School Newsletter 7th August 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

We have two beautiful Feast Days to be celebrated across this week – the Feast of Mary MacKillop of the Cross (one of our Whānau Patrons) on 8th August and the Feast Day of The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary this coming Saturday 15th August.

This beautiful artwork here, is the Ko Hāta Maria, te Matua Wahine o te Atua – 
If you click on the link, you will be able to watch the video of an artist’s guide to Ko Hāta Maria, te Matua Wahine o te Atua (Holy Mary, Mother of God) the painting commissioned by New Zealand’s Catholic Bishops to celebrate the Rededication of Aotearoa New Zealand to Mary, Mother of God, Assumed into Heaven (Feast of the Assumption, 15 August 2021).

On this Feast Day, we honour the Assumption of Mary, we contemplate Her as the Ark of the Covenant, in whom the Son of God, Jesus, took flesh and was born of Her as a human person. She led us to Christ with love and continues to do so. In Mary we see a strong courageous woman and a loving mother, who remained utterly faithful to God, even when she encountered grief and hardship throughout her life. And so, God assumed her into heaven, thus giving all of us the hope that one day we too shall be with her in heaven.

We too can be like Mary, the first disciple, by trusting in God in all that we do. We can learn to be like Mary by listening to God’s Word, by letting go of all our troubles and giving all that we do to Jesus, by loving all and by celebrating. Blessed St Mary, pray for us!

St Mary of the Cross MacKillop was born in Australia in 1842. She co-founded the Sisters of St Joseph because she saw a need for education in the isolated and rural country areas in Australia – where children did not have the opportunity to attend school or learn about Jesus. Mary, a woman of constant faith, travelled to New Zealand and continued her mission to establish schools for children of underprivileged families.  She always reminded others to show active compassion by seeing a need and doing something about it!  To this day, the Sisters of St Joseph continue to work with the people of New Zealand and respond to the needs of today.

Mary devoted her whole life to following Jesus and helping others, especially poor children. She radiated God’s love and energy to everyone she met and even though her life wasn’t always easy and she had lots of problems sometimes, she was happy because she firmly believed in God and that her true home was not here on earth but with God in heaven. Blessed St Mary of the Cross MacKillop, pray for us!

Road Safety around School

Thank you to our families for the care and consideration you are giving to traffic, speed, parking, pedestrians, etc as you drive to and from school especially around our immediate school area.

With Airfield Road now being fully open, there is more traffic using this road so we need to be very careful at those busy drop off and pick up times to avoid congestion and to continue to be safe.

At the end of the day – pick up time – we are promoting the Police advice that “cars traveling from Porchester Rd end DO NOT TURN RIGHT into school but carry straight down to Mill Rd roundabout, come up Airfield Rd from this side and then turn left into the school driveway”.

This will greatly help with the traffic congestion that often occurs at this time. By not turning right into school but heading down to Mill Rd roundabout and returning to school in the opposite direction and then turning left into school, the ‘public’ traffic can then continue down Airfield Road without having to wait for right hand turning traffic to move. THANK YOU to all the families that are giving this road safety instruction ‘a go’. The Police Patrol units will continue to be here to support this key messaging for road safety awareness.

You will also note the decreased speed limit in the school carpark. With an increased number of pedestrians – families and children in this area, we need to make sure that drivers are able to stop easily. Please check your speed is only at the 5kph speed when driving through the carpark.

Remember students are supervised at the front of the school for pick up until 3:15pm so it may be safer and quicker to come through to school from 3:00pm – 3:15pm.

Thank you HTCPS whānau!

DRS Report

Whole School Mass

On Wednesday 5 August, we celebrated our school thanksgiving Mass in Taamaua/school hall with Father Tony King-Archer of St Mary’s Parish, Papakura. It was great to have our families join us and stay for a cuppa and a chat.

It was made even more special with the blessing of our Peer Ministry’s hoodies which unveiled their new name of “Catch the Waves”!
From Catch the Waves Team:
ZHEIAN: Through our prayer reflections and daily talks with God, we want to send the waves of God’s love and grace to all people. Catch the Waves is the name we want you to remember.

