Greetings, Kia ora, Kia orana, Talofa, Mālō e lelei, Namaste, Ni Hao, Bula, Hola, Kumusta, Namaskārām,
Sat Shri Akaal, Vanakkam and Ayubowan
Dear Families
Term 3 has certainly been a busy term for Holy Trinity Catholic Primary School! As you read through the newsletter, you will be able to note all the various activities and events students have been involved in both at school and within our wider school community in just this week alone! It’s also been great to see such wonderful engagement with our whānau at the different events – and even better that it is our whānau and students leading these times of unity and community!
Our school Gospel value of hiranga/excellence is a very apt way to describe our busy school term, celebrating the many ways we have demonstrated excellence across all aspects of school life.
Thank you to our School Board, our PTFA, our priest, Fr Mathew, our staff (teaching and support staff) and to our whānau, who together guide and lead us to achieving excellence.
We give thanks …
Today we gathered as a school community to say a HUGE thank you to our School Board members who are retiring after many, many years of service to Holy Trinity Catholic Primary School.
There are many people in our school community who enact our vision of SERVE Ka Manaaki and a very special group of people who do this are our school Board – they truly epitomise what it means to serve! We have been so very well governed by our very active Board.
I acknowledge Philip, as an Establishment Board member and Presiding Member who has been instrumental in “birthing and growing” Holy Trinity. Philip was appointed as Chairperson of the Establishment Board way back at the beginning of 2015 when the Diocese was still only ‘thinking about Holy Trinity School being built’. He has had such a long association with school and over the years has governed with such wisdom and expertise. He has been such a blessing to our foundation team and to all those who have joined our Holy Trinity community in recent times. We have all seen and felt Philip’s presence and care for us as individuals – he is so proud of the HTCPS staff and children and our families! And we see this in the photos we have shared today.
To all our retiring and very engaged Board members – Apaula Lautua, Trish Martin, Vineetha Uthamaputhiran, Alma Santos and Lenis Martin. Thank you for leading our school so competently. You have embraced and honoured your respective governance roles and worked so tirelessly on our behalf. THANK YOU!
We also welcomed Anna Soo Choon’s whānau to be with us for this time of thanksgiving. Anna served on our school Board as a Bishop Appointee since 2017. With a warm, kind and loving spirit, she gave generously of her time to serving in so many different ways. Anna was a great link between our school and St Mary’s Parish, always keeping us up to date with what was happening in the community and encouraging the school to become involved in Parish activities. Anna will always be in the hearts and prayers of the Holy Trinity Family – may she rest in eternal peace.
Together – we have learnt about building community through whanaungatanga/relationships, through knowing your role, through being visible – present – for making the differences that has strengthened our community – for being inspirational for one another – to inspiring mana in ourselves and in others. These are powerful connected visionary intentions that have been brought to life by you – our Board along with our kaitiaki, our learners and our families – so that we can truly celebrate our faith, our learning, and our culture as a catholic school and as Christian people.
Thank you for truly enriching our HTCPS community!
Philip Cortesi’s Community Message …
From Philip Cortesi- Immediate Past Presiding Member of the Holy Trinity Catholic Primary School Board.
After almost 11 years on The Holy Trinity Catholic Primary School Board, and being its presiding member, I have made the decision to step down and create a space for another Holy Trinity parent to become involved at board level. It has been a very fulfilling experience and a pleasure and privilege to serve the school and community over this time, especially the children.
Including those in the current board team, (prior to last week’s election), I have served with 27 other Board members, an outstanding principal in Peta Lindstrom, an amazing senior leadership team, many dedicated teachers, learning assistants and support staff, many wonderful children and their committed and supportive whānau- I couldn’t have asked for more! We have a faith-filled school family, committed to providing the best Catholic education we can for our children. All of you have made and continue to make significant contributions to help shape our wonderful centre of learning. Bless you all!
I also acknowledge the work of our present board members and all those who have gone before, for the passion, commitment and time and effort put into the role of being board members.
