School Newsletter 19th June 2026

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 year marks 100 years since the passing of Venerable Meri Hohepa Suzanne Aubert, a remarkable woman who lived in Aotearoa New Zealand and dedicated her life to caring for others. TODAY, Friday June 19 is her birthday! Venerable Suzanne Aubert is one of our special Whānau Patrons.

Meri Hohepa Suzanne Aubert was born in France, but she chose Aotearoa as her home and founded a religious congregation called The Sisters of Compassion. She lived and worked alongside Maori, learning Te Reo Maori and honouring Tikanga. Suzanne Aubert cared for all people who were poor, sick, abandoned or forgotten.

She believed deeply in aroha, manaakitanga, and puaroha. Suzanne once said: “Love one another and help each other as much as you can.” For her, compassion was not just a feeling, it was something you did. She showed compassion by listening, by healing, by welcoming people, and by treating everyone with dignity and respect.

As we remember Meri Hohepa Suzanne Aubert 100 years on, we want to celebrate compassion.

Compassion can mean:

• noticing when someone is hurting,

• caring about how others feel,

• choosing kindness, even when it is hard,

• standing up for people who are left out.

Our School Aubert Whānau gathered this afternoon to share and reflect about what Compassion/Arohanui means to us.

They reflected on …

• What do you think compassion is?

• Who has shown compassion to you?

• How can you show compassion at school, at home, or in your community?

• How can you live with aroha for others every day?

We are so proud of our Aubert Whānau for their reverence and prayerfulness in celebrating Mother Suzanne Aubert! What a wonderful woman we have as a Whānau Patron to inspire us in the way we live our own lives! (Source: Compassion Te Pūaroha/Our Lady’s Home of Compassion)

From the School Board …

Kia ora koutou, Talofa lava, Malo e lelei, Bula vinaka, Namaste, and warm greetings to our wonderful Holy Trinity whānau,

As we approach the end of another busy term, I want to take a moment to reflect on all that we have achieved together and to share some important updates with you.

Thank you to our PTFA

First and foremost, a huge thank you to our PTFA for their incredible support this term, especially the delicious pizza lunch, pie and cookie orders, and your support for the Year 6 Camp and the Holy Trinity Feast Day. Your dedication to fundraising has been outstanding, and we are especially grateful for your contributions towards the Senior Playground. We are pleased to share that planning has begun for this project, that will benefit our senior students for years to come. We look forward with anticipation to the upcoming Matariki Breakfast and the Disco, which is next Friday. Thank you for your tireless efforts and for being the heartbeat of our school community.

Community Hui and Strategic Planning

We have been deeply moved by the participation and generosity of our community in our recent hui. These gatherings have been invaluable in gathering feedback to help shape our new strategic plan, which will be developed later this year.

• To our Filipino community – we extend our warmest congratulations to you on your Independence Day. Your rich culture and vibrant spirit enrich our school in so many ways.
• To our Māori whānau – thank you for attending your hui and for sharing your wisdom and insights with us. Your voice is essential to our journey.
• To our Pasifika families – we are truly grateful for your contributions at your hui. Your stories and aspirations help us grow as a more inclusive and connected community.

Your feedback will guide the future direction of our school, and we thank you for walking this journey with us.

Important Roadworks Update

We have been advised by Vector that essential electrical network upgrades will continue in our area until approximately mid-August 2026. The work involves excavation, installation of underground cables, and overhead pole and cabling work.

Please be aware of the following traffic management measures that may affect travel to and from school:

• Airfield Road will be closed from Porchester Road to Mill Road until 31 July. Access for businesses, residents, and Holy Trinity School will be maintained.
• Stop/Go traffic lights will operate on Airfield Road from Porchester Road to Mill Road from early late July to assist traffic flow.
• Weekend detours on Mill Road (intersection of Airfield Road) will occur from 27 June to 26 July for 3–4 weekends. Traffic will be detoured west onto Airfield Road, with traffic lights not operational during weekends.
• A mixture of Stop/Go works along Airfield Road, and at the intersection of Mill Road and Airfield Road, will take place from 4 July to 9 August.

