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 coming week we celebrate and commission our school’s 2026 student leaders. As a school community we pray for these wonderful student leaders and ask God to walk with them and guide them throughout this year as they grow in learning ka ako, loving ka aroha and serving ka manaaki. We pray our students will ‘encounter Christ’ and ‘be Christ’ to others by using their leadership and responsibility positions to grow, preserve, and continue our Catholic journey and charism as Holy Trinity people of hope, now and for the future.
Congratulations to all our student leaders and THANK YOU for saying YES!
Student Leaders 2026
Whānau Leaders
Aubert – Owen Taualai, Christen Altamirano and Emily Martin
MacKillop – Isaiah Raega, Khloe Kippen and Sierra-Marie Watkins
Pompallier – Lilac Encino, Dan Thorpe and Anthony Feagaiga
Patrick Dunn – Ngatalia Iripa, Mehtab Singh and Caleb de Vera
Catholic Special Character/Peer Ministry Team
Elaina Abin, Navisha Chand, Mia Galilea, Joseph Mangalassery, Isaiah Raega, Diesel Nielson, Katherine Farley, Petra Levkovska, Zoe Porter, Owin Weligamage, Robi Naskovski, Owen Taualai, Zheian Rosal
Cultural Leaders
Year 6: Venbaa Uthamaputhiran, Khloe Kippen, Sophia Beza, Edith Aita and Holy Vaasili
Year 5: Charlotte Ruegg, Petra Levkovska, Zoe Porter, Victoria Vredenburg, Ima Ebby, Daniel Kaloni, Emeliano Vi
Peer Mediators/ Awhi Team
Year 6: Sierra-Marie Watkins, Lilac Encina, Timothy Isip, Mason Briones-Ochoa, Caleb De Vera, Katherine Farley, Dan Thorpe, Sophia Beza, Mikhaya Joseph, Analina Truter and Christen Altamirano
Year 5: Precious Peter Tulaga, Charlotte Ruegg, Zheian Rosal, Victoria Vredenburg, Avery Cooper, Abigail Shiju, Daniel Kaloni, Geroline Ah Yen, Petra Levkovska, Ann Jacob, Te Awhina Fuiava, Clover Soo Choon, Isla Pagalunan and Andrew Alen
Hauora / Travelwise Team
Mia Galilea, Lawlor Soo Choon, Gabe Ah Ling, Makarios Jumma, Manroop Singh, Joseph Mangalassery, Zoey Isabelle Balute, Marion Rosales, Analina Truter, Anneli Quilang, Edith Aita, Jed Cinco, Mason Briones Ochoa, Patrice Perez and Mikhaya Joseph
School Board News
Community Consultation and Engagement
Kia ora koutou Holy Trinity Whānau
Thank you to so many of our school community who spent time talking with our Board members during Mahi Tahi Conference times. Gathering your thoughts will help us get underway with planning for the future development of our school.
We are starting early conversations to help shape our next Strategic Plan for 2027 and beyond, and your ideas and perspectives are an important part of this process.
Key areas are:
- Supporting Growth – What two things would most improve your child’s growth and success at our school?
- Learning & Curriculum – How can we better support you to understand and help with your child’s learning?
- Wellbeing – What should we strengthen to support student wellbeing and belonging?
- Communication & Partnerships – What should learning look like at our school to prepare students for their future?
- Our Culture – In 2027, what do you want our school to be known for?
These conversations will help us understand what matters most to our community, what is working well, and where we can grow. Your feedback will help guide the direction and priorities for our school over the coming years.
In considering the key focus questions you might also like to reflect on the following:
- Why do I send my children to Holy Trinity Catholic Primary School?
- What do I expect from the school with regard to my children’s education and learning?
As we progress through the year, please continue to be involved in the various opportunities offered for you to have your say. All your feedback is captured and considered as we move forward in the development of the school, so we can continue to provide the best Catholic education we can for our children.
Many thanks
Holy Trinity Catholic Primary School Board
PTFA News
THANK YOU PTFA team for organising and manning the BBQ Fundraiser on Wednesday afternoon /evening to support with the raising of funds for the planned senior adventure playground.
