As your child settles in to the new school year take some time to check in with them about how they are feeling about their social relationships with their peers. Click here to read about why it is so important that your child finds their tribe.

Tolcarne News

Tolcarne has been a bit quieter this week, with the year 12 and 13 P.E students away on camp in Murchison and Abel Tasman. The juniors went to Waihola at the weekend, where they competed in games of paintball. The rivalry was fierce as the girls raced to capture the rabbit soft toy without being hit! It was a very fun day out and they are looking forward to surfing at St Clair this weekend. Yoga is now a weekly activity held at the hostel, with one of our staff members (Ella) taking the girls for this before bed on a Wednesday. It is the perfect opportunity for the girls to have time for mindfulness and to relax before another busy day at school! 

Chapel Matters

On Tuesday this week, the staff and students indulged in yummy pikelets with jam and cream as our way of marking Shrove Tuesday. The students also played silly games with the leftover pikelets at lunchtime.

Traditionally, Shrove Tuesday is the last day to indulge and be silly before the season of Lent which begins with Ash Wednesday.

Lent is the 40-day period of time leading up to Easter, where we remember Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem where he was crucified. Traditionally, Ash Wednesday is therefore a day when we remember that we have all sinned, and that we need the forgiveness and grace that Christ offers. We have all let others down, said hurtful things, broken promises, ignored someone who needed our help, made choices that were not wise, dropped rubbish for others to pick up, and not cared about the environment.

There is a prayer which is part of the Eucharist service part of which says:

We have sinned in what we have thought and said,
in the wrong we have done and in the good we have not done.
We have sinned in ignorance;
We have sinned in weakness:
We have sinned through our own deliberate fault.

Afterwards, the minister then proclaims our forgiveness – and reminds us to forgive others and to forgive ourselves. The ashes that we get on the back of our hands (or on the forehead) remind us about these two things:

• The ash, which comes from the burnt harakeke crosses we make for Palm Sunday (and our Open Night!), reminds us that we are all fallen, frail, broken, and bruised;
• While the olive oil which is mixed with the ash, reminds us that we are forgiven, free, cherished and that there is always hope for healing and renewal.

The ash and the oil go together because that is how life works, that there is a time for everything under the sun. We don’t want to always indulge and be silly, or be hard on ourselves and pessimistic about life. We need to acknowledge that there are times when we have done wrong and have hurt this world or others, but there are also times when we need to accept forgiveness, let things go, to heal and have a fresh start – and allow others to have a fresh start.

Over the time of Lent, may we all accept that we are fallen and frail (like the ash), and know that we can also be renewed and healed (like the oil).

Careers

BLUE RIBBON INSTALLATION

This is a fundraising initiative that current families, Old Girls and past families can support – purchase a Blue Ribbon plaque with your/your daughter’s name on it, to be displayed permanently in the foyer of the new Arts Building.

Please contact the Director of Development at aburke@shcs.school.nz to reserve your Blue Ribbon today.

Information regarding Coronavirus

With recent concerns raised regarding the spread of coronavirus, we wish to inform you that we are following the Ministry of Health Guidelines regarding best practice for public health. 

We have taken the necessary precautions to ensure the wellbeing of all our international students, when they arrived at school and at Tolcarne, and as most of them have been in NZ for at least a week prior to the start of school, they are at minimal risk of infection, however we will continue to monitor their health. We have no students from the Wuhan region.

The school and Tolcarne will be vigilant with hygiene instruction as well as providing masks as required, and hand sanitiser. They are all the necessary equipment to isolate infection. Frequent hand washing and practising cough etiquette will be encouraged. 

Recognising that coronavirus is now a global issue, if you or your family members have been travelling in Asia or currently infected areas over the holidays, or have been in contact with international visitors, we trust you are monitoring your family’s health and following the Ministry of Health guidelines.

As stated we have in place precautionary measures, and are advised that the risk of infection is still very low. We will continue to monitor the health of any students currently considered to be low risk. The Ministry of Health has advised that there is no specific action to be taken at this time. Should the situation change, we will follow our pandemic plan for managing illness as we do with other infectious diseases such as measles, mumps, and influenza.

For those of you concerned about possible infection, the Ministry of Health has provided practical information on their website which we encourage you to read – 

NoNovel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) guidance – Ministry of Health website:         
included in there is some advice to help reduce the general risk of infection:
– avoiding very close contact with people showing symptoms
– frequently washing hands
– practicing cough etiquette (maintain distance, cover coughs and sneezes with disposable tissues or clothing, and wash hands).

the Ministry of Health will continue to update that content, as further information becomes available