16

2013

ISSUE

18th October

Prayer of the Week

Birthday Wishes
Sally Xie 23rd October
Lord, open our eyes that we may see you in our brothers and sisters. Lord, open our ears that we may hear the cries of the hungry, the cold, the frightened, the oppressed. Lord, open our hearts that we may love each other as you love us. Renew in us your spirit. Lord, free us and make us one. Amen Mother Teresa

Gospel Values for Term Four: Trust and Hope

Quote of the Week

Your present circumstances don't determine where you can go; they merely determine where you start. Nido Qubein

Saying of the Century

Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You. Dr Suess

Students, teachers and parent helpers enjoying their day at Centennial School for a Fundamental Sports day. This was to showcase all the skills they have learnt last term with their SportStart Canterbury teacher Raewyn Williams. Raewyn does a great job with the students. We look forward to her input this term.

School Fair From Toni Oudemans

Thanks to those families that have returned their form with offers to help on the day of the school fair. There have also been some ideas submitted that sound like they could be great fun and raise some funds in the process. If you have not returned your form please do so on Monday so we know how many stalls we are able to have, this is dependent on how many helpers we can get. Donations for white elephant stall, baking, plants and raffles would also be appreciated and can be left at school. Don't forget that we have stall sites available for hire for $20 so if you know of anyone that would be interested please get them to contact us. Fair committee meeting in Rm5 at 3pm on Tuesday, come along and have some input into the Fair and share your ideas.

School News
Subway Tuesday 22 October. office classrooms Scholastic Book Club Due back at school by the 8th November 2013. Sun child This Hats along must to be a Please school wide hats, Forms and
nd

are the

available from the school

remember to send your with a named sun hat. brimmed caps allowed. Seed Fundraiser

preferably navy blue, no

Thank you to all those families who helped sell seeds. This was very successful $800 raised Waimate 50 We are going to be doing a BBQ at the Waimate 50 to help raise funds for the School Camp. With most students attending camp this year this is a good opportunity to lend a hand to keep costs down. We are looking for volunteers on the day to help between 10am to 3pm (you will not be needed to be there for the whole time). If you can help out please let Jess know at the office by done. Wednesday next week so a roster can be with around

the Waimate 50 taking place over next weekend. Last year we were fortunate enough to have a visit by some of the cars at our school and the students really enjoyed the opportunity to clamber in and over some of these. The organisers have kindly arranged for this to happen again, so on Monday afternoon at about 2:20 half a dozen of the competing cars will arrive in the playground for a photoshoot opportunity and students will be allowed to check them out and talk to the drivers. For all you petrol-head parents, feel free to come on Bushtown On Monday ( 21st) our whole down and have a look, inhale school is off to Bushtown for the fumes and relive your misour annual visit to plant trees. spent youth. We do this as service to Papatuanuku (Mother Earth), Staffing at St Patricks as with a little effort we are not I can confirm, contrary to speculation and only planting a tree which will rumour, help clean our environment general conversation, that I and provide shelter, we are will be returning in 2014 as also playing a part in Principal of St Patricks something really important for School. The Board of Trustees our community and for our advertised the Principals position during term 3, as they history. We will be leaving school and are required and obliged to try walking down to Bushtown to recruit a Catholic Principal immediately after school starts to the role. Despite advertising widely, they received no at 9:00. applicants. The whole school will walk suitable down together. Mrs Shea will Accordingly the Board have take the junior kids asked me to stay on as schoolbags with their lunch Principal for a further year. and drinks in them and she This will give the Board time will also take any shovels that to reconsider their recruitment we are able to muster up on needs and methods. Monday morning. Students Unfortunately for us, Miss P will need to make sure that will be leaving us at the end of they have a drink and a really the year. She has secured a job good lunch. If parents are able at St Josephs Papanui, which testament to her to send along a shovel or spade is for their child to use, that professionalism and ability as would be really handy as well a teacher, even at the end of and we will endeavour to make her first year as a teacher. Miss sure they are returned in the P has been an absolute treasure, to work with and to same condition. We should be back at school have in the school and we have been truly fortunate to have by 12:30-ish had her company during 2013. Please lets make Miss Ps last Waimate 50 We are getting closer to term with us a memorable one Waimates biggest motor (for all the racing event for the year with

right reasons). We have commenced advertising for her replacement, and we will have an appointment made for 2014 by mid November. As soon as we know, we will let you know. Mission On Thursday the 17th the school was lucky enough to be visited by the ICPE mission team based at St Gerards monastery in wellington. They travel all over Godzone spreading the good word through song, prayer, laughter and liturgy. They are a community of lay people and priests committed to the goal of world evangelisation and dedicated to the formation and training of Catholics that they may become more effective evangelisers. The ICPE mission is an International Association of Christs faithful with Pontifical Right. The team of seven missionaries hailed from Korea, India and Indonesia and worked with each class, danced, sang and prayed and engaged our students in a wonderful hour or so where they and the students focused on the loving messages of Jesus Christ.

