


Welcome to
ST MARY’S GORE
Good today, better tomorrow
- Love: We belong to God, all in us is His
- Faith: Put your whole confidence in God
- Hope: Good today, better tomorrow
Our Values
Love
We belong to God, all in us is his
Hope
Good today, better tomorrow
Faith
Put you whole confidence in God




ST MARY’S SCHOOL COOKBOOK
Once again, our Home and School Committee is absolutely blown away by the generosity of our whānau and their sharing of talent, recipes, time and skills. Children learn from what they see and hear around them, they learn by watching what we do. As such, our children are blessed to be living and learning in such a vibrant and giving community.
The school staff is especially grateful to the dedicated committee. They worked together to achieve more as a group than any individual possibly could. There’s more than 400 pages of recipes that have been cooked, written up and photographed with love and care.
The book costs $50 and has received rave reviews. Books can be ordered at the school office or online by contacting the Treasurer of the Home and School Association, Mr Drew Goater at drewgoater@gmail.com who can process your payment and promptly post your book(s) anywhere in the world.
SACRAMENTAL PROGRAMMES
Our school is an essential part of the Blessed Sacrament Parish. The Sunday Mass is celebrated every week at 10am and once a term the whole school joins the parish and leads the celebration. Currently we are celebrating Mass via zoom, as we manage only 100 people in church at a time.
Our St Mary’s family is part of the parish family; we believe parents are the first teachers in faith, are supported by the parish and the school to help the children follow their growth journey. We work closely with the parish office to develop and deliver the Sacramental programmes, particularly Reconciliation, Confirmation and First Holy Communion.
If you are interested in enrolling your child in the Sacramental programme for 2022 please contact the parish office on 03 208 9601

INTERESTED IN ENROLLING YOUR CHILD AT ST MARY’S SCHOOL?
We belong to God, all in us is His, celebrating the virtue of love
Latest Notifications
Teeball today …
Fri Mar 24 09:26amJuniors to meet 4pm Grass Diamond 1.
Seniors meet 4pm Grass Diamond 3.
A sincere thank you to all who have helped throughout the season.
Heather Hetaraka. ESSA..
This weeks newsletter (T1 W8)
Thu Mar 23 02:39pm
Reminder: Board Meeting tonight 6pm at school
Thu Mar 23 10:21amYear 5 Camp information and form
Thu Mar 23 09:49am
Girls 5 aside Football
Thu Mar 23 08:35amhttps://forms.gle/fzEnh72mGGz2PBGA6
Cricket this afternoon has been cancelled
Tue Mar 21 02:27pmCricket is cancelled
Fri Mar 17 02:58pmTeeball is cancelled today 🙁
Fri Mar 17 02:14pmIt’s St Patrick’s day tomorrow Friday 17th March…
Thu Mar 16 05:07pmTomorrow is St Patrick’s day! Come dressed in green and bring a gold coin donation in support of the schools and communities that have been devastated by Cyclone Gabrielle. Thank you 💚
Reminder: School is closed for instruction tomorrow (Thursday 16th March) due to the teachers’ strike. Please read the attached letter …
Wed Mar 15 02:21pm
Touch is cancelled this Thursday due to teacher strikes … my bad!
Wed Mar 15 02:17pmSt Patrick’s day – Friday 17th March…
Tue Mar 14 09:01amThis Friday 17th March is St Patrick’s day! Come dressed in green and bring a gold coin donation in support of the schools and communities that have been devastated by Cyclone Gabrielle. Thank you 💚
School Swimming Notice …
Mon Mar 13 03:15pm
Our year 6 hikoi up East Peak tomorrow has been postponed due to it being too wet underfoot (postponement date to come).
Mon Mar 13 12:42pmOfficial Strike Letter & Info
Fri Mar 10 03:35pm
Unfortunately there will be no newsletter this week due to technical issues with Smore – our newsletter and app provider …
Fri Mar 10 01:10pmI will have more information out regarding the teachers strike on Thursday 16th March this afternoon – watch this space.
Cheers,
Mal
Message from Jack for St Mary’s/Gore Main combined
Tue Mar 07 08:26amJust a quick note again from me to say the combined “St Marys/Gore Main” team is still in the Smash Play (Yr1/2) draw as well as your actual Gore Main and St Marys teams this week.
