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Newsletter Week 2, Term 1
St Michael's Catholic School, Wednesday 11 February
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PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE
Tēnā koutou kātoa e te whānau,
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Welcome back to another exciting year at St Michael’s Catholic School. It has been wonderful to see our tamariki return, reconnect with friends, and settle into their classrooms with such positivity and enthusiasm.
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We are delighted to welcome Jenny Chapman as our new Deputy Principal. Jenny has already made a wonderful start, and we are grateful for the experience, care, and leadership she brings to our school community.
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We also take this opportunity to farewell Ruth O’Leary, who has recently resigned from her position at St Michael’s. We thank Ruth for her time, commitment, and contribution to our school, and we wish her well for the future.
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As we begin the year, our focus remains on nurturing strong learning, wellbeing, and faith development within a caring and inclusive environment. Our values of Service, Tika, Aroha, and Respect continue to guide all that we do.
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Attendance & End-of-Day Procedures
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Regular attendance is essential for your child’s learning and success. Our school day begins at 8:50 am and ends at 2:55 pm. We kindly ask parents to ensure their child arrives on time and attends school regularly. If your child is absent, please notify the school as soon as possible.
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To minimize disruptions at the end of the day, we ask that parents picking up children wait at the meeting area rather than outside classrooms. This helps students stay focused during pack-up time, particularly our younger learners. The final moments of the school day are important, as teachers often share notices and reminders. It is also a time for students to come together with their teacher and classmates for prayers, allowing them to finish their day in a calm and connected way.
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Thank you for your support in helping us create a focused and respectful learning environment for all students!
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School Donations & Camp Update
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Our school has opted into the government’s donation scheme, meaning we will not be requesting additional payments for curriculum-related activities. However, please note that any sporting fees for teams your child opts into will still apply.
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This year our Year 5/6 students will be attending the Lakes ranch in March. As camp is an extra-curricular activity, parents will be required to cover the cost, which will be approximately $280 per student. To make this more manageable, families are welcome to make payments throughout the year. More details about the camp will be shared closer to the time, but if you would like to start making payments or have any questions, please contact the school office.
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We appreciate your support and look forward to an amazing camp experience for our students!
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We look forward to working in partnership with you throughout the year and thank you for your ongoing support as we journey together.
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Te tumuaki o te kura Hato Mikaere
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A Hearty Welcome to Whaea Jenny
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Last week, our school whānau gathered for a beautiful Pōwhiri to officially welcome Whaea Jenny Chapman to our community. It was a special morning filled with connection as we ushered in a new chapter for our leadership team.
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Whaea Jenny steps into the role of Deputy Principal and will also be leading the way as the classroom teacher for Galilee 1. Her wealth of experience and vibrant energy are already making an impact, and we feel very lucky to have her on board.
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Nau mai, haere mai Whaea Jenny! We look forward to a fantastic year of growth and learning together.
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Our Attendance Plan
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At St Michael’s, we believe that regular attendance is the heartbeat of student wellbeing and achievement. When our tamariki are here, they are connected, learning, and thriving!
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To support our families, we follow the Ministry of Education’s Stepped Attendance Response (STAR). Here is how we work together to keep every student on track:
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How We Monitor Attendance
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Daily Checks: Attendance is recorded by teachers at the start of the day and again after lunch.
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eTap Alerts: If your child is missing without a reason, you will receive an automated alert through our eTap student management system in the morning. If we don't hear back, we may follow up with a phone call to ensure everyone is safe.
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Staying Informed: We monitor attendance patterns weekly and send out regular reports so you have a clear picture of your child’s time at school.
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How you can help: If your child is going to be away, please let us know as early as possible. Please use the eTap/School App to inform us of an absence or send an email to the school office in the morning.
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Staying Connected: The @school App
As we start the new school year, we want to ensure every family is connected to our central communication hub, the @school app. This is where you will find all important updates and insights into your child’s learning.
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For Our New Families: Keep an eye on your inbox! Login instructions and access links are being emailed to all parents and caregivers we have on file for our new students.
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For Our Returning Families:
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Lost Access? If you have been logged out or can no longer access your account, please contact or email the school office so we can reset your details.
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Multiple Children: A quick reminder to sign in for each of your children individually to see their specific classroom updates.
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We encourage everyone to log in as soon as possible to stay up to date with everything happening at St Michael’s. Let’s work together to keep our communication lines open and easy for everyone!
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We also want to ensure every family is connected to our central communication hub, the school app (different app from above). We will continue to use this platform to send out all school-wide communications
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School Uniform
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Our school uniform identifies us as being part of our special St Michael's community.
