Term 2 has been a busy time for our Kāhui Ako and the amazing Across School Leaders. 

With a wonderful Pasifika Mass celebrating the wonderful cultures of the Pacific held at St Joseph’s in Grey Lynn. The language weeks across the term have been celebrated in a variety of ways by all the different schools across the Kāhui Ako. 

The language week competitions continue and the Across School Leaders held a Writing workshop that was well attended by teachers from Years 5 - 8 giving them the opportunity to learn from each other. There was also a Primary Within School Hui that was a great chance for the Within School leaders to gather and get to know each other and learn what is happening in the other primary schools. 

Next term there is plenty on to look forward to with the Maori Mass, a Deputy Principal Hui across the primary and secondary schools. The continuation of language week celebrations and a numeracy workshop for teachers.

Nga manaakitanga katoa a te Atua
All God's Blessings

Carolynn Phillips and Michael Mullin

This year we celebrated our second Pasifika Community Mass at St Joseph’s Church, Grey Lynn, led by Father Tino Toleafoa. His homily centered around ‘salt’. For food to taste flavoursome, salt is usually added. Not only are you enhancing the food’s flavour but heightening one’s senses. This analogy was soon turned to ‘us’.  How are we being the ‘salt’ to others, to ourselves, to society? What are we doing to add flavours of support, of awareness, of gratitude. There was  ‘food for thought’ for everyone.

The night was filled with a host of beautiful moments. From the lovely welcome by the St Joseph’s students, to the melodious singing from our incredibly talented St Paul’s musicians and the Malisi Melodies. Prayers were read with such reverence in native tongues by our wonderful Primary schools, tributes made of our beloved Pasifika family members, readings read with grace and decorum and the moving processions from the candle and bible bearers to the offertory. 

A special acknowledgement to our senior leadership team for their unwavering support and also to the many, many hands that helped put this mass together. We are blessed to belong to a kāhui who live out our core catholic values and beliefs as one.

It was a very special evening where the Pasifika community let their little light shine! Shine! Shine! 

This term some of our Year 5 to 8 teachers participated in an enriching Writing Hui hosted by Marist College and led by our Across School Team. The focus was on moderation, networking, and collaborative discussions. This session was designed to deepen our understanding of writing assessment from Year 5 to Year 8 through the exploration of rubrics, while also providing a platform to exchange insights and receive constructive feedback.  This hui offered a valuable opportunity to strengthen our teaching and build a supportive network among teachers across the Kahui Ako. Our next steps will be to consider the following ideas:

Over the past two terms some of our St Mary’s students have been participating in a drama club run at lunchtimes. Together they have been working on a drama called ‘Lost Whetu’ which they have been invited to perform at Avondale College as part of ‘Matariki ki Pātiki’, a Matariki celebration for local schools. Lost Whetu is the story of Hiwa-i-te-Rangi, the youngest of the Matariki cluster. She is stolen from the sky by a few greedy characters from down below who wanted Hiwa-i-te-Rangi all to themselves. They thought if they could just have her they would forever have good luck and fortune, and all their dreams would come true. 

I must say I am impressed by the children’s creativity and dedication. It is also pleasing to watch the group grow together; helping each other and showing encouragement and support. 

Here is what the tamariki have to say about our drama club and their drama ‘Lost Whetu’

Mac: I like being creative and it’s a fun way to spend my lunchtime.

Lui: I like our drama because it is an original story.

Reese: I think it’s fascinating that we have learnt to express our emotions with our body.

Daelyn: This is a good way to make new friends.

Vededra: I’m looking forward performing our story ‘Lost Whetu’

Daron: I am enjoying the drama because I’m learning more about Matariki. 

Foliaki: I have learnt so much more about Matariki. 

Faith: I like drama club because it is engaging and interesting and I get to work alongside my peers. 

Good Shepherd School celebrated this year's Pink Shirt Day in style. Not only do our tamariki dress the part, but we work together to build the 'mightiest kids in the world' thanks to our work with the Mitey programme, supporting our own, and our friends and classmates' mental health.

Tamariki were inspired to live more environmentally responsible lifestyles thanks to a visit from mobile environmental classroom, the Tread Lightly Caravan (TLC). The visit consolidates our own efforts to reduce waste in our lunchboxes and supports our Inquiry topic this term around habitats and ecosystems.

