Thursday, May 31, 2018

Swimming In Medals

Our Aoraki swimmers were recognised at assembly yesterday as they were presented with their medals and certificates. Congratulations team!
Back; Tiana Mansfield; 4 firsts, 3rd overall, 2 records. Danny Gilbert & Ben Kay, certificates.
Third row; Mequa Smart, certificate. Charlie Gilbert, certificate. Captain Tandia Gooch; 2 firsts and 1 record.
Second row; Jocelyn Fellowes, first in senior relay. Flynn Mankelow, certificate. Mannix Fraser, certificate. Halalova Asi, certificate.
Front; Emily Hayman, first in senior relay. Imogen Keeling; 5 first places, 3 records. Iessha Mansfield; 3 first places, 3 records

SADD Acheivement

Huge congratulations to Caleb Jopson, who has been selected to join the Students Against Dangerous Driving (SADD) National Leadership Programme. Along with 10 other Year 12 students from around New Zealand, Caleb will travel to workshops each school holidays over 2018 and 2019, to learn leadership skills and develop strategies that empower young people to make better and safer choices on the road.

Caleb has also taken over the leadership of SKC's SADD Committee, as Georgia Vickers steps back to focus on her Year 13 responsibilities. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Georgia for her service to SKC and the local community through her dedication to SADD and we are confident that in Caleb we have found an enthusiastic successor.

Wednesday, May 30, 2018

Weekend Roundup From Father Wayne

The College's biggest sports fan was out and about last weekend, supporting students as they hit the playing fields, representing the red and blue!   Thank you Father Wayne!!



Friday, May 25, 2018

Principal's Comment

Kia ora Kevinians and Supporters of the College

The annual inter-house Cross Country was held on Tuesday. We had an excellent turnout in both the competitive and non-competitive fields, on an excellent track. Sadly many schools have abandoned these kinds of physical house activities in the face of an increasingly sedentary lifestyle. I am, however, pleased to report that this traditional inter-house event is still relevant in College life and thank my staff and Mr Craig Smith in particular for their help administering the occasion.
At our school assembly Verina, our health nurse, talked about the services she offers at the free Tuesday clinic she runs during lunch time. I encourage caregivers to take full advantage of this service to have any health or wellbeing issues looked at in a confidential and welcoming setting.

Finally, it is with regret (and also happiness) that I have accepted the resignation of Ms Cathy Keep who is leaving us to take a marketing and sales position at a local company that is expanding production. You have been an innovative, long-serving and loyal member of our College family. We wish you every success in your exciting new position.

May God bless you all
Paul Olsen, Principal

Thursday, May 24, 2018

Squash News

Joel Kunnethedan, Michael Collett and Liam Direen competed at the Aoraki Secondary Schools Squash Championships today and placed 2nd!   A big thank you to Linda Direen for all of her help today and congratulations to the boys!

SKC Service Award Recipients

Yesterday at assembly the second lot of SKC Service Awards were presented.  Dev Pandaya, Amy Coutts, Lucy Hellewell, Fergus McMullan and Fern McRostie all received their Bronze Award and Isaac Steel a Silver Award.  Well done team!


Wednesday, May 23, 2018

Stop Press - Another Record Breaker

STOP PRESS!!

We have another record holder among our student body!!!! Y13 student Laura Preston holds the current Athletics record for the Senior Girls Long Jump (2017) 😊 A Record Breakers badge is on it's way Laura

Check Out Our Record Breakers

Mr Smith with Tiana, Breidy, Ieesha, Penny, Max and Corbin (absent was Samuela)
Our current athletics and swimming record holders were celebrated at assembly today and presented with special 'record holder' badges.   Some of the records that were broken had been standing at SKC for a number of years, so I'm sure that this group will be keeping an eye on sports days well after they leave the College gates!

Athletics:
2017 - Breidy Johnston (U15 100m, 200m) and Max Yanzick (U15 3000m)
2018 - Samuela Babiau (Senior Shot Put), Breidy Johnston (U15 100m) and Max Yanzick (U16 3000m)

Swimming:
2016 - Penny Keeling (U14 50m Freestyle, 25m Backstroke) and Tiana Mansfield (U15 50m Backstroke)
2017 - Penny Keeling (U15 50m Breaststroke) and Iessha Mansfield (U14 50m Freestyle)
2018 - Corbin Fraser (U14 Breaststroke) and Tiana Mansfield (Senior Backstroke)

