Thank you to all the parents who came along to our whanau evening on Monday night. John Parsons (Internet Safety and Risk Assessment Consultant) spoke with all students during the day and their feedback was very positive. John spoke about the importance of values in social media use and suggested that we consider the internet to be a place that our children go, just like any other physical space, and to check in with them and talk about that ‘place’ just like we would if they were out and about around town. The staff spent an hour talking with John about our own safety as educators when using digital devices in the classroom, and the important part we play in child protection. We are grateful to the Rotary Club of Invercargill that has sponsored John’s time in Southland. Please talk to your child about what they learned from their session with John Parsons and begin the dialogue about the safe use of digital media at home.
We enjoyed welcoming ex-student Sam Mackay back into school on Wednesday as our guest speaker for the Academic Blues Ceremony. Sam attended St Peter’s College from 1995 until 1999 and during that time he took advantage of public speaking opportunities within Eisteddfod, Bishop’s Shield competitions and MUNA (Model United Nations). Sam gained a Masters in International Law and is soon to graduate from Massey University with an MBA. He spoke with the student body about his experiences working in New Zealand Embassies throughout the world and he encouraged them to consider working or studying overseas to widen their global view of life. Congratulations to the big number of year 12 and 13 students who received an Academic Blue on Wednesday. These students gained an Excellence Endorsement in NCEA last year and need to be acknowledged for commitment to their studies. Some of these students gained up to 100 excellence credits during the year which is no mean feat!  They certainly deserve the accolades given them during this ceremony.
Next weekend is our annual College Ball. Make sure you pop along to the hall next Saturday to admire our gorgeous students in their finery as well as the fantastic range of classic cars that always appear!
We are nearing the end of Lent as we move toward Holy Week beginning with Palm Sunday next weekend. Encourage your children to do something extra in the remaining two weeks of Lent. Here is some information about Fasting which is one of the three pillars of Lent – prayer, fasting and service.
Not eating meat on Fridays: the rule that Catholics cannot eat meat on Fridays during Lent is not quite right and it is much more lenient now than what most Catholics in history have had to observe. Nowadays meat is only prohibited on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. The idea was that Catholics should fast or take light meals and asking to not eat meat was a sure way of ensuring everyone fasting. Now people are asked to fast and can choose what is best for their situation. The purpose of fasting is spiritual focus, self-discipline, in the imitation of Christ and a way of showing sorrow.
 
Have a blessed weekend and wonderful St Patrick’s Day.
 

Greetings

The first few days of term one have been special in many ways. I was privileged to spend time in the company of our Year 13 students and staff at the Year 13 Retreat in Edendale. I am certainly confident that these young men and women are going to be very good ambassadors for our college and wonderful role models for our youngest students. These same students received their leadership badges on Wednesday at our Opening Mass, celebrated by Bishop Colin Campbell. We were very pleased to have Fr Damian, Fr Aidan Cunningham and Fr Liam (visiting from Ireland) assisting Bishop Colin on the altar. Thank you to all the parents who attended this Mass; it is always a very special one for us as we welcome our new students and their families, and our leaders are commissioned for the new school year. Thank you to Brendan Terry (DRS) and his team who coordinated this special occasion.

Waimumu Field Days

Next week, St Peter’s College and Rosmini Boarding House will have a site at the Waimumu Field Days. Please encourage any families you may know who are considering St Peter’s as a secondary school option for their children, to visit us for a chat. Because the field days are an important event on the Southland calendar, we will be closing next Thursday at 12:50pm (end of period 4). Any children who need to remain behind to wait for buses may stay in the library where they will be supervised (please inform the office if you need this to happen). Our staff work hard to prepare effective lessons for a full class of students and therefore we ask that parents take their children to the Field Days in the time we have set aside on Thursday afternoon and ensure that your children are at school for the rest of the three days.

Ash Wednesday

Next week sees the Lenten season begin. We will be having a Liturgy on Wednesday morning in the school hall to commemorate Ash Wednesday, the first day of the forty days of Lent. As always parents are welcome to join us for this at 8:45am. Lent is forty-six days long but generally we don’t count the Sundays, which brings it back to forty days that represent the time Jesus spent in the wilderness, enduring the temptation of Satan and preparing to begin his ministry.
50th Anniversary Celebrations
We are looking forward to St Peter’s 50th next January, 2019. Organisation is well underway, but we would love to hear from anyone who would like to lend a hand – big or small - to make this a fantastic reunion weekend. If this sounds like you and you can spare a few hours during the coming year, please let the office know and someone from the committee will contact you.
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Dates for Your Calendar
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This year we have changed the timing of our annual Work Day. Please note that this will be held on the 7th March. All students are expected to contribute to this day, so this is advanced notice to start thinking about this.
Our Year 7-10 Whanau Evening will be held on Monday evening March 12th, 6:30 – 8:30pm. We are pleased to let you know that John Parsons (cybersafety and internet expert) will be part of this evening which also includes an information session and a meet and greet with your child’s learning tutor and form teacher. I encourage everyone with children in years 7-10 to attend this important evening.
Enjoy your weekend,

Nga mihi
 
​Kate Nicholson

Welcome to the new school year and our brand new website!

We are pleased to have the opportunity to share more of what happens at St Peter’s with you and to ensure that news and information is relevant, timely, easily accessible and up-to-date.
Please spend time browsing this site and making yourself familiar with the information and ‘quick links’ available to you - I am sure you will enjoy doing this as much as I have during its development.

It is our aim to provide excellent communication with all in our St Peter’s community. Of course, there will be things we may not have thought about and we are keen to hear about your browsing experience. Positives and negatives are always most welcome as we continue to refine our communication with our community.