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Newsletter Week 1, Term 4
St Michael's Catholic School, Thursday 9 October
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PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE
Tēnā koutou kātoa e te whānau,
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Welcome to the start of our fourth and final term! As the warmer weather arrives, please help us keep our tamariki comfortable and healthy at school:
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Sun safety: Please ensure your child brings a sunhat and a drink bottle each day so they can stay cool and hydrated.
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Uniforms: With the hot weather, children may need more than one clean shirt across the week. If you need extras, please see Cristy in the office — we have a good supply of second-hand uniforms available.
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Hygiene: Daily washing and regular changing of clothes is important, especially in summer. A fresh and clean classroom environment helps everyone feel comfortable and confident in their friendships.
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Headlice: This is the season when headlice are common. Please check your child’s hair regularly and treat if needed. If staff notice lice, we will call you to collect your child so treatment can begin promptly.
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Thank you for your support in helping us create a happy, healthy learning environment for all our children and staff.
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Possible Strike Action – Thursday 23 October
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We want to let you know that members of NZEI Te Riu Roa — including teachers, principals and support staff — have voted to take strike action on Thursday 23 October, from 7am to 7pm.
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The Education and Training Act requires schools to receive formal notification of strike action three days prior. This means that boards of trustees and schools will be officially notified at 7am on Sunday 20 October.
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What this means for St Michael’s:
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At this stage, St Michael’s will be closed on Thursday 23 October, as all of our staff are NZEI members.
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Our Year 5/6 students who will be away at camp are not affected. The two staff members attending camp have an exemption to strike and will continue to care for the children.
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Why strike action?
NZEI members are taking this step because current Government offers do not provide the pay, resourcing, or staffing support needed to:
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attract and retain quality teachers, principals and support staff
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ensure schools have the resources to properly support every child in their learning
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This action is not taken lightly. It reflects the deep concern educators have about the future of education in Aotearoa New Zealand.
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We will keep you informed as soon as more details are confirmed.
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Class Masses at St. Michael's Church will start next Thursday. Teachers will let their class know when it is their turn to attend Thursday Mass.
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Attendance Update – Term 3
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Ngā mihi nui to all our whānau for your support with school attendance this term. We are really pleased to see that 66% of our students attended school regularly (over 90%), which is up from 58% this time last year. We’ve also noticed a big improvement in punctuality – 81% of students are arriving on time, compared to just 31% in Term 3 last year. Ka rawe! 🎉
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The main reasons for absence continue to be illness, but we have also seen absences due to holidays during term time. Please remember that every day counts, and regular attendance helps your child to keep up with their learning and their friendships.
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Thank you for working with us to give our tamariki the best possible start each day by ensuring they are at school and on time.
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As the year draws to a close, here are some key dates for your diary:
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- Thursday, December 11 at 5:30 pm: Our final school Mass, where we farewell our Year 6 students and hand over the mantle of leadership to the Year 5 students. This is also when we announce our 2025 student leaders, and our Year 6 students receive their bibles and leavers' certificates.
- Thursday, December 11 at 1pm: Our prizegiving ceremony.
- Monday, December 15: Blue Lake Picnic Day for the whole school. It’s always a relaxed and fun day with whānau, so join us if you can!
Ngā mihi nui for your continued support – together we make St Michael’s a wonderful place to learn and grow.
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Ma te Atua koe e manaaki,
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Te tumuaki o te kura Hato Mikaere
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JPC Year 6 Annual Orientation Day
We have our annual Y6 Orientation Day.
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Wear: Regular school uniform
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Bring: Lunch and drink bottle
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Meet: Mrs Fraser, the Y7 Dean, in the Edmund Rice Centre (school gym)
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Finish time: 2:30pm – parents can collect students from inside the gym
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School Photos Update
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Parents have been emailed their child’s unique Key Code to go online to view and purchase 2025 School Photos. ***FREE DELIVERY EXPIRES Midnight Sunday 19th OCTOBER *** .
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If you have not received an email with keycode please check your trash / spam folder or call the office.
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Parents will be able to go online, order & have their purchase returned to the school at the end of a free bulk delivery period. Any order placed once the bulk deadline has lapsed will be sent to the customers delivery address at a cost.
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Special Character
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October is known in our Catholic tradition as the Month of the Rosary - a time to pause, reflect and draw closer to God through prayer.
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At school, our children are learning about the Rosary and how each bead helps us focus on moments from the life of Jesus. For many, it will hopefully become a peaceful part of the day; a chance to be still, to listen and to share what’s in their hearts. These simple prayers remind us that faith isn’t just something we talk about, but something we live every day, one small act at a time.
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Families might like to take a moment at home to pray a decade together, or to spend a quiet few minutes thinking about the people they love and wish to pray for. Whether it’s on the way to school, before dinner or at bedtime, these small pauses help us see God’s presence in our ordinary, everyday moments.
