Greetings, Kia ora, Kia orana, Talofa, Mālō e lelei, Namaste, Ni Hao, Bula, Hola, Kumusta, Namaskārām,
Sat Shri Akaal, Vanakkam and Ayubowan
Dear Families
This term, we have so much to celebrate at Holy Trinity Catholic Primary School with one of the highlights being our Holy Trinity Feast Day – this celebration will be on Friday 13th June. Then on the Sunday 15th June, as a world-wide catholic community, we celebrate the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity. It is the day we celebrate the greatest mystery of all – the Holy Trinity!
This Holy Trinity Icon is a panel painting created by Andrei Rublev in the early 15th Century. It is named “Analysis of the Holy Trinity Icon.” It depicts an expression of God without God being represented. In the icon, we are in the presence of God, we do not see him, we do not understand him. This scene from the Genesis 18: 2-15 is of the three mysterious travellers announcing to Abraham and Sarah that they would soon have a son. The three angels are hypostases of the One God – they represent the three identities of the Trinity – God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. The three figures possess identical features – as the three persons of the Trinity are identical, each fulfilling its own particular role. You will see this beautiful image hanging in our school reception area and in Taamaua/school hall – to remind us of our sacred school name and how we are called to be Holy Trinity people.
God is so great that Jesus taught us to understand Him as three persons in one being, who is God. As we try to understand this mystery, Jesus taught us the greatest lesson of all … GOD IS LOVE and that God wants us to be a part of this love.
How blessed are we that our school community is named Holy Trinity! We give thanks to God for this beautiful name and for the gift of the Holy Trinity as a model for our school that we strive to live by each day … through the way we grow together in Learning Ka Ako, Loving Ka Aroha and Serving Ka Manaaki in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit … we can be and are a part of God’s love!
Catholic Schools Day 2025
Shine like stars in the world: E tīaho ana hei rama i te ao (Phil 2:15)
A special message from the NZ Catholic Education Office …
Kia ora Holy Trinity Catholic School,
NZCEO is pleased to offer our thanks and support to our Catholic schools on the occasion of Catholic Schools’ Day 2025. We acknowledge the wonderful service you provide for the Church and for your Catholic school community – there is great value and beauty in what you do every day in supporting all students to experience a relationship with the risen Lord.
Before his passing, Pope Francis designated 2025 as the Church’s Year of Jubilee: Pilgrims of Hope, Manene o te Tūmanako (te reo Māori), Faigamalaga o le Fa’amoemoe (Samoan); Pilikimi ‘o e Tu’amelie (Tongan). He challenged us to foster and transform our world with a strong focus on a greater sense of sisterhood and brotherhood, solidarity with the poor and displaying care for our environment. Pope Francis wants us to be hope filled and to look to the future with an open spirit, a trusting heart and a vision that views our world as heaven on earth.
Our Catholic schools are placed beautifully to bring this vision to fruition. We would see our Catholic schools as great examples of a Catholic community that fills our students with hope through modelling God’s desire and plan of love, justice and peace for all humanity. By living Jesus’ Gospel staff are encouraging our students to be countercultural and to live a life of love. At our best, our schools empower students to respond with compassion, to support each other and to desire the best for each other and creation.
Thank you to our Catholic school leaders, staff and students endeavouring to shine like stars in the world. Our schools are places of hope and lived faith and NZCEO is proud to be associated with such a highly quality education sector where Gospel values drive every aspect of our schools.
Ngā manaakitanga
The Team at NZCEO
Rosalie Connors, Karen Raitt, Heather Richardson, Jerry Spark, Yvonne Campion-Smith & Kevin Shore
DRS Report
Can Drive Outreach
Some exciting things are happening at our school in the upcoming weeks as we get closer to our Holy Trinity Feast Day. On the week commencing Monday 9 June, our school will be running a “Can Drive Outreach” throughout the week in support of our own local St Vincent de Paul, Papakura agency. Students and staff are encouraged to bring in a can of food to donate and earn whānau points at the same time. All cans collected will be picked up by the St Vincent de Paul team at the end of the week. The cans will then be distributed to families who are in need in our local communities of Takanini and Papakura. What a wonderful act of solidarity!
Holy Trinity Feast Day Double Celebration!
