Comments from the Principal 04.03.2022

Kia ora e te whanau
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This week began the Church season of Lent, starting with Ash Wednesday which leads up to Easter and the Resurrection, the greatest feast of the Church.

In this time, we are asked to put a greater focus and effort on prayer, fasting and giving to others, often referred to as almsgiving (Matthew 6: 1-8). These three things are not ends in themselves but a means of deepening faith, personally and communally through repentance, sacrifice, self-giving and prayer. Of Lent, Pope Francis reminds us, “It is time to reconsider the path we are taking to find the route that leads us home and to rediscover our profound relationship with God, on whom everything depends…It is an exodus from slavery to freedom.”

Since the very early days of the Church, ashes have been put on ones forehead in the sign of a cross with words uttered, “Repent and believe in the Gospel" or more traditionally, "Remember that you are dust and unto dust, you shall return." While some might interpret the latter as somewhat morbid, it is both realistic and a reminder of our eternal destiny.

While we were not be able to distribute the ashes as normal, we can still remember what they signify and take on the challenge of Lent encouraged to draw closer to the One who made us. We celebrated Ash Wednesday in our whanau classes with a liturgy led by the Year 13 house leaders. It was a lovely service that enabled our Year 13’s to show true servant leadership and for their younger brothers and sisters to experience prayer and reflection in a respectful and faith filed way.

There are six weeks left of the school term to go and preparations are in place for winter sports to get going in term two. Trials and trainings are starting up and we encourage you to check out our sport Facebook pages for updates and information. Registrations have only just taken place and with committee meetings only able to take place over Zoom at the moment please be patient with us. We are still weeks away from naming any teams and we have a lot of time before this is necessary. We will share this information with you when we have it and please know a lot of work is going on behind the scenes from our sports coordinator, code convenors, committees and teachers in charge.


Almighty and Everlasting God,
You have given the human race
Jesus Christ our Saviour as a model of humility.
He fulfilled Your Will by becoming Man
And giving His life on the Cross.
Help us to bear witness to You
By following His example of suffering
And make us worthy to share in His Resurrection.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son.
Amen.


Tara Quinney,
Principal

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