Chrsitmas Mass Times

Christmas Mass Times 

Christmas Eve:  6pm Ashburton
                       9pm Ashburton
Christmas Day: 8.30am Tinwald
                       10.am Ashburton

This term we have introduced a new virtue, Hope. This takes our total number of virtues to eight, and we will focus on two a term. The children will be introduced to the scripture readings which teach up to be hopeful, and their work on Advent will focus on Hope as we wait for Christmas and the coming of Jesus.

"May God the source of Hope fill you with all joy and peace by means of your faith in Him so that your Hope will continue to grow by the power of the Holy Spirit." 
Romans 15:13

Room 7 Mural

Thank you to Mrs McMillan and the Room 7 students for the wonderful work they have done in producing a Piece of art work for our school,depicting the Virtues. This can be seen displayed outside our main gates. Well done Room 7.

Bishop Barry Jone's Visit

We received a visit from Bishop Barry Jones on September 11 2012. This visit coincided with the Yera 8 Confirmation that night. Our whole school met in the morning for a liturgy on Spring, followed by class visits by the Bishop.

                             

Pope Benedict has called on the Catholic church, over the world to observe a Year of Faith. It coincides with the 50^th anniversary of the opening of the 2^nd Vatican Council. A number of events are planned within our own diocese, which will be advertised during the year. To mark the beginning of the Year of Faith we are invited to receive God’s mercy and forgiveness, made available to us in the Sacrament of Reconcciliation. Our Year 4-8 children will be given to opportunity to receive this sacrament in Week 2 and 3 of the term.

The diocese has commissioned an icon to mark the beginning of the Year of Faith. It will provide a focus for devotion, prayer and instruction. The icon, of Mary Mother of the Church, will be made available in our parishes, schools, colleges and communities during the Year of Faith.

New Zealand Catholic Education Convention

Our school was represented at the convention by Janet Cummings (principal), Cath Blacklow (Staff and Board Rep), Kathleen Goulter (Board rep) and myself.
With 900 people present from Catholic schools, throughout New Zealand and the Pacific, the convention was an amazing experience for us all, as it focused on ways which will enable Catholic schools to further enhance their educational outcomes.
As well as listening to a number of Keynote speakers from throughout the world, we heard from the Education Minister Hekia Parata  who focused on the special place of Catholic schools in New Zealand, and their success, and the CEO of Catholic Education, Pat Lynch.
We also attended a number of workshops each. These presentations looked at leadership and governance in Catholic schools, as well as teaching strategies, resources and prayer. Several schools also demonstrated best practices in their schools. Overall the messages brought home for the convention constantly reinforced the importance of Special Character and the Catholicity of our schools, how this needs to be the distinguishing feature of our schools and how this can be enhanced.
The theme of the convention was:

Ko te taonga o toku nga kau

                                                                                         Ko toku kura e

     The treasure of my heart is my precious plume of education.

Schools were asked to bring a feather representing their school as a symbol to go with the theme. Thanks to Janelle McMillan for creating a beautiful feather representing our school. It was displayed along with all the other feathers .

Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand

Caritas is the Catholic Aid Organisation working for a world free of poverty and injustice.

*Delivering aid in emergencies

*Supporting development overseas

*Working for justice in Aotearoa New Zealand and throughout the world.

The exercise of the ministry of charity has been part of the church’s activity since the time of the apostles. Together with the Sacraments and the proclamation of the Word, it is an essential expression of the deepest nature of the Church. As an integral part of the Church in Aotearoa New Zealand, our Catholic schools participate in this ministry. A key way in which they do this is by participating in the work of Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand.

Caritas was established by the Bishops of New Zealand to enable Catholics to participate in the work of justice and charity within New Zealand and in other countries. Every Catholic school’s involvement with Caritas is an essential part of the expression of its Catholic character.

Caritas New Zealand is part of Caritas Internationalis, a network of 165 Catholic

aid, development and social justice agencies working to build a better world. Caritas agencies work especially for the poor and oppressed in over 200 countries and territories.    (Information from “A Guide to Caritas for schools”)

In our school we have supported Caritas in 2012 by:

·         Our Tables -A -thon in Lent, where we raised $3152. This made our school one of the most successful fundraisers for Caritas this year.

