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Newsletter Week 3, Term 2
St Michael's Catholic School, Wednesday 06 April
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PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE
As I walk around our school each day, I continue to feel incredibly proud of the way our St Michael’s children embrace opportunities with enthusiasm, kindness, and courage. This term has already been filled with exciting learning experiences, and there is certainly a real buzz around our school as we prepare to officially open and bless our new bike track on Wednesday.
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This project has been a wonderful example of what can be achieved when community comes together. We are deeply grateful to Dennis Curtis and the GroundBase crew, Bikes in Schools, MyRide Rotorua, Sea Containers, the Diocese of Hamilton, and our amazing St Michael’s PTA for their generosity and support in helping bring this vision to life for our tamariki.
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The bike track is much more than a place to ride bikes. It is a space where our children will develop confidence, perseverance, resilience, and teamwork while enjoying being active outdoors together. It reflects our St Michael’s values of Service, Tika, Aroha, and Respect, and we know it will bring our students joy for many years to come.
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You’re Invited – Bike Track Opening & Blessing
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Wednesday 13 May at 11:00am
Whānau, parish, friends, and community members are all most welcome.
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As the cooler weather begins to settle in, please ensure your child is wearing the correct winter uniform, including plain black shoes. We appreciate your continued support in maintaining our high standards of presentation and pride in our school.
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Attendance Matters
Last term, our regular attendance reached 88%! Thank you for your support! To help us keep these attendance rates up through the winter months, please remember:
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Punctuality: Learning starts at the 8:50 AM bell. Being on time sets students up for a successful day.
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Report Absences: If your child is unwell, please call 07 348 1362 or use our app. This saves our time on follow-up calls.
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Term-Time Holidays: Please notify the school in advance for any planned travel. Under Ministry guidelines, excessive or unnotified absences can result in a student being removed from the school roll.
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School Mass
A reminder also that our School Mass will be held on Sunday 17 May at the 8am Mass at St Michael’s Catholic Church. As a Catholic school, our special character is at the heart of all we do. When enrolling at St Michael’s Catholic School, families agree to uphold and support the Catholic character of our school. Our once-a-term School Mass is an important part of strengthening the connection between our school, parish, and whānau, and we ask that all families make every effort to attend. Following Mass, we invite everyone to stay for shared morning tea in the hall. Please bring a plate to share.
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Maths Whizz
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We are excited to continue using Maths-Whizz to support maths learning at St Michael’s. Maths-Whizz is a personalised online maths programme that adapts to each child’s learning needs and helps build confidence, fluency, and success in mathematics. Students are encouraged to work independently so the programme can accurately support their learning journey. If the work is completed by an adult, the programme will adapt and become too difficult for your child.
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Thank you, as always, for the ongoing support you give our staff, students, and wider school community. Together, we continue to create a school where children feel known, valued, supported, and inspired to thrive.
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Te tumuaki o te kura Hato Mikaere
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Enrolments for Siblings for 2026/2027
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Do you have a child due to start school this year (born 2021) or in Term 1 2027 as a Year 1?
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Please come into the school office to collect an enrolment form. Getting these completed early helps us immensely with our future planning!
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Special Character
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Message from the DRS
Last Wednesday, I had the privilege of attending Chapel Mass at John Paul College. It was a calm and reflective time, and something from the homily has stayed with me.
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Father Mohan shared two simple ideas that were easy to understand but quite powerful.
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The first was about two-minute noodles. They are quick and satisfying, but only for a short time. Before long, you feel hungry again. He compared this to the things we sometimes turn to that only fill us up for a moment, like scrolling on our phones, rushing from one thing to the next or looking for quick distractions. In contrast, faith gives a deeper kind of nourishment, something that lasts and helps us grow over time, like spending meaningful time with family, showing kindness to others or taking a moment to be thankful.
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The second idea was about a phone that needs regular charging. No matter how good the phone is, it won’t work if the battery is flat. In the same way, we also need time to “recharge.” Prayer can be a way to do this. It doesn’t have to be complicated, it can be a quiet moment in the car before heading inside, a short prayer with your child at bedtime, a pause to notice something beautiful in nature or a few moments of stillness at the end of the day.
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What stood out to me was how these everyday examples helped explain something important. They reminded me that the things which really sustain us are often simple and steady, not quick or flashy.
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As a community, it is a good reminder to think about what truly nourishes us and to make time for the small moments that help us feel renewed and grounded.
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We would love to see our whole school family come together to "recharge" and find that deeper nourishment Father Mohan spoke about. Please join us for our next Whole School Mass on Sunday the 17th at 8:00 am. It is a wonderful opportunity to start your week feeling refreshed, connected, and inspired. We look forward to seeing you there!
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Director of Religious Studies
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St Michael's Church Holy Mass Timetable
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St Mary's Church Holy Mass Timetable
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Community Masses -All Welcome
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Miha Maori - First Saturday of the month, 5pm Vigil Mass at St Michael’s.
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Tokelauan Community - Third Saturday of the month, 5pm Vigil Mass at St Michael’s.
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Filipino Community - Third Friday of the month, 6pm at St Michael’s.