NAVISHA: It’s about letting the waves of God’s love and grace pour over you and soak into you. The wave represents the life-giving water of God’s aroha and we want everyone to feel that love, stirred within them and then send the waves for others to be saturated in.

ZOE: The Peer Ministry team wants to make an impact by creating big waves by sharing God’s Word in a meaningful way – through our words and actions.

Catholic Caring Foundation Mass

On Wednesday 12 August, some of our staff and students will be travelling to celebrate a special Catholic Caring Mass at Christ the King, Owairaka. The Mass will be celebrated by Bishop Steve Lowe, with a theme of promoting the dignity of each person and reminding ourselves to love our neighbours as ourselves. It is also the Mass where six of our senior students are recognised and acknowledged for the work they do in service to our school and Parish community. We congratulate our six candidates who will receive the Caring Certificates which will be presented to them at the Mass. For their service in our school and Parish community, congratulations to: Isaiah Raega, Katherine Farley, Zoe Porter, Charlotte Ruegg, Edith Aita and Petra Levkovska.

Senior Students EOTC Day

On Wednesday 19 August, Learning Communities Maunga and Moana will be taking part in this year’s Caritas Challenge. The Caritas Challenge is an annual fundraising event that builds solidarity with those experiencing poverty and injustice. This year we are raising money for Caritas to support communities affected by climate change. Our tamariki will be cooking kumara over an open fire, drying apples, taking part in outdoor physical activities and enjoying an activity to celebrate Tongan Language Week.
To raise funds for Caritas, we will be selling the kumara with toppings and small bags of dried apples. More information will come next week on how to place an order. By taking part in this challenge, we hope our Year 4-6 tamariki will become more aware of how our actions can make a difference to others. It is an opportunity for our tamariki to learn about solidarity, generosity and caring for our common home, while having fun and working together.

YCC Day for Tonga

The week that commences from Monday 17 August, we will be celebrating Tongan Language Week. As part of the Tongan Language Week, our school will be having a YCC day that encourages students and staff to wear their own choice of clothing. YCC Day is an initiative that is driven by Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand for schools across the motu to donate money that will go towards Takuilau College in Tonga to help build them a music room. So on Friday 21 August, our school will have our own YCC day to bring a gold coin donation to go towards Tonga.

Book Week and Book Fair!

HTCPS Read-a-thon Upcoming Prize Draw!

Kia ora Holy Trinity whānau!

Just a quick reminder to sign up for the HTCPS Read-a-thon – all children signed up and have received at least one donation by the end of day, Monday 10th August go in the draw to win a Handheld Retro Gaming Console!

PTFA – 2nd Hand Book Donations 

Teaching and Learning News

Connected Curriculum – Preserve

Our concept learning this term is Preserve, and our learners are now putting their learning into action through Technology and Dance.

In Technology, learners are using the design thinking process to look at different ways we can preserve stories for their identified audience. They are considering different ways stories can be kept and shared in ways that will be enjoyed by their audience in the future.

In Dance, learners are using the elements of dance to explore ways they can preserve stories through movement. They are thinking about how they can use dance to communicate a story and share it with others.

Through both areas of learning, learners are continuing to explore the understanding that the way we preserve stories empowers us to live as people of hope on our Catholic journey, now and into the future.

Parent Education Workshops

This week, we held our very first Parent Education Workshops, with two sessions available—one before school at 8.30am and another in the afternoon at 2.15pm.

We were very grateful to our whānau who joined us and took the time to learn more about how they can support their children’s learning at home. A big thank you to our kaitiaki for preparing and sharing practical activities and ideas that you can continue to use at home.

We have two more workshops planned for Week 6 and Week 9. Keep an eye on HERO for more information—we would love to see you there!

Sharing Our Faith Stories Symposium

Our school has been invited to present our school story “Following the Footsteps” at a Catholic Leaders and Educators Symposium on Thursday 20th August. The Senior Leadership Team of Peta Lindstrom, Maria Speechlay, Ana Silva and one of our Middle Leaders, Alana Sherlock will be presenting on behalf of our Holy Trinity Catholic School Team. We  will unpack the role of story as a powerful pedagogical tool that can strengthen curriculum design and classroom practice. Our session will explore how stories can support inquiry, deepen understanding and help students make personal connections to complex ideas.