At the beginning of 2015 we started with the deserted chicken farm with its asbestos filled chicken sheds and overgrown land, with long grass and weeds everywhere! Two years later, in February 2017, we opened the school with 56 children! The actual build only took 6 months!
Since that time, the school has grown in number to a roll of 300, as we have seen many more newcomers join our family. Our diverse school community of many cultures, continues to go from strength to strength and the level of engagement by so many of our whānau is commendable. Our school’s strategic plan is a reflection of government priorities and the many ideas that our school community have shared for the on-going development of our school. It clearly focuses on our Catholic Special Character, the well -being/hauora of everyone and student achievement.
The outdoor environment looks very different from that of 2015, with large playing fields, an adventure playground, a sacred space, playground markings, shade canopies etc. Thank you to our hard -working PTFAs and community for the significant contribution you have made to make these projects a reality, all for the benefit of our tamariki.
My congratulations go to the new board and I wish you well for the next stage of the school’s journey, knowing that our Lord is there to guide and support you, as you continue to learn, love and serve the Holy Trinity family.
I have been blessed for having had the opportunity to be on the board and to each and everyone who make up the Holy Trinity Catholic Primary School family I say THANK YOU. THANK YOU for your support, your collaboration and friendship and for the opportunity to be part of this wonderful community.
While I am stepping down from the board, I do not intend stepping away from the Holy Trinity family. It has been and will continue to be a special part of my life. I will be around for activities and events and who knows what else I might end up getting involved in
Again, thank you one and all.
May God bless you all
Philip Cortesi
Welcome to our New School Board!
CONGRATULATIONS to the following five candidates who have been elected to represent our parent community- Mitchell Wright, Ben Ruegg, Michelle Porter, Kelly Honey and Lipa Vaifale Muliaga . THANK YOU for putting your names forward and for your commitment to serving and enriching our school community.
Each school Board has an elected staff representative. We congratulate Michaela Griffiths who takes up this position on the new Board.
And we congratulate and welcome to the School Board, our Bishop’s Appointees who have the special role of ensuring the maintenance and enhancement of the Catholic Special Character of our school – Jason Farley, Maila Altamirano, Marvin Tabobo and Tim Silva.
May God /Atua bless our Board as we journey the road together – enlightening, guiding and protecting us on your way.
Our sincere thanks also goes to Jocelyn Ochoa, the Returning Officer for this Board election. Thank you Jocelyn for the organised and efficient way you managed the election process. In addition to your role as Office Administrator, the time commitment you gave to the election has been much appreciated!
DRS Report
Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand Competition
Every year, Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand runs an annual competition called Kaitiaki2Share and SINGout4JUSTICE. Kaitiaki2Share is a competition which students are invited to share a creative innovative way to promote awareness of caring for our common home. SINGout4JUSTICE is a competition that invites students to compose an original song or perform a cover of a song that connects to this year’s theme of: “Be the Voice of Hope”.
For SINGout4JUSTICE, we congratulate Lachlan Cortez who performed a cover song and received not only a certificate for his efforts but a handwritten note and score cards from the judges who praised his wonderful effort!
For Kaitiaki2Share, we have many students to celebrate.
Winner for the Year 3 Category – Lucy Buzmion
Finalist for Year 3 – Lachlan Cortez
Finalist for Year 1 – Mikayla Cortez
Notable Entries – Caitlin Atienza, Elsa Sajan, Olive Racaza, Francheska Palisoc, Lacey Rumary & Matt Alcantara
Congratulations to all these wonderful tamariki who used their creative and innovative ideas to share important messages to the world. For more information and for you to see some of these entries, please check out the website:https: //www.caritas.org.nz/kaitiaki2share
Whole School Mass
We will be having our Term 4 Mass in the first week back to school. We are inviting all our whānau to come along to our school Mass on Wednesday 8 October at 9:30am in Taamaua/school hall. Father Mathew of St Mary’s Parish, Papakura will be our celebrant as we begin our Term 4 journey for this year.
PTFA News …
HTCPS Family Photo Fundraiser – Saturday 4th October!
