7 November

Dear Parents

I have been asked by the Ministry of Education to spend today and tomorrow at Salford School to assist the acting principal in preparation for the commissioner’s appointment.

I can be contacted via email or cell phone if there are any urgent matters and will be checking in with Christine and Rose.

A big thank you to the children and parents who made the Year 6 Stewart Island Camp such a success. The weather was fine (most of the time) and the programme full and exciting - thank you Mrs Lieshout. The science focus and unique opportunities that Stewart Island offer along with feedback from parents and children, mean that we will look to return to Stewart Island on a yearly basis if possible.

Good luck to our Year 6 pupils as they head to their high school open day tomorrow.

PTA ~ Pet Day – Friday 15^th November 2013

The final Pet Day Meeting ~ Monday 11^th Nov, 7.30 pm in the staffoom

A friendly reminder for all interested parents.

Tomorrow is the last day to get your Pet detail forms in and also the last day to order your

Spud in the Bucket.

Cake Competition

The children are invited to bake and decorate their best cup cake, muffin or cake, and bring to school for judging on Pet Day. This can be on an individual basis which is more likely to be a cup cake or muffin, or by a whole family in which case you may like to enter a cake baked and decorated by all the children. Please bring to Room 3 before school on the morning of Pet Day (next Friday 15^th November), on either a piece of cardboard or plastic/paper plate with the child or children’s name(s) and classroom number(s). The cup cakes, muffins and cakes will be judged in the morning, and then shared by the children at morning tea time. Awards will be given out at the end of the day with the prize giving.

First Communion Helpers

Thank you to the two parents who have offered to help with the First Communion breakfast on Sunday 24^th November. However this is not enough and we are asking for more parents to put their name forward. As explained in newsletter number 33, parents of children who were in the last group (2011) to receive their First Holy Communion are expected to help with this day.

This is a traditional expectation. Please contact Christine with any forthcoming names.

Mercy Charism Meeting

A big thank you to Miss Swney, Mrs Winders and Mrs Stupples for your presentation about how we honour our Mercy traditions at a meeting in Gore last night. It was very interesting to hear from the Mercy sisters regards their lives of service and we will look to making better use of that knowledge at school in the future.

Sand Pit

Thank you Mr Parker for our new bigger and better sand pit. The children are already playing in it even though the sand hasn’t arrived yet.

Tour of Southland

The school will be out supporting the tour riders tomorrow morning. Please ensure your child has a jersey and/or jacket and their sunhat at school tomorrow.

FAITH FACT FOR WEEK 4

Let’s go back to the encyclical, Lumen Fidei – the Light of Faith that was introduced in the newsletter at the beginning of this term.  A whole section is dedicated to the creed. The encyclical says ‘…the believer who professes his or her faith is taken up as it were, into the truth being professed.  He or she cannot truthfully recite the words of the creed without being changed, without becoming… part of a great fellowship…the Church” (LF§45).  As a family talk about and pray the creed, either the Nicene or Apostle’s Creed each night. A copy of the Apostle’s Creed is in this newsletter.

Altar Servers

Saturday 9^th November           7.00 pm                     Cameron Roulston

Sunday 10^th November           10.30 am                                     Mathew & Emma Brooks

Children’s Liturgy                                                         Nicki Brookland

Outstanding Accounts

We would like all monies settled at your earliest convenience please.

We have several activity fees, sports and camp outstanding and are not in a position to cover these extras.

Achievements

Congratulations to all those Sacred Heart ex-pupils who featured in the Verdon College prizegiving last night. We are thrilled to hear that James Humm will be head boy and Sophie McLean deputy head girl, in 2014.

Congratulations to Hannah Grindlay, Tayla Kilsby, Taylor Le-Breton (past pupils) and Mrs Lieshout’s daughter Christine, who have all been awarded ILT Scholarships.

Congratulations to both Jacob Downing and Josh Cooper who have made the Southland Yr 5/6 Cricket Team this season, with Jacob also making the Invercargill Metro Yr 7/8 team.  This Invercargill Metro team will play in the annual South Island Primary School Cricket Tournament in the first week of January 2014 - which will be held in Gore.