Educators will be invited to think about how storytelling can move beyond a one-off activity and become an intentional teaching approach that supports engagement, identity, faith, literacy and learning across the curriculum.

We are very much looking forward to sharing this experience with our staff and community on our return!

Trialling of Maths Assessments for Year 2 and Year 3 students

Our school was also asked if we would be a trial school for the Government’s latest initiative of a Year 2 and Year 3 Maths assessment to support the teaching and learning of the refreshed Maths and Statistics Learning Area of the NZ Curriculum. We are very proud to share that both Geraldine Malgas and Alana Sherlock have been selected for this trial. This week we have Ministry of Education personnel from the National Wellington Office at our school as they observe, discuss and share the findings of the assessments. We are very proud of the involvement of our teachers and take pride in supporting the curriculum development across NZ schools!

Uike Kātoanga’i ‘o e Lea Faka-Tonga / Tonga Language Week 16-22 August

The 2026 theme for Tongan Language Week is: Ko ‘etau hiva, ko e fe’unu mahu’inga ia ki he mo’ui ‘a e Tonga – Our music is a vital strand of our Tongan culture.

Our Tongan children have been meeting to learn the Tongan national anthem, which they will sing to open Tongan Language Week on Monday, 17 August.

They have nailed the melody, and we even have a few children who are starting to harmonise! Their voices sound amazing, and it has been wonderful to hear their confidence growing as they practise together.

A huge mālō ‘aupito to Sela Kaloni for supporting our children with their singing practices. We are looking forward to hearing them open our Tongan Language Week celebrations! 

Learning Community News

Whenua

In LC Whenua we have been learning about the FIREWISE programme. Learners have been learning about what to do if there is a fire at home and at school, what things are considered tools like matches and lighters and understand that we need to give these to an adult.

In literacy (reading & writing), we continue teaching using structured approaches to literacy. This approach helps learners decode and blend words together when reading, build confidence in becoming independent readers and helps them to transfer their knowledge learned from their reading to their writing. 

We would like to acknowledge and thank all the whānau that came along to our first workshop all about using HERO. We encourage you to comment, like, and even post your own posts to your child’s learning wall. Our next workshop will focus on how to help your child/ren write at home.

Ngahere

In Religious Education, we have been learning that we are all part of God’s family – whānau. We have also learnt that we are the Church whenever two or more people gather to pray, listen to God’s Word, sing, and give praise. Through this learning, we have explored how belonging to the Church helps us live like Jesus by showing kindness, caring for others, and serving our community.

In Dance, we have been developing our understanding of the elements of dance—body, space, time, energy, and relationships. We have been using these elements to communicate the messages and emotions of stories through creative movement.

In Literacy, we have been using the Structured Literacy Approach across reading, writing, and spelling. This has helped us strengthen our story writing, phonics knowledge, spelling skills, and vocabulary.

In Mathematics, we have been learning to measure the length and find the perimeter of polygons, tell the time on both analogue and digital clocks, and add and subtract two-digit numbers using our place value houses.

Finally, a very big thank you to all our wonderful parents who attended our first parent workshop in LC Ngahere. It was a pleasure to share our learning with you and to play our spelling and phonics games together. Seeing families engaged, having fun, and showing such enthusiasm for continuing these games at home was truly heartwarming. We greatly appreciate your support in your child’s learning journey.  We look forward to welcoming more parents to our second workshop, where we will share engaging and enjoyable activities to help develop your child’s mathematics knowledge and confidence. We hope you can join us!      

Awa

In LC Awa, we have been learning to give and follow clear instructions. We have been learning to programme the B-bots so they can follow the instructions we give them. We have been practising using our directional language, such as quarter, half, and full turns, and ensuring we are clear and specific with our directions. 

Thank you to all our whanau who came along to parent workshops! We focused on quick recall of high-frequency words and on building vocabulary. We look forward to seeing you at our next workshop, which will be based on maths – place value.