·         A visit from The CEO of Caritas Aotearoa, New Zealand in August. Julianne Hickey spoke to our middle and senior syndicate students about the work of Caritas. She was particularly impressed with the level of questioning of our children and their interest in the topic.

·         Our focus on Sustainability in Term 2 was based on the Caritas Social Justice unit, God’s Earth, Our Earth based on the fundamental belief that we have to look after the gifts God has given us, our talents and our health.

Mufti Day To conclude our Caritas fund raising we will have Mufti Mania Day on 21^st September. Children will wear mufti to school and bring a gold coin donation. Mufti Mania Day is an annual event organised by the NZ Catholic Primary Principals Association to  raise money for poor and vulnerable communities. This year the money raises is being spent on education in the Soloman Islands.

 Nau te rourou,

Naku te rourou,

Ka ora ait e iwi.

With your contribution

And my contribution

The wellbeing of all

People is assured.

Family Group Activity

Today we worked in our family groups to design and make wearable arts for our Term 2 Family Group Activity.
We had to bring a number of recyclable and reusable items from home to make our wearable arts. We had an hour to make our 2 designs. It was a huge rush. The family groups had to work together to make sure that they had 2 models completely finished and looking good.
Once we had finished we met in the stadium to show off our costumes and the judges had to pick a 1st, 2nd and 3rd from each category. They said that picking the winners was extremely hard. 


Here are some photos of all the entries-

Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions 1861-2011

Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions

Treasuring our Past: Shaping Our Future

1861-2011

Along with the Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions, our school celebrates the 150^th anniversary of the founding of this order of Sisters, the same order which established St Joseph’s Ashburton.

The order was founded by an inspiring French woman, Euphrasie Barbier in 1861,    as she followed her devotion to the Trinity and her desire to devote her life to the foreign missions. Euphrasie called her new Congregation Our Lady of the Missions, a name which expressed the group’s special character and spirit. In 1864  Euphrasie sent the first four Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions from Lyon in France to the Congregation’s first mission in Napier, New Zealand. From this time on many foundations grew and the order and its schools continued to flourish throughout New Zeaalnd, Sydney, Australia and the Pacific Islands .

The Sisters of the Mission came from France to the Christchurch Diocese in 1868. The Sisters arrived in Ashburton in 1884 and the Sacred Heart School opened on 21^st May 1884, with 17 girls as the first students. In 1894 the school was moved from its original site on Wakanui Rd. to its present site. While the Sisters have long since left our school, the history of the school should be remembered and celebrated and the three fundamental beliefs of Euphrasie Barbier reflected in our own school’s special character. They are  Contemplation (prayer and reflection), Communion (loving union with God and others), Mission (living the Gospel and taking the Good News to others).

Euphrasie set out often, enduring long sea voyages, sickness and shipwrecks to visit the various groups before she died in 1892. The primary work of the Sisters whether in NZ, India, France or England is the empowerment of women and the care of children. Euphrasie Barbier’s passion was to take the gospel to far places in the world and to bring education and opportunities for all peoples particularly women and children and the marginalised.  Education is central to the missionary work of the Congregation.

In the world today RNDM’s take courageous and prophetic positions which confront situations of injustice and exploitation.

Sisters of the Mission can be found in Kenya and Senegal, Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Philippines and Vietnam, British Isles and Ireland, France and Canada, Bolivia and Peru, Australia, Papua New Guinea, Samoa and New Zealand.   We have individual sisters on mission in Cambodia, East Timor and Sudan.

Now in 2012 there are about 100 sisters living in New Zealand and some 20 sisters living in the following countries: Australia, Canada, British Isles, France, Kenya, Philippines, Rome, Samoa,and Sudan.

Our children will be studying the life and work of Euphrasie Barbier as well as developing an understanding of the work  of the Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions today. We will welcome Sister Imelda Lindsay into our school to talk with the children, and we will come together with the Parish on August 15^th to celebrate Mass in honour of our Founders.