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Kia ora e te whanau
And just like that, our last full week of the 2022 academic year draws to an end. We have seen the final NCEA examinations take place for our seniors, and our junior students have been involved in a range of different activities, including Retreats and Camps. Staff have been busy preparing for 2023 and are already looking forward to the many exciting opportunities that the new year will bring to the students of St Peter’s College. Next week we will conclude the academic year with the whole school prizegiving. Although not all students will be recognised at this prizegiving, each and every student should be very proud of what they have achieved this year. By contributing to our wider community, through participation in sport and cultural events and by making the most of learning opportunities in class, our students continue to develop the skills and attributes to be empowered through their Mercy and Rosminian education to challenge and shape their futures. We strongly encourage all members of our community and all of our students to attend this Wednesday night at 7pm at the Gore Town and Country club. All schools, no matter how good their academic results, cultural and sporting track records, will have its challenges and improvements to be made. We will never be a perfect College, but we are very proud of the place this school has in the community as the Catholic touchstone for past, present and future families. St Peter’s College could not exist without our mission, vision, motto and values. I will take this opportunity to remind you all of these values at this time: Compassion, Commitment, Community “It is important for our students to follow in Jesus Christs footsteps through servant leadership. Consideration for others is evident in all that we do, and St Peter’s College exists to ensure all students are grounded in the Catholic faith through living these values.” If we get this right, then everything else needed will follow. The summer break is nearly here and as we head into the festivities of Christmas, not only is this a pivotal time in our Catholic calendar as we celebrate the birth of Jesus, it is also a time for each of us to stop, reflect and evaluate, to learn from our mistakes and celebrate our successes. One way we can support our young people is by encouraging them to reflect on what has worked well this year and what hasn’t, and look at reasons why. There are opportunities to learn and strategies to develop which can then be put into practice as our students prepare for 2023 and another stepping stone along their personal journey. I also challenge our students over the Christmas break to find a balance between rest and recuperation, and preparation and self improvement. Yes, our students need a break, but they also need to ensure that each day they are doing at least 30 minutes of physical activity, at least 30 minutes of reading, and unplugging from devices to enjoy time reconnecting with family and friends. Loving God, during this holy season of Christmas we ask for your blessing on our all families. Let Mary’s openness to your wondrous ways be an inspiration to place all trust in you. Let Joseph’s courage provide hope during times of anxiety and uncertainty. Let Jesus’ life ignite all families with a spirit of light and love. May the grace that encircled the Holy Family widen to embrace all families. Amen. Charity Fulfils the Law Tara Quinney, Principal
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Kia ora e te whanau As the year slowly winds down, it is only right that we take time to recognise the contributions made by our Year 13 students in the time they have been at St Peter’s and farewell them. These young people have grown in wisdom and stature over time and have rallied to enhance the traditions that have existed here at St Peter’s College. They have been role models and brothers and sisters to the students who have joined us, as they progressed through the college. They have built strong relationships with their teachers and strengthened life long bonds with their peers. We are blessed by their presence here and wish them well as they complete their external examinations at this time. Next Friday we have the opportunity to host our 2022 Leavers’ Dinner at the Gore RSA. We hope all of our year 13 parents and caregivers can join us to witness and enjoy this last rite of passage at St Peter’s College. So, as we farewell one group of leaders, we look forward to the establishment of the next group of student leaders. We received 21 year 12 applications for the 5 student executive roles for 2023. It is never an easy task to choose just 5 but we feel that is the optimal number required to get the job done and lead the school well, alongside myself and the year 13 dean. I am often asked what the criteria is for choosing the top 5 student leaders and it is an impossible one to answer as no criteria will ever be able to truly sum up what it takes to be a servant leader at St Peter’s College. Instead, it is a mix of the student and staff vote, application letter and interview and the balance of a proven servant leadership record throughout the years and the potential leadership qualities we are just beginning to see at the right time. There is also a myth out there in the community that having a leadership title helps you in future tertiary applications like getting into the halls of residences. We know from our feedback from tertiary institutions that this is not the case. All year 13 students are leaders in the school and all year 13’s not selected