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JPC 2027 Enrolments: 'Open to View' Tours
For our families looking ahead to high school, 2027 enrolments for John Paul College have now kicked off. JPC is hosting two 'Open to View' tour dates this year for interested parents and caregivers:
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When: Wednesday 24 June & Thursday 25 June 2026 (Week 10, Term 2).
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The Experience: Year 10 Prefects will be running the tours, allowing you to see the classes in action during a normal school day.
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We encourage our wider community to take note of these dates if you are considering JPC for your child’s future.
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School lunches available on Wednesday each week
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You can order lunch by 8.30am on Wednesday morning and this will be delivered to the office for your child.
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🌭 Friday Lunch Special: American Hot Dogs
We are having an American Hot Dog lunch this Friday only!
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How to order: Orders are taken in class.
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Deadline: Must be ordered by 9:00 AM.
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Please remind your child to get their order in with their teacher as soon as they arrive. We unfortunately cannot fill any orders placed after 9:00 AM!
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Spotlight on learning
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Our Year 5 and 6 students recently took on the EPro8 Challenge, turning the hall into a hub of high-energy engineering!
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This competition is a fantastic way for our seniors to hone their STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) skills in a real-world context. Working in teams, students used gears, pulleys, and electronics to solve complex building briefs under the pressure of the clock.
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It wasn't just about the finished structures—it was about teamwork, resilience, and creative problem-solving. As you can see from the photos, the level of focus and collaboration was incredible. Well done to all our budding engineers!
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Upcoming events for Term 2:
- Wednesday 13 May - School Bike Track Opening 11am
- Thursday 14 May - Mass @ St Michael's Church- Galilee 1/ The Ark
- Sunday 17 May - School Mass at St Michael's Church @ 8am, followed by morning tea
- Friday 22 May Cross Country with St Mary's
- Tuesday 26 May - Trees for Survival Planting
- Thursday 28 May - Mass @ St Michael's Church- Galilee 4/ Eden 6
- Monday 8 June - Board of Trustees Meeting
- Friday 12 June - Teachers Only Day
- Friday 3 July - End of Term 2
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Sports News
Winter Sports Kick-off
Winter sports officially get underway this week! We wish all our players the very best as they start their seasons. Play hard, have fun, and show great sportsmanship. Good luck to all our teams!
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As we prepare for the upcoming winter sports season, we kindly request that any sports uniforms you may have at home be returned to us as soon as possible. These uniforms are needed to reissue to our winter sports codes.
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📸 Reminder: Send in Your Sports Photos
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We love celebrating the efforts of all our players, whether they are playing here at school or achieving big goals elsewhere.
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If you have any photos from Touch Rugby or other sporting events, please email them to the office. We want to keep our community updated with all your action shots!
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Mini Marathon: Spirit & Stamina!
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Our students showed incredible heart and school spirit at this year’s Mini Marathon. From the first stride to the final stretch, it was all about personal bests, cheering on friends, and staying active together.
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The grit and determination on display were inspiring—check out the photos below for all the finish-line smiles!
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PTA News
We are currently looking for Treasurer and Secretary volunteers to take over these roles from next year. If you are interested in getting involved, please email the PTA as soon as possible. Training and support will be provided throughout this year to help prepare you before stepping into the role in 2027.
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If you think the Chairperson role might be something you would like to take on in the future, we would also love to hear from you. We are looking to appoint a Vice Chairperson who can learn and grow into the Chairperson role over the next two years.
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Our annual Mother’s Day Stall will be held on 6th, 7th & 8th May
All gifts will be $3.00 each
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Let your child make Mother’s Day extra special by choosing a small gift to say, “Thank you, Mum.”
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Board of Trustees
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Next board meeting Date: Monday 8 June
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At each BOT meeting - twice a term - policies are reviewed. If you would like to communicate with the BOT, you are welcome to email our board e-mail address; smcsboard@stmichaelsrotorua.school.nz or alternatively, send letters to the school in an envelope marked "Board of Trustees."
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St Michaels School Board of Trustees
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Angela Smith-Bigwood (Chair), Damian Flynn, Thushara Jayawickrama Vithanage, Shania Howe (Parent Reps), Bernadette Fredrickson (Proprietor Rep), Nicky Curran (Proprietor Rep)
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You are also welcome to attend any meeting, however, if you would like to have speaking rights, you need to request this from the chair using the email address. This email address can be accessed by Angela Smith-Bigwood (Presiding Member)
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Each term, the whole school community is invited to review and comment on specific policies and procedures. This feedback is captured using the review button on topics that are under review.
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Log on to School Docs to have your say.
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SchoolDocs is an online platform that provides access to our school policies, procedures, and guidelines. It serves as a valuable tool for staying informed and ensuring that we are all on the same page.
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To access SchoolDocs, please visit
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schooldoc.co.nz and use the following login details:
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Username: stmichaelsrotorua
Password: community
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Community News
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Beginners After school Art Classes with Janet Keen enrolling NOW for the remainder of Term 2,3 and 4
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Drawing, Painting, Mosaics.
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Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays 3.30pm to 4.30pm and 4.35pm to 5.35pm
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Small classes, friendly, safe, quiet, studio/classroom in an organic native tree and bird - filled garden.
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People aged 5 and upwards welcome.
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