Maunga

It has been an amazingly busy start to the term. In Religious Education we are making lots of progress in our learning. The Year 4s have found catholic Bible passages that connect to our 7 Sacraments. This has helped us understand why it is so important to preserve our Catholic stories and draw closer to God in our faith journey. The Year 5s have been learning about the 9 Catholic Social Teachings and how we are called to live our lives inspired by the teachings of Jesus through these principles. Families are welcome to explore the Catholic Social Teachings further by visiting www.caritas.org.nz or viewing the resources shared on Google Classroom.

In Dance, we are building confidence to use the elements: body, space, time, energy, and relationships to choreograph several liturgical dances. It will take time to use space and manipulate our bodies into a synchronised sequence of movement, but we are having fun doing so.

During Literacy, we will connect the knowledge we have gained about the Sacraments and Catholic Social Teachings and write a report about each and what they mean and what influence they have on us as we continue our catholic faith journey as people of hope. In Reading, we have focused on how stories have been preserved orally, in print, images, poems and stories that share information to be preserved. 

We will then interpret this information into a form of digital technology to be shared with learners in LC Awa to inspire them as part of our school community.

Thank you to all our whānau who came along to parent workshops! We focused on logging into these apps correctly: Writers’ Toolbox, Smart Track and making sure parents have the right login and password for their child. We look forward to seeing you at our next workshop, which will be based on supporting your child’s learning at home.

Moana

Over the first three weeks of the term, our learning has focused on the concept of Preserve and how stories, culture, and faith can be shared with future generations.

Religious Education:
In Religious Education, our learners have begun exploring the Catholic Social Teachings (CSTs). They are currently choosing one CST and connecting it with a Bible story and a Saint who modelled that teaching through their actions. Learners are also reflecting on how they can live out these teachings in their own lives and become people of hope within their families, school, and community. Families are welcome to explore the Catholic Social Teachings further by visiting www.caritas.org.nz or viewing the resources shared on Google Classroom.

Dance:
Over the past few weeks, learners have been developing their understanding of the elements of dance: body, space, time, energy, and relationships. They have explored how these elements work together to tell and preserve stories through movement, preparing them for creating their own dance sequences later in the term.

Reading and Writing:
Our reading and writing programme has centred on the School Journal text Explorers of the Sunrise. Through the Structured Literacy Approach, learners have built their vocabulary, strengthened their oral language skills, and developed their reading comprehension by exploring how Polynesian navigators used preserved, important knowledge and how their stories have been passed down through the generations.

In Writing, learners have been learning how to write information reports. They have examined report structures, identified the features of effective non-fiction writing, and practised organising information into clear paragraphs. Before writing independently, learners have been using oral rehearsal and retelling to organise and refine their ideas, helping them become more confident and effective writers.

Mathematics:
In Mathematics, our learning has focused on Rational Numbers and Statistics. Learners have been exploring fractions, decimals, and place value, building their understanding of how numbers are connected and represented in different ways. In Statistics, they have been learning how to collect, organise, and interpret data using graphs and displays. This week our learners completed an e-asTTle Mathematics assessment with a focus on Statistics, providing valuable information to help guide their next steps in learning.

We are proud of the enthusiasm, perseverance, and positive attitude our tamariki have shown during the first three weeks of the term. We look forward to seeing them continue to grow in confidence, knowledge, and faith throughout the rest of the term.

Hauora/WellBeing News

Sports News

Kia orāna whānau,

Our students have kicked off their training sessions in earnest as they gear up for the highly anticipated St. Anne’s Shield Sports competition, which is scheduled to take place Wednesday 26th August at Bruce Pulman Park venues. This is a wonderful opportunity for our students to showcase their skills, teamwork, and sportsmanship in a friendly yet competitive environment.

In preparation for the event, our students are participating in intensive training sessions in both netball and soccer. Coaches and teachers have been working closely with the teams to develop their strategies, improve their skills, and build confidence. The netball team has been practicing their passing, shooting, and defensive tactics, while the soccer team has been focusing on stamina, ball control, and teamwork on the field.

We encourage our whānau to come along and cheer for our teams as they compete against other schools. We are proud of the dedication and enthusiasm shown by all our participants, and we wish them the best of luck in the upcoming competition.

sKids Before & After  School Care Programmes – Wednesdays!