Tuesday, May 22, 2018

A Cracker Day For Cross County

It was the perfect day for cross country running today as student took to the playing fields and hillsides, all in the name of House points!   Walking or running, it was about participation, so well done to everyone who did.  Our Cross Country Champions for 2018 are:
Under 14 Girls - River Cunningham
Under 14 Boys - Hamish Coutts
Under 15 Girls - Penny Keeling
Under 15 Boys - Joel Kunnethedan
Under 16 Girls - Amy Coutts
Under 16 Boys - Max Yanzick
Senior Girls - Laura Preston
Senior Boys - Hamish McAtamney
Winning House - Magee
CLICK HERE to enjoy some great photos from Ellie and Isaac

Creative Communities Helps Kick Off Polyfest

Some of our Polyfest students, along with Mrs Dooly, want to say THANK YOU!
Plans for the Pasifika Group and Polyfest 2018 got a real boost with support from Creative Communities NZ and a generous grant of $450 (+GST) which will pay for the group's costuming this year!  Students spend months fundraising to get themselves to Polyfest every year and this grant will make 2018 a little bit easier.

Monday, May 21, 2018

Rugby Club Day At SKC

Saturday was Rugby Club Day, with St Joseph's, at SKC.  It was a great day and our biggest fan, Father Wayne, was out and about enjoying some fantastic games.  Results from the day were:
1st XV 27 Dunstan 30
Colts 5 Dunstan 57
Under 14.5s 69 TBHS Tigers 26

Friday, May 18, 2018

Principal's Comment

Kia ora Kevinians and Supporters of the College

Thursday was our annual open day here at the College. Like many schools, we offered tours of the Campus, opportunities for family and prospective students to explore our curriculum and the chance to engage with our current students to get authentic feedback from them about their experiences. As a principal, I acknowledge the importance of all of these elements, but for me, sharing the Catholic Special Character of St Kevin's is the primary aim of the day. It is important that students and whānau support our Special Character and understand at the outset that our FIRE Values (Family, Integrity, Respect and Excellence) are central to our mission and are the reason we are a high achieving school. Thank you to everyone who has helped with this very successful event, especially our prefects and Heads of Faculties.
On Wednesday we had the pleasure of welcoming Brother Graeme Donaldson to our assembly.   Brother Graeme is a Christian Brother who has celebrated over sixty years of service to the community.  As a teacher, Br Donaldson taught in many places, including in Australia, as well as at many schools in New Zealand, encompassing St Kevin's College, Oamaru, and the former St Paul’s High School, Dunedin, the latter in the 1970s.  More recently, he also served for many years in the prison chaplaincy at Dunedin Prison before retiring in 2008, and has worked at the St Vincent de Paul shop in South Dunedin.  It was an honour and a privilege for us to welcome him back to his old school and have him address the students.

May God bless you all
Paul Olsen, Principal

Good Luck Swimmers

The St Kevin's College Swimming team are competing in the Otago Secondary School's Championships in Dunedin on Sunday 20th of May. The photo shows Mannix Fraser at back left; moving right we have Charlie Gilbert, Jocelyn Fellows, Tiana Mansfield (Captain), Emily Hayman, and Iessha Mansfield. Absent are Corbin Fraser and Danny Gilbert. Good luck to all and a big Thank You to the travelling parents. Especially thanks to Miriam Mansfiled who is acting-manager for the day.

Nearly Ball Season





Tuesday, May 15, 2018

If You Are Absent From School

A VERY IMPORTANT REMINDER TO PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS ABOUT ABSENCES AND/OR APPOINTMENTS   ....

If a student is absent from school you should either CALL THE SCHOOL and leave a message on the absence phone line or REPORT AN ABSENCE ONLINE via the website. Please give the student's name, year level and the reason they are absent. The online absence reporting system can be found on our website HERE 

If a student BECOMES UNWELL during the course of the school day they must first see their Year Level Dean and then report to the SCHOOL OFFICE who will make arrangements for a student to be picked up.  STUDENTS ARE NOT TO MAKE THESE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THEMSELVES!! Health and Safety require us to know who is and isn't at school, in case of an emergency, so regardless of the reason all students, staff and visitors must sign IN/OUT at the school office!!

If a student is going to be absent for a period of time which does not include illness, the Principal's PERMISSION FOR THE ABSENCE NEEDS TO BE REQUESTED. You can email Mr Olsen at polsen@stkevins.school.nz (you should also copy in Leanne Wolfe, our Absence Administrator, at lwolfe@stkevins.school.nz and the student's Year Level Dean ).  Please remember that extensions for internal NCEA assessments are only approved due to illness or family trauma and should have an accompanying medical certificate.