for the student executive team automatically take on the role of house captains for their whanau groups and houses. Therefore, all year 13 students at St Peter’s College have a leadership title. I don’t usually mention individual students in the weekly newsletter but I would like to recognise a year 13 student this year who did not have a traditional leadership role but who excelled at leadership and was rewarded for it. Eden McPhail was a house captain for McAuley. Not only did she encourage, organise and lead her house to win both the waiata and singing sections at the Eisteddfod she has exemplified servant leadership through never giving up and through her ability to get her peers to follow her. Eden was pivotal in getting our very large ball committee to function effectively this year ensuring a very successful evening. All of this was done without expectation and with very little adult support. That is why she receives the Principal’s Leadership Scholarship for Otago Polytechnic next year. I am also asked to share what it is that our servant leaders do here at St Peter’s College, and I am pleased to share with you the basic requirements of each role as we look towards the future in appointing these leaders for 2023, see below. Charity Fulfils the law Tara Quinney, Principal   Kia ora e te whanau
Over the next few weeks there are a number of key dates that we wish to highlight: Saturday 19 November: Southland Primary Athletics, Surrey Park Invercargill,
Sunday 20th November: Gore Interschools Equestrian competition, Gore Showgrounds
Week 6 – Wednesday 23rd November
Week 7 – Tuesday 29 November
Week 8 – Monday 5th December
We are looking forward to an exciting yet busy end to the school year. To our junior students I would like to remind them that through their participation, by being involved in various activities and opportunities, they will develop the skills and attributes to be equipped and empowered to pursue their own personal excellence and will be prepared to challenge and shape their futures. So please encourage your children to make the most of the final weeks of 2022. Lastly and sadly, our prayers go out to the Hokonui Runaka whanau at the news that Kaumatua Taare Bradshaw has passed away. Kaumatua Taare was pivotal help to us during our Ta Moko consultation and he will be greatly missed. Charity Fulfils the Law Tara Quinney, Principal Kia ora e te whanau
With our senior students on study leave and now only coming into the College to sit exams or attend tutorials, the school may feel quieter, but there is a lot left in the year for our students in Years 7-10. This week alone has seen our Year 7 and 8 students participate in swimming lessons at the MLT and Loving for Life evening sessions with parents. Our Year 9’s have also participated in Loving for Life sessions in their Religious Education classes this week. Our Year 10 students are out at Borland Lodge currently and I was privileged to be able to spend a little time with them last night. I was super impressed with the staff and parents help out there, which without, this amazing outdoor education opportunity would not be able to go ahead. This Saturday we have our Year 9 to 13 Southland Athletics qualifiers compete at Surrey Park in Invercargill followed by our Year 7 & 8 qualifiers the following weekend. We have four very full weeks of learning and activities to go so please support your children by ensuring they are at school every day taking advantage of all the opportunities we have to offer. As always, we keep in our prayers our senior students taking part in the NZQA examinations. With our encouragement they will run their race with confidence and will cross their finish line with a sense of accomplishment. Let these words be a source of encouragement for all our young people - Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Charity Fulfils the Law Tara Quinney, Principal Kia ora e te whanau
This is definitely the business end of the year, and our focus is now on all our senior students taking the initiative to work hard over the following weeks and make their hard work count for their external examinations. Eisteddfod is over for another year and while we were thankful to be able to run this event and show case the many amazing talented students we have, cramming it into term four has meant our senior students have to buckle down even more to prepare themselves for the NZQA examinations. NCEA external examinations begin early November, and we are preparing our students to face these with confidence. Unfortunately, Covid cases have begun to creep back up in the school with a small number of staff who haven’t had Covid before, now catching it. A small number of student cases are also on the rise. Please, if you have sick children with any flu or cold symptoms, please keep them home so we can keep school open. We have some exciting new developments in the pipeline here at St Peter’s College in preparation for next year. Most of our landline phones have been removed from the school and all staff now have the capability to make calls through the Microsoft Teams app on their laptops and cellphones. We apologise for some hiccups in installation which have meant not all calls into the main office and through to Rosmini House have been able to get through, but we should have all of this ironed out by next week. We are also in the design stages of a new school website that will have updated photos, resources, policies, and links to online portals, and we hope to launch this early next year. For the beginning of next year, we will be moving to a new student management system