Term 3 Week 3
Principal's Message
Our kids are amazing!
On Tuesday afternoons I take our Year 7 and 8 students to technology at Mount Cook School. They get up the hill so much quicker than I do but always wait respectfully for me before jumping on. Last week it was raining and the driver said they could jump on but they still waited. He asked me what my secret was and if I could pass it on to other schools in Wellington! Kai pai, guys!
On Friday afternoon, Mr Small and the Year 6 students looked after Room 1 because I had a meeting. What fabulous tuakana. Room 1 were supported by the boys so well and had a great time. Super patient tuakana!
On Friday we had a whole school quiz with the children split into teams of about 6 with children from each age group. I was so proud to see the older students asking the younger ones what they thought the answers were before jumping in themselves and helping them to spell the words they needed. Good teamwork!
Lisa Small
Principal
Faith News
HOW WELL DO WE KNOW THE DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE MASS PART 1 –
THE GATHERING RITE: Coming together, assembling, is at the heart of our Sunday worship. The reason behind each of the ritual actions of the first part of the Mass can be found in this word: gathering. The purpose of these rites is to bring us together into one body, ready to listen and break bread together.
GREETERS – In many churches today there will be someone at the door to welcome you as you arrive. We all like to be greeted and welcomed when we gather for a celebration.
USE OF WATER (this applies outside our current COVID situation at present) One of the first things we normally do is bless ourselves with holy water as we enter the church. This ritual is a reminder of our Baptism. We were baptised with water and signed with the cross.
GENUFLECTION / BOW – In medieval Europe, it was a custom to go down on one knee (to genuflect) before a king or person of rank. This secular mark of honour gradually entered the Church and people began to genuflect to honour the altar and the presence of Christ in the tabernacle before entering the pew. Today many people express their reverence with an even older custom and make a simple bow to the altar before entering their place.
POSTURE, SONG - When we have been welcomed and the mass begins everyone (that is the gathered assembly) stands. Standing is the traditional posture of the Christian at prayer: It expresses our attentiveness to the Word of God and our readiness to carry it out. Often, we begin by singing together. What better way to gather than to unite our thoughts and our voices in common words, rhythm and melody.
GREETING – The priest (he is the Presider of the liturgy) invites the assembly to begin with the sign of the cross, again reminding us of our baptism.
PENITENTIAL RITE, GLORIA - All the other ritual acts of this first part of the Mass are intended to gather us together into a worshipping assembly. Sometimes we are asked to pause and recall our common need for salvation (Penitential Rite). The Gloria is sung, and it is a hymn of praise and petition to God. It praises God and signals the festivity of the day. The Gloria has been a part of the Mas since about the 6th Century.
COLLECT – it is also known as the OPENING PRAYER. It begins by calling the assembly to quiet prayer. After a few moments of silence, he will collect our intentions into one prayer to which we all respond “Amen” a Hebrew word for ‘So be it’.
Wednesday Mass
Please come and join room 1, along with members of the parish, for Mass this Wednesday morning at 9am,
in room 3.
Parish Newsletter
This week’s Parish newsletter is available here
Lost & Found
Blue House Key
A blue house key has been handed into the school office. If you think it maybe yours, please see Katrina in the office.
Polar Fleeces
There are a number of children with missing polar fleeces. Could everyone please check to ensure their child has not accidently brought another child’s fleece home with them, and that all fleeces are clearly named so we can easily identify and return them. Thank you.
Brooklyn Library Visits
This term we will resume our termly visits to Brooklyn Library. If your child wishes to borrow a book during the visit they need to bring their personal library card with them. We will return books on the next visit if they are brought back in time. Books not brought on the day of the visit will need to be returned by yourselves. If you would like to leave your child's card in the classroom between visits then teachers will find a safe place to keep them.
Room 1: 28 August
Room 2: 07 August 04 September
Room 4: 14 August 11 September
Absences
If your child is sick or unable to attend school for all or part of the day, please either send a notification via the school app (skool loop), email the school office on office@stbernards.school.nz or phone 3899377 by 9.00 a.m. so that your child's absence can be accounted for.
Children who are late need to report to the office in case they have been marked absent by the teacher who takes the roll first thing in the morning.
If an absence is planned for a special reason, a note or telephone call to the school in advance is appreciated. In cases of prolonged absence, e.g. a family trip, a written note is required.
Room 1 Learning
Room 1 had a fun week with all things 100 as we celebrated our 100 days of school on Monday. We used a 100's chart to count in different ways to 100, in 2's, 5's and 10's. We played "Race to 100" on the 100's chart with dice and counters. The children are keen to share this game with you at home so watch out in book bags for it coming home this week! We used the bags of 10 objects to count in 10's to 100 and create a wall display. We made funky 100 day glasses and attempted to write 100 words on a chart! ( That's not quite completed....we will carry on this week... we realise 100 words is alot!!) We discussed the value of $100 and what we thought it could buy, and then we wrote about how we would use $100 to help others.
We had our final basketball session on Friday and we think we have improved with our bouncing, dribbling and passing skills! Look at us go!
Room 2 Learning
Room 2 have recently done some awesome R.E. learning. Our unit focus for R.E. this term is called Kia Noho Hahi "Being Church". Here we are exploring the role of the church, including our roles within the church. Some of our core learning themes for this unit include: individual and collective actions, discipleship, virtues and values, and principles (rather than rules). We have begun this unit by learning about the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church. We are learning to understand that the sacraments are visible signs of God's invisible grace. Next we will begin to learn about the meanings and significance behind symbols and rituals used in the Catholic Church.
Have a look at some of Room 2's wonderful work!
Room 4 Learning
Observing a Mixture and a Solution: Part B
Room 4 completed the second part of our mixture and solution investigation last Wednesday. The children worked in pairs and observed what happened when oil was added to a container with milk powder and 50 mls of water. The oil droplets - representing the fats that occur naturally in milk. Next, they had to observe what happened when the oil droplets were added using a pipette and predict whether the water, milk powder and oil droplets had formed a solution or a mixture.
Here are some of the observations the children made and their explanations:
“The milk powder has turned into a solution as there are not bits of powder floating around - so it is a solution.”
“The milk and water have mixed but the oil has not mixed and broken into small clumps - so it has not formed a solution”.
“When the oil was added some of it joined with the milk powder and water, and some of it did not - so it is not a solution”.
“The milk powder has dissolved into the water and some of the oil has too - so it has formed a solution”.
“Some of the oil droplets have tried to form up again - so it is not a solution”.
“There are still air bubbles, which means it has not become a solution”.