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May this month of the Rosary be a gentle reminder to slow down, to notice goodness around us and to let prayer bring peace to our hearts and homes.
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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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Welcome to Family
A very warm welcome to the following family. We hope you will enjoy your time with us at St Michael's School.
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Everly Watson- Sibling of Maisie ( The Ark)
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School Resources
We kindly request your help in locating and returning any school journals, library books, sports uniforms and trophies that might still be at home.
Please have your child bring these items back to school and hand them to their respective teachers.
Thank you for your cooperation in ensuring our school resources are accounted for. We appreciate your support in providing an excellent educational experience for all our students.
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Health & Safety
This term is a summer term! Take some time to dig out that school hat! The classroom teachers will supply sunblock for the children, please ensure that if your child is allergic to the sunblock we use, to let the classroom teacher know.
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Use of the school drive through
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To ensure the safety of all students, staff, and visitors, please use the authorized entry point via the May Road entrance, located beside the school courts. This will help improve the flow of traffic and enhance safety on the school grounds. Parents are not to park within the school grounds, if you want to walk your child in to school, please park in the Clayton Road carpark.
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Please note that the drive-through option is not a designated waiting area. If your child is not yet ready, kindly drive through and re-enter the queue rather than waiting in the driveway. This will help prevent congestion and ensure smooth traffic flow.
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Upcoming events for Term 4:
- Thursday 16 October Class Mass (Galilee 1/ The Ark) @St Michael's Church /Eden 6 Museum Trip
- Monday 20 October - Board of Trustees Meeting @ 6pm
- Wednesday October 22-Friday October 24 - Micamp Taupo Year 5 & 6
- Tuesday 28 October- Dental Fluoride Visit
- Thursday 30 October - Galilee 4 / Eden 6 Class Mass
- Thursday 13 November - Galilee 1 / The Ark Class Mass
- Friday 21 November - JPC Orientation Day (Y6)
- Thursday 27 November - Eden 6 / Galilee 4 Class Mass
- Wednesday 10 December -Year 6 Retreat
- Thursday 11 December - Prizegiving Ceremony 1pm/ Final School Mass 5:30pm
- Monday 15 December- Blue Lake Picnic
- Term 4 Ends Tuesday 16th December
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Sports News
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Many thanks to those families who have returned their sports uniforms, it has been most appreciated. There are still a few who have not returned their uniforms, parents please have a good look at home and return these as soon as possible. For any outstanding uniforms that have not been returned, families will be invoiced the cost to replace these.
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Board of Trustees
Next board meeting date: Monday 20th October , at 6pm. 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 independent e-mail address; botstmichaels@gmail.com, or alternatively, send letters to the school in an envelope marked "Board of Trustees."
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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 (Chair)
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St Michael's School Board of Trustees
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Angela Smith-Bigwood (Chair) Rachael McLanachan(Principal), Edith Klostermann(Staff Rep), Joe Hewlett, Thushara Jayawickrama Vithanage, Shania Howe (Parent Reps), Bernadette Fredricksen (Proprietor Rep), Nicky Curran (Proprietor Rep)
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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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Juicies on Friday
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During Term 4 the children will be able to purchase a nice cold juicie for $2.
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All orders will be taken in the classroom at 9am. This will take over the sausage sizzle.
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Pita Pit Lunches available every Wednesday @ School
Cut off time for ordering is 8:30 am on Wednesday
It’s simple; all you need to do is register at www.lunchonline.co.nz
and follow 4 easy steps to get started
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1. Register an account
2. Add member/s including your name and delivery location
3. Make a payment to have funds in your account before you order
4. Select your lunch and place an order
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Lucky Book Club Orders Issue 7
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Booklets will have gone home. All orders must be handed into the school office or done online via the loop app or website by Thursday the 16th of October.
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PTA News
PTA Thank You
A big thank you to everyone who supported the PTA through raffle ticket purchases and food sales during our Peter Pan production. Your generosity helps us continue to support our school community — we truly appreciate it!
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Tomato Seedlings Fundraiser We will be selling Tomato seedlings at the beginning of term 4. More information to follow
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Bread on Wednesday
Bread will be available on Wednesday mornings. Please collect your bread from outside the main office – limit of 2 bags per family.
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This bread is kindly donated by Bakers Delight, Rotorua Central Mall. If you happen to enjoy something you try, we encourage you to support their business by calling in and purchasing more.
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Community News
Look Sharp – Special Offer for Our School Community
We’re pleased to share that Look Sharp is offering a 10% discount to all students, parents, teachers, and staff at our school!
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Simply scan the QR code attached to this email to enjoy the discount. The same code can also be used for printing and party hire services.
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Feel free to share this great offer with your whānau and make the most of the savings!
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