DRS Report
Commissioning of Student Leaders
On Monday 16 March, we will be commissioning our 2026 student leaders and presenting them with their leadership badges at the liturgy in Taamaua/school hall at 9:00am. We look forward to seeing you there as we present the badges to our Peer Ministry Leaders, Cultural Leaders, Whānau Leaders, Peer Mediators/Awhi Team and Travelwise Leaders.
RE Books Coming Home
Next week from Monday 16 March, your child will be bringing home their Religious Education books. We encourage families to make a time where their child/ren will share what they are learning about in RE with you. There will also be a space for you in the children’s RE books to write a whānau comment, a positive affirmation of the work that they are doing. Our kaitiaki/teachers will look forward to reading your whānau comments.
Caritas Lenten Appeal
Next Tuesday 17 March, our school will be having a non-uniform day where our tamariki and staff will come to school wearing “green” to celebrate St Patrick’s Feast Day. We are also encouraging our children to bring a gold coin donation to go towards our Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand works to support those who are in need across the different parts of the globe.
The theme for the 2026 Lent Appeal is “Hear the Voice, Answer the Call/ Whakarongo ki te Reo, Whakahokia te Karanga”. We look forward to seeing the school “coloured in green” as we stand in solidarity to help those who are in desperate need of our help.
Journey to the Cross
On Holy Thursday, which happens to be the last day of Term 1, our children will be leading in a special liturgy that commemorates Jesus’ final “Journey to the Cross”. We are inviting our school whānau to come along and be part of this special liturgy. We begin with the Last Supper where Jesus breaks bread with his disciples and shows servitude through the Washing of the Feet. This continues to when Jesus was captured and was condemned to death. On Thursday 2 April, at 12:00pm, we walk with Jesus on this journey and listen to the reflections from our tamariki. Come one, come all!
St Mary’s Parish Papakura Walkathon
Our school is supporting the Parish Walkathon which will take place on Saturday 11 April at Totara Park. Each Learning Community has their own sponsorship form which we ask for donations to go towards the building of a new Church. Thank you for your continued support and generosity!
Concert ChoirNZ
On Tuesday 21 April, we will present a special recital at St Michael’s Catholic Church, Remuera, marking the first anniversary of the passing of Pope Francis. This concert has been created as a musical commemoration of the life, leadership, and spiritual legacy of our Holy Father who was deeply admired across the world for his compassion, humility, and commitment to justice and service. The programme will feature John Rutter’s beautiful Requiem, along with sacred works by Poulenc, Howells, Harris, Artley, and Duruflé. The Choir will be joined by acclaimed soprano Elizabeth Mandeno, organist Philip Smith, and a small orchestra, performing in the wonderful acoustic of St Michael’s Church (by kind permission of Fr Tony Dunn).
Mahi Tahi Conferences Thank You!
Thank you to the large number of families who were able to meet with their child’s/children’s respective kaitiaki this past week. It was so wonderful to see so many families engaging with teachers and having the students present to share their learning goals and learning journey so far this year. It is such a valuable time and allows for these important discussions and for kaitiaki to share ideas for supporting learning at home. We also ‘get to know’ our families, further nurturing the relationship that is so central to the children’s learning and development success.
Teachers will also be following up with families for students in Learning Communities who were unable to be here last week.
Learning Community News
Learning Community Ngahere
In LC Ngahere, our tamariki have been learning to compare different elements of Drama and how these can be used to share the messages of our Whakapapa. Through the stories we explore in Literacy and Religious Education (RE), learners worked collaboratively to compare drama techniques and act out parts of our Whakapapa stories.
In Health and PE, tamariki have been exploring different PE equipment while learning how physical activity helps keep their tinana/bodies healthy. They have also been practising taking turns and showing care for their whānau by sharing equipment respectfully. Learners have been creating their own games that contribute to their hauora and overall wellbeing.
In Mathematics, we have been learning about the attributes of 2D and 3D shapes. Our learners are creating their own 3D shapes by identifying and considering the shapes’ attributes, such as faces, edges, and corners.
Learning Community Awa
LC Awa learners have been exploring how physical activity supports our hauora/well-being. We discussed how games can support physical movement, social connection, and enjoyment.
Learners then worked collaboratively to brainstorm ideas for their own games. They considered how their games support their physical, mental and emotional, social and spiritual wellbeing. Learners planned for the equipment needed, and started thinking about the rules to make their games fun and fair.