Lana, can you please tell your Gore Main Smash Play parents to all meet on Pitch 2 where the parents can sort to send 2-3 players across to the combined team on Pitch 1
Mal, can you please tell your St Marys Smash Play parents to all meet on Pitch 3 where the parents can also sort to send 2-3 players across to the combined team on Pitch 1 as well.
Any issues just let me know!
Thanks!
Jack H
Beginning of Year Mass – this Sunday 5th March 2023 at 10am
Fri Mar 03 03:09pmBeginning of Year Mass – Sunday 5th March 2023 10am
Please can children meet in the quad at 9.45am in school uniform.
‘Coin or Can’ Donation at Sunday Mass We are asking families to bring a coin in support of the schools and communities that have been devastated by Cyclone Gabrielle in the East Cape and Hawkes Bay. Or bring along a can to support our local St Vincent de Paul Society helping local families in need.
This weeks newsletter … (T1 W5)
Thu Mar 02 03:17pm
Our Rippa Rugby kids have just left Invercargill, they should be back not long after 3pm to pick up 🙂
Wed Mar 01 02:21pmBeginning of Year Mass – Sunday 5th March 2023….
Tue Feb 28 08:16pmBeginning of Year Mass – Sunday 5th March 2023
This Sunday we celebrate the beginning of our school year with Mass at 10am in the Church. This is a special time to gather as a school family again. All parents and friends of the school are very welcome to come along and attend the mass with us.
Please can children meet in the quad at 9.45am in school uniform.
‘Coin or Can’ Donation at Sunday Mass We are asking families to bring a coin in support of the schools and communities that have been devastated by Cyclone Gabrielle in the East Cape and Hawkes Bay. Or bring along a can to support our local St Vincent de Paul Society helping local families in need.
Thank you 😊
Smash Cricket – message from Jack re St Mary’s/Gore Main combined team
Tue Feb 28 10:31amHope you’ve had a good start to the week! I sent out the cricket draws for today last night and you might have seen a combined “St Marys/Gore Main” team in the Smash Play (Yr1/2) draw alongside your existing Gore Main and St Marys teams.
The reason I have done this is you both have 9 players registered at this age grade so with it being a 6-aside comp it probably gives everyone a better chance to have more time on task with a third combined team in the draw rather than trying to squeeze everyone in.
I anticipate it being a different set of 3 players each week that play in the combined team from both schools (just so that everyone still gets to play for their actual school team too) but I will leave that up to you and the parents to decide going forward.
Having this extra combined team also means I can move some girls from another school (Heriot) into Girls Smash as they asked after last week and that also then gives me an even number of teams in that grade too!
Would you be able to pass this on to your players/parents before they arrive today? That way it will hopefully clear up most of the confusion before they arrive.
Hope this all makes sense and any questions then just let me know. I’ll be setting up for most of today so the easiest way to reach me will be text rather than email
Tee Ball today. Calling all primary school age children, 4pm at the ShowGrounds. Come along and enjoy a game with your friends – all welcome
Fri Feb 24 02:17pmThis weeks newsletter (T1 W4)
Thu Feb 23 02:52pm
Teeball for all ages …
Fri Feb 17 09:16amAll Primary School Tamariki welcome.4pm at Gore ShowGrounds.
All equipment supplied.
No Cost.
Heather Hetaraka. ESSA.
This weeks newsletter … (T1 W3)
Thu Feb 16 03:17pm
Reminder: Board Meeting tonight, 6pm at school.
Thu Feb 16 09:32amYears 3 – 6 Athletics Helpers …
Tue Feb 14 03:16pmWe are on the look out for parents to help out at our years 3 – 6 events on Athletics Day –Tuesday 21st of February (postponement day Thursday 23rd February). Only required for the morning (9 – 12.30pm). Your help would be much appreciated as most events take at least 3 people to run smoothly! Please fill the form below if you are able to help.
