The Little Christmas Tree Video is Now Complete

After all the hard work that has gone into creating The Little Christmas Tree video, we have now got to the stage of being able to compile the artwork and narration together to re-tell the story. Here is the result...
The Little Christmas Tree

St. Joseph Vinnies Tactile Mats Finished at Last

   The tactile mats made by the St. Joseph Vinnies last year have now been finished. These mats were donated to Ma's Place and will be used by the preschool children of the families Ma's Place caters for. Well done to all those who were involved in creating these mats and to the Garin College Vinnies who dropped these mats off. 

Putting the Message of Faith into Action

After being approached last year as to whether the Vinnies could put something together to assist residents in resthomes to celebrate Christmas, the Vinnies at St. Paul's and St. Joseph's began work based around the story of The Little Christmas Tree which tells the story of Jesus. Unfortunately with so much happening for the students in Term 4 we didn't have the opportunity to finish off this project. However with the nature of the story, this will be a useful resource for Easter instead. In the meantime here is a sneak peek of some of the artwork that has gone into the retelling of this story. 

   

Dyslexia Awareness Display Goes Nationwide

The Vinnies Dyslexia Awareness Display which was up at the Elma Turner Library in Nelson to coincide with Dyslexia Awareness Week during the first week of October last year has developed national interest. SPELD New Zealand are keen to use the Vinnies work to promote Dyslexia Awareness Week throughout the country. The Vinnies work that has since been donated to SPELD, a non-profit orgranisation that works with students who have specific learning disabilities has been delivered to their head office in Auckland where it will be photographed and turned into posters for this use. It's great to see our young Vinnies making such a positive difference not only locally but on a national scale as well.

Display Draws Lots of Positive Comments

   The Vinnies display of Famous People with Dyslexia which was up at the Elma Turner Library to coincide with Dyslexia Awareness Week drew lots of positive comments from a variety of people as shown below...

   

 “Just a quick email to say that I think your display looks fantastic and that it has been receiving a lot of interest”.

Laura Findlay

Community Programmes Librarian

   “ I popped in to the library in Nelson yesterday and saw your display. It looks wonderful. The children’s artwork, like last time, is amazing. So well done. The whole display looks fantastic. Thank you for doing it”.

Rosalind Baker

Nelson SPELD Coordinator

“Your library display looks fantastic. A wonderful effort”.

Susie Cowper

SLD Coordinator

Dyslexia Awareness Display

From 26 September - 17 October artwork and information about famous people with dyslexia will be up on display in the children's section of the Elma Turner Library in Nelson as part of Dyslexia Awareness Week which takes place the first week of October. This display is put together as a combined effort by the St. Joseph and St. Peter Chanel Vinnies. We hope that it will raise the awareness of the wider community as to just what people with dyslexia are able to achieve given the right help and support.

Bags of Love

To end off Term 3 the St. Joseph Vinnies have been creating small bags of potpourri and little cards to go with them which will be distributed to residents of a local rest home. Creating such bags was an activity that got underway last year and met with such a positive response that it has become an activity that has been revisited a couple of times since. According to the rest home these went to, this small gift made a huge difference particularly for one of the ladies.  The lady who was finding it difficult to adjust to being in a resthome, now carries the lavender bag around with her and sleeps each night with it under her pillow. We hope these gifts will equally bless those they will be going to. 

Baby Name Cards to Adorn SCBU Cots

If there is one thing mothers often treasure amongst the keepsakes of their baby's arrival it is the name cards that are attached to the baby's cot in the hospital. Not only do these cards serve a very practical purpose in identifying babies but also further down the track act as a reminder of just how far the baby has come from those very early vulnerable days under the care of the Special Care Baby Unit. It is therefore an absolute privilege as Vinnies to be involved in the making of these cards. We hope they will bless the mothers and babies they go to.

Candles Act as a Reminder to the Vinnies to Let Their Light Shine

During Term 2, the Vinnies also spent a session creating candles. The candles will provide a special reminder to the Vinnies who have been working with Monica Hailes-Paku throughout the term while Philippa has been on maternity leave, to put into practice Matthew 5:16 to let their light shine so that people can see their good deeds and give thanks to God - something which is very much in keeping with what being a Vinnie is all about. 