On Sunday 15 June, it’s the Feast Day of the Most Holy Trinity, in which our school will be leading our Parish Mass at St Mary’s Church in Papakura at 10:30am. We’ll be asking our school whānau to bring a plate of food for morning tea to share after Mass – light finger food that we can share with our St Mary’s parishioners.
Prior to the ‘Most Holy Trinity” Sunday, we will have our own school Holy Trinity Feast Day celebrations on Friday 13th June at school. We’ll have a special Feast Day liturgy led by students and teachers of Aubert Whānau at 9:15am in Taamaua/school hall. We’ll also have our annual Trinity’s Got Talent Show in the afternoon where our students perform and showcase their different gifts and talents to our school community.
We encourage all our school whānau to be a part of our double celebrations for our Holy Trinity Feast Day – here at school and with the wider community on Sunday 15 June.
Trinity’s Got Talent!
We are celebrating our Holy Trinity Feast Day on Friday 13th June! We will be ending our day with a performance that is sharing the gifts and talents of our children. This is our annual Trinity’s Got Talent Show in Taamaua/School Hall!
Please do encourage your child/children to participate in the Trinity’s Got Talent Show. Children can enter individually or as a group. They just need to share their proposed item with their teacher who will sign off the entry form and pop it in the box in the Office. We’re looking for performers who can sing, dance, play an instrument, juggle, tell jokes OR generally have lots of talent to share with us!
Looking forward to a truly special day on Friday 13th June as we celebrate being a Holy Trinity School!
St Mary’s Parish Alpha Programme
Talofa lava all
The Alpha Team humbly invite our school’s families to their upcoming St Mary’s Parish Alpha Retreat Day.
The QR Form link has also been updated for those wishing to register.
The retreat will be held at the St Ignatius of Loyola Catholic College on Saturday 7th of June 2025 from 10am to 4pm.
Thank you again for your support.
God Bless
Alpha Team
Teaching and Learning News
Celebrating Samoan Language Week – 1-7 June 
The 2025 theme for Samoa Language Week is ‘Ia malu lou sā. Folau i lagimā – A well-grounded self, is a successful self’.
This year’s theme reminds us of the importance of being prepared and grounded, just like a strong canoe sailing the ocean. When the canoe is carefully built, it stays balanced and steady, no matter how rough the seas get.
In the same way, when we prepare and take care of ourselves—learning, growing, and supporting each other—we become strong and ready to face life’s challenges. No matter what comes our way, we can stand strong and keep going, just like a steady canoe on the open ocean.
We have some exciting events planned for the week! On Thursday, 5th June, we invite everyone to bring a lavalava and wear it over their school uniform for Lavalava Day. Then, on Friday, 6th June, we’ll be running our annual Cheehoo Contest at lunchtime to see who can shout the loudest and meanest “cheehoo!”
Let’s celebrate Samoan Language Week by speaking Samoan words and using these values in our learning and play! Let’s show respect and compassion, and help each other, just like a strong crew on a canoe.
Cultural Groups
We will begin cultural groups on Monday, 16th June, between 9:30–10:30am. There are five cultural groups: Kapa haka, Pasifika, Indian, Filipino and Diversity. All children have selected the two cultural groups they would like to join this year, and we have carefully taken their choices into consideration when planning the groups. Our aim was to keep the groups as balanced as possible across year levels while ensuring that the children’s requests have been honoured.
Teaching and Learning News
Open Day for Learning 
Tuesday, 24th June: 8.30am–10.00am and 1.00pm–3.00pm
We warmly invite parents and whānau to our Open Day for Learning! There are two time slots available for you to join us and celebrate your child’s learning.
This will be a special opportunity for students to share their new knowledge and learning about Systems, showcasing how they can inspire others to encounter Christ and find ways to serve and sustain our common home.
We hope to see you there to support and encourage our learners as they share their learning with you!
Mahi Tahi Parent/Students/Teacher Conferences
Tuesday 15th/Wednesday 16th July Week 1, Term 3
Mahi Tahi/Parent, Student, and Teacher conferences will take place during the first week of Term 3. A Hero notice will be sent inviting you to book a formal 15-minute interview with your child’s kaitiaki/teacher before the end of this term. This will be a valuable opportunity to share information about your child’s progress and achievement in relation to the expectations for their year level. Please check and read the notices on Hero.