Thank You to Our Staff

Finally, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to our dedicated staff for their hard work throughout this term. Your commitment to the curriculum refresh and your efforts in preparing for the new reporting expectations – which families will soon see in practice – have been extraordinary. Thank you for going above and beyond for our tamariki every single day.

Wishing you all a restful and safe break with your whānau.

Ngā mihi nui,

Jason Farley
Presiding Member, Board of Trustees
Holy Trinity Catholic Primary School, Takanini

DRS Report

Kahui Ako Mass

This Friday, all of our Year 5/6 tamariki travelled by bus with their teachers and joined the other South Auckland Catholic Schools at St Anne’s Parish Manurewa with a special Mass. Some of our children had special ministry roles in the Mass and participated well. It was a wonderful opportunity for our senior students to have time to connect and socialise with students from our wider Catholic community.

End of Term Mass

On Wednesday 1 July, we will be gathering together as a school community in Taamaua/school hall to celebrate our end of Term Mass with Father Tony King-Archer. We invite all our whānau and friends to come along and attend our school Mass at 9:30am as we give thanks for this awesome term. Our students and staff from Aubert Whānau will be leading our school Mass.

Can Drive Week

During the last week of the term, commencing Monday 29 June, our school will be running our annual local outreach Can Drive for St Vincent de Paul in Papakura. All students and staff are to bring a can of food to donate to St Vincent de Paul in Papakura to support families who are in need of food items this winter. Each can is worth 10 points for the whānau group your child belongs to. So let’s all work together to bring what we can to help those who need our help.

YCC Day/Pyjama Day

On the last day of the term, Friday 3 July, we will be ending our term with a non-uniform day to celebrate YCC Day. YCC is an acronym for many outreach ideas that Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand encourages our Catholic schools to get involved in. YCC – Youth Creating Change, Your Choice of Clothing, Young Catholics Care. This means that on this day, we will come to school wearing our pyjamas or onesies and bring a can of food to donate to our can drive for St Vincent de Paul.

Mahi Tahi Student/Parent/Teacher Learning Conversations

Our Mahi Tahi Learning Conversations will take place next week. Please refer to the HERO notification sent earlier this week inviting you to book a 15-minute interview with your child’s kaitiaki/teacher. 

You will be able to choose from the following times:

• Tuesday 23rd June, 1.30pm-7.00pm
• Wednesday 24th June, 3.30pm-6.30pm.

Mahi Tahi provides a valuable opportunity to strengthen the partnership between home and school in support of your child’s learning and wellbeing. These conversations will give you time to discuss your child’s progress, celebrate learning, identify next steps for learning and explore ways to support learning at home.

On Tuesday, children can be collected from school at 1:00pm. Otherwise they will be supervised in Taamaua/the school Hall until the normal end of the day school time of 2:50pm.

Reporting to Parents Changes

The Ministry of Education is making a number of changes to the requirements for the way that schools provide “reporting to parents”. Schools are required to report on students’ progress and achievement in relation to the refreshed New Zealand curriculum areas of English and Mathematics and Statistics.

This is a great resource link to access that will give you further information in regard to the changes and their purposes https://www.education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/parent-portal/guide-your-childs-reporting-and-progress

Our school uses HERO as our Student Management System (SMS) – with a key function being the digital reporting of students’ learning.

For the mid year report you will be able to access your child’s Term 2 Mid Year Report by clicking on the Learning & Progress page.

You will see a Term 2 report that includes:

• Information on achievement and progress in Reading and Writing (English) and Maths (Mathematics & Statistics) at the expected curriculum year level  for your child 
• New progress descriptors: emerging/ developing/ consolidating / proficient/ exceeding in relation to how your child’s learning is progressing
• A comment about why the selected progress descriptor was chosen, a comment for next learning steps and a comment for ways to support this learning at home 
• Assessment results
• A visual representation of a your child’s progress over time – a line graph
• An Attendance record 

You will also be able to click on the My Learning Wall page for learning goal updates and to click on their Learning Community page for comments on achievement and progress in the Science and Health & P.E curriculum learning areas.

Mid Year Term 2 Reports will be published to parents on Monday 22nd June. Mahi Tahi Student/Parent /Teacher Conferences will be held Tuesday 23rd and Wednesday 24th June – this will be a vital opportunity to meet with kaitiaki/teachers to share the new reporting information!

