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Newsletter Week 5, Term 2
St Michael's Catholic School, Wednesday 20 May
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PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE
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At St Michael’s Catholic School, we believe that learning happens everywhere — in classrooms, on sports fields, through friendships, through service, and now on our wonderful new bike track.
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The development of our bike track was driven by our commitment to educating the whole child spiritually, academically, socially, emotionally, and physically. We wanted to create a space where children could build confidence, resilience, perseverance, coordination, and joy while being active together outdoors.
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For many of our students, the bike track provides opportunities they may not otherwise have access to. It is a place where children can challenge themselves, develop independence, learn new skills, and experience success in a supportive environment.
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As a Catholic school grounded in our Mercy values of Service, Tika, Aroha, and Respect, we recognise the importance of nurturing wellbeing and creating opportunities for every child to thrive. The bike track has quickly become a place of laughter, connection, encouragement, and growth for our tamariki.
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We are incredibly grateful to everyone who helped make this project possible and look forward to seeing our students continue to learn, grow, and flourish through this exciting new space.
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From June, the speed limit outside our school will drop to 30km/h during busy drop-off and
pick-up times (8:00–9:00am and 2:45–3:45pm). At other times, the normal speed limit will
apply. There will be a mix of electronic and static signs. As soon as the signs are installed, the lower speed limit can be enforced, so please keep an eye out.
Take a look at the map to see how your usual route might change.
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Thanks for helping keep our tamariki safe.
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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
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This week, I had the joy of riding a few laps around our new bike track alongside the children. There was an electric energy in the air, but what stood out most was the joy, determination and encouragement all around me.
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Some children raced ahead confidently, while others wobbled carefully around the corners or found the courage to try again after falling off. Watching them reminded me how much the journey of learning and faith is like riding a bike. There are moments of confidence and moments of challenge, but growth happens when we keep going.
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In our Catholic faith, we are reminded that God walks with us through every twist and turn of life. Our new bike track is not only a place for fun and laughter, but also a place where resilience, courage and kindness quietly grow each day.
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Perhaps there is wisdom in the simple act of riding a bike: keep your eyes forward, help others when they wobble, and when you fall, have the courage - and faith - to get back up again.
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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: Monday 8th June & Tuesday 9 June 2026
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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
Our school grounds have been buzzing with two-wheeled energy lately as our students took part in the Pedal Ready / Pedal Safe Programme. We are incredibly proud of how everyone embraced the challenge with focus, determination, and fantastic sportsmanship!
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Education isn't just about what happens inside the classroom—sometimes, the best lessons are learned out on the track. This programme reminded us that building confidence, resilience, and real-world skills is just as vital to a child's growth as textbooks and whiteboards. Learning to navigate the world safely and conquer new challenges gives our students a practical education that lasts a lifetime.
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Upcoming events for Term 2:
- Friday 22 May Cross Country with St Mary's Year 4-6
- 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
Players of the Day:
Soccer
Tigers: Odelia Hayes and Ryan Benjamin
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Tigers: Zara Sleet & Zion Aislabie
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Lions: Montana Foote & Vihari De Zilwa
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Hockey
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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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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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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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