Kia ora e te whānau
The past two weeks have seen a hive of activity around the College, culminating in our Open Night, that was a great success. We have not had an Open Night at the College for some time, and the evening went off very well, with a lot of positive feedback from parents who attended. A lot of work went into preparing for the evening, and I am thankful for all the staff and students who helped to make the night a success.
On that note, I would like to remind any parents wishing to enroll their children at the College for 2026 that all enrolments completed before 19th of September will go into the draw to win one of four $250.00 uniform credits. Early enrolment also helps the College to plan more effectively for 2026 and the provision of various subjects, etc.
The past two weeks have also seen a successful Ski Camp for the Year 13 PE class. Feedback from this has been very positive. Our Geography students also performed extremely well at the Maatangi Whenua Geography competition, coming away with a first and third placing. Thank you to the teachers involved in both of these events.
Goodluck also to our teaming travelling away to Bishop's Shield in Oamaru to compete against the three other Catholic Secondary Schools in the Diocese. Always a great event, I am sure they will all perform well, enjoy the experience, and come back with some lasting memories. Thanks to all the staff who helped with preparing these students for the event.
As the Winter Sports season comes to an end, I would like to express my thanks and gratitude to all those volunteers, parents and staff who have made it possible for the various teams to participate and compete. The hours and commitment put in by coaches, managers, supporters and parents are no small feat. Whether it be training the team, washing uniforms, transporting, fundraising or doing administrative tasks to make it happen, it all takes time. Thank you for volunteering your time to do this.
We are pleased to have received seven nominations for the School Board, and so there will be an election this year. Many schools are facing a lack of nominations and will not be having elections, as well as having vacancies on their Boards. I wish to thank all those who have put their names forward as candidates. Voting papers will soon be distributed.
As you will be aware, there has been a fair amount of coverage in the media around the proposed scrapping of NCEA and a new qualification system being introduced. It is a very early stage in this process, and information is naturally scarce at this stage. We have shared via email a parent information booklet, and I would encourage you to participate in the consultation survey around this. As more information becomes available, we will share this with our community. Rest assured that whatever changes are made, we will make sure that we can get the best possible outcomes for our students within the system that is proposed.
Finally, I want to highlight the upcoming Feast of the Assumption on August 15th. We will join the students from St Mary’s School for mass down at Blessed Sacrament Church on the day. The Feast of the Assumption is the patronal feast for New Zealand, going right back to when the first Catholic Bishop, Jean Baptiste Pompallier, landed in the Hokianga and dedicated our country to Our Lady Assumed into Heaven. If you are ever in Wellington and have a spare half an hour, I would encourage you, if you have not, to visit St Mary of the Angels Church in Boulcott Street, which is the National Shrine of New Zealand, dedicated by our Bishops in 2021 after multiple requests from Catholics for a National Shrine.
Charity fulfills the Law