Touch – still looking for 1x year 5 and 6 coach and manager. Please let me know if you can help mallory.hood@stmarys.school.nz
Mon Feb 13 08:32amTouch Teams are almost ready to go. Looking for:
Fri Feb 10 02:18pm2 x Year 5 and 6 coaches
1 x Year 5 and 6 manager
If you can help please let me know – mallory.hood@stmarys.school.nz
This weeks newsletter …
Thu Feb 09 03:59pm
Touch Entries for New Entrant – Y6 – Term 1 2023 (google form attached). Entries by Thursday 9th Feb
Tue Feb 07 02:48pm
Autism Support Group
Tue Feb 07 12:28pm
This weeks newsletter …
Fri Feb 03 03:34pm
A message from Jack – signing up for Cricket this term (available for boys and girls, NE – Year 6). This is done through Jack, not school 🙂
Fri Feb 03 11:12amSMASH PLAY (Yr1/2 Boys & Girls), SUMMER SMASH CRICKET (Yr3/4) and GIRLS SMASH (Yr3-8) will take place every Tuesday at Hamilton Park and starts on Tuesday 21st February.
And FRIDAY NIGHT CRICKET (Yr4-6) is back every Friday at Hamilton Park and will begin on Friday 24th February.
Summer Smash Cricket is the rebrand of our popular Superstar Cricket competition from previous years and we are excited to be bringing back the same 6-a-side cricket match format but also adding in new rules/tweaks to continue making the cricket our kids play more and more exciting and an increasingly quality experience every time.
Like last term, parents/guardians should register their player(s) online via the new PlayHQ system.
The signup link for Smash Play is here: https://www.playhq.com/new-zealand-cricket/register/75ef62
The signup link for Summer Smash Cricket is here: https://www.playhq.com/new-zealand-cricket/register/c98c4e
This covers Friday Night Cricket as well. Players will be able to select Tuesday or Friday as part of completing their registration.
The signup link for Girls Smash is here: https://www.playhq.com/new-zealand-cricket/register/344704
It would be hugely appreciated if this info and the signup links can be shared with your parents and pupils as much as possible via notices, Facebook, school app, email, etc over the next 2-3 weeks before cricket starts. It is so important to us that schools try and support with sparking interest and registrations in any way you can if at all possible and it will complement my upcoming cricket visits with your classes as well!
Every player from last term will also receive this info direct in the next few days as well.
Thanks and any questions or feedback, please get in touch!
Jack Hilton
Southland Cricket Association
(Phone – 021 648 127)
No assembly today people – ice blocks for hot and bothered kidlets instead 🙂 We hope you all have a fantastic long weekend!
Fri Feb 03 10:53amIf anyone has any special news from the holidays for this weeks newsletter …
Thu Feb 02 08:24amIf anyone has any special news from the holidays for this weeks newsletter – email it to me by 9am tomorrow (Friday) and I will pop it in for everyone to celebrate – mallory.hood@stmarys.school.nz
Yay – it’s the first day back tomorrow (Feb 1st) …
Tue Jan 31 01:31pmNOT LONG NOW!!! Our staff have been busy over the last couple of weeks setting up their classrooms ready for their new classes for 2023. We’ve also been doing a bit of learning, we spent last Thursday on a Tiki Tour with staff from the schools in the Kāhui Ako where we learnt more about places of significance in Eastern Southland including Tuturau, it was the perfect inspiration to kick off our continued inquiry topic, Tūrangawaewae.
We then started our Monday with a Mass led by Bishop Michael Dooley at the The Immaculate Conception Parish Church, at Holy Cross in Mosgiel. The rest of the day was spent learning about the roll out of the new Religious Education Curriculum which we all agreed is going to be fantastic!
We’re looking forward to having our kids back tomorrow and kicking 2023 off with a bang (and no masks and rostered lunchtimes this time around). It would be a good idea however to send your kids with a sun hat and drink bottle, she’s going to be HOT!
For kids who are in Room Ruru with Miss McRae and Room Moa with Miss Hood, remember your class is now in a different room than what it has been. Room Ruru children are in the end block, in the old Room Moa, opposite Room Piwakawaka. Room Moa, I told you we’d be in the old Room Ruru but infact, we have a brand new classroom that needs to be used – so that’s where we will be instead (next door to the old Ruru).
Cheers,
Miss Hood 🙂
Stationery – if you didn’t get yours last year, the office will be open Wednesday, Thursday and Friday mornings (only) next week 🙂
Thu Jan 19 01:12pmNewsletters
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