If a student has a SCHEDULED APPOINTMENT during school time and we have not been advised by a parent or caregiver, they will be asked to show an APPOINTMENT CARD OR TEXT REMINDER from their provider (doctor, dentist etc) before signing out of school. We would prefer that appointments be made for out of school hours when possible.

Please note that regular absences from school are MONITORED and may be referred to Senior Management and/or the Attendance Service.


Thursday, May 10, 2018

Caritas Fundraiser

Over $190 worth of water balloons were hurled at five staff members, brave enough to stand in front of the College in the name of Caritas. Mr Fowler, Mr Hitchcock, Mr Ryan (briefly!), Mr Tatupu and Mrs Hesselin (under the multi-coloured wig) all agreed to become human targets in a Caritas fundraiser raising money for the people in Timor Leste (building new facilities and investing in education).   As you can see it was well supported, although it would be fair to say that Mr Hitchcock and Mr Fowler were the most popular targets!

Wednesday, May 9, 2018

Kevinians Show Variety

Members of Filipino Waitaki Inc in conjunction with the Waitaki Multicultural Council are presenting a Variety Show, with special guest Joseph Balfe.  But you can be rest assured that there will be more than one Kevinian on stage if last years Singing Festival is anything to go by!!  The Variety Show is on at the Oamaru Opera House, on Saturday 9 June at 7pm, and tickets ($5 - $10) are available through www.ticketdirect.co.nz or at the Opera House Box Office.

April Sun In Cuba

The rich culture of Cuba was prosperous with live street entertainment, fifties Cadillacs, world-class cigars on every bench.The accommodation for the whole trip were called casas, similar to bed and breakfasts. This gave us a great opportunity to understand true Cuban culture through interacting with our host families, it also allowed us to brush up on our Spanish! Vinales was our first town and a highlight for many due to its welcoming and relaxed nature that allowed us to settle down and gain an understanding of Cuban lifestyle. The hospitality was exceptional throughout the whole trip and created an all round positive experience extending to each location we visited. In the rural areas there were many farmers laboring long hours with the horses/oxs and ploughs working the fields. Snorkeling in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean sea provided us with crystal clear beaches, white sand, schools of colourful fish and vast areas of coral reef. The car tour allowed us to see a large portion of the beauties of Havana while we relaxed in our bright pink and yellow 50’s cars. There were many humbling experiences which made us have such a great appreciation and awareness for what we take for granted. A somber experience was visiting the Bay of Pigs museum on one of the anniversary days of the invasion, it was surreal to see items of the the soldiers who had died in battle. Due to the fact there is less use of technology, people are much more involved with each other as a community. It was really nice to see this and it made us live more ‘in the moment’ and be more aware of what was happening within the community around us.

Thank you to our teachers and parents who were amazingly supportive in the lead up to and during the trip. Muchas gracias to Mrs Buckham for all the time and effort you dedicated to organising this trip, we are extremely grateful for the opportunity provided to us that we most likely would not of had. Cuba was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that opened our eyes to a much bigger world. It will be a trip to remember forever with many stand-out moments.
- Anna Craig
CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT MORE OF CUBA

Black Ferns Top Of The World

Students had the opportunity to talk with Black Fern Victoria Subritzky-Nafatali when she called in to the College with the Women's Rugby World Cup this morning.  A group of potential ferns also joined us from Oamaru Intermediate to hear about the journey of her rugby career, and the experience of being part of a world cup campaign.  Our thanks to New Zealand Rugby, and Victoria, for this wonderful opportunity!


Tuesday, May 8, 2018

Back To School

Chev and Dodge Lofranco, Leyanne Monoy and Maria Nichole Bautista headed back to Papakaio School for a visit today.  They were joined by Head Girl Rebecca Whittet and Mr Ryan and talked with a large group of parents and children about their experiences at the College before everyone enjoyed a lovely pot luck lunch!  Thank you for having us Papakaio!

TRENZ 2018

The Yr 13 Tourism class at TRENZ in Dunedin; the NZ tourism industry’s biggest trade show.

Friday, May 4, 2018

Principal's Comment

Kia ora Kevinians and Supporters of the College

The leaves on the oaks at Redcastle are showing their autumn colours and the heating system is getting it first work out as we commence term two. Students have been trying to remember how to do up their tie and are settling back into a routine this week.

We are pleased to be able to share some of the exciting tales from the travellers returning from China, Cuba and Australia. Next weeks assembly is dedicated to sharing some of the images and video that have been captured. My deep thanks to those to have chaperoned these trips and shouldered the responsibility for our young people overseas.