Here is the information for our upcoming Wednesday programme initiatives at sKids this term!

Passport to Play
5th Aug – 26th Aug
Children will learn about the world we live in, the different countries, people, cultures, languages and food. Children will receive their very own passport to be stamped as we make our way through the global activities.

Inventors Lab 
2nd Sept – 23rd Sept
Children become real inventors as they explore how ideas take shape through building, designing and hands-on experiments

These initiatives provide variety and meaningful engagement for children while supporting working whānau with enriching after school care options. All activities are included within the standard Stay and Play session cost. Promoting these activities helps strengthen participation in the programme and supports a sustainable service for families within our school community.

Reminders!

School Enrolments 2027

Kia orana Holy Trinity Whānau

School enrolments for the 2027 school year close on 31st August 2026 – this year!

Upcoming New Zealand General Elections – recruiting of staff

Our school will be acting as a polling booth (in Taamaua/school hall) for the upcoming NZ General Elections happening on Saturday 7th November 2026. There is an opportunity for our school families to be recruited as staff to work at our school on this day. This is a paid position for the day.

there is a Recruitment flyer attched with further information for the applciation process. There is also a link that will take you straight to the Papakura jobs page

General Election 2026 – Papakura – Electoral Commission

You should then scroll down slightly, and they will see the APPLY button on the right-hand side of the screen.  Follow your nose after this and you will be all set to apply.  Please make sure you put that you would like to work at the school that suits you.

Please also clock on the step-by-step guide to assist anyone who wishes to apply. M29-JOBOPP 2026 (3)

Upcoming School Events

Book Week Celebrations
Monday 10th – Thursday 13th August 

Cultural Group practices
Monday 10th August 9:15am -10:30am @ school

Positive Puberty Plus Parent Presentation
Tuesday 11th August 6:00pm – 7:30pm in Taamaua/school hall

Caring Foundation Mass – Peer Ministry Team and Senior Leadership Team
Wednesday 12th August 11:00am @ Christ the King Church, Owairaka

Book Week Character Parade
Thursday 13th August 9:30am @ Taamaua/school hall

Book Week Treasure Hunt
Thursday 13th August 1:30pm-2:30pm around school!

Rehu Tai Inter-schools Speech Competition – Years 5/6
Thursday 13th August 

Teacher/Staff ONLY DAY – school closed for students
Friday 14th August

School Gathering Liturgy and Assembly – Celebrating the Feast of the Assumption led by Mrs Davies and Mrs Chung/LC Maunga students
Monday 17th August @ 8:50am in Taamaua/school hall

Celebrating Indian Independence Day – Indian school families
Monday 17th August 

Tongan Language Week Celebrations
Monday 17th – Friday 21st August

Outdoor Education Day for LC Maunga and LC Moana
Wednesday 19th August @ school 

YCC Day for Tonga – non uniform day at school – gold coin donation
Friday 21st August

PTFA Second Hand Book Donation Sale
Friday 21st August 8:30am – 9:00am and 2:15pm – 3:30pm @ school

Cultural Group practices
Monday 24th August 9:15am -10:30am @ school

St Ignatius of Loyola Catholic College Information Evening for Families of Year 5 students/2028 enrolments
Tuesday 25th August 6:00pm – 7:30pm in Taamaua/school hall @ HTCPS

PTFA Monthly Meeting
Tuesday 25th August 7:00pm in the school staffroom 

St Anne’s Shield Sports Day (Year 5/6 students)
Wednesday 26th August 9:00 – 2:25pm @ Bruce Pulman Park grounds

School Board Monthly Meeting
Wednesday 26th August 6:00pm in the school staffroom 

Year 5/6 Inter-schools Basketball Competition
Thursday 27th August @ Bruce Pulman Park Arena

School Cross Country
Friday 28th August 10:00am – 2:00pm @ school

School Gathering Liturgy and Assembly – led by Mrs Malgas/Mrs Cortez and LC Ngahere students
Monday 31st August @ 8:50am in Taamaua/school hall

Term 3 Concludes 2:50pm
Friday 25th September 

Term 4 Commences 8:50am
Monday 12th October