Teacher Only Day

School will be closed for students on Friday 14th August Term 3.

Teachers and Support Staff will be involved in our second professional development and learning day about the newly released New Zealand Curriculum Refresh, Mathematics and Statistics Learning Area. This is a Ministry of Education approved Teacher/Staff Only Day. 

This teacher-only day will provide our school with a dedicated time to understand and engage with changes across The Mathematics and Statistics Learning area of the NZ Curriculum. It is an opportunity for our kaitiaki to share ideas and expertise and to grow in our confidence in implementing the refreshed curriculum and assessment changes.

Please make alternative arrangements for your child/ren on this day. 

“Honouring Bruce Pulman”

This week, our school staff and students were invited to attend a ‘Presentation of Korowai o Ranginui Honouring Bruce Pulman’ at Papakura Marae.

We were very keen to attend as we wanted to honour Bruce too by having HTCPS school representatives at this special occasion. Bruce is a wonderful benefactor to our school and has been very generous in his sponsorship and funding of our students’ gymnastic lessons at the BPP Recreation Centre for the past 3 years. 

Unfortunately our senior teachers, senior leadership team and Year 5/6 students were away attending our Kāhui Ako Mass at St Anne’s Parish in Manurewa on the same day and at the same time! 

Therefore we are very grateful to our staff, students and families who attended on our behalf – they were great representatives of Holy Trinity School.

Thank you to Mrs Carmel Stewart; Mrs Rachel Farley and Katherine, Lilith and Xander; Mrs Brooke Soo Choon and Lawlor, Clover and Forest; Mrs Lenis Martin and Te Awhina; and Enzo Tabobo and Zeek Soriano for representing our school so magnificently! 

It was such an honour to be invited to be part of this very significant occasion in paying our respects to Bruce Pulman and acknowledging all he has contributed to our community during his time. A true taonga and a memory to treasure for years to come!

Congratulations News!

A huge CONGRATULATIONS to Mrs Buzmion, Lucy and family, Mrs Chua, Umaiza and Uzziah and family and to Gabi and the Cueto family for their fantastic efforts in gathering and removing the pesty moth pods from our local environment!

They have won FIRST PRIZE! And $500 for our school to spend on looking after and caring for our school environment – WOW!

Together, Team Whenua collected 2,709 moth pods with 240,316 collected across all of South Auckland which means 168 million moth pod seeds were taken out of our community! Moth plants are harmful to our environment, so every pod collected helps to protect our native plants and wildlife. THANK YOU TEAM WHENUA!

And Congratulations to …

Tala Atienza for great music exam results – we are very proud of you! Well Done on your achievements – ka mau te wehi!

Celebrating Philippines Independence Day

Congratulations to our Filipino whānau who gathered last Friday evening to celebrate the 128th Anniversary of Philippines Independence Day.

It is such a gift to belong to two cultures – it is something to be treasured and nurtured and that’s why it it so important to take every opportunity to teach our children their home culture and language and to always celebrate culture, language and history. Our families have so much to be proud of!

Thank you to all the many hands that helped behind the scenes to make this a special evening of celebration. Pagpalain ng Diyos!

Learning Community News

Ngahere

Last week, Learning Community Ngahere enjoyed a fantastic session with Hato Hone St John, where students learned age-appropriate ways to respond in an emergency. Our tamariki were highly engaged and enthusiastically participated in the interactive activities led by Sue. On their return to class, learners wrote a procedure on how to save people’s lives in an emergency. They had to remember the 3S –  i.e SAFE; SHOUT and SHAKE; SIDE.

In Religious Education (RE), our children have continued to deepen their relationship with God through prayer. They selected their favourite name and image of God and used these as inspiration to write their own personal prayers.

In Mathematics, our learners have been exploring position, location, turns, and pathways. They have developed their understanding through a range of hands-on experiences, including physical games and activities using Bee-Bots.

Awa

Learning Community Awa has been learning about growth in their relationship with God throughout their spiritual journey. They have also explored the Holy Trinity as a model of hope, reflecting on how God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit inspire us to live with unity and love for all people. Learners considered how their chosen name or image of God is a taonga within our Catholic story, and shared what it means to them personally.