Community Meetings / Hui This Term
We warmly welcome our school whānau to connect with us during this term. Throughout the coming weeks, we will be holding a series of hui and meetings where we invite you to share your thoughts, hopes, and ideas. Your voice matters, and it helps guide how we grow and support all our tamariki. This term is also a time of celebration. Together, we will honour the identity, culture, and language of our diverse communities through Language Weeks and other shared events.
We would love to plan and celebrate these moments with you, and welcome your ideas for activities, stories, and ways of bringing language and culture to life in our kura.
Ngā mihi nui – we look forward to seeing you soon.
Indian and Sri Lankan Families Gathering Friday 6th June 3.00pm – 4.30pm
Filipino Families Independence Day Celebrations Thursday 12th June 5.30pm – 7.30pm
Namaskārām, Sat Shri Akaal, Vanakkam, Ayubowan and Greetings!
Dear Families
We invite all our Indian and Sri Lankan families for a meeting on Friday 6th June @ 3.00pm – 4.30 pm in the staffroom, to share ideas and plan to celebrate Indian Independence Day at school.
We hope you can meet with us to help plan and make this a special celebration time together.
Many thanks,
Mrs Fernandes, Mrs Sherlock, Mrs Davies and Mr Shaji
Philippines Independence Day Celebrations
Our Filipino Families will be gathering together on Thursday 12th June at 6:00pm in Taamaua /school hall commencing with a shared meal.
We look forward to spending special time together with our Filipino families as we celebrate Filipino Independence Day.
Please bring a plate of food to share for dinner.
After dinner, we will have some fun learning activities to engage with so we are all learning and playing together! There will also be time to share ideas.
We value this time together in getting to know our families, your stories, your desires for your children and your desires for our school. Please come along and share in this special time!
PTFA News …
Thanks to our wonderful, hard working PTFA for the fantastic night at the DISCO! Everyone had a super great time and it was so much fun for all of our families. $2,000 was raised for the playground project – thanks everyone!
PTFA Term 2 Events and Activities …
- Matariki Breakfast (Thursday 19th June)
- Celebrate the Maori New Year with a Matariki breakfast provided by the PTFA from 6.30am
- Pie & Cookie Fundraiser (Tuesday 24th June)
- Your family and friends will have the option to order some Cookie Time cookies and Oxford Pies through our fundraiser to lead into the winter months!
Pie & Cookie Fundraiser!
The PTFA are running an Oxford Pie and Cookie Time fundraiser, so reach out to your family and friends to get behind this exciting fundraiser! Your children brought home some forms last week for you to collect all your orders on!
What do you need to do?
-
Reach out to your friends and family to let them know about this great fundraiser just in time for Winter!
-
Fill out the forms with their orders and return along with payment by Friday 6th June!
-
Orders will be available to pick up on Tuesday 24th June
-
You will pick up the entire order and distribute your orders to your friends and family!
-
Payment Details – Forms and payment to be made by Friday 6th June at 3pm.
Collection Details
Orders will be available for collection on Tuesday 24th June from the school kitchen between 2pm and 6pm.
If you can’t pick up your order during this period, please contact the PTFA at ptfa@holytrinity.school.nz prior to placing your order to organise another collection option to ensure we can accommodate your needs.
Thank you for all your support with this exciting fundraiser! All funds raised will go towards the great initiatives that the school and PTFA are looking to support this year.Any questions, please reach out to the PTFA at ptfa@holytrinity.school.nz to discuss.
Second Hand Uniform Shop Open
The PTFA will be running a Second Hand Uniform Shop
We have limited stock of a few items (polar fleece jumpers & hats) so if you’d like to donate any items, you’re welcome to bring those along as well or drop them into the office during school hours. Also, if you have any spare coat hangers you would like to donate, we could do with a few extras.
Ngā mihi nui
HTCPS PTFA
PTFA Matariki Breakfast
Kia ora e te whānau,
Please join us at 6:30am on Thursday 19th June for a special Matariki breakfast to celebrate Te Tau Hou Māori – the Māori New Year. This event will take place in Taamaua, our school hall.
Since this is an early morning event and the weather may be cooler, children are welcome to wear warm, everyday clothing instead of their school uniform.
Immediately after breakfast, we will offer a range of Matariki activities for whānau/families to enjoy and to celebrate Te Tau Hou Māori.
The schedule is as follows:
- 6:30am: Catholic Karakia to honour and celebrate Matariki
- 7:00–8:00am: Breakfast is served
- 7:00–8:30am: Matariki activities for families, including the Matariki Macarena (led by the children!)
