Dear God,

You come to us in Jesus who teaches us that the way to happiness is through our love for one another.

Watch over the teachers, students and families of Sacred Heart Cathedral School as we try to be faithful to this teaching.

Help us to be a welcoming and joyful community, so that others may come to know your love and peace.

We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord,

Amen.

Kia ora koutou e te whānau,

What an incredible week we have had. Our school is such an exciting and wonderful place with tremendous energy and boundless enthusiasm. I know why we all look forward to coming to school/work every day. As I walk the corridors, I see a place of fun, laughter, hard work, achievement and joy. Our staff expect high standards with behaviour and manners to be exemplary. Feedback given to us illustrates this.

Congratulations to our Speech winners. I was so proud of this dynamic foursome. These students were a showcase of incredible talent and powerful messaging. They also epitomized resilience and grit.  This is another example of the creativity that exists at our school. 

SPEECH FINALISTS:

L-R:
Joaquin (Room 7, Year 5): Recreational hunting is bad.
Madeleine (Room 8, Year 7): Why animal testing is wrong.
Hazel B (Room 9, Year 8): Why dealing with gossip is important.
Sophia D (Room 7, Year 6): Why education and sports are a good combination.

Thank you so much to our Pasifika whānau, who prepared lots of delicious treats for our students (I loved the sweet donuts).

Thank you to all the parents who came to the marae with us- we really appreciated your help. Even though it is a short walk, we had to navigate a couple of busy roads, traffic lights, and cycle lanes.

Thank you to parents/grandparents who come to school and listen to students read. This reading mileage helps our students to become lifelong readers.

Have a wonderful week and thank you for everything you do for our school.

Arohanui,
Bernadette Murfitt
Tumuaki
Sacred Heart Cathedral School

Election Day:  

Electronic voting is now open. You should have received an email from 'Myschool election' with an electronic  Invitation to Vote. This was emailed to our parents sometime last weekend.  If you did not receive this, please let the office know:  office@sacred-heart.school.nz. Voting closes at 4:00 PM on Monday, 8th September.

Candidates standing for this year's Board of Trustees election are as follows:

Attendance continues to be a top priority for the government, which has set a target of 80% of students attending school for more than 90% of the term by 2030. To achieve this, schools must aspire to reach an average daily attendance rate above 94%.

Last week, 18th - 22nd August, we were 86.43%.

Please use SchoolAppsNZ to report your child's absence to the school.

Important Drop-off Reminder- we are not allowed to park at St Mary's College

• Please do not drive up Guildford Terrace to drop off your child.

• Please do not block the school driveway gate at any time.

• If you wish to accompany your child into school, kindly park along Hill Street instead.

Thank you for your cooperation in keeping everyone safe.

Pipitea Marae visit on 25 August

Engaging with Pipitea Marae offered us as a school, a powerful learning experience that goes far beyond a typical classroom lesson.

Students were welcomed with a pōwhiri and learned about the significance of the marae's buildings and carvings. This experience provided a deep understanding of te ao Māori (the Māori world).

Pipitea marae is a place of belonging and community. Our students had the opportunity to meet and connect with kaumātua (elders) and other community members.

Our students also learnt about respect for protocols: such as respectful behaviour and listening to speeches (whaikōrero). This teaches them the importance of cultural etiquette and respect for others' traditions.

A marae is a place of learning where knowledge is passed down through generations. Students will hear and engage with te reo Māori (the Māori language), songs (waiata), and stories that are fundamental to Māori identity and history.

As a staff, we wanted our marae experience to be an enriching way for our students to develop their understanding of New Zealand's bicultural heritage and become more respectful, well-rounded citizens. We were delighted with the support we received from our school community. Thank you to whānau who supported us on Monday. It was so special!

Our Pasifika Liturgy was held in the Cathedral last Friday, 22nd August. Thank you to all whānau who supported us. It was special for us all as we reflected on our lives and those who have shaped us.

Last week, we had our finals for the Middle Syndicate speeches. The quality of the speeches was amazing, and we were all in awe of the students' confidence and the content of their speeches.

Our finalists were:

Anna (Room 6)
Lana (Room 6)
Kobe-Max (Room 6)
Frankie (Room 6)
Milford (Room 7)
Sophia D (Room 7)
Joaquin (Room 7)
Shenaya (Room 7)

A massive congratulations to Joaquin (Room 7), and Sophia D (Room 7), for making it through to the Central Zone Speech Competitions, and Shenaya (Room 7) and Milford (Room 7), for being runner-ups.

Nga mihi to Father Patrick for judging our finalists. We appreciated this.

We continue to enjoy our Mandarin sessions this year. In Room 6, the students enjoyed playing Mahjong with Miko.

Children’s Sacramental Programme – Registrations Now Open

Sacred Heart Cathedral Parish is now accepting registrations for the 2025/26 Children’s Sacramental Programme. The programme begins with the Sacrament of Confirmation in Term 4, 2025, followed by First Reconciliation in Term 1, 2026, and concludes with First Holy Communion in Term 2, 2026.