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All children must come to and from school in the correct uniform.
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Boys and Girls both wear: Navy Polar shirt and Polar Fleece with Navy/Gold School logo.
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In the summer they both wear black sandals (Velcro straps are a good idea for our younger children) and a Navy cap/bucket/ or Wide Brim hat. In the winter they both wear black leather shoes.
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Girls wear Blue/Yellow tartan Skort / skirt (in winter they wear navy stockings or ¾ navy socks).
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Boys wear Grey Shorts (in winter wear grey ¾ socks).
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Hair is required to be out of the eyes and tied up if it touches the collar.
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Hair ties or headbands should be in our school colours; blue, gold, black or white.
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No jewellery is allowed with the exception of a watch and/or religious or cultural pendants.
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For safety reasons, only stud earrings are allowed at school.
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No coloured nail-polish is to be worn.
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Thermal shirts or singlets may be worn under the school uniform shirt but these must be black, white or navy blue.
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The sports uniform is compulsory from Years 4 to 6 and children are expected to wear this uniform for PE lessons and sports events.
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We have a small number of secondhand uniform items available at the school office.
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DRS message Term 1, Week 2
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After spending time overseas during the Christmas break, I returned to Aotearoa with a renewed sense of gratitude for home and especially for the special community we share here at St Michael’s. Travel can broaden our horizons, but it can also sharpen our awareness of the challenges and unrest faced by so many people around the world. Coming back to our school, with its gentle rhythms of learning, laughter and prayer, felt like stepping into a place of peace.
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St Michael’s is a remarkable and deeply beautiful community. Our students and families come from many different cultures, languages and journeys, each bringing rich stories and traditions. Yet here, we are united through Christ, learning and growing together as one whānau.
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In a world that can sometimes feel uncertain and divided, our school stands as a quiet witness to what is possible when we live our faith through kindness, service and unity.
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Let us continue to hold dear what makes our school so special: our shared commitment to service, tika, aroha and respect for one another. These are not just values we talk about, they are seeds we plant each day in our classrooms, playgrounds and hearts.
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May we keep nurturing this community with gratitude and hope, always seeking to reflect Christ’s love in the way we teach, learn and care for one another.
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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 New Families
We are delighted to welcome several new families to our school. Please join us in making the following students feel right at home:
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Skyson Wikaira Makaea & Aaliyah Marshall Makaea (Eden 6 & The Ark)
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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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Upcoming events for Term 1:
- Monday 16 February- BOT Meeting 6pm
- Tuesday 17 February - Shrove Tuesday - Pancake Breakfast
- Wednesday 18 February - Ash Wednesday
- Thursday 26 February- PTA AGM 5pm School Staff Room
- Wednesday 4th March-Friday 6th March- Year 5 & 6 Camp at Lakes Ranch
- Monday 9th March-Friday 13th March- Senior Swimming Week
- Thursday 12 March- Class mass at St Michael's Church - Galilee 4 / Eden 6
- Thursday 26 March- Class mass at St Michael's Church - Galilee 1 / The Ark
- Thursday April 2nd- Last Day of Term 1
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Lucky Book Club Orders Issue 1
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 12th of February.
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📅 You’re Invited: PTA Annual General Meeting
Thursday 26 February 2026 | 5:00pm | School Staff Room
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If you’ve been considering joining the PTA, we would love to have you on board! We strive to make our group fit the reality of everyone’s busy lives—there are no obligations to join or commit to anything. Come along to our AGM to meet a lovely group of parents and grandparents, hear about our plans for the year, and see how you might like to help. All are welcome!
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How can you help?
There are many small ways to make a big difference that don't require a lot of time:
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Event Support: Help at the BBQ or run a gift stall (Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and Christmas).
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The Bakers: Supply treats for our stalls when required.
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Community Links: Donate vouchers from your business or help us connect with local sponsors.
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Idea Sharing: We are always open to new and fresh fundraising ideas!
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Whether you want to take an active role or just see what we’re about, we look forward to seeing you there.
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Board of Trustees
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Next board meeting Date: Monday 16 February
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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 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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St Michaels School Board of Trustees
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Angela Smith-Bigwood (Chair), Joe Hewlett, 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 Term 1, 2,3 and 4
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Drawing, Painting, Mosaics.
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Tuesdays, Wednesdays , Thursdays
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3.30pm to 4.30pm and 4.35pm to 5.35pm
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Small classes, friendly, safe, quiet, environment.
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374 Clayton Road, Rotorua.
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