Our kaiako and ākonga are enjoying our deep connection with our Parish and community, through our fortnightly Friday afternoon prayer gatherings in the  Good Shepherd Church. A different class leads each session, finishing with our Good Shepherd School awards being presented. It is a truly uplifting way to end our week.

Good Shepherd School participated in a whole school collaborative process where we renamed our school houses from Blake, Hilary, Shepherd and Cowley to Pompallier, Aubert, MacKillop and Chanel. It was an enriching experience to learn about our Saints and we are proud of the artwork created entirely by students at Good Shepherd School.

Marist School Mt Albert celebrated Matariki  by hosting a breakfast on the Thursday 27th June , with the wonderful help of the PTFA, teachers and Marist students.

The morning started at 7.30am with an opening prayer by Fr. Bernard Dennehy, a Karakia Kia by Jo-Anne Suelto, (Deputy Principal, Marist School). 

 

Following the Matariki breakfast, Marist students shared readings and performances by the Junior and Senior Kapa Haka groups from Marist School and the Marist College Kapa Haka group (many previous students were past students from Marist School).

On the walls of the school hall was our Matariki art prepared by all our Tamariki. It was a time to remember those who have passed during the year, to celebrate the present and look to the future.

Congratulations to the winners of our recent Samoan Art competition:

Our annual ACCKA Language Week Art competitions began this term with great anticipation and excitement. We received entries for Samoan Language and the International Language Week. The purpose of this competition is to promote inclusion, pride in cultural identity and to celebrate our diversity across the Kahui Ako through visual arts. We hope that next term more schools participate by sending through more fabulous entries. We thank Good Shepherd School and St Dominic's Primary School for participating this term.

Winners were as follows:
 
Year 3 winner- Ted Tuibenau Year 3, Good Shepherd

Year 4 winners- Elizabeth (Ava) Bolton Year 4 and Maddie Foskin Year 4, Good Shepherd

Year 5 winner: Luke Butcher, Good Shepherd

Year 6 winners- Gretta Tuibenau Year 6 and Gemma Su Year 6 Good Shepherd

For the International Language Week Art Competition

Winners were as follows:
Year 4 winner: Ashlene Agustin, St Dominic's Primary

Year 6 winner- Alessandra Agustin, St Dominic's Primary

‘Languages put our worlds in focus, give structure to our thoughts and help us to communicate with the people around us. They are fluid concepts, built from our heritage, our people and our interactions with the world, growing and changing to keep up with the modern day whilst reminding us of our past.’ 

This term we celebrated three big language weeks - Sign language, Samoan and International. Congratulations to all our participants who represented their culture through their ‘mother-tongue’ or that of another. We applaud the efforts and accomplishments of our young people and acknowledge the importance of their culture within the kāhui ako.  Special gratitude to our judges for giving our students wonderful feedback and feed forward and our teachers and parents for supporting them. Here are the results –

Senior category winner – Randinie Cadellis (Marist College)

Samoa Language Week

Judge: Miss Annastasia Matai

Year 3 & 4 winner – Anastasia Prior (Christ the King School)

Year 5-7 winner – Joanne Vignarajah (Christ the King School)

 

 INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGE WEEK

Judge: Mrs Cindy Ding-Smith

Senior category winner – Melenaite Falekaono (Marist College)

Judge: Mrs Carmen Shaw

Year 3 & 4 winner – Brianna Carpio-Evans (Christ the King School)

  

Judge: Mrs Rosita Thomas & Miss Pallavi Singh

Year 3 & 4 winner – Aarya Shah (St Dominic’s Primary School)

Year 5-7 winner – Dhvanit Vyas (Christ the King School

Year 3 & 4 winner – Shirosh Kurukulasuriya (Christ the King School)

This term our Primary School Within School Leaders met to reconnect and learn together. Hosted by Christ the King, Ōwairaka, we begun with prayer around Matariki, built whanaungatanga through craft and then had a chance for the WSLs to discuss their foci and inquiries and also to discuss and engage in learning around leadership.

A lot of robust discussion was had and we look forward to the next one.

We have some events coming up next term - the details are being worked out and will be sent out to schools when finalised.