Today we have held the first Student Lead Conferences. They have been well received by those I have talked to during the afternoon. We had a number of volunteers to help out with the creche which is an initiative staffed by Mrs Haig. Thank you to our team for your enthusiastic support.
Our teachers have undertaken professional development from leading educator, Margaret Ross, and have been looking forward to facilitating students to share their learning portfolio with whanau.  Next week we will be sending out a survey to get your feedback on how we can further develop this process. I would also like to reiterate that you are most welcome to make an appointment with an individual staff member as a follow up from today's conference.

May God bless you all
Paul Olsen, Principal

Fantastic Action In The Pool

The New Zealand Age Group Championships were held in Auckland in the last week of the holidays and out of the 5 medals won by members of the Oamaru Swim Club squad, 4 came from SKC swimmers!    Tiana and Iessha Masnfield showed their family talent by each winning a silver, Tiana in the Girls 16 200m Backstroke and Iessha in the Girls 15 and Under Zonal Relay A team 800m Freestyle.    Tiana also won Bronze in the 100m Backstroke and came 5th in the 50m Backstroke.    Corbin Fraser was the other bronze medalist, in the Boys 12-13 50m Breaststroke.     Halalova Asi placed 5th in the Boys 14 1400m Freestyle and Penny Keeling was 8th in the Girls 14 400m Individual Medley.    Mannix Fraser and Imogen Keeling also competed with impressive results in a very competitive pool!!     Well done everyone.


Gold Coast Shines

Senior netball at the College took a huge leap forward over the last school holidays. Lena Sakalian-Black, Rylee Bell, Gemma Dowling, Mekeisha Hurley, Laura Preston, Ellen Swanson, Rebecca Dodd, Jaimee Trainor, Siva Katoa, Georgia Oakes, Molly Kay, Tayla McGregor-Hofman, and Hannah Cunningham traveled to the Gold Coast to take part in the International Netball Festival for 2018.  After a week of games, a clinic with team members from the Queensland Firebirds, an Anzac Day parade (plus some theme park time!!) the girls were rewarded for their hard work with a 3rd place Bronze medal.  Jaimee Trainor (Y11) was also named as MVP for the team for the U18 grade.   Congratulations girls!!  Awesome effort!

Thursday, May 3, 2018

Ordination

Rebecca Whittet, Joel Pickles, Eli Winders and Samantha Jorgensen with newly ordained Rev Bishop Michael Dooley, the 7th Bishop of the Dunedin Catholic Diocese, in the Dunedin Town Hall Thursday 26 April 2018.

Two school car loads attended with Principal Olsen and DRS Mullally. It was a very rare chance to witness such a wonderful gathering of so many Priests, Sisters, Bishops, Cardinal and the Papal Nuncio coming together in one place It was a unique occasion for all people and parishioners from all over our Diocese to witness Bishop Michael taking up the reigns from now retired Bishop Emeritus, Colin Campbell. ​

Keep Warm With A Beanie This Winter

Keep warm this winter with a College beanie!!  

$15.00

Available from the School Office or Uniform Shop
(there is a limited number of large sizes)

China 2018

Our group of 6 (Jimmy McGowen,Tess McAtamney, Lucila Mino Zubiri, Scarlett Smith, Paytin McKenzie, and myself) along with about 40 other students from Columba College,Christchurch Boys High School and Lincoln High School traveled from Christchurch to Wuhan, Beijing and Shanghai. We spent a week in the Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST) in Wuhan, then traveled by speed train to Beijing to do many various activities such as climbing the Great Wall, then another speed train to Shanghai where we did sight seeing and shopping.  We enjoyed many types of unique and cultural Chinese dishes and traditional activities all the while further developing our Mandarin speaking and communication skills.   The trip was hugely enjoyed by all.
- Joel Kunnethedan

Tuesday, May 1, 2018

ANZAC Day Commemorations



The College ANZAC Day Commemorations took place this afternoon.  Proceedings began with a liturgy in the Chapel, followed by a procession to the Magee Memorial Lawn and the Grotto, where two wreaths and poppies were laid at the feet of Our Lady.  We were honoured to once again be joined by Mr Kevin Howard (an Old Boy of the College) and express our thanks to Mr Andrew Hayes, who played the Last Post and Reveille, members of the Waitaki District Schools' Pipe Band, and the Combined High Schools Firing Party and Guard for being part of our commemorations.

Thank you to Ellie Graham to taking our photos today - CLICK HERE TO VIEW MORE