Fabric Blocks Will Assist in Fundraising During Dyslexia Awareness Week

To further the work the St. Joseph Vinnies began in Term 1 looking at famous people with dyslexia and putting together artwork and information based around these people, the St. Joseph Vinnies began the term by creating fabric blocks which will be part of the fundraising drive during Dyslexia Awareness week later in the year in raising money to assist students suspected of having a specific learning disability from families in need. The Vinnies also had a visit from Susie Cowper to start the term who came back to play a variety of phonic games with the students showcasing the variety of learning materials that teachers who work with students who have learning disabilities use.

Visit by Kathy Surridge from the 3D Learning Programme

On Wednesday 11 April, the St. Joseph Vinnies had a visit from Kathy Surridge who runs the 3D Learning Programme at St. Joseph's working with students who have a different learning style and therefore find fitting into the formal education system a little more challenging. She shared with us a story about Timmy - showing pictures of what life was like for Timmy as a preschooler and how this changed once he reached school. She also shared with us about the wonderful achievements of people who are predominantly right-brained thinkers and their contribution to almost every sphere of society once they had left school. This really backed up the work we have been doing this term on famous people with dyslexia.  

Famous People Portraits and Information Complete

The St. Joseph Vinnies have now completed their artwork and information about famous people with dyslexia which will go on display during Dyslexia Awareness Week later in the year. Here are the finished results...

Famous People with Dyslexia

   Throughout Term 1, the St. Joseph Vinnies have been hard at work learning about famous people who have overcome having a specific learning disability. Amongst the famous people the Vinnies have chosen to do are Sir Richard Branson, Winston Churchill, Eleanor Roosevelt, Leonardo Da Vinci and Marco Pierre-White. Here they are painting the portraits of these famous people that will go on display during Dyslexia Awareness Week later in the year. 

Vinnies Receive a Visit from Susie Cowper, SLD Coordinator

  
 On Wednesday 28 February, the St. Joseph Vinnies received a visit from Susie Cowper, SLD Coordinator who came to talk to them about specific learning disabilities and show them some of the resources that SLD teachers use with the students that they work with. The Vinnies also watched 'Like a Dyslexic' a short video clip put together by a 14 year old dyslexic student who wrote to Sir Richard Branson, well-known not only for being an international entrepreneur but also someone who himself is dyslexic. The Vinnies discovered through this video clip that a number of famous people have dyslexia. We will be working on this topic more throughout the term. 

Fabric Blocks Assist SPELD

   During Term 4, the St. Joseph Vinnies also created fabric blocks in which reminder notes, telephone messages, inspirational quotes and school reminders can all be pegged to. They also make great hair clip holders for little girls or can be used by 'big girls' for their dangly earrings. These will be sold along with the Christmas cards the St. Joseph Vinnies put together at the Christmas stall SPELD is holding in early December to raise funds for resources that will assist them in their work with students who have specific learning disabilities. SPELD is a non-profit organisation. 

Christmas Cards to Assist the Community

   In the lead up to Christmas, the St. Joseph Vinnies have been creating Christmas cards for the community.  Some of the Christmas cards will be given to SPELD, a non-profit organisation that assists children with specific learning disabilities to sell at the Christmas stall they are having – the proceeds will help them in raising funds for resources that will assist them with their work. The rest of the Christmas cards will be given to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul to be put in the Christmas hampers they are putting together for people in need in the community. 

Nelson Weekly article Oct 2017

Vinnies Present Rocks to Rebekah

On Friday 29 September, the St. Joseph Vinnies met with Rebekah Joy, Coordinator of Project Butterfly and Kate Russell from the Nelson Weekly to present Rebekah with the rocks they painted for World Infant Loss Day commemorations. This was a great way to finish off our project. The article about the Vinnies involvement in preparations for this up-coming event taking place on October 15 will feature in the Nelson Weekly coming out on Tuesday 3 October. Definitely keep an eye out for this.

Vinnies Re-visit Project Butterfly Gardens to Clean Path and Mosaics

On Wednesday 27 September, the St. Joseph Vinnies returned to the Project Butterfly pathway to do some further cleaning in preparation for World Infant Loss Day commemorations.

 

Vinnies Complete Rocks

The St. Joseph Vinnies have now completed their painted rocks for World Infant Loss Day commemorations. These little beauties have an inspiring quote written on the back of them from the book 'Hope for the Flowers' by Trina Paulus that the Vinnies had the opportunity of listening to. We hope they will bring inspiration and encouragement to those who find them hidden around the Project Butterfly Gardens on October 15.