Principals Commentary:

Politics Arent the media having fun about Mr Browns extra-marital affairs. These arent mayoral or employment issues. They are over-sensationalised media issues. If the electorate in question was Waimate, Oamaru, Te Puia Springs or Westport, I dont think that anybody apart

from (obviously) his wife and family would give two hoots about it. It certainly wouldnt be galvanising the nation. It would probably be talked about down at the local and at home behind closed doors, but it wouldnt be plastered all over the media for the sadistic and voyeuristic pleasure of the tall poppy, busy-body brigade. Dont get me wrong: I am not condoning his actions in any way. I am not saying anything else other than what he does in his personal life as (and with) a consenting adult really has no relevance to the rest of New Zealand and it isnt his actions that are incompatible with the Auckland City Councils code of conduct, its the medias flagrant muckraking and trashy sensationalism of it that may cause Len Brown to lose his democratically elected position.

And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her. John 8:7 Of course if it transpires that he has spent ratepayers money to fund aspects of his affair, then he has in fact broken the law and should be treated accordingly. And what a media feast that would be. When the mud starts to bubble, check out why someone lit the fire beneath it. The other political scalp on the line is of course long-time member of parliament John Banks. Nothing does surprise me, but you have to concede, that its a pretty long fall, from Minster of the Crown, to respondent in a court case, not that there hasnt been precedent. It seems that being elected to a position of authority is not a guarantee of suitability or trustworthiness. Hopefully all the rest of our publicly elected officials are without fallibility, fault or weaknesses of the fleshier kind, if thats what it takes to retain ones office. kids. Come and have a look

School Roll In most schools a roll is kept of siblings birthdays and new arrivals, pre-enrolments and any other information that may help predict the long term roll of the school. Due to the larger geographic area that our school can rightfully draw from, and the special character preference system that determines our school roll, we dont have the luxury of being able to predict anything other than what we can establish from the parish baptismal records. Of the last 15 enrolments, less than 30% were predictable from parish records, or any other source. Currently on the parish role there are two baptised students eligible for enrolment now, only two more for all of 2014 and 5 more in 2015. We are only predicting that we will get one of these nine students at our school. The rest have made educational decisions for older siblings that do not include attendance at a Catholic school. From a non-Catholic perspective (thats me) that is ridiculous. So you are Catholic enough to have your kids baptised, but you dont want to educate them as Catholic, in a Catholic school. (To coin a droll phrase: Youre not in this for the religion are you?) We have Catholic kids in this town that attend every other school apart from the Catholic one and I have (nearly) heard every other excuse under the sun for why that family doesnt come here, or why that family had to leave. None of those excuses (and thats just what they are) has anything to do with the Catholic Faith or why these parents are following what they see as the latest trend. I must add in that, like us, those other schools are all good schools, each and every one of them, but they are not Catholic schools. This is. And this is a really good school. Ask the parents that are here. Ask the

in the middle of a really busy day. Come and see what we do. We dont have grumpy Nuns or Priests, and apart from myself, we dont even have grumpy teachers. We have exemplary ERO reports and we have a curriculum to be proud of and a whole lot of fun learning. There seem to be enough folks in Mass each Sunday, and usually with quite a few kids among them, but despite holding their heads high in church, taking the kids to Mass seems to be where their commitment to their childrens (or grandchildrens) Catholicism ends. From the outside looking in it could appear to be more like an insurance policy than a belief; but then I wouldnt know would I? This isnt good enough folks. If it continues in this way, eventually there will not be enough practising Catholics around here to tend to the pastoral needs of the parish, if there even is a parish then. The way to grow this congregation is not by turning your back on it, its to embrace it and make it what it should be and what you want it to be. If my comments and observations upset someone: great! That just might get a discussion going, because pretending that this stuff isnt happening is not the way to deal with an issue. Me rongo (In peace) Darcy Kemp Principal St Patricks Waimate

Community Notices
Athletics Starting Club Tuesday 8th

October at the Waimate High School field from 5.30pm. information 4020. Weston out for the on School family the 1st For more contact

Peter Trainor 022 391

Fireworks Great day happening

November 2013 at the Weston Sports Domain with gates opening at 7.00pm. activities guests. information Lots and For check of fun more out special

their facebook page. Waimate Develop to Amateur Swim

Swim Club, Learn and Registration days will be 30th and 31st of October from 3.30 4.30pm at the Waimate Town Pool. Bring along togs if new registration is required. Swimming on 4 more contact
th

commences information Janet Meyer

November. For

gjmeyer@ihug.co.nz. Waimate Museum

Currently display Well Played Waimate which celebrates Waimates champions in some of many sporting

sports clubs. Open Tues to Fri 12-3pm and Sun 1-3pm.

The Beatitudes Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are the meek; for they shall possess the land. Blessed are they that mourn; for they shall be comforted. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice; for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful; for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the clean of heart; for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers; for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice sake; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. May the Year of Faith be a time for all Catholics to renew their desire and zeal for the Eucharist and to avail themselves regularly of the Sacrament of Reconciliation and Penance. During this Year of Faith, may all Catholics publically proclaim their love for Christ and his Church. May this Year of Faith remind us of ways to serve those in our midst who are overlooked, ignored or rejected, so that all may experience the peace and healing of Christs love. May the Holy Spirit guide the Church during the Year of Faith so that all Catholics may experience a deepened renewal of faith, hope Caf and Wine Bar and love.

St Patrick School would like to thank the following sponsors

Caf on Queen

Open 7 days May young people be 25 Queen Street inspired by this Year of Ph: (03) 689 6010
Faith to listen attentively and respond to Gods Breakfasts call to priesthood and religious life. Lunches

Evening Meals

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