Congratulations to Brooklyn McLeod and Breyah Takitimu who both got 100% in their NZAMD Contempory Dance Exams last week.

Touch Southland Under 10 & 12 Trials – Wed 4^th December @ Turnball Thompson Park

If your child is interested in attending their trials, please see Christine for more info.

Wanted to Buy: Cheap Beer Fridge - enquiries to the office please.

“SPUD IN A BUCKET”

We would like to purchase _____ buckets @ $6 each

I have enclosed $_____

Family Name:  __________________________

GARDEN CLUB

Yes please send me ____ kits @ $2 each

I have enclosed $ _____

Name/s of children: _________________________________________________

Class Happenings Room 8

This term we have been concentrating on opening sentences and ensuring that we maintain keep the readers attention all the way through our pieces of writing.   Below is a selection of writing from this term that we have recently completed.

On the night before school started, I lay awake, trying to get to sleep.  I woke up frightened because my alarm clock suddenly went off.  Annoyed that it was school, I just wanted six weeks off school because the holidays went really quickly.  Strolling along the corridor to the kitchen.  An interesting combination of breakfast cereal, yoghurt and cereal was waiting, though not my favourite combination of cereal.  Back along the corridor, I jump into my clothes and straight out the door.  Wait a minute I thought.  Forgetting something? On no, I forgot to brush my teeth.  Rushing to the bathroom, I quickly brushed my teeth before racing out the door to the bus.  Finally I’m at school.  

Amy

 On a Monday morning in October, when the wind was soft and the sun glared in my window, a certain animal with hair of black and brown came near a bed, ready to wake his owner from his slumber. As Marley meowed his head off at me, I thought that maybe he would go away.  A minute later he was still there meowing.  Making me mad, I moved away from the warmth of my blankets.  I trudged to the kitchen to have breakfast.  After a bowl of weetbix, it was time to get dressed, pack lunch and get to school for Term 4.  As the car moved closer to school, my stomach turned like there was a group of flapping butterflies in a tropical forest on an island in the middle of the ocean.  When the car arrived in the car park, my mum said to have a good first day back at school.   

Matthew

Oh no, we have to go to school.  We all know what that feels like!  On Sunday night when I had to go to bed, I felt awful.  I lay awake thinking, I have to go to sleep, I have to go to sleep.  It took so long.  In the morning, my mum came in and said,

“School time!”

After she shouted that, I was definitely awake.  I moaned lazily,

“Do I have to?”

Mum sighed, “Yes.”

“I want just one more day off.  Pleeeese.”

“No, you have just had a holiday.”

“But they go so quickly!  It’s unfair!”

As Mum slipped out of my room and into the kitchen……..thump……. I fell out of bed.  Creak went the door as it opened.  Grabbing my dress and putting it on, the sound of my feet went thump, thump, thump down the hallway. In the kitchen, Mum served me porridge and water.  As I finished, in came Charlie and William,

“What’s for breakfast?”  

Lucy

“Emma, wake up!” Mum said, “School’s today.”

“Orggg!” I groaned loudly.

Hopping out of bed, I headed towards the kitchen, trying to think of a cunning plan to trick Mum.  Nope, I couldn’t think of anything.  Could I pretend to be sick?  Who would fall for that trick?  Well, I’m guessing that I’ll just have to go to school.  Grabbing my toast and starting to eat, my brother came into the room.  I wondered why he didn’t have to wake up early too?  After finishing my piece of toast and drinking my milo, I hurried to my room to get dressed for school.  Rubbing sleep from my eyes, I walked into the lounge to pack my bag.  Grabbing my lunchbox, home folder and reading books, I put them all into my black bag.  Yawning loudly, I zipped up my bag.

“Mum, I’m going to brush my hair. “

No reply, she was probably busy getting ready for work.  Walking down the hallway to my bedroom to grab my hairbrush, I finally found it lying on my bedside cabinet.  I started brushing my knotty hair until smooth.            

Emma L