Kia ora Holy Trinity whānau!Key Details:
Date: Saturday 4th October
Time: Sessions available from 10am
Location: Holy Trinity Catholic Primary School
Cost: $20 per session
Details: Sessions are 10 minutes in length for up to 8 people, you will receive 5 digital photos via email post the session
Book via the following Google form: https://forms.gle/
Or email ptfa@holytrinity.school.nz for more details
Payment will be required to secure booking – once you fill out the above form, the PTFA team will be in contact confirm your booking time and payment details.
Bookings are required by Saturday 27th September.
Any questions please feel free to reach out to ptfa@holytrinity.school.nz
Have a great week!
Ngā mihi nui,
HTCPS PTFA
St Mary’s Papakura Parish News
A few months ago, Father Mathew hosted the first-ever Nurturing Young Lives Hui, a gathering focused on the well-being Hauora of our Rangatahi. The event was well-attended by a diverse group of principals, educators. youth leaders, health professionals, and parents – all deeply passionate about supporting our young people..
In this Jubilee year, we are called to be “Pilgrims of Hope.”
A new initiative has been created: the St Mary’s Church Whānau Hauora – Open Day.
This is a special day for our entire parish community, and the parish warmly encourages you to bring your family and friends.
A dedicated planning committee is now hard at work to make this day a reality. We want to show our Tamariki the love, care, and strong connections that come from being part of a faith community. We will share more details about the day in the coming weeks.
Kindly Save the date 11th October 2025 12pm to 3pm. We can’t wait to see you there!!
God Bless,
The Whānau Hauora Open Day Planning Committee
Term 3 HERO Reporting
This week, we shared our term’s learning with you on HERO. This included each student’s progress toward their learning goals in reading, writing, and maths—this information can be accessed by clicking on My Learning Wall in HERO.
You’ll also see their Tōku Reo, which shows how your child is developing important skills like relating, engaging, and working with others at school. These are capabilities that grow over time and help them with their learning journey.
Updates on student achievement in Religious Education and Technology were also shared. These can be viewed on your child’s Learning Community page in HERO (e.g. Learning Community Whenua).
We encourage you to sit with your child to read and discuss their HERO online reporting comments together, celebrating their learning successes and personal growth this term!
Teaching and Learning News
Cultural Performance Evening
What a wonderful night we had! Taamaua, our school hall, was packed with whānau who came eager and excited to see their tamariki perform. It was a colourful celebration, filled with cultural stories told through songs and dances that represented the diverse cultures and languages of our kura.
We are so proud of the learning, resilience and joy our tamariki and kaitiaki have shown throughout this term to prepare for this special evening.
Ngā mihi nui ki a koutou katoa whānau!
Te Wiki o te Reo Māori
To celebrate Te Wiki o te Reo Māori – Māori Language Week, our kaitiaki and ākonga shared their kupu and kīwaha learning from Wai Ako. These were displayed in their learning communities to encourage and support everyone to kōrero Māori.
Kia kaha te reo Māori! Let’s work together to make Māori language strong, to whakamana te reo Māori – to uplift and honour the language of the indigenous people of Aotearoa.
Thank you to all our Māori whānau who helped to celebrate Te Wiki o te Reo Māori by sharing a meal together on Monday evening. Kia mihi nui ki ngā tamariki me Mrs Speechlay, Mrs Cortez and Mrs Nadan for the great mahi/work undertaken to prepare the food for the kai cooker!
Sports News
2025 St Anne’s Shield
A huge thank you to all our tamariki who participated in the St Anne’s Shield Tournament last week. Our two netball teams and soccer teams demonstrated huge resilience and team work. We thank all our coaches Mr Kumar, Mr Watkins and Mrs Kippen who made time for after school practice and worked hard to prepare our children for the tournament. Although we didn’t come away with the shield, our soccer team did get third place in their competition. It was a wonderful day and we are very proud of all our children. Wonderful work from our Holy Trinity staff who worked hard in the background to run St Anne’s Shield Tournament for the day.
Hauora/WellBeing News
Travelwise Team News
On Wednesday our Travelwise tamariki handed out their travelwise cards to learners on their way home. These were used to spread awareness to families about the speed limit around schools, making sure everyone wears their seatbelt and to encourage slow, safe driving around our school.