Please note that parents are encouraged to stay with their children until 8:30am, as this is a family event and our school’s full-time staff capacity will not be in place until then. We kindly ask that students do not attend on their own.
We look forward to seeing you there to celebrate this special occasion with us!
Learning Community News
Whenua
In Science, our learners have been using the KWHLAQ framework alongside the scientific thinking process to explore the life cycle of living things, such as plants and insects/animals. Their current focus is on observation, where they carefully notice and record changes occurring in the potato, kūmara and choko experiment. These discoveries spark curiosity and interest, enabling students to ask meaningful questions leading them to the next step of forming hypotheses , which links to the W stage of KWHLAQ: What do I want to know?
In the Arts, our learners are exploring different systems of dance based on their prior knowledge and interests. They use brainstorming to create their own dance system and steps of movements related to ballet, hiphop, cultural and liturgical dances and working towards sharing a message of encountering Christ.
Awa
In Science, our learners have been using KWHLAQ in the lens of scientific thinking/process as they carry out their own Science investigations on “how systems sustain our common home”. They have compared how different systems affect our world and how the systems inspire us to sustain our common home. Our learners thoroughly enjoyed and connected the “Savvy and the Stolen Recycling’” show by A Fool’s Company, as a system that helps sustain our common home.
In Dance, our tamariki are so engaged in learning the different dance systems. They are also using the KWHLAQ process in choosing a dance system and how it can inspire others to encounter Christ. Dance is also integrated in RE learning as learners have been learning to compare different liturgical dances as part of comparing prayers, rituals and celebrations.
Maunga
During science time in Maunga, our learners have been focusing on our different body systems and how they are affected by our actions. Using the KWHLAQ process they have researched to answer questions they have and extended their knowledge of the muscular, circulatory, skeletal and digestive systems. Our learners have completed experiments on their chosen system to see if the actions they take really do change the way their body system reacts and then analysed the data to see if the effect is positive or negative, before presenting their new knowledge to the Learning Community.
Maunga was privileged to attend the Kori Pūrākau dance workshop this week. They learnt about different systems within dance and using art, stories and life experiences to inspire their dance movements. After taking part in a range of movement tasks the learners watched the Atamira Dance Company tell the legend of ‘The Baskets of Knowledge’ through dance. Awe-inspired, they split into four groups and worked together to choreograph a part of the story. Each group had their own unique interpretation and developed a dance that captured their ideas. At the end of the session every learner performed with their group – the group performances were outstanding, but the dance company didn’t stop there. For the final performance, they organised places on the stage, cued the groups and everyone performed together – what an incredible achievement!
Moana
Gymnastics
During Week 4, Year 5 and 6 students enjoyed an exciting gymnastics session. They practiced balance, flexibility, and coordination through fun activities. The students and teachers showed great enthusiasm and teamwork throughout their lessons. It has been wonderful to see their confidence grow with each skill they are learning. We look forward to many more gymnastics sessions throughout this term.
Science/STEM
Our learners have been busy investigating their questions around one of earth’s natural systems. They have discovered that humans have an impact on all of the systems, even ones that seem indestructible like the geosphere. Because of their learning, they are making connections to other systems in their home, at school and in the community.
We continue with our science experiments and exploring the Scientific Thinking Process. Ms Gill’s group discovered that when you don’t keep an important variable constant, it can mess up the experiment. Mrs Ali’s group discovered that an important part of experimentation is having all the necessary resources to run the experiment. Mrs Griffiths’ group learned that you need more than one variable for an experiment to work.
Hauora/WellBeing News
Awhi Team – Peer Mediators
Hi. We’re Caitlin and Elsa and we are peer mediators!Hauora Inclusion Day
Some of our tamariki had the opportunity to spend a day at Bruce Pulman Arena last week on Wednesday 21 May participating in the Hauora Inclusion Day. This day offered a variety of activities that are designed to support the well-being of all tamariki through inclusive play, physical activity and building relationships between students. It was wonderful to see our students give each activity a go, working together with a buddy or group, towards a common goal. It was a successful day for all as they played cricket, basketball, street racket, hungerball, circulability, athletics and so much more!
Book Club
Issue 4 of the Book Club is out now. You can view the catalogue and order online at https://scholastic.co.nz/Book Club Co-ordinator
Job Vacancy
We are advertising for a permanent Administration Assistant for Auckland Common Fund Limited.
