The youngest students at St Joseph’s School had a busy week back in class refreshing their brains on important subjects and preparing for a busy final term of 2021.

The year one students spent their first week back at school getting back into the spirit of learning.

On Friday they practiced their math, each creating a poster centered around the topic ‘Maths for Me’, which explored how mathematics relates to each of them personally such as how many brothers or sisters they have, their age, and how many teeth they have lost.

“We have been getting back into the usual routine of school and that has been going well,” said their teacher, Dick Ratawake.

Term four will be a busy term for the school as the end of the year approaches.

Looking at the upcoming events, Ratawake says the school is uncertain if the Tiare Festival is going ahead officially this year, but nevertheless they have their own plans in place to celebrate.

Their programme includes traditional games for the junior grade one and two classes with the upper classes taking part in more advanced traditional games and activities including husking and grating coconuts, making raurau, and sewing head and neck eis in their Kia Orana wear. An umu will also be prepared towards the end of their Tiare Festival celebrations.

The year 2021 has also been the year of St Joseph. Beginning on December 8th of last year and ending on December 8th of this year, the school has some celebrations planned to wrap up the year of their school’s Saint.

Ratawake says the school has been exploring the seven virtues of St Joseph’s life to celebrate him. Towards the end of the year each class will pick one virtue to focus on and prepare a drama or a singing performance to perform to the rest of the school.

Best friends Niviksha Shaheem and Esme Newbigging were glad to see each other back at school again after their two-week school holidays. 21102112