The Travelwise team also went to each Learning Community and delivered the travelwise quiz for learners to take home and complete over the weekend. The questions stemmed from their earlier visits to share the important message of ‘stop, look, and listen’ when crossing the road and other travelwise safety messages.
Here are the lucky winners from each LC!
Thanks!
Travelwise team
Awhi /Peer Mediators Team News
Duffy Books in Homes Programme
sKids Holiday Programme Opportunity
This a great opportunity for your school to win a $1,000 donation through our Holiday HQ: Kids Fest promotion!
Term 4 School Uniforms
School Summer Uniform
Students are expected to be in the correct school uniform from Week 4 of Term 4, Tuesday 28th October (after Labour Day weekend). This includes the short sleeved blouse or shirt, open toed black school sandals and the school sunhat. Please name all items of clothing so that they can be returned to the children immediately when found.
Our School uniform is only available for purchase from NZ Uniforms on 20/5 Lambie Drive, Manukau.
All students are required to wear the correct school uniform for summer as listed below.
Girls Uniform
Skort or culotte tartan
Blue short sleeved monogrammed blouse (summer)
Black open toed school sandals (summer)
Navy bucket sun-hat monogrammed
Navy monogrammed school jersey, polar fleece OR school jacket
Boys Uniform
Navy shorts
Blue short sleeved monogrammed shirt (summer)
Black open toed school sandals (summer)
Navy bucket sun-hat monogrammed
Navy monogrammed school jersey, polar fleece OR school jacket
School Enrolments 2026
It is really important that we know of all younger brothers and sisters that are commencing schooling with us in 2026. If you have younger children at home due to commence school in 2026 and have not yet informed us, you need to URGENTLY contact the school office as enrolments have closed! Please make a time to meet with Miss Lindstrom so your children can be assured of a placement at Holy Trinity School for when they are ready to start in 2026.
School enrolments for 2026 CLOSED on 31st August 2025
and placements for 2026 will be confirmed by 30th September 2025.
Students Leaving at the End of 2025
Due to our need to manage our school roll of a maximum number of students, it is very important that you inform the school office immediately if you know that your child/children will be leaving Holy Trinity School at the end of this year, 2025 – other than our Year 6 students who will be transferring to new schools, to commence their Year 7. We have a number of children on the preference waiting list for 2026 commencement and we would like to ensure that we can confirm enrolment placements for them before the end of 2025. Thank you for your help in this matter.
2025 School Dates
The School Board has approved the school term dates for 2025 as:
Term One 10 weeks Monday 3rd February – Friday 11th April
Term Two 9 weeks Monday 28th April – Friday 27th June
Term Three 10 weeks Monday 14th July – Friday 19th September
Term Four 10 weeks Monday 6th October – Tuesday 16th December
Upcoming School Events
New School Board Induction Meeting
Monday 22nd September @ 7:00pm in the staffroom
Monthly School Board Meeting
Wednesday 24th September @ 7:00pm in the staffroom
School Whakatau/Welcome and Liturgy/Assembly – led by the Senior Leadership Team
Monday 6th October @ 9:15am in Taamaua/school hall
Rosary Prayer during the month of October
Mondays/Wednesdays/Fridays @ 8:50am in Taamaua/school hall
Fijian Language Week
Monday 6th October – Friday 10th October
Whole School Mass – Beginning of Term 4
Wednesday 8th October @ 9:30am in Taamaua/school hall
St Mary’s Parish Whānau Hauora Day
Saturday 11th October @ 12pm-3:00pm at St Mary’s Parish, Papakura
Term 4 Concludes
Tuesday 16th December 1:00pm
Upcoming Community Events
Little Scientists Holiday Programme
Papakura Rod and Custom Club Incorporated
Papakura Rod and Custom Club Incorporated has been around since 1972. We are a small club who loves to share and promote our sport with others. Quite often our cars are referred to as Hot Wheels cars by children.School Holiday Baking Challenge
Kumon Lessons – Free Trial
Papakura Junior Touch Summer League
