Friday, September 28, 2012
Principals Message
Dear Parents and Friends of St Kevin's
This week I had the honour of officially opening the College fitness trail, situated at the end of Murray Field. Thank you to the YouthTown charitable trust for funding the purchase of the kit-set. Thank you also to the St Kevin's College LEO Club who together with the Waiareka Lions Club installed the structures. This was an excellent example of College and Community cooperating to achieve a goal. As an educator I was even more impressed with the learning that resulted from the project. Seeing mature Lions members acting as mentors, passing on their knowledge and skills to the younger LEO's left me inspired and grateful for this opportunity.
As the term draws to a close, reports are being sent out for senior students. It is important to reflect on student achievement, asking some key questions like "Am I on track?" and "What are the next steps for my learning?". While the external examinations are fast approaching there is still time to rectify poor performance and improve grades. The holidays are an excellent opportunity to catch up on missed work and begin a structured revision programme. Setting aside an hour each day for revision will reap tremendous rewards.
Thank you to the parents who gave feedback on the suggested uniform modifications. I accept that what ever option we implement, there will be pros and cons, however most people were generally happy with the proposals. The blue shirt and summer blouse will be introduced for the 2013 Year 9 intake. Year 10 and 11 boys and all other girls will phase these items in as their existing uniform is replaced. The Number One uniform, with its white shirt, remains unchanged. Blue shirts are not to be worn with blazers.
Mrs Manson, our Careers Adviser, has been busy fielding inquires generated by the course selection process. She is available to discuss entry requirements and course details with both students and caregivers. The planned Vocational Pathway options are gaining momentum with a number of students expressing interest in the Agricultural, Carpentry and Cookery Courses for 2013.
Finally, the 2013 College calendar is in the planning stages. I would like to draw to your attention the unusual placement of Otago Anniversary Day and the Easter break. The Oamaru Colleges are planning to join with the Otago region to have a Teacher Only Day on the day following Anniversary Day. All the secondary schools are planning to close for the remaining two days before Good Friday to avoid students having to return to School for two days. With this advanced warning, there may be an opportunity for families to plan a vacation or take advantage of the early Easter.
May God Bless You
Paul Olsen
Principal
SKC Community Trail
The new fitness trail on the north side of the playing fields was a true community project with Youthtown supplying the materials and the St Kevin's LEO Club and Waiareka Valley Lions supplying the muscle! The trail will be available for the whole community to use and was officially opened this week. It includes a tyre run, chin-up bar, balance walk and parallel jump.
Odd Mufti Day
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| Photo courtesy of the Oamaru Mail |
The St Kevin's College LEO Club co-ordinated a mufti-day this week in support of Camp Quality, a non-profit organisation aimed at bringing a period of happiness to the lives of children living with cancer through camps run each January.
As well as a gold coin donation the students showed their support by wearing odd shoes and there was a vast array of difference, from colours and designs, to functionality and size! What a great way to support a good cause and bring some light-hearted fun to the end of the term ahead of the serious side of exam preparation.
As well as a gold coin donation the students showed their support by wearing odd shoes and there was a vast array of difference, from colours and designs, to functionality and size! What a great way to support a good cause and bring some light-hearted fun to the end of the term ahead of the serious side of exam preparation.
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Year 10 Outdoor Education and Retreat
Next term our Year 10 students will head away to the Hopkins Valley for the College's annual Year 10 Camp. This camp is an extremely enjoyable experience for students and often becomes a highlight of their time at the College. Information has been sent home with students but please CLICK HERE to view the camp letter, itinerary and requirements.
Friday, September 21, 2012
Principals Message
Dear Parents and Friends of St Kevin's
A huge thank you to everyone who made last Fridays sports evening possible, particularly Janelle Casey, Louise Bee, Anne-Marie Forgie and the many other Home & School helpers. I was heartened by the excellent attendance and professional delivery that typified the occasion. Our guest speaker, Mr Warren Lees, had a strong message about achievement that was well pitched and delivered in an entertaining manner. The convivial surroundings and family support for the evening will ensure that it becomes a regular event on the College calendar.
