Week 4, Term 2

Hi everyone

We hope you all had a fun weekend.

I had a very special weekend as I had a little granddaughter born in Melbourne early Sunday morning - Lila Valerie. Also baby Lila shares her birthday with Julie's youngest daughter Lila!
I am heading to Melbourne on Friday to meet Lila and help my daughter Casey, so I will be away next week (27 -30 June) and Julie will be teaching during this time.

We now have Grandparent's Reading every Tuesday afternoon at 2.00pm and the children are really enjoying reading or sharing their alphabet books with the grandmas. They then play games and do activities together.

Remember to send your child along with a jacket and hat for Action Stations on these colder mornings, and they are also welcome to bring gumboots along to wear when they are outside, (especially if they have lace-up shoes).

Have a good week,

Sue and Julie

Week 3, Term 2

Hi everyone

Happy Mother's Day to all of the Mums and Grandmothers.
We hope you all have all had  a lovely day and were made to feel special.

Remember our Mother's Day Cafe tomorrow.

Mother's Day Cafe Monday 13th May

This is on Monday at 2.00pm in Room 3.

Your child will serve you!!

If you are unable to make it, your child could bring another special lady in their life eg a grandma, aunty or friend.

If your child has no one that can attend please let us know ASAP and we will buddy them up with a friend.

Tomorrow, Monday, we will be welcoming the Education Review Office (ERO) to school at 11 am with the Kapa Haka Group doing a formal welcome.

Netball Tournament 
We have been having whole class lessons on Netball and to use our new skills we have learnt we are having a Whole School Netball Tournament on Wednesday. Below are some details about the afternoon:

1. Children will come to school in their house colours and suitable shoes. Warm clothing needed please plus lunch and water. No pie warmers.
2. Leave school at 12.15 to walk to courts and eat lunch there.  Parents welcome to walk with us and it would be helpful to have a parent helping to lead the children to their next game.
3. Children are to be picked up from the netball courts.  
4. Sharelle and Ashley will talk to children at 1pm .
5. First game is 1.10. The games are 5 mins long. No half time

(Unfortunately I have an appointment in Dunedin on the Wednesday so will miss the netball tournament.  Mrs Stratford will be relieving in Room 7).

Pink Shirt Day 

"Kōrero mai, Kōrero atu, Mauri tū, Mauri ora - Speak up, Stand together, Stop bullying!"

Children can come to school wearing pink in support of this day and a gold coin. 

Religious Education 

In Religious Education your children are beginning the Strand The Holy Spirit – Te Wairua Tapu.
They will be learning the sign of the cross in English and Maori and demonstrating ways that show that the Holy Spirit is working in themselves by being kind,caring and helping. 

Have a great week

Sue and Julie 

Mother's Day Cafe Monday 13 May

Mother's Day Cafe

Children brought home an invitation yesterday for our Room 3 and 7 Mother's Day Cafe. 

This is on Monday at 2.00pm in Room 3.

Your child will serve you!!

If you are unable to make it, your child could bring another special lady in their life eg a grandma, aunty or friend.

If your child has no one that can attend please let us know ASAP and we will buddy them up with a friend.

Week 2, Term 2

Hi everyone,

Hope you all had an enjoyable weekend.

This week we have netball coaching on Monday and Wednesday mornings. This will be followed by our school-wide netball tournament next Wednesday 15 May at Molyneux Courts. Please ensure your child wears suitable footwear and their sport's uniform if they have one. It's a good idea to send along a jacket as well as our coaching sessions are at 9.15, and it can be very cold outside on a frosty morning.

For the next two terms, it would be helpful for your child to have a jacket and warm hat at school for cold mornings when they are outside at Action Stations. Also you may choose to send along a pair of gumboots to stop mud being trekked into the classroom.

Have a great week

Sue and Julie

Week 1 Term 2

Hi everyone,

A big welcome back to everyone. We hope you all had a great holiday and that the children are feeling refreshed and excited to be returning to school.

Tomorrow, to celebrate the completion of Frans DuPlessis' chemotherapy treatment, the Alex Fire Brigade is going to bring Frans to the church carpark and accompany him up to our school bell. In keeping with tradition for children completing treatment, Frans will ring our school bell. The DuPlessis family and school staff invite you all to come and join us on this momentous occasion and will be bringing chocolate cake for everyone to say thank you for your continued support of the family. 

The whole school is having netball coaching for a week, culminating with a school-wide netball tournament next Wednesday 15 May. Room 7 has netball coaching this Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, so please ensure your child wears suitable footwear and they may wear their sports uniform on these days.

I attended a course entitled "The Role of the Teacher in Playbased Learning" in Dunedin in the holidays, which was very inspiring. We are going to be instigating some of the ideas from this course. As a result of this, the children who know all their alphabet and are reading books will not be bringing home a new guided reading book each night. Some nights, they will bring home a book they have had before. These books are just as important, as children need to practise new words and skills, and it helps them gain confidence and fluency. 

Please feel free to contact us to arrange an appointment if you have any concerns about your child. Our email addresses are: suewright@stgerards.school.nz
                                        julieflannery@stgerards.school.nz

Have a great week,

Sue and Julie

Week 10, Term 1

Hi everyone,

Well, the last week of term!  Where have the weeks gone?

What's on This Week?
The Eisteddfod Assembly is tomorrow, Monday, in the church at 1.30pm. The children from Room 7 presenting their prayers are Joe McLean and Mia Samuel.

On Wednesday we are joining with Room 3 for First Aid instruction run by St Johns.

This week in RE the children are learning about the events of Holy Week and Easter.

We are attempting self portraits for Art so if you have a small hand mirror you could send along for the children to look at their faces, this would be much appreciated.  (They will be carefully looked after).

Have a great Easter and a happy and safe holiday,

Sue and Julie

Week 9, Term 1

Hi everyone

Hope you all had a lovely weekend.

Eisteddfod
Prayers will be presented by all Year 1 and 2's on Thursday afternoon to Room 3 and 7.  I have a selection of very short prayers in the classroom, so please come and see me if your child needs a prayer.

The Eisteddfod Assembly, will be on Monday 8th of April at 1.30pm in the Church. All parents will be notified if their child is presenting at this.

Parent Interviews
Also, I usually have a short interview with parents after your child has been at school for six weeks, just to touch base.  I am free after school for the next two weeks on Monday, Wednesday and Thursdays. Please email me at suewright@stgerards.school.nz if you would like an interview.  (This applies to those parents who have had children at school from the beginning of the year).

Stations of the Cross
Stations of the Cross will be held at 9.15 on Friday, for the whole school in the Church.  Everyone is most welcome.

Assembly is on Friday afternoon this week, presented by Room 5 and 6. The kapahaka group is performing.

Hope you all have a great week.  Only 2 weeks until the holidays!!

Sue and Julie