Learners will take their games outside and play them with other learners in our LC. It’s exciting to see them using teamwork, creativity, and movement while improving their wellbeing. These games will give everyone a chance to be active, have fun, and feel good together.
Learning Community Maunga
Continuing with our concept theme of “Our Story,” we have been busy learning how to write a narrative about the life of one HTCPS whānau patron. Our choices have been Bishop Jean Baptiste Francoise Pompallier, Marie Henriette Suzanne Aubert, Mary Helen MacKillop and Bishop Patrick James Dunn. Who knew they had so many names? We discovered while gathering information through a reliable search engine. It has been interesting to watch the learners’ knowledge grow and how, through this process of research and inquiry, they have found many small but interesting details as to who our whānau patrons were/are and how their lives have contributed to the development of our Catholic faith in Aotearoa/New Zealand. Their example of how they encountered Christ, as a call to mission, has had an everlasting effect on us as HTCPS whānau/learners.
Learning Community Moana
Our learners are very busy getting ready for our Living Museum Day being held on Tuesday 24 March from 11am-1pm in Taamaua. Everyone is welcome to come along and see our school’s Whakapapa (story) come alive! Learn about our whānau patrons, Chief Ihaka Takaanini, Governor Grey, and more people featured in our story.
Our Year 6 tamariki continue to enjoy their Technology sessions with Mrs Parkinson from St Ignatius of Loyola Catholic College. They are now working on their final project – amazing displays of people from our school’s Whakapapa using paint, stencils, and lights.
Next week is shaping up to be a very busy one for our Learning Community. On Monday, our school leaders will be commissioned during our liturgy. On Wednesday, a group of learners will be representing our school at a football tournament, and on Thursday some of our learners will attend the ‘Eye on Nature’ programme at the Auckland Botanic Gardens.
A big thank you to the members of our school whānau who will be coming along to support Mr Kumar on both of these trips. Your support is greatly appreciated!
Environmental News
Last weekend, Learning Community Team Whenua participated in Pest Free South Auckland’s Moth Plant Competition 2026. This is a project aimed at removing as many moth plant pods and seedlings as possible from the local environment. The competition ran from 2 – 8 March 2026, encouraging the community to collect and remove these invasive plants.
Moth plants are highly invasive, fast-growing climbing vines that kill our native plants by covering and suffocating them until they die. The plant produces a sap that can cause skin irritation, so wearing gloves is essential when removing these poisonous pest plants. They also pose health risks to humans, pets, and livestock.
The Whenua team was able to gather 541 pods/plants, which were disposed of at the moth plant disposal facility in Wiri. The collected plants will then be taken to Living Earth for hot composting.
Many thanks to the amazing Cueto and Griffiths families and to Sydney Buzmion, Lucy and family for their efforts in helping to clear our environment – a wonderful contribution to te taiao – our natural world. We are so very proud of you – Ka mau te wehi!
Hauora/WellBeing News
Awhi Team Peer Mediators
Our mediators are now trained and excited to be out in the playground supporting our kura’s tamariki to resolve small conflicts in healthy and positive ways.
If your child has a minor disagreement in the playground, please encourage them to look for our mediators wearing a green hi-vis jacket. They are there to help everyone feel heard and find fair solutions together.
Travelwise News
2026 Travelwise Lead Teacher Conference, was a wonderful day of connection, learning, and sharing practical ideas. The Conference brought together lead teachers from many schools to collaborate, reflect, and explore effective strategies that support leadership, teaching, and learning within the Travelwise programme.
One key focus area for our school is starting a Walking School Bus. A Walking School Bus is a safe and fun way for students to walk to/from school together with adult supervision. It promotes healthy habits, road safety awareness, and helps reduce traffic congestion around our school.
We have already shared a Walking School Bus survey on HERO, and we warmly invite interested whānau to support this initiative. Once we have enough parent volunteers, we would love to begin running the Walking School Bus for our students.
Auckland Transport is ready to support us by providing the necessary resources and training for parents who would like to help.
If you are interested in supporting or volunteering, please complete the survey on Hero. Your support will help us make this exciting initiative possible for our school community.
Thank you for helping us build a safer and healthier way for our tamariki to travel to and from school.
