Kia ora e te whanau
 
As we continue to celebrate the Easter season, I would like to take a moment to reflect on the significance of the 50 days of Easter. The Easter season is a time of great joy and celebration for Catholics around the world. It is a time to reflect on the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the hope that it brings to all of us. The 50 days of Easter represent the period between the resurrection of Jesus and the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
 
During this time, we are reminded of the importance of the resurrection and the impact it has on our faith. It is a time to reflect on the sacrifice that Jesus made for us and the new life that he offers us. The Easter season is also a time of renewal and transformation, as we are invited to deepen our relationship with Christ and to become more like him.
 
As we navigate through these 50 days of Easter, I encourage you to take time to reflect on the meaning of this season and to deepen your faith. Attend Mass regularly, spend time in prayer and reflection, and engage in acts of kindness and charity. These small gestures can have a powerful impact on those around us and help to spread the message of hope and love that Christ offers us.
 
I am very pleased to announce today that our Diocese has signed off a $600,000 investment into refurbishing two Science laboratories and the technician area in between. It is through your attendance dues, the governments property investment, and our Catholic Dioceses commitment to the future of St Peter’s College that we are able to commence this project this year. This project will allow our students to have access to high quality facilities that favour collaborative learning and scientific experiments in a safe environment:







​This is a very exciting new venture, and it speaks to the strong financial and educational position the school is in. A big thank you goes out to Ms Jo Carter, our Head of Science, whose unfailing commitment, and drive to ensure we got a design for 21st century learning and a second space, when the original plan was just for one.
 
This week our student leaders ran an Anzac Assembly that paid tribute to the past, present and future military personnel in New Zealand and around the world. As always, our student executive team led with respect, dignity and compassion and their leadership is always valued by the student body. Last term they all attended the GRIP Leadership conference here in Gore with student leaders from other schools around Otago and Southland and we look forward to seeing them incorporate more of their personal flavour into events around the school and in future assemblies.
 
He has saved us and called us to a holy life- not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. “This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time."
2 Timothy 1:9.
 
Let us continue to be holy in all we undertake and may all our young people thrive in holiness as they begin the term and have the opportunity to reconnect with their peers and reset their goals.
 
I take this opportunity to thank all our parents and caregivers for their assistance and support throughout the last term. Your participation in the many events in this upcoming term has consolidated your commitment in the journey of your children as they progress through St Peter’s. We look forward to your continued involvement in our young people’s academic achievement, sporting, spiritual and cultural interests for the remainder of the year.
 
 
Tara Quinney,
Principal
 

 

Kia ora e te whanau
 
As we journey through the season of Holy Week leading up to Easter, I would like to take a moment to reflect on the importance of Catholic character in our school community. At St Peter’s College, we believe that Catholic character is at the heart of all that we do. It guides our decisions, shapes our interactions, and provides a foundation for our academic and personal growth. During this season of Holy Week, we are reminded of the ultimate expression of Catholic character - the sacrificial love of Jesus Christ, who gave his life for us on the cross. His example of humility, forgiveness, and selflessness is a powerful reminder of the virtues that we strive to cultivate in our students.
 
In our school, we aim to foster Catholic character through a variety of activities and initiatives. We encourage our students to practice kindness, generosity, and empathy, to develop a deep sense of gratitude and to care for others, especially the less fortunate. We also encourage our students to develop a strong faith life, which is essential to the cultivation of Catholic character. Through regular prayer, reflection, and participation in Mass, our students learn to develop a personal relationship with God, which guides and sustains them in their daily lives.
 
In the weekend we attended the Catholic Secondary Schools winter sports quad at St Kevin’s College and I was truly proud of the way our students treated others with manners and respect, were humble when winning and congratulated the other teams when they lost. They were an absolute pleasure to take away and a real credit to you as their parents. I would also like to sincerely thank Mrs Rebecca Chittock for her excellent organisation of the trip and thank all the coaches and managers for giving up their weekend to support and attend: Mrs Carolyn Hunter, Mrs Janelle Conlan, Ms Millie Cowan, Mr Elmer Sollano, Mr Vince Aynsley and Mrs Fiona Sharp. It is a real community effort to ensure our students get these awesome opportunities.
 
Last week we welcomed our new acting Deputy Principal of pastoral care, Ms Sharon Jackson to the school and she is already getting to know many of the students and parents. We are also excited to announce that we have appointed a new Digital Technologies and DVC teacher, Mr Mark Presley, who will start week 6, term 2.
 
This week we had our Academic Blues awards assembly and it was lovely to recognise the hard work and commitment that many of our young people put in last year to achieve their very best.
 
Congratulations to the following students who received Excellence endorsements at level one:
 
Liana Abuel
Sam Clarkson
Molly Gray
Cassandra Juanitas
Ella King
Daniel Kovarski
Gemma McAtamney
Holly McGowan
Eve McKenzie
Luca Metzler
Ruby Miller
Talia Moody
Connor Sharp
 
 Congratulations to the following students who received Merit endorsements at level one:
 
Jack Abernethy
Ryan Davers
Maegan Davis
Ledrick Delos Reyes
Chonelle Evans
Ellie Haisman
Tegan Haywood
Adam Kelly
Samantha Marsh
Ophelia Hiu Ching
Emma Shanks
Harry Shaw
Aidan Sheddan
Isabella Topp
Tane Tutty
Ashton Wadsworth
Dixie-Leigh Burr
 
Congratulations to the following students who received Excellence endorsements at level two:
 
Shanae Allen
Charlotte Anderson
Sophie Aynsley
Georgie Crowley
Molly Haisman
Rebecca McBeath
Bonnie Miller
Rachael Miller
Lucy Morrison
Marielle Penus
Kate Perkins
Lauryn Pinckney
Jenna Ward
 
Congratulations to the following students who received Merit endorsements at level two:
 
Dixie-Leigh Burr
Meg Clarkson
Kynan Marsh
Alexine Rivas
Mary Salvana
Frances Shallard
Lauren Stevenson
 
Congratulations to the following students who received Excellence endorsements at level three:
 
Adriana Evans
Abby Gutschlag
Abby Hailes
Seba Metzler
Anikah Moody
Somi Park
Nicholas Roy
Maclean Sharp
Connor Watkins
 
Congratulations to the following students who received Merit endorsements at level three:
 
JB Acuna
Jonga Baek
Flynn Chamberlain
Jack Gee
Sarah Griffiths-Smith
Laura Heads
Myah Kortbaoui
Eden McPhail
Nicola Mitchell
Olivia Shanks
 
We also gratefully thank Ms Louise Dennison, past pupil of St Peter’s College who came back and gave a heartfelt and motivating speech to our students by sharing her educational journey since leaving school. We are so very lucky to have her back working in our community.
 
As we approach Easter weekend, let us remember the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and the importance of Catholic character in our school community. May God bless you and your families during this holy season.
 
Charity Fulfils the Law
 
 
Tara Quinney,
Principal