To be eligible, children must be baptised and at least 8 years old.
If your child is not yet baptised and you wish to arrange this, please contact us via the emails listed below to book a meeting with Fr Patrick.

The first parent information session will be held at 7:00 PM on Tuesday, 7th October 2025, at Connolly Hall.

For registrations or further enquiries, please contact Geraldine at  mcsh.sacramentalprogramme@gmail.com or reach out to the Parish Office at  cathedral.parish@wn.catholic.org.nz.

You are warmly invited to the Junior Syndicate Liturgy for Father's Day on Friday, 5th September at 9:30 AM in the Cathedral. Limited parking is available in the playground and there will be refreshments in the library afterwards.

The Kapa Haka Performance Group has been invited to perform at KPMG on Hill Street on Thursday, 18th September as part of Te Wiki o te Reo Māori.

• If your child is in the Performance Group, please complete the permission form here: Google Form Link-KPMG Performance.
• We will leave school at 11:40 AM and return by 1:00 PM.

A separate email has also been sent to families with this information — please check your inbox.

Click the link:

Please note that the last day to order your child's hoodie is on Friday,19th September 2025.

BASKETBALL TERM 4:

We have room for a few new players (Year 7 and 8) for next term. If anyone is interested, please contact emma.spelchan@gmail.com.

BASKETBALL WEEKLY REPORT:

Sacred Heart Hoops (Year 3 & 4):

18th August Game:

The SH Hoops faced a tough challenge against a very energetic Redwood Thunderbolts, going down 6–29. Despite the score, there were positives — including some great vision with passing into open space and getting shots up under pressure.

Player of the Day: Khoi (Room 3) for excellent defensive awareness, always tracking his opponent, and showing strong improvement in dribbling the ball up on offence.

Plenty to build on — keep pushing, Hoops!

25th August Game:

Unfortunately, Wadestown Warriors were absent, so the SH Hoops made the most of it with a fun 4v4 game against each other, with Niko kindly filling in. The referee still ran it as a proper match, which gave the kids a chance to play a structured game while enjoying themselves.

There was plenty of team play, defence, and hustle on display, and the kids had a great time from start to finish!

Sacred Heart Lay Ups (Year 5 & 6): What a fantastic win for the Sacred Heart Lay Ups! The team showcased exceptional defence, strong teamwork, and a great competitive spirit throughout the game. Their hard work and coordination paid off with a decisive victory over Crofton Downs. The final Score was 34 – 11.

Player of the Day was Lino (Room 6).

Well done to all players for representing Sacred Heart with pride and enthusiasm!

NETBALL TERM 4:

NETBALL WEEKLY UPDATE:

Sacred Heart Marvels (Years 5 & 6):

The Marvels showed true determination this week, defeating Seatoun Mystix 10-8 in a thrilling match.

After a challenging start, the team rallied together to mount an impressive comeback and secure the win.

Player of the Day: Congratulations to Margaux (Room 6), who dominated the mid-court at Centre, creating opportunities for her teammates.

Special Mention: Lyla (Room 6) for her excellent shooting and work in the goal circle.

Well done to the entire Marvels team for their resilience and teamwork!

Sacred Heart Ferns (Years 5 & 6):

16th August Game:

The SHCS Ferns win against Mount Cook School Shooting Stars 8-0.

An awesome game from the Ferns, with our awesome defensive units making sure the other team was not able to score any goals. Although there was some bunching on the court, the team adjusted when they could and worked to spread out.

The player of the day went to Sienna (Room 6) for her amazing work in defence, creating lots of pressure for the other team and hunting outside of the circle, which resulted in multiple beautiful intercepts. She then moved into the Centre position and did a fantastic job getting free and bringing the ball down the court. A special mention to Hannah for her defensive hustle and intercepts on the circle edge too.  

23rd August Game:

Unfortunately, the opposition was only able to field 3 players on Saturday, which meant a win by default for our girls. Luckily, we had enough to still run a friendly 5 on 5 game with two of our girls jumping into the other team.

The game ended up being a great battle with some outstanding work throughout the court. POD went to Hannah for her work to get free and be an option and also for her hustle on defence while playing Centre. A special mention to Violet and Arabella for jumping in for the other team and doing a great job playing in different positions, and also to Micah (Room 6) for her outstanding work in defence and picking up multiple intercepts at the transverse line for the Sacred Heart team.

Great teamwork and sportsmanship from our Ferns!

Sacred Heart Aces (Year 7 & 8): After a tight Q1 at 3 each, the Sacred Heart Aces won Q2 9 goals to 0. It was a true team effort this week, and communication on the court was a real strength. Ka pai e te tīma - well done to the team.

It’s Summer Soccer Time!

