This week we feature more Gateway students that have been following their career paths this year.
Svetlana McGregor has been working at Camp Columba and is seen learning how to programme events at the camp.
Next term more students will be joining the Gateway programme as they plan their future pathways.

Joy Delahunt
Gateway Co-ordinator/Careers Administration

​A big thank you to Jude Taylor, chef extraordinaire,  whose magic and skill created the stunning 50th Anniversary Feast Day lunch.  There were 400 very grateful St Peter’s College students and staff at the conclusion.  Thanks also to Julie Watkins, Jo Holland, Lisa Perkins, Shona Baillie, Rosie Hickey and Year 12 and 13 students for all your hard work in helping to make the event become a reality.  Also to the students who kindly offered to help with making the bunting.
 

Ex- St Peters College student Siobhan Marshall (nee Gulliver) and her husband Joe, live in a small village up the Whanganui River called Rānana. Joe is born and bred Ngati Hau and he and Siobhan recently hosted the St Peter's Kapa Haka group up at their local Marae at Hiruhārama, (Jerusalem), a beautiful peaceful place nestled amongst the banks of the Whanganui river.  Siobhan and Joe thought this a fitting occasion to gift a traditional Kahuhuruhuru (feathered cloak), woven by Joe's cousin Rehutai (also from Jerusalem) to the Kapa Haka Roopu (group). This most generous gift from the people of Te Ati Hau Nui-ā- Papārangi, made especially in the colours of our College, was such an honour for the group to receive and forever links the people of St Peter’s and Jerusalem together. Thanks so much to Siobhan and her whanau for their generosity and aroha. 
Feast Day Mass was again a special occasion and even more so when the special gift of the Kauhuruhuru was presented during the ceremony. We also  had the chance to farewell Tony Hanning who was the Director of the Dunedin Catholic Education Office.  We wish Tony all the best for a great retirement and thank him for the many years of supporting St Peter’s College and our community. 
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Thank you to Father Vaughan Hook who celebrated the Mass alongside Father Vince Smith.

Darren Jack
Deputy Principal
 

​Term 2 is done and dusted, and what a busy and productive one it has been! It is always a highlight to end this winter term with our consistently high-quality Eisteddfod Concert at the St James Theatre and last night continued this tradition of polished performance. Thank you to all those involved behind the scenes and out front on stage. Congratulations to our three Eisteddfod Champions – Samantha Marsh (Junior), Seba Metzler (Intermediate) and Grace Turipa (Senior) and Rosmini House who took out the honours for highest points during the Eisteddfod. Today we will be finishing a great term with a sausage sizzle for lunch and the annual staff-student netball game at the stadium.

Our Open Night will be held on Tuesday 30th July. Many of our students volunteer to help with this evening and show off their school by taking tours. Please note this date on your calendar and encourage any friends and neighbours to pop along for a look. Many people enjoy the opportunity to have a tour around our college and meet with staff and students even if their children are not yet in year 6.
Next term we launch project-based learning for our year   8-10 students. This exciting new initiative is the culmination of nearly two years work by staff and has the financial backing of the Ministry of Education through the Teacher Led Innovation Fund. We have many excited students ready to move into more student driven learning and we are looking forward to the skills and capabilities that this will develop for them. There is an email being sent to all families of year 8, 9 and 10 students that will give you more information about the process.
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Good luck to our students who are involved in various activities and tournaments over the holiday period, along with the 1st XV who compete in the local derby against Gore High School tomorrow on home ground – I know they would really appreciate your support and encouragement.

Everyone is well ready for a holiday, but I am also aware that there have been happenings in Gore of late that is making families more aware of security and safety for property and for their families. With this in mind, we intend to run a parent education evening in term 3 particularly in terms of drug education. There will be more information sent out to families in due course. In the meantime, stay safe and enjoy the special family time that the school holidays offer, and we look forward to seeing everyone back safe and sound on July 22nd.
 
Nga mihi


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​Kia ora tatou

Eisteddfod 2019 will be a great memory for many. The quality of performances was exciting and the talents on display by so many of our young people were quite special. Well done to all who put themselves out of their comfort zone to perform in front of large audiences. I also must acknowledge the student audiences in every venue, for their respectful participation and encouragement of others, which allowed students to feel safe in performing in front of their peers.

At Mass on Friday, we welcomed in the korowai gifted to our Kapahaka group by the people of the Whanganui River and Hiruharama (Jerusalem). This cloak has a double woven band that signifies the connection made between the Whiritaunoka Marae of the Te Atihaunui iwi, and Hato Petera (St Peter’s College), reflecting the similarity between the two rivers that flow through both towns. It is certainly a very special taonga (treasure) for our college.

We were pleased to be able to present Mr Tony Hanning with a gift today on behalf of the St Peter’s College community. Tony has been the Director of the Dunedin Diocesan Catholic Education Office for many years and has contributed to Catholic education for the past 60 years. Although one of Tony’s last duties will be officiating at the Bishop’s Shield Competition at Verdon College in August, we took this opportunity as a whole school community to farewell him today. Thank you, Tony, for all the support you have given St Peter’s over many years.

I wish to take this opportunity to thank the group of staff, able led by Mrs Anne Perniskie, who organised the meal and house decorations in the Rosmini House Dining Room for our student and staff lunch today, to celebrate our first 50 years as a college.  We were fortunate to have Jude Taylor helping with the food preparation – thanks Jude.  Watch out for the photos next week in the newsletter.

Make sure you are coming along to the Art Expo this Saturday night at the Town and Country Club. There will be something for everyone, from some significant pieces of art from well known artists, through to student photography and celebrity auction pieces. We feel very excited by the quality of art that will be on display for sale.
Have a great weekend and see you tomorrow night!

Kate Nicholson 
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The Eisteddfod eliminations are next week on Wednesday, 26th and Thursday, 27th June. The ‘Best of the Rest Concert’ will be held at School on Friday, 28th June after lunch. The ‘Final Night Concert’ will be held at the SBS St James Theatre on Thursday, 4th July.   The Wearable Arts are to be dropped off at School this Monday, 24th June and bought to the Office to mark off and then then can be taken to the allocated room. Please encourage your child/ren to practice their entry.  All parents/caregivers/family etc. are invited along to the eliminations and the Best of the Rest Concert.  Tickets for the final night at SBS St James Theatre are for sale from the Main School Office. $15 Adults and $12 Students/children. If your child is performing in the concert and wants to watch it they will need to purchase a ticket.
Nikki Cunningham - Arts Co-ordinator

This week we had Laura McKenzie visit us from the Southern Institute of Technology (SIT).  Laura spoke to a large crowd of Year 12 and 13’s who are looking at going on to SIT in the future.
Over the next few weeks, we have ex pupil Sophie Holland with us helping students prepare and write their CV’s.  Sophie has experience with the Career Hub at Otago Polytechnic as part of her degree, writing CV’s for Polytechnic students.  Her up to date knowledge is proving worthwhile and students are usually able to complete a CV within one session.

Joy Delahunt - Gateway Co-Ordinator / Careers Administration

A huge congratulations to both Isabella Gordon-Glassford (Year 9) and Grace Turipa (Year 13) who took part in the Otago Southland Maori Speech competition, known as Manu Korero, last Friday. The competition was held at Taieri College in Mosgiel and was well represented with a large number of Southland and Otago schools in attendance. It was the first year Isabella had taken part and she stunned the audience with her speech which she had apparently only finished in the early hours of Friday morning.  Then to go through in front of that large audience without notes;  Amazing! Grace is a seasoned performer with all things cultural and the arts, but even those of us who know what Grace is capable of, were not ready for the amazing performance that came next. Grace scored 99 out of a possible 100 points and won the Senior English Prepared Speech section. Well done to you both, a fantastic achievement!  Thanks also to the small but committed supporters from our own Kapa Haka group who attended with our two Speakers, sat with them on stage and preformed a Tautoko when they had finished speaking. A fantastic day had by all those that attended and St Peter’s certainly shone brightly among other talented schools in our region.
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Darren Jack
Deputy Principal