Administration Assistant – Auckland Common Fund Limited– Part Time 24 hrs per week
The Catholic Diocese of Auckland is seeking a methodical, cheerful, dedicated, and highly efficient person for the role of Administration Assistant to the Operations Manager, Auckland Common Fund Limited to provide administration and operational support. This is a part-time role of 24 hours per week, Monday to Friday, with flexibility of hours between 9.30am and 3.30pm. Days/hours flexible for the right candidate.
Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills, along with proficient IT competency in Word, Excel, knowledge/experience of Internal Database or CRM systems (Trello) and Document Management Tools i.e. SharePoint. It would be advantageous to have knowledge of Credit Rating Platforms. Can work under own initiative and have a can-do approach to work and is accurate and organised.
For more details, and a full position description, please visit the Diocesan website https://www.aucklandcatholic.org.nz/staff-vacancies/
Applications close on 20 June 2025.
Kind regards
Leanne Killgour
People & Support Manager
Catholic Diocese of Auckland
Upcoming School Events
King’s Birthday PUBLIC HOLIDAY – school closed
Monday 2nd June
SAMOAN Language Week
Commences Monday 2nd June
Interschool Netball Competition
Wednesday 4th June @ Bruce Pulman Park
Samoan Lavalava Day
Thursday 5th June
Gymnastics/Fundamental Skills Lessons for Year 5 (10am-11am) and Year 6 (11am-12:00)
Thursday 5th June @ Bruce Pulman Park Recreation Centre
Samoan Cheehoo Competition Day
Friday 6th June @ 1:00pm
PTFA Second Hand Uniform Shop OPEN
Friday 6th June 8:30am – 9:00am in Taamaua/school hall
Indian and Sri Lankan Families Gathering – shared afternoon tea/community meeting
Friday 6th June 3:00pm-4:30pm in the staffroom
St Mary’s Parish, Papakura ALPHA RETREAT DAY
Saturday 7th June @ St Ignatius of Loyola Catholic College
School Gathering Liturgy and Assembly – led by Ms Gill (LC Moana) and Ms Chua (LC Whenua)
Monday 9th June @ 8:50am in Taamaua/school hall
CAN DRIVE Collection
From Monday 9th June to Friday 13th June
Gymnastics/Fundamental Skills Lessons for Year 5 (10am-11am) and Year 6 (11am-12:00)
Wednesday 11th June @ Bruce Pulman Park Recreation Centre
Filipino Families Gathering – shared meal/Independence Day celebrations
Thursday 12th June 5:30pm-7:30pm in Taamaua/school hall
Holy Trinity Feast Day Celebrations
Friday 13th June at school – 9:15am Liturgy and 1:00pm Trinity’s Got Talent
The Most Holy Trinity Feast Day Parish/School Mass Celebrations
Sunday 15th June @ 10:30am at St Mary’s Papakura Church followed by morning tea in the parish hall
Cultural Groups Practices commence
Monday 16th June
PTFA Matariki Breakfast for HTCPS school community
Thursday 19th June 6:30am – 8:30am in Taamaua/school hall
School Gathering Liturgy and Assembly – led by Mr Kumar (LC Maunga) and Mrs Speechlay and Mrs Silva
Monday 23rd June @ 8:50am in Taamaua/school hall
OPEN Learning Day – sharing of our learning!
Tuesday 24th June 8.30am–10.00am and 1.00pm–3.00pm
PTFA Pies and Biscuits ORDER pickup!
Tuesday 24th June pick up from 2:00pm – 6:00pm in the staffroom
PTFA (Parent, Teachers and Friends Association) Monthly Meeting
Tuesday 24th June @ 7:00pm in the school staffroom
HERO ON line Digital Reporting published
Wednesday 25th June
School Board Monthly Meeting
Wednesday 25th June @ 7:00pm in the school staffroom
YCC Non-Uniform Day
Friday 27th June
Term 2 Concludes
Friday 27th June 2:50pm
Term 3 Commences
Monday 14th July 8:50am
NZ Modern School of Music Competitions
Upcoming Community Events
Artz on Show School Holiday Performing Arts Workshop
STARS Netball Season
There is the chance to win a signed Stars dress by simply adding the attached Stars 2025 game schedule in your school newsletter or social media!
