Sports Results

Under 6 Soccer team lost to Myross Bush 0 – 1. POD was Keara Paraki.

Achievements

Congratulations to the Young family on the arrival of a baby sister for Azriel.

Congratulations to Breyah Takitimu who was awarded the Lamuse Dance School Scholarship for 2012, and has also found out in her AJDA Jazz Exam for Level 3 that she got the highest mark in New Zealand.

Congratulations to Jacob Downing who has been selected for the Southland Year 5/6 Cricket Team, with games during February/March.

Pita Pit

A reminder Pita Pit has started up again for the year. The children can order this on a Monday. Orders must be in the envelope provided, obtained from your child’s classroom teacher and put in the yellow box outside the school office, by 9am. Thank you.

Altar Servers

Saturday 18^th Feb 7.00 pm Reuben & Caleb Brown

Sunday 19^th Feb 10.30 am Patrice & Aimee Brookland

Children’s Liturgy Nicki Brookland

Touch

Due to lack of numbers there has been no teams entered into this terms competition.

Cricket Kiwi 8's

This is played on Thursdays from 3:45pm at Queens Park. There is a bye today, due to lateness of the draw being received. The competition is for six weeks, the final game being 22nd March. If your child has shown interest in this a notice will go home with them today.

Flippa Ball

We have entered two teams this year. The competition runs in Term One and Term Four. We have a year 1-3 (Seals) team as well as a year 4 – 6 (Sharks) team. All game times will be written on the whiteboard outside the office. There has been some confusion with the year 4-6 team, this has been sorted and they WILL play tomorrow at 5:35pm.

If you have any further questions in regards to sporting events please don't hesitate to contact me stagomoa@shsinv.school.nz

Room 2 Class Happenings

We have had a wonderful start in Room 2. Miss Paulin has been a great help to us during her three week posting.

We have been busy swimming of course, which doesn't always leave much time for everything else.

This week we created some grass people. We drew some faces on yoghurt pottles, and then we wrapped some cotton wool and grass seed into some nylon stocking.

We put the tied stocking into the yoghurt pottle (the kids think that it looks like a real brain!) and when the grass grows it will look like funny hair for our people.

9 February 2012

Dear Parents

Welcome to Malachi Lang who joined the children in Room 1 on Tuesday. We hope he enjoys his time at Sacred Heart.

Also to Louise Rutledge, who is a release teacher in Room 8.

Thank you to those parents who were able to join in for our Jubilee Mass and House Colour day on Friday. We were very lucky with the weather and the children had a great time.

Many thanks to Graham Hawkes for speaking at the Mass and for providing us with some of the history of our school.

As well as swimming, the senior classes are also practising for the upcoming zone athletics at Surrey Park – 6^th March.

House Captains

Congratulations to the following pupils who will be our house captains and deputies this year: Donovan ~ Alex Armstrong C Finley McMurdo VC

Marist ~ Samantha Ward C Georgea Newell VC

Mercy ~ Cameron Roulston C Liam Francis VC

Harrington ~ Elsie Wallace C Kayson Timu VC

Pompellier ~ Emma Harrington C Patrick Ryan VC

Kavanagh ~ Hannah Dawson C Lucy Blue VC

Upcoming Events

21 Feb Meet the Parents

22 Feb Ash Wednesday

6 Mar Zone Athletics

13-16 Mar Year 6 Bannockburn Camp

26/27 Mar Parent Interviews

Swimming

It is great to see parents coming down to help in the changing rooms.

Thank you to the Year 1 & 2 boy’s parents for having your children in their sports uniforms and sandals. It has made a huge difference in the changing rooms and as yet, we have only had 1 pair of shorts missing!! ALL children need to wear sports uniform each day.

We ask all parents to sit on the seating provided on the far side of the pool please and not in between the main pool and the wave pool. Thank you for your support with this.

Meet the Teacher

A reminder about the ‘Meet the Teacher Night’ on February 21^st starting at 6 pm. Each teacher will run 2 info sessions, then there will be a parent meeting in the library at 7pm.

Boost Programme

The Boost Programme will be running again this year in the same format as in 2011.

It will start in late March.

Scholastic Bookclub - Issue number 1 closes Friday 17^th February.

Please make cheques out to Scholastic NZ.

Altar Servers

Saturday 11^th Feb 7.00 pm Isabella & Mackenzie Wild

Sunday 12^th Feb 10.30 am Cameron Roulston & Mathew Brooks

Megan Roulston

Have A go Centres – Southland Cricket

Invercargill – Saturdays 9 – 10am

Starts 18th February

$25 for 6 weeks

Queens Park

5 – 8 year olds

For any further information contact Emma at Southland Cricket via email southlandcricket@xtra.co.nz or phone 2189608

BNZ Surf to City – Sunday 12^th February 2012

Enquiries and more information @ www.surftocity.co.nz

MOSSBURN DISTRICT AND SCHOOLS' 125th JUBILEE

Friday 6th April - Sunday 8th April. Register by 26th February and take advantage of the Early Bird Registrations (save $40 per person). A fun filled weekend has been organised that accommodates all age groups, this includes a children's disco. Please note this is a Mossburn District and Schools' Jubilee. This is not just a Mossburn School jubilee but also includes those people (past and present) who have lived in the community whether they attended the school or not. Please accept this as your personal invitation and pass this onto anyone you know who may wish to attend. For more registration details, please contact Lauren Russell 0332486292, laurenandsam@xtra.co.nz

Room 1 Class Happenings

Here are the ROOM ONE SUPERSTARS

COLE is a SUPER STAR

and he likes listening to a guitar.

MATTHEW is a SUPER STAR

and he likes colouring in his new colouring in books.

JACK is a SUPER STAR

and he likes going to the pool.

SAPHIRA is a SUPER STAR

and she likes playing with her teddy.

WILL is a SUPER STAR

and he likes playing with Ben his dog.

MALACHI is a SUPER STAR

and he likes shooting the basketball into the hoop.

Southland Cricket Kiwi 8's 5 – 8 year olds

This is played on Thursdays at Queens Park from 3:45pm.

Starts 13th February, cost is $10 per player

If you are interested in this please email Mrs T-K stagomoa@shsinv.school.nz by morning of Friday 10th as entries are also due on this date.

Cricket – Year 5 & 6

The school is entering a team in the weekly hardball competition.

Games are Fridays from 4pm to 6pm from 17 Feb to 2 April.
Teams must be submitted by FRIDAY 10 FEB
All interested players, contact parent Peter Downing
Txt 021897727 or pdowning@paradise.net.nz