Summer Soccer is held at Ian Galloway Park on a Friday after school in Term 4 and Term 1, and it is run by Kelly Sports. The games are 5-a-side and students play with peers.

This is a parent-led activity, so we are asking for parents who are interested in organizing teams.  

If your child is interested in Summer Soccer in Seniors and Middles, please contact suzanneadair@hotmail.com.

If your child is interested in Summer Soccer in the Juniors, please contact Nikki at nikkiduru@googlemail.com.

We will need a parent to volunteer as a manager for each team.

Congratulations to Amaia (Room 3), who had a successful weekend in Hamilton at the Midlands Junior Gymnastics Competition, won the top award for Artistry across 45 participants in her level. Well done, Amaia!

WEETBIX TRYATHLON

• Entries will open soon for the Weetbix Kids TRYathlon on Sunday, 16th March 2026 at Kilbirnie Park.
• The TRYathlon is all about giving it a TRY and is a rewarding and fun day out for you and your child.
• Participants need to be aged 7-15 years old on event day, and can complete the TRYathlon as an individual or in a team of two.
• Participants need to be aged 6 years old on event day to complete the Splash&Dash
  To enter the TRYathlon visit  www.tryathlon.co.nz/
• This year, our school has created a School Group which you can join when you enter from home. More information on this to come. By linking to our school group it will give us the chance to win some great prizes. It also means that your participant pack can be delivered to school for pick up before the event.
• If someone you know requires financial assistance to enter the TRYathlon, should it be subsidised entry fees or funding for necessary equipment, then you can apply to the Weet-Bix TRYathlon Foundation for assistance. Visit www.tryathlon.co.nz/foundation for details.
• If you have any school related questions, please contact Gabriele Wheddon at gemnutt@hotmail.com. Otherwise, contact the Weet-Bix Kids TRYathlon team; email angela@smcevents.co.nz or phone 0800 WEET BIX (0800 9338 249).

Izzy Y and Hazel B from Room 9, have qualified to represent New Zealand at the World Hip Hop championships in Prague.

They are training hard, and working really hard to raise the funds to get their crew to the world stage in late October.

• World of Wearable Art (WOW) - 2 x A Reserve tickets to 2025 World of Wearable Art (WOW) Show: RISE on 3 October 2025.

• Luxury accommodation – Two nights for two in central Wellington, 3 & 4 October, including chocolates and wine on arrival.

• August Eatery - $100 brunch voucher. 

We’ll be drawing the raffle on 14th September and will let the winner know by phone and email.

LUNCHTIME DISCO DANCE LESSONS: 

As part of their fundraising efforts, Hazel, Izzy, Azaria and Edie will be holding Disco dance lessons for the Juniors on Wednesday, 3rd September and for the Middles on Thursday, 4th September, during lunchtime in Room 4. A gold coin donation to attend the class. Give it a go and learn some dance moves. 

To purchase an entertainment book please click on this link:  https://subscribe.entertainmentnz.com/fundraiser/10428y2

This month we’re raising funds for Sacred Heart Cathedral School.

When you buy an Entertainment Membership this month, you’ll get a FREE upgrade to a Multi City Membership (valued at $120!) and a BONUS $30 Visa eGift Card.

That means for just $70 (save $50!), you’ll score access to up to 50% off dining,

activities, shopping, and travel across Australia, NZ, and Bali.

It’s the gift that keeps giving all year round — and a total win-win:

✨ Save big on everyday spending

✨ We receive 20% back to support our cause

✨ Together, we’ll smash our fundraising goals this financial year

With over $20,000 in savings — from Rebel Sport, Supercheap Auto, BCF, and Shell fuel, to amazing dining deals Dad will love — you’ll make your money back in no time (and maybe even use the savings to book your next holiday!).

Give Dad his own Membership, or use yours to shout him lunch, grab his gift, or plan an epic day together. One Membership unlocks hundreds of ways to say, “You’re the best, Dad.”

Every 25 Memberships sold raises $350 for our cause.

Click here to buy your Membership https://subscribe.entertainmentnz.com/fundraiser/10428y2

Entertainment Memberships really do help us help each other – you save on the things you love, and we keep supporting our community with the funds raised.

 Sunday, 7 September 2025

 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM

 Talavera Tennis Club, 148 Glenmore Street, Kelburn.

•  Try tennis with our friendly coaches and members
•  Sausage sizzle for all ages
•  Giveaways and spot prizes
•  Refreshments
•  A chance for families to explore our welcoming community club

Hoop Kids Spring Camp

Three days of basketball fun for kids in Years 3-8. They’ll build skills, play plenty of games, and enjoy being part of a team.

Why join us?

• Open to all skill levels
• 3 full days of basketball and teamwork
• Coaches focused on growth, not pressure

Date: 22 - 24 Sep 2025
Time: 9am - 3pm
Venue: Ākau Tangi Sports Centre
Cost: $160

Register for Spring Camp