Sports News
Kia ora Whānau and Community,
As we kick off the new school year, we are excited to share our upcoming sports activities and events. Our sports programme is an important part of our school life, promoting teamwork, fitness, and fun for all tamariki.
This year, we will be engaging in a variety of sports, with each term dedicated to different activities. For Term 1, we are proud to participate in the North Counties Soccer Association Football Tournament, which will be held on the 18th of March. Year 5 and 6 boys will be representing our school in this exciting event.
In addition, we want to remind everyone about the importance of using our sports equipment correctly and safely. We have provided equipment for our tamariki to enjoy during break times and PE lessons. Please encourage your children to respect and take care of the equipment, ensuring it remains in good condition for everyone to use.
Thank you for your continued support in helping our tamariki grow, learn, and enjoy their time at school.
Ngā mihi
Mr Kumar
Sports Co-ordinator
Year 5/6 Inter-school Football
Next Wednesday 18 March, some of our Year 6 boys will be going out to the North Counties Football tournament held at McLennan Park in Papakura. There will be many primary and intermediate schools from the Papakura/Takanini area participating in the tournament. Mr Kumar has been training with the boys these last couple of weeks and we pray that they have a great time at the tournament!
Book News!
Duffy Books in Homes
Earlier this term, our learners put in their requests for their two free Duffy books; they should arrive before the end of the term. These books are theirs to keep and enjoy. Thank you to the School Board for their continued support of this valuable programme.Just a short conversation about their books helps build confidence, comprehension, and a lifelong love of reading.
Book Club
School Organisation
Welcoming our New Families!
We will be meeting our new families on Wednesday 25th March morning, sharing how proud we are of our Catholic Special Character and providing school information. It will be a great opportunity to connect, and we look forward to officially welcoming them next term with a school Whakatau. We are excited to get to know our families and their child/ren better as they become part of our Holy Trinity School whānau.
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 full 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.Ice block Sales!
Our Year 6 tamariki will be running ice block sales for the next two Fridays (20 and 27 March) to raise funds for their school camp coming up in Term 2. Ice blocks are $1 each.Staff/Teacher Only Days in 2026
School will be closed for students on Friday 22nd May Term 2 and Friday 14th August Term 3.
Teachers and Support Staff will be involved in professional development and learning days about the newly released New Zealand Curriculum Refresh, Mathematics and Statistics Learning Area. These are Ministry of Education approved Teacher/Staff Only Days.
These teacher-only days will provide our school with a dedicated time to understand and engage with changes across The Mathematics and Statistics 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.
Vector Roadworks Project Update …
Please note that further road closures are signposted for Airfield Road. Detours will be put in place … further information will be sent home closer to the end of the term. Please click on the links to access the Vector community/neighbourhood letter Vector Roadworks Project Update March 2026 and
Roadworks Map
Work will take place on Airfield Road – road closure will be from Porchester Road to Mill Road. Access to Holy Trinity School will be maintained.
There will be a four-way road closure of the intersections at Mill Road/Airfield Road roundabout during Easter and Anzac weekends.
Reminders!
This week we received a complaint from a very irate neighbour in the Addison /Kuaka Drive area complaining of school traffic’s unsafe, dangerous driving through the streets.
Please refrain from parking in the school’s two disabled carparks at all times unless you are a licensed holder of a vehicle disability card. This must be displayed at all times if using these car-parks. We now have a number of families that need to use these two carparks and it is so disheartening for them to see other vehicles parked there illegally. Thank you for your understanding and respect/manaaki for those in our community who need this support.College News!