Last evening the annual Choral Festival was an outstanding success. The Choral Festival is the main event on the term three cultural calendar and I would like to thank Mrs Haig for the hours of planning and preparation together with auditions and rehearsals that have gone on before the evening. I would like to also thank our staff for helping with supervision and stage management as well as Helen Mulheron for her piano accompaniment of the choirs. The evening is an opportunity for students to not only display their vocal talents, but to also for some students to receive recognition by achieving NCEA credits for their performances.
At the end of the evening I took the opportunity to have students model our proposed uniform changes. They are a "school blue" square cut shirt for junior boys replacing the grey shirt and a white short sleeve summer blouse for the girls replacing the tuck in blouse. Both of these items are planned to be introduced to the uniform requirements for the 2013 Year 9 intake. Year 10 and 11 boys and all other girls will phase these items in as their existing uniform is replaced. The number one uniform, with its white shirt, remains unchanged. Blue shirts are not to be worn with blazers.
The subject selection booklets were distributed last week and I have noted a dramatic increase in number of inquires about possible courses. One area that is still being developed is the Vocational Pathway. After a constructive meeting with stakeholders from Aoraki Polytechnic and the Ministry of Education, I am pleased to see progress on Agricultural, Carpentry and Cookery Courses for 2013. Students who will be in Year 12 and 13 next year who are keen to pursue these options should register their interest with Mrs Manson, our Careers Adviser, on Monday. It is important that we get numbers sorted in order that the polytechnic can reserve the correct number of places in these courses.
Finally I would like to thank Mr Hitchcock for the work that he has done organising Sunday ski trips this term. Your dedication and commitment have been appreciated by all those who have had the opportunity to board and ski at Ohau. We also would like to acknowledge the superb deals and service that we receive from the friendly and supportive team at the Ohau Snow Fields.
May God Bless You
Paul Olsen
Principal
A huge thank you to everyone who made last Fridays sports evening possible, particularly Janelle Casey, Louise Bee, Anne-Marie Forgie and the many other Home & School helpers. I was heartened by the excellent attendance and professional delivery that typified the occasion. Our guest speaker, Mr Warren Lees, had a strong message about achievement that was well pitched and delivered in an entertaining manner. The convivial surroundings and family support for the evening will ensure that it becomes a regular event on the College calendar.
Last evening the annual Choral Festival was an outstanding success. The Choral Festival is the main event on the term three cultural calendar and I would like to thank Mrs Haig for the hours of planning and preparation together with auditions and rehearsals that have gone on before the evening. I would like to also thank our staff for helping with supervision and stage management as well as Helen Mulheron for her piano accompaniment of the choirs. The evening is an opportunity for students to not only display their vocal talents, but to also for some students to receive recognition by achieving NCEA credits for their performances.
At the end of the evening I took the opportunity to have students model our proposed uniform changes. They are a "school blue" square cut shirt for junior boys replacing the grey shirt and a white short sleeve summer blouse for the girls replacing the tuck in blouse. Both of these items are planned to be introduced to the uniform requirements for the 2013 Year 9 intake. Year 10 and 11 boys and all other girls will phase these items in as their existing uniform is replaced. The number one uniform, with its white shirt, remains unchanged. Blue shirts are not to be worn with blazers.
The subject selection booklets were distributed last week and I have noted a dramatic increase in number of inquires about possible courses. One area that is still being developed is the Vocational Pathway. After a constructive meeting with stakeholders from Aoraki Polytechnic and the Ministry of Education, I am pleased to see progress on Agricultural, Carpentry and Cookery Courses for 2013. Students who will be in Year 12 and 13 next year who are keen to pursue these options should register their interest with Mrs Manson, our Careers Adviser, on Monday. It is important that we get numbers sorted in order that the polytechnic can reserve the correct number of places in these courses.
Finally I would like to thank Mr Hitchcock for the work that he has done organising Sunday ski trips this term. Your dedication and commitment have been appreciated by all those who have had the opportunity to board and ski at Ohau. We also would like to acknowledge the superb deals and service that we receive from the friendly and supportive team at the Ohau Snow Fields.
