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Newsletter Week 2, Term 4
St Michael's Catholic School, Wednesday 21 October
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PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE
Welcome to Week 2 of Term 4! With the warmer weather arriving, all children should now be wearing their summer uniform, including sandals, with long pants put away until next winter. Any black sandals are suitable, and Velcro fastenings are a good option for younger children who find buckles tricky.
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Our attendance dropped significantly last term, largely due to children being unwell. We hope the warmer weather brings fewer illnesses and helps our attendance improve this term. Please make sure your child comes to school every day unless they are unwell. Every day matters, both for their learning and for staying connected with their friends and classroom.
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Our PTA Colour Fun Run is on Friday 27 November! This is our PTA’s big fundraiser for the year, and we would love to see every child registered and raising funds for our school. Please share your fundraising link on your social media pages so friends and relatives, including those overseas, can contribute. The money raised will go towards upgrading our playground, including a new fort—something our children will enjoy for years to come.
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We are also excited that our kapa haka rōpū will be participating in the Rotorua Schools’ Ahurei on Tuesday 24 November. The rōpū has been selected, and the children are working hard to learn their waiata, poi, actions and haka. Tickets will be available soon, so keep an eye on the school app for details. We look forward to seeing our tamariki proudly representing St Michael’s on stage.
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Term 4 is always busy, and our teachers are working incredibly hard to help every child reach their full potential. Alongside classroom learning, we have our end-of-year Mass, prizegiving, Year 6 leavers’ lunch and retreat, Blue Lake picnic, class trips and Masses to look forward to.
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Please check the school app regularly for dates, reminders and details as we head towards the end of the year. Thank you for your continued support—it makes such a difference to our school community.
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Te tumuaki o te kura Hato Mikaere
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A Warm Welcome!
Welcome to our new students and their families! We are absolutely delighted to welcome a few new faces to our school community. Please join us in giving a warm welcome to:
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Charlie Brown - Odelia's brother ( The Ark)
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- Bonnie Satherley - ( Galilee 1)
- Maeve Satherley (Eden 6)
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It is wonderful to have you here with us. We know our current students and families will make our newest members feel right at home!
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A Special Thanks to JPC & St Vincent de Paul
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Our St Michael’s whānau would like to send a big thank you to the students and staff at John Paul College!
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Working alongside St Vincent de Paul, JPC students—supported by generous JPC staff volunteers—have been preparing and providing delicious lunches for our St Michael’s students every Monday. Our tamariki have thoroughly enjoyed receiving these lunches each week.
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Please note that the final day for this Monday lunch program for the year will be Monday, 30 November.
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Ngā mihi nui to JPC and St Vincent de Paul for their wonderful generosity and care for our school community!
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News from the Garden
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Our garden has had a wonderful, bountiful season!
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A special thank you to Kathy Howard, who comes in every week to guide our dedicated group of avid gardeners. Her time and leadership have helped our garden flourish and brought our gardening community together.
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Best of all, our harvest goes directly to the local food bank, providing fresh, healthy produce to families in our community who need it most.
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Thank you to Kathy and all of our volunteers for making this season such a success!
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Message from the DRS
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There’s something lovely about a little warmth after a long, chilly winter. And while the much-discussed El Niño might bring some uncertainty and concern about what the summer has in store for us, there’s one kind of warmth we can always count on bringing into the world ourselves.
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In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus tells us, “You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). It’s a simple but powerful reminder that we all have something to offer the world around us. We don’t need a halo, a grand gesture or a special talent to make a difference. Sometimes, the smallest things bring the greatest warmth: a kind word, a helping hand, a moment of patience when someone is struggling, or a smile that arrives just when it’s needed.
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In a busy school community, it’s easy to underestimate these little acts of kindness. Yet they help create the kind of place where people feel welcome, valued and cared for. Just as light can brighten a dark corner, a little compassion can change the feel of someone’s whole day.
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As we head towards the warmer months, may we remember that while we can’t always control the weather, we can help shape the atmosphere around us. Whatever the forecast brings, we can choose to bring warmth, kindness and a little more light into the lives of those we meet. And that’s a kind of sunshine no weather pattern can take away.
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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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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 Special: Juicies!
We have Juicies available every Friday this term.
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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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Upcoming events for Term 4:
- Thursday 22 October - Galilee 1/The Ark- Mass @ St Michael's Church
- Board Meeting - Tuesday October 27 at 5:30pm
- Thursday 5th November - Galilee 4/Eden 6- Mass @ St Michael's Church
- Thursday 19th November - Galilee 1/The Ark- Mass @ St Michael's Church
- Board Meeting - Monday November 2 at 5:30pm
- Friday 20 November - JPC Orientation Year 6
- Tuesday 24 November - Kapa Haka Ahurei
- PTA School Colour Fun Run Friday 27th November
- Thursday 3rd December - Galilee 4/Eden 6- Mass @ St Michael's Church
- Thursday 10 December - 1.30pm School Prizegiving/ 5.30pm End of Year Mass @ St Michael's Church
- Friday 11 December - Blue Lake Picnic
- Monday 14 December - End of Term 4
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Sports News
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A huge congratulations to our Senior Basketball Team, who finished a fantastic season as Runners-Up in their grade!
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The progress each player has made individually, along with their hard work as a team, has been incredible to watch. We couldn't be prouder of their dedication and achievements.
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A massive shout-out and heartfelt thank you to Coach Candice for her relentless energy, constant support, and dedication to the team since day one. What a season!
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PTA News
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Board of Trustees
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Next board meeting Date: Tuesday October 27th at 6:00pm
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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, Joseph Hewlett, Troy Pappon (Parent Reps), Bernadette Fredrickson (Proprietor Rep), Nicky Curran (Proprietor Rep) Gary Dender (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 remainer of Term 3 & 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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From ages from aged 5 and upwards Enquiries welcome:
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374 Clayton Road, Rotorua.
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