Marist College Open Day
Marist College’s additional Open Day will be held on Thursday 26th March at 9.15am. We look forward to meeting all attendees and showing them around our facilities. Invitation to Open Day 26th March 2026
Upcoming School Events
School Gathering Liturgy and Assembly – led by Mrs Ali/LC Moana and Mrs Griffiths/LC Whenua
Student Leaders Commissioning
Monday 16th March @ 8:50am in Taamaua/school hall
Students’ Religious Education (RE) Books go home
From Monday 16th March
ASB Get-wise Financial Programme in Learning Communities
Monday 16th – Wednesday 17th March
St Patrick’s Feast Day celebrations – non-uniform day/Gold coin for Caritas
Tuesday 17th March
Fr Tony King-Archer visiting Learning Communities
Wednesday 18th March
Inter-schools Football/Soccer Tournament Day – Years 5/6
Wednesday 18th March @ Bruce Pulman Park
Gymnastics/Fundamental Skills Lessons for Year 3 (10am-11am) and Year 4 (11am-12:00)
Thursday 19th March @ Bruce Pulman Park Recreation Centre
Eye On Nature Beautification Trust Day – Years 5/6 students
Thursday 19th March @ Botanical Gardens
Ice-block Sale – Lunchtimes (Year 6 CAMP Fundraiser)
Friday 20th March
WOW Week Travelwise – Wheel/Walk to School
Monday 23rd – Friday 27th March
Year 5/6 Living Museum
Tuesday 24th March 11:00am-1:00pm @ Taamaua/school hall
PTFA Monthly Meeting
Tuesday 24th March 7:00pm in the school staffroom
New Families Information Morning
Wednesday 25th March 9:00am in the school staffroom
School Board Monthly Meeting
Wednesday 25th March 7:00pm in the school staffroom
Gymnastics/Fundamental Skills Lessons for Year 3 (10am-11am) and Year 4 (11am-12:00)
Thursday 26th March @ Bruce Pulman Park Recreation Centre
Duffy Books in Homes Role Model Assembly
Friday 27th March 9:00am @ Taamaua/school hall
Ice-block Sale – Lunchtimes (Year 6 CAMP Fundraiser)
Friday 27th March
Gymnastics/Fundamental Skills Lessons for Year 3 (10am-11am) and Year 4 (11am-12:00)
Wednesday 1st April @ Bruce Pulman Park Recreation Centre
Holy Thursday Liturgy
Thursday 2nd April 12:00pm @ school
Term 1 Concludes
Thursday 2nd April
Term 2 Commences 8:50am
Monday 20th April
Upcoming Community Events
“HJ Elite Academy – Holiday Soccer Development Programme”
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!”
https://enrolmy.com/hj-elite-academy/activity/352-April_Holiday_Soccer_Development_Camp
World of Cultures – Kultura Sa Aotearoa Festival
Greetings.
My name is Cherrylyn Panganiban, and I represent Filipino Grapevine, which has recently become a Charitable Trust in New Zealand. Our organization began with families collaborating to support the Filipino community in Franklin and neighboring areas. After officially registering, we have broadened our mission to promote Filipino culture throughout New Zealand, while remaining committed to uplifting our community. We were recently invited to represent the Filipino Community to the recent 2026 Ethnic Leaders forum and this we believe opened opportunity to create and build relationship amongst the diverse culture of New Zealand.
Filipino Grapevine has formed a partnership with the Franklin Local Board, whose trust and support enabled us to host Franklin’s first Parol-making competition. Our other community initiatives—including Filipino Language Week in 2024 and 2025, Clay and Praise, Youth Appreciation, and workshops for children with special needs—have been made possible by sponsorships from the Franklin Local Board, Franklin Community Hub, Franklin Arts Center, Zero Waste Waiuku, Ministry for Ethnic Communities, and Pasifika Digital Knowledge Bank. With these partnerships, we now have a new opportunity: engaging the Filipino community in Papakura for the upcoming “World of Culture – Kultura in Aotearoa” event, set for 21 March 2026. We believe this event will foster connections and strengthen the sense of belonging among our diverse communities.
Event Details:
● Date: March 21, 2026
● Time: 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
● Venue: Sir Edmund Hilary Library and Council Services
● Address: 1/209 Great South Road, Papakura
We cordially invite the Filipino community at your school. Your participation would greatly enhance the occasion, bringing joy and inspiration to attendees.
Kind regards,
Cherrylyn Panganiban
On behalf of Filipino Grapevine
SuperHoops 3×3 Event
The ABS SuperHoops 3×3 Event at Pulman Area on Saturday 14th March begins in just under 2 weeks-time. There is still more than enough time to register.
We will be running a U12, U14, U16, U18, U20 and Open grades.
The cost per team will be $125.00 for the entire event.
If you are interested in registering, the registration link will be below. Please note that all of the relevant information is also in the registration link and also on our socials!
Registration Link: https://membership.mygameday.app/regoform.cgi?formID=120408