called Kamar. This will give us the capability to more easily input all student assessment data in the one place so that academic reports can easily be downloaded and sent to parents and caregivers alongside our fortnightly ATL reports. This has been an area in the school that has been inadequate, and we are pleased to be able to streamline this process for 2023 onwards. I would like to congratulate Abby Gutschlag and MacLean Sharp who were the St Peter’s College Youth Mark recipients for 2022. Both students clearly epitomise what it means to be a well-rounded student in all areas of school, sporting and cultural life. You can read their citations further down in this newsletter and if you are passing through Invercargill, you can stop off at the Ascot Park Hotel to see the framed photographs of all the students in the main foyer up until the 4th of November. Well done Abby and MacLean. A big thank you goes out to all the volunteers on the PTFA (Parents Teachers and Friends Association) for giving up so much of their time and energies over the past few weeks to number thousands of golf balls. We hope to see you all at St Peter’s College from 6pm on Friday the 4th of November to come see the “Hole in one, Helicopter drop!” You can still buy tickets by contacting Justine Abernethy on 027 459 5977. Right through life we are often reminded to prioritise what we set out to do and there is a time for everything we undertake. These are definitely times for us to encourage our young people to prioritise what is really important to them, as this is the main reason as to why they attend school. Their priorities now are aimed at academic achievement, and this is the time for them to cut away from distractions and focus on the goal at hand. Their academic achievement will be the corner stone of where their future careers are going to take them, and it is our duty this term to remind them of their priorities. They have participated in a range of sport, cultural and musical activities during the year, but the time has arrived where their priority is now on study and academic success. Let us all take time to prioritise what is important in our lives and how we can make a difference by prioritising what we are doing. Proverbs 24:27 says “Prepare your work outside; get everything ready for yourself in the field, and after that build your house.” Prioritising and preparing everyday ensures we are building a strong foundation upon which everything will rest. The time we take now when our young men and women are getting themselves ready for their future will be rewarded with the fruits that they will produce in their future life. Let’s prioritise and be present for them in every way we can so that they are assured of the belief we have in their ability to succeed and build their future. Parents and caregivers, I applaud the encouragement you provide our students to prioritise and for your presence in their lives. Charity Fulfils the Law Tara Quinney, Principal Kia ora e te whanau
A research study in the States on graduates of Catholic schools, found that the educational outcomes were similar to many other schools except in one area of life. Graduates of a Catholic school with a sense of community and purpose had a significant higher “Hope” factor in its graduates. “Hope” that life is ok, and we can get through the struggles and pain. “Hope” that we can be grateful for the gifts of this world and life in general. This factor is reinforced to me every day when I see and experience our students and family members participating and supporting each other in school activities and events. Our rugby prize giving this week was an example of this. Selflessly organised by Mrs Julie Watkins and the Rugby Committee of parents we had an evening of abundant food, speeches about gratefulness and sportsmanship and we recognised the commitment and achievement of all of our players, both boys and girls. Gratitude was expressed for what our small school has achieved this year despite the many barriers and reasons to do less. How true. Hope is the quality of seeing in the dark and getting on with life. Day after day despite all that has happened. It is the opposite of optimism which is often a mask for depression. The last three years have been the ideal place to practice “Hope”. Nothing has gone well in terms of health, livelihood or planned events. So can a College practice Hope like one would practice rugby, reading or rhythm in music? Yes we can. At St Peter’s College we practice Hope by normalising routines and with courage as a foundation. We practice Hope by expecting all students will achieve to something beyond them. We practice Hope by expecting all activities have a quality of depth and excellence. Congratulations to seven of our year 7 and 8 students this week who qualified for the finals in the Otago Problem Solving competition, many with Excellence. These students are Max McGregor, Lachlan Gray, Oliver Gray, Eli Puna, Jack Wilkins, Harry Hoyle and Anthony Lambert. Our head of year 7 & 8 Mrs Julie Burrows is extremely proud of the boys hard work and shared with us yesterday that the last student to qualify in this competition was Connor Watkins who is now in year 13! Charity Fulfils the Law Tara Quinney, Principal Kia ora e te whanau
You will be aware that New Zealand will move to a new, long-term approach to COVID-19. These changes have been made based on public health advice and reflect high levels of immunity and declining case numbers across New Zealand. This new approach will only result in minor changes to the way we operate. The very positive news is that household contacts of a person with COVID-19 do not need to isolate, but instead are asked to complete a RAT test each day, for five days. Therefore, students who are household contacts but test negative and do not have COVID-19 symptoms, should continue to attend. It is the best place for them to be so they can be engaged in their learning, and connected with their teachers, classmates and friends. Information on how to get RAT kits can be found here: Request a RAT– Ministry of Health We also have a supply here at school for all students and staff. Mask wearing is also no longer required. All the other recommended public health measures will stay in place as we know they reduce the spread of infectious illnesses including COVID-19. These include ensuring our indoor spaces are well-ventilated, maintaining good hand hygiene, encouraging everyone to cough or sneeze into elbows and, most importantly, staying home and getting tested if they have COVID-19 symptoms. Now that the restrictions have dropped, we have many more opportunities for our students to be engaged, active and involved in different activities, both in and outside of the College. It is through these opportunities that students develop and make new friendships and connections with others that may last a lifetime and it is through these connections that we will continue to develop and grow as a community. As our wider Catholic community grows stronger, we are in our best position to support our young people and empower them to shape and challenge their future. Recently we farewelled our Accounts Administrator, Adele Horne, who is leaving to work more hours in her family business. Adele worked here with us for three years and her expertise and friendly and helpful personality will be great missed. We warmly welcome Lisamarie Harvey who comes to us with many years of medical accounts administration experience. Today we had our first Girls Breakfast, after a hiatus of a few years, with the wonderful Monica Moore. It was a very special event where female empowerment was at the forefront. Our Catholic faith is at the heart of our school community, and it is through our Mercy teachings that we have the desire for our girls to be empowered Mercy women of spirit and character who will shape their future. Wonderfully, our community extends beyond just our students’ years here at the College and we are excited to have past pupil Tori Peeters coming for a special visit early next term. In the early beginnings of the College, when the Mercy Sisters were invited to come and help staff St Peter’s College, the vision of our school was highlighted with regards to the importance of ensuring that our young women are empowered, and that this comes from providing opportunities where students can develop a connection and commitment to our faith and to our school community. You will be aware that the Government has announced Monday, 26 September 2022, as the Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Day. This will mean that all schools will be closed for instruction that day. A reminder that the senior NZQA derived grade examinations are coming up and due to the public holiday the first day of exams will now be Friday, September 23rd ending on Friday, 30th September. If you have students preparing for end-of-year exams in NCEA Levels 1 to 3 English, Maths or Science, let them know that StudyIt forums have reopened: NCEA help from real students and teachers – StudyIt Charity Fulfils the Law Tara Quinney, Principal Kia ora e te whanau
As we welcomed back our students from the term break last week, it was a good time to remind each of them not to lose sight of the goals they set for themselves at the start of the year. It is now the right time for all our students to be aware that persistence pays and never giving up is the key to success. The last two terms at school have been challenging but fruitful, and as we start this new term, it is very evident that persistence in every aspect of school life definitely has its benefits. Just like in sport when a particular play is not working out, the player practices and believes that this practice will eventually pay off. So also, in the area of academic achievement, assessments have been completed last term and there has been some great learning taking place in all curriculum areas. It is now important for every student to recognise those areas of weakness and work with persistence to overcome these areas of weakness and come out strongly in an important term of their school life. At the end of this term in the very last week we will have our derived grade examinations. These examinations help determine the readiness for the NZQA examinations in term four and they are also the back-up grades for any future illnesses or incidents that may stop students from sitting the NZQA examinations. Prayer plays a huge part in us being persistent and requesting the Lord for guidance and strength. We may not see things occur immediately, but we must be patient and wait for God’s way and God’s time. There is a purpose in this wait and all that is required from us is belief, persistence and patience. As a community let us join together in prayer for our young people and know that the Good Lord has a purpose and plan for each one of them. Given the right guidance, support and care they will succeed in all they undertake. Take time to speak to them and encourage them to challenge themselves so that they can get out of their comfort zones and experience a growth mind-set that will enhance their possibilities for their future. Luke 11:9-10 says, “And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.” Let this message be a source of inspiration and encouragement to all our young people as they progress through the year. May their persistence to pray and succeed be their goal now and well into the future. Charity Fulfils the Law Tara Quinney, Principal Kia ora e te whanau
As we begin Term 3, we continue to face many challenges. Challenges from Covid and winter colds and flus, challenges from the weather and challenges in our daily and personal lives for a whole range of reasons. However, our core business of being a school with a vision that focuses on empowering our students to develop into a person of spirit and character who will pursue actions of community, compassion, and commitment and be prepared to challenge and shape the future, remains at the heart of what we do. St Peter’s College is a place where not only textbook knowledge is received to gain the qualifications that determine whether or not students are academic and therefore successful. I believe we are so much more, we play a much larger part in providing the basis for a student’s future. Our school is a stepping stone to our students future. Our role is to ensure that the stone our students step from out of secondary education is as high, balanced and as wide as it can be so that when a young person leaves St Peter’s College they are empowered through their Catholic education in the Mercy and Rosminian traditions to act justly, love tenderly and walk humbly with our God while pursuing their personal excellence, with the confidence to challenge and shape their future. We are not the end point for the student, for their education, for their development, but we are responsible for assisting, developing, educating and ensuring that our part in their journey allows them to sit up above the water, giving them the best platform from which to step into their future. At St Peter’s College we want education to open opportunities and pathways for our students. We want to see students leave our school empowered to challenge and shape their future whilst being a person who lives by our values whereby they are compassionate and respectful, where they seek justice for others and themselves, and where they have the courage to pursue their ambitions. For term 3, I encourage all of our students to make the most of their time and opportunities at school, both inside and outside of the classroom. In every lesson, to engage with their teacher and their learning, ask questions, challenge their thinking and understanding, and outside the classroom have a go and participate in at least one of the wide range of activities and opportunities available from the sports field to the arts and cultural stages. I also encourage our students to contribute outside the classroom and to support one another by taking time to watch one another on the sports fields or arts and cultural stages. We are one community in Christ where we must also strive to give back and serve. Charity Fulfils the Law. Tara Quinney, Principal Kia ora e te whanau
Following in the footsteps of St Peter after whom our college is named, we are encouraged to be humble. The Feast of St Peter was celebrated on Wednesday 29 June, and it is essential that we take time to reflect on his life and honour his martyrdom. St Peter was leader of the Apostles and first Bishop of Rome (Pope). According to the Gospel, a fisherman known as Simon was called to follow Jesus, who gave him the name Peter and declared him "The rock upon which I will found my Church." Though Peter was his closest disciple, Christ prophesized his betrayal. Following the Resurrection, Peter preached extensively and became the first leader of the Church in Rome. He was martyred by Emperor Nero, reportedly asking to be crucified upside-down, for he was not worthy to die in the manner of his Saviour. We are called to follow in St Peter’s footsteps by never giving up on our faith despite all the many mistakes we may make along our journey. Coming together as a whole school for Mass this week to celebrate this feast day after many months of restrictions was a very special way to move forward. On this last day of term two, we need to take the time to think about all that we have achieved despite the waves of COVID and winter illnesses. Our school, though it needed to roster at times, stayed open through many staffing challenges. I have witnessed many parents and teachers focus on reengaging students and supporting wellbeing. Teachers have been assessing where learning is at and just picking up from whatever place students are up to despite their absences. We have endeavoured to maintain school trips, assemblies, sports events and community events. The way so many of our schools recently celebrated the Matariki festival with students and families was truly inspirational. As we wind down for the holidays it is a timely reminder for all of our students to relax and rejuvenate themselves as we take on the second half of the academic year. There are innumerable events and occasions ahead of us and we look forward to our young people continuing to engage and enjoy what the school year has to offer. We take this opportunity to thank all our parents and the wider community for their continued support and involvement in the life of our students at the college. Your support on the side-lines of sporting codes has not gone unnoticed, and on behalf of our young people, we sincerely thank each of you for all you do. We also thank all academic and sporting volunteers who give so much of their time and energy and make a huge difference in the lives of all of us. Tara Quinney, Principal |