May God Bless You
Paul Olsen
Principal
Change To The College Uniform for 2013
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| The new range of uniform shirts, available through Sutherlands Menswear in Oamaru |
2013 heralds a minor change to our school uniform. Year 9, 10 and 11 boys are able to wear a blue shirt. This will be compulsory for Year 9 students and optional for Year 10 and 11 students.
The girls' summer shirt will change to a more tailored style. This will be compulsory for Year 9 students and optional for Year 10 and 11 students.
The rest of the school uniform remains the same.
Choral Festival 2012
The Man In The Mirror, Shout To The Lord, Big Yellow Taxi and Open Happiness were just some of the songs wafting through the Auditorium last night at our 2012 Choral Festival.
Magee won the House Singing Competition with Clancy coming second, Treacy third and Whyte fourth. Shannon MacMillan (Treacy) won Best Conductor and the Magee Band was Best Accompanist.
Zephya Pope won the Junior Girls Solo with Leah Gourlay coming second. Josh Mullally won the Junior Boys Solo with Jino Kunnethedam gaining second place. Leah Gourlay and Bryleigh Scannell won the Junior Duets section. Tiana Mihaere and Gypsy-Mae Harihona-Harrison gained second place.
Monica Ley won the Senior Girls Solo. Lori Kingan and Hannah Mihaere were awarded second place. Henry Ahomana won the Senior Boys Solo and Albert Hailes was second. The Senior Duets section was won by Hannah Mihaere and Henry Ahomana. Kimberly Ramsey and Albert Hailes gained second place. Lori Kingan was placed first in the Own Composition section. Henry Ahomana was second.
Mrs Haig thanked the eight Cultural Captains - Sam de Buyzer and Kerryn Olsen, Hannah Mihaere and Quin McNabb, Shannon MacMillan and Nick Parsons, Isaac de Buyzer and Lori Kingan. Shannon MacMillan and Sam de Buyzer were acknowledged as the most organised Cultural Captains. Henry Ahomana was awarded a Cultural Certificate for his contribution to Music at St Kevin's over the past five years.
It was a wonderful evening our thanks go to Mrs Sonia Creedy for adjudicating this festival of talent.
As always our thanks to Mr Burton for capturing the evening for our photographic archive. All of the photos taken at College events throughout the year are up-loaded onto the student "S Drive" and are available for them download at any time.
As always our thanks to Mr Burton for capturing the evening for our photographic archive. All of the photos taken at College events throughout the year are up-loaded onto the student "S Drive" and are available for them download at any time.
Boys Basketball Representation
Congratulations to Year 9 student Matthew Brien who has been selected for the Otago U15 Boys Basketball Team, playing at the National Championships from 8-12 October in Wellington. He has also been selected to go to Australia in January next year for a South Island U15 Boys Basketball Camp. Well done!
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Study Tutorials
Term four will be a busy time in the school as student prepare for the external NCEA exams and students are fortunate to have tutorials made available to them.
CLICK HERE for Mrs Evans senior English and Media Studies tutorial timetable for Term 4.
CLICK HERE for Mrs Evans senior English and Media Studies tutorial timetable for Term 4.
Living Korus
"A Koru is a symbol of life, new life, the continuity of growth, the life line... "
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Aroaki Cross Country Mountainbike Champion
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| Competitors gather before the race for the Down Hill Briefing |
On Tuesday 11th September, 10 boys from St
Kevin’s College braved freezing weather conditions to compete in the Aoraki
Secondary School Mountainbike Championships at Herbert Forest. Seven boys
competed in the Cross-Country event while three dared to take on the Downhill.
Despite the cold (and the snow!), they all competed in good spirits with the
day’s best results belonging to our U19 cross country boys: Benny Yanzick won
the event while Hamish Nimmo was third – well done boys! Huge thanks are due to
Mr Chris Bisschops and Mr Paul Botting who transported and supervised the team
on such a wintry day!
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Spring Mass Celebration
Spring welcomed us as we entered the Chapel for our annual Spring Mass. Blossom, daffodils and snowdrops heralded the season. The Edmund Rice Singers gave a brilliant performance and Loren Haggerty read Joy Cowley's psalm "Springtime".