In Literacy, a person from St John came to school to teach learners about emergency response. Learners wrote recounts about this experience, including how to respond in dangerous situations, check for danger, seek help, and contact emergency services.

In Mathematics, learners have been developing their understanding of number operations by solving multi-step addition and subtraction problems involving numbers up to 100, using a range of strategies to explain their thinking.

We are proud of the focus, curiosity, and engagement shown by our tamariki throughout their learning.

Ka mau te wehi, Learning Community Awa!

Maunga

Learning Community Maunga has been working on science experiments to prove or disprove theories they had about navigation in the 1800s. They learnt how clouds are formed, how warm and cold currents work, why the colour changes depending on the depth of the water and how a compass actually works. Then we discussed how these affected the way the captains navigated our Whānau Patrons’ ships the way that they did.

We also enjoyed our time with Sue from St. John’s, learning how to put someone in the recovery position, call 111 for help and bandage a deep gash. She was very informative and had catchy slogans we will remember.

Moana

LC Moana has been busy writing letters to the School Board requesting that the Board support programmes that enrich our learners’ hauora. Using persuasive writing techniques, the tamariki explained why camp and outdoor education activities support the four pou of hauora: taha hinengaro/mental health, taha tinana/physical health, taha wairua/spiritual health, and taha whānau/social health. Our learners are hoping the Board will be persuaded to continue to fund and also support the kaitiaki to make these valuable learning opportunities available to other tamariki. 

In Religious Education, we have been learning about Saints (Year 6) and the Apostles (Year 5) and the learners have been busy producing posters or newspaper articles sharing what they have learned about their chosen Saint or Apostle. Next they will be critically reflecting on how their chosen Saint/Apostle inspires them to learn, love, and serve. 

In Science, we are wrapping up our learning about how sailors used the taonga of knowledge about weather, tides, and currents to help them get our whānau patrons to Aotearoa New Zealand safely. Using the Scientific Thinking Process, they have written explanations to share their understanding. The tamariki will be placing their explanation in their treasure chest (trunk) to represent that their own knowledge is also a taonga. 

Our tamariki are busy competing in the times tables competition “The Challenge”. It’s an online programme to practice the times tables on the way to the summit of a virtual mountain. Motivation is high to reach the top and be the best maths group in the LC and with other schools. Many of our learners come to school and eagerly jump on a chromebook straight away in their bid to earn points and move up the mountain. It’s a fun way for them to learn their times tables which will be of great help during maths lessons. 

Dare to Dream Production

Next Tuesday 23 June, our Year 5 tamariki will be travelling to St Ignatius of Loyola Catholic College to watch the production of ‘Dare to Dream’ performed by the college students. It’s a wonderful opportunity for our learners to watch The Arts come alive with music, dance and drama as well as an opportunity for them to ask questions of the actors at the end. It promises to be a great production!

PTFA News … PTFA DISCO NIGHT!

Kia ora Holy Trinity whānau!

Hauora/WellBeing News

Travelwise News – Keep Walking and Wheeling!

Over the past few weeks, the weather has not been very favourable, with plenty of rain and cold mornings! Despite this, we still have a number of tamariki who continue to walk or wheel to school, which is truly admirable. We are proud of their resilience, determination, and positive attitude.

The Travelwise Team would love to see more students showing this same resilience, especially those who live close to school. Walking or wheeling to school is a great way to stay active, build independence, and help reduce traffic around our school.

We are continuing to record the names of students who walk or wheel to school each day and celebrate their efforts with fortnightly prize draws.

Congratulations to our latest winners:

• Elaina – LC Moana
• Kaley – LC Awa

Well done to both students for being fantastic Travelwise role models!

A Message from the Travelwise Team

As we move through the winter season, please remember to take extra care when travelling to and from school. Stay safe, keep warm, and be prepared for changing weather conditions.

– Bring your raincoat and umbrella to school.
– Wear warm clothing on chilly mornings.
– Take care when walking, wheeling, or crossing roads in wet weather.

Keep up the great work, tamariki—we look forward to seeing even more students walking and wheeling to school this term!

Awhi Team – Peer Mediators

Sports News

This term, our Netball team demonstrated exceptional engagement and sportsmanship during the North Counties Netball Tournament held at Papakura Netball Centre. The players showcased outstanding teamwork and resilience, embodying the spirit of kotahitanga (unity). Their hard work paid off as they won all their matches, only narrowly falling short in one game. A big “Ka Pai” to our dedicated parent helpers for organising and supporting the team throughout the season — your involvement made a real difference!

 Looking ahead, our students from Learning Communities Moana and Maunga have already begun preparations for the upcoming Cross Country event, which is scheduled for Term 3, Week 1. We’re excited to see their continued effort and enthusiasm as they train and get ready for this upcoming challenge. 

Congratulations to our school Netball team, and best wishes to  Learning Communities Moana and Maunga as they prepare for the upcoming Cross Country event!

Matariki / Puanga Learning Day

Matariki and Puanga mark the Māori New Year and are a special time for reflection, celebration, and looking ahead with hope. This year, Matariki falls during the school holidays, so we will hold our Puanga/Matariki Learning Day on Thursday, 2nd July, from 11.00am to 1.00pm.

Our learners will spend the day in their whānau groups taking part in activities planned by our kaitiaki and teachers to grow their understanding of Puanga, Matariki and Te Ao Māori. It will be an opportunity for us to learn together, celebrate together, and reflect on what this special time means for us as a school community.

Our learning will focus on three key themes:

Remembering – taking time to remember and honour those who have passed away since the last rising of Matariki and Puanga.

Celebrating the present – coming together in gratitude for the people, experiences, and blessings we have in our lives.

Looking to the future – setting hopes and aspirations for the year ahead and embracing the opportunities it may bring.

We look forward to sharing this special day with our learners as we celebrate Matariki and Puanga and the values of remembrance, gratitude, and hope.

Nau mai, haere mai … Friday 3rd July

Ngā mihi o Matariki, te tau hou Māori – Happy Matariki the Māori New Year!

You are warmly invited to join us at school to celebrate Matariki.

Please come along for a Matariki breakfast, generously provided by our PTFA.

Matariki Breakfast put on by our PTFA

6.30 am Catholic karakia to honour and celebrate Matariki
6.45 am Rolling breakfast served

After breakfast:

Self-directed activities will be available for whānau after breakfast

7.30 am-8:30 am Kaitiaki will supervise Matariki activities for whānau

Mānawatia a Matariki!

Cultural Groups

Our cultural groups are off to a fantastic start, and we are delighted to see our students embracing the opportunity to celebrate and share their cultures. All students will take part in cultural activities every Monday morning from 9.30–10.30am. The groups include Māori Kapa Haka, Filipino, Pasifika, Indian, and Diversity.

We are looking forward to a special Cultural Performance Evening later in Term 3, where our students will have the opportunity to perform for our school whānau and community. It will be a special night and a wonderful opportunity for our students to shine. We will keep you updated with further details closer to the time.

Duffy Books in Homes

Our Duffy Books will be arriving in the next two weeks, and we can’t wait for every child to take home their new books (which are free to our families). Reading at home is one of the best ways whānau can support learning. Even just 10–15 minutes of reading each day helps build vocabulary, comprehension, confidence, and a lifelong love of books. We encourage families to make the most of these wonderful books by reading together, talking about the stories, and celebrating the joy of reading at home.

Term 2 Attendance Dues – Now Due

Term 2 Attendance Dues must be paid by Friday 3rd July unless you are paying by automatic payment. All financial statements were sent out by HERO last week.  All Term 2 Dues must be paid in full unless you are making regular automatic payments. We are required to send these funds to the Diocese by the end of next week.

Please note that there are 3 options for payment of the Attendance Dues and Catholic Special Character Contribution

1. Full amount paid by Internet Banking to ASB school account – details for payment are on the statement.
2. Automatic Payment to be set up via internet banking to ASB school account
3. Payment can be made at the school office – cash or Eftpos

Many of our families choose the AP (Automatic Payment) option to make a small payment each week or fortnight which helps families to manage their financial budget for the year. This is a very good option and one that is encouraged by our school. For those families paying by Automatic Payment (AP), please note that 2026 payments must all be completed by 1st December 2026.

Please see Carmel Stewart (Office Administrator) or Peta Lindstrom (Principal) in the strictest confidence if you have any concerns or questions regarding the payment of Attendance Dues.

Financial Assistance is available for payment of Attendance Dues.

sKids July Holiday Programme

  sKids July Holiday Programme is Here! 

Get ready for two weeks of action-packed fun these school holidays! Children will explore the world through sport with exciting themed days, creative make-and-take activities, cultural experiences, games, challenges, cooking, and fantastic excursions.

Highlights include: 
sKids World Cup
Ten Pin Bowling
Movie Trip – Minions & Monsters
Matariki Lantern Making
DIY Team T-Shirts
Foosball Game Make & Take
Funtastic Finale Celebration

Spaces fill quickly, so book early to avoid missing out! Only $40 per full session*

For more information and bookings, visit:
sKids Holiday Programmes or call 0800274172 *T&Cs apply

St Ignatius College “Dare to Dream” Musical Review

St Ignatius of Loyola Catholic College presents their Disney Musical Review “Dare to Dream” in the coming weeks.

Wednesday 24th June 7:00pm
Thursday 25th June 7:00pm
Friday 26th June 7:00pm
Saturday 27th June 1:00pm Matinee and 7:00pm

Tickets are available via the school’s website or on the door.

Wishing the staff and students … performers and musicians every good wish for a wonderful time of music, song, dance and drama!

HJ Elite Academy – Holiday Soccer Development Programme 

https://www.hjeliteacademy.co.nz/school-holiday-soccer-program-auckland/

HJ Elite Academy – Holiday Soccer Development Programme

 Registration is now open! 

Looking for a fun and active way to keep the kids engaged, entertained, and learning during the school holidays?

Join our Holiday Soccer Development Programme with HJ Elite Academy!”

New Funded Health Service – Unichem Takanini Pharmacy

We’re pleased to let you know about a new funded health service available that is now available through Unichem Takanini Pharmacy supporting easier access to care for students and their families.

 No consultation fee (many pharmacies will charge)

 Free prescriptions*

 Walk-in access – no appointment required

 Private consultation rooms

 Professional, experienced and friendly staff

Reminders!

Managing our School Roll

Holy Trinity is now “managing” our school roll for 2026. Some of our learning spaces and year levels are now at  capacity for the year. This includes students who are already pre-enrolled for the 2026 year. The lack of further buildings/learning community spaces means we are in a position of having to manage school enrolments for new inquiries. Families are welcome to place their child on the preference waiting list for 2027 – this does not guarantee a placement for 2027 as we will only be able to accept siblings as a first priority.

Upcoming School Events

Cultural Groups continue
Monday 22nd June 9:30am-10:30am in Learning Communities

Mahi Tahi Student/Parent/Teacher Conferences
Tuesday 23rd June 1:30pm-7:00pm and Wednesday 24th June 3:30pm-6:30pm @ school

PTFA Monthly Meeting
Tuesday 23rd June 7:00pm in the school staffroom

School Board Monthly Meeting
Wednesday 24th June 6:00pm in the school staffroom

PTFA School DISCO
Friday 26th June 5:30pm – 8:00pm in Taamaua/school hall

CAN Drive for St Vincent de Paul
From Monday 29th June

School Gathering Liturgy and Assembly – led by Mrs Sherlock/LC Awa and Mrs Buzmion/LC Whenua
Monday 29th June @ 8:50am in Taamaua/school hall

End of Term School Mass – led by Aubert whanau 
Wednesday 1st July @ 9:30am in Taamaua/school hall – Fr Tony presiding

Celebrating Matariki Learning Day
Thursday 2nd July @ 11:00am – 1:00pm in Whānau Groups

Celebrating Matariki Breakfast – hosted by our PTFA
Friday 3rd July @ 6:30am in Taamaua/school hall

YCC Non-Uniform Day
Friday 3rd July 

Term 2 Concludes
Friday 3rd July

Term 3 Commences
Monday 20th July

Upcoming Community Events

Little Scientists Holiday Programme