As a tribute to Brother Tony Johnston who passed away last week Miss Mulheron and her instrumentalists played his favourite hymn, "The Holy City".
Monday, September 17, 2012
Sports Awards Evening
The inaugural St Kevin’s College Celebration of Sport was held in the Dining Room on Friday evening. Approximately 250 people attended, including inspiring guest speaker Warren Lees and Waitaki Mayor Alex Familton. All of the traditional St Kevin’s sport prizes were awarded, along with some exciting new ‘Premier’ sports awards. The abundance of outstanding sporting talent at the college was obvious, and the judges must have had some tough decisions to come up with the following Premier winners:
All-Round Junior Girl:
Merekite Wahiatapu
All- Round Junior Boy:
Josh Macaulay
All-Round Senior Girl:
Bethany Robertson
All-Round Senior Boy:
Benedict Yanzick
Contribution: Olivia
Pope
Outstanding
Sportswoman: Johannah Kearney
Outstanding
Sportsman: Tim O’Malley
One of the highlights of the evening was the huge standing
ovation received by Johannah Kearney as the College Community recognized her
outstanding rowing achievements, including being part of the New Zealand Junior
Women’s U18 coxless four who won a bronze medal at the World Junior Rowing
Championships in Bulgaria. Johannah faced stiff competition in the Outstanding
Sportswoman category – each of the other three nominees (Holly Edmondston,
Stacey Kerin and Isobel Ryan) have had outstanding results at a national level
or higher in their chosen sports. It was fantastic to see all winners receiving
their awards in graceful good spirits.
The evening would not have been possible without the hard
work of a number of people. Thanks to Mrs Anne-Marie Forgie and her Home & School team, the Dining Room looked splendid for the occasion. Our caretaker,
Mr Alan Grant, spent hours assisting with all of the technical aspects, while
Fat Sally’s caterers and our Bar Manager Michelle Harper did a fantastic job
with the food and drinks. There were also many school staff who went the extra
mile to make the evening a true success – Mrs Rae, Miss Casey, Mr Olsen and Mr
Ryan to name but a few. We are looking forward to making our Celebration of
Sport an annual event on the St Kevin’s College Calendar!
Friday, September 14, 2012
Principals Message
Dear Parents and Friends of St Kevin's
This week teaching staff have focused on making sure that students who attended winter Tournament Week have caught up on missed work and have received feedback on their examinations. With only a couple of weeks left in the term, it is critical that students keep their academic focus. Fortnightly indicators will be emailed today and if you have any concerns please initiate a conversation with the Year Level Dean.
Congratulations to all the students involved in the junior speech competition held this week. Public speaking and effective communications have been identified as 21st Century skills required by everyone. At St Kevin's we pride ourselves in continuing the Dominican tradition of fostering effective and articulate public speaking.
Today students in Yr11, 12 and 13 will have received the course selection booklet for 2013. At the same time, they will also receive subject recommendations. This is designed to spark debate about their planned course. For many this will be a straight forward process with a clear direction and plenty of options. For others who are in danger of not gaining course pre-requisites, there will be challenges and consternation. We are happy to work through these issues with students and family to plan the best course for each student. This will ensure that people who are not meeting requirements, will have the opportunity to rectify the situation.
This evening we are looking forward to the inaugural Celebration of Sport. Due to the hard work of the Home and School, lead by Anne-Marie Forgie, the dining room is looking majestic for the occasion. I am looking forward to meeting many of you this evening as we recognise and celebrate the immense sporting talents of our students.
May God Bless You
Paul Olsen
Principal
This week teaching staff have focused on making sure that students who attended winter Tournament Week have caught up on missed work and have received feedback on their examinations. With only a couple of weeks left in the term, it is critical that students keep their academic focus. Fortnightly indicators will be emailed today and if you have any concerns please initiate a conversation with the Year Level Dean.
Congratulations to all the students involved in the junior speech competition held this week. Public speaking and effective communications have been identified as 21st Century skills required by everyone. At St Kevin's we pride ourselves in continuing the Dominican tradition of fostering effective and articulate public speaking.
Today students in Yr11, 12 and 13 will have received the course selection booklet for 2013. At the same time, they will also receive subject recommendations. This is designed to spark debate about their planned course. For many this will be a straight forward process with a clear direction and plenty of options. For others who are in danger of not gaining course pre-requisites, there will be challenges and consternation. We are happy to work through these issues with students and family to plan the best course for each student. This will ensure that people who are not meeting requirements, will have the opportunity to rectify the situation.
This evening we are looking forward to the inaugural Celebration of Sport. Due to the hard work of the Home and School, lead by Anne-Marie Forgie, the dining room is looking majestic for the occasion. I am looking forward to meeting many of you this evening as we recognise and celebrate the immense sporting talents of our students.
May God Bless You
Paul Olsen
Principal
Year Level Speech Results
Our Year 9 and Year 10 Speech Competition was an opportunity for some very talented public speakers. Thank you to Karen Healey for adjudicating the competition.Congratulations to:
YEAR 9
1st - Natalie Preston
2nd - Karan Ratgali
3rd equal - Kate Caldwell and Gypsy-Mae Harihona-Harrison
YEAR 10
1st - Quin Paterson
2nd - Georgia Malcolm
3rd equal - Lily Webster and Ilaisipa Tahaafe
African Drumming Concert
Yesterday Year 9 and 10 students were treated to a concert by master drummer Epizo Bangoura who is touring New Zealand with one of his students, Oamaru's own Ra McRostie.
It was a very interactive concert with some keen performers willing to get up on stage for some pointers on African dance! Our thanks to Mrs Haig for co-ordinating this wonderful opportunity for a cultural music exchange.
Student Elections
Voting for the Board of Trustees Student Representative will be held next week. This is a great opportunity for students to see the democratic election process in action! The candidates for this year put their best foot forward this week when they spoke at Assembly. Good luck to Jibi Kunnethedam, Kieran Ryan and Salena Xie!
Duets Semi Finals
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| Hannah Mihaere and Hene Ahomana treat the audience at Assembly |
This week at Assembly students competing in the Duets Section of the Choral Festival took to the stage for the Semi-Finals, displaying the depth of musical talent within the College. Senior Boys and Girls will continue through the week ahead of the Finals for all sections on Choral Festival Evening - Thursday 20th September. Admission to the Evening is free and we wish everyone the very best of luck!
Careers Information
Today your son/daughter will be issued with a subject choice book to help them to choose next year's school subjects.
A very useful website to research different careers is www.careers.govt.nz. This site has been developed by Careers New Zealand and it is currently being updated. Go to the Jobs Data Base on the Site and research the section on How to get Into the Job. In this section there is a heading Useful School Subjects. Please feel free to make an appointment with Mrs Manson, Careers Adviser, or your Year Level Dean to discuss subject choices.
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Tournament Week Wrap-ups
GIRLS HOCKEY
This year we drew a difficult pool, with St Bedes, Christ’s
College and Kings College, but with one of the stronger teams St Kevin’s has
fielded we still felt we had the ability to push these teams. We came up against
Kings first who would eventually come 2nd, and had a hard-fought 2-0
defeat in a close match up. Filled with some new found confidence we went up
against Christ’s College, a daunting task and after conceding early continued
to battle away, eventually falling short in a 3-2 loss. St Bedes proved to be a
strong side and we came away with a disappointing 3-0 loss. Edgewater would
prove to be a must win match and locked in a 1-1 deadlock for most of the match
a late goal from Michael Hannigan would prove the difference. We progressed through
to the 9-12 playoff, with Christ’s, James Hargest and Rangiora. We managed a
last gasp 1-1 drew with Rangiora which put us on track for a top 10 finish, but
a couple of disappointing results put us in 12th place. All round it
was a very enjoyable tournament for all and although the results were not what
we were fully capable of, for a school with only 2 soccer teams, we definitely
punched above our weight.
St Kevin's College Girls 1st XI attended the Jenny McDonald Cup in Invercargill last week and experienced all seasons, weatherwise! Seven games were played over the week, a tough ask. The team played well, stepping up to battle for some tough games. The success of the St Margarets game came down to penalty strokes at the end with players keeping their cool and winning. A very nerve-wracking way to finish a tough game. Our final game was against St Peters College, Gore, with a good old fashioned Southland game of fast, open hockey. Unfortunately we lost but ended up 6th in the tournament. Most pleasing was the positive development of the players hockey and the confidence shown by the younger team members. Our final night was the traditional dress up, thanks to the Salvation Army, and dinner in town. Great outfits and the Lonestar didn't know what hit it! Thanks to Jude Chandler, Debbie Robinson and manager Leanne Kingan for making the tournament possible for us.
BOYS SOCCER
This year we drew a difficult pool, with St Bedes, Christ’s
College and Kings College, but with one of the stronger teams St Kevin’s has
fielded we still felt we had the ability to push these teams. We came up against
Kings first who would eventually come 2nd, and had a hard-fought 2-0
defeat in a close match up. Filled with some new found confidence we went up
against Christ’s College, a daunting task and after conceding early continued
to battle away, eventually falling short in a 3-2 loss. St Bedes proved to be a
strong side and we came away with a disappointing 3-0 loss. Edgewater would
prove to be a must win match and locked in a 1-1 deadlock for most of the match
a late goal from Michael Hannigan would prove the difference. We progressed through
to the 9-12 playoff, with Christ’s, James Hargest and Rangiora. We managed a
last gasp 1-1 drew with Rangiora which put us on track for a top 10 finish, but
a couple of disappointing results put us in 12th place. All round it
was a very enjoyable tournament for all and although the results were not what
we were fully capable of, for a school with only 2 soccer teams, we definitely
punched above our weight.
NETBALL
The Senior A girls went to the South Island Secondary Schools tournament in Dunedin. After a disappointing start the girls finished the tournament strongly with four wins and a 21st placing. The Senior A tournament team are Charlotte King, Bethany Robertson, Brittany More, Merekite Wahitapu, Georgia Hansen, Hannah Mihaere, Anna Edzes, Georgina Wallis, Olivia Macaulay and Tiana Mihaere.
Friday, September 7, 2012
Principals Message
Dear Parents and Friends of St Kevin's
Malo e lelei, Talofa lava, Bula vinaka, Taloha ni, Kia orana, warm pasifika greetings.
On Thursday evening the Oamaru Pasifika Success Talanoa Project was launched at the College Auditorium. Students and families gathered to hear local Principals and representatives from the Ministry of Education share plans for improving educational outcomes for our Pasifika students. This work follows on from the community fono (gathering) held last year and seeks to build stronger family links with the College. Over 200 people were in attendance and with entertainment provided by a number of groups, including the combined St Joseph's - St Kevin's Multicultural Group. I was very proud of our students who gave a stunning performance. Thank you to Mrs Plunket who manages the group. A special thanks to Mrs Burton who organised the mammoth catering task with consummate ease. The launch was timed to mark Tongan Language Week and Ben Latevo, a Year 12 student, took the opportunity to display his fine oratory skills as MC for the evening. We look forward to celebrating more Pasifika Success as the project develops.
Over the week we have had a number of teams at winter sports tournaments throughout the lower South Island. The details follow in later blog items, however I would like to formally thank the Coaches and Parents who have made these events possible. With tournament week occurring in school time, the teacher relief cost limits the number of staff who can attend. In many cases, colleagues have covered classes and parents have taken annual leave to support the teams, so thank you on behalf of the College.
Finally, I encourage people to join us for the Sports Evening next Friday. The event will be a celebration of sports at the College and provide a venue for younger students to see high achievers and aspire to excellence in their chosen code. While there will be awards presented, the evening is intended as much more than an end of season trophy session. The Home & School team are decorating the venue to ensure the evening is a gala event for parents and students. We have kept costs to a minimum while trying to deliver a quality evening. Warren Lees is an excellent speaker and there will be drinks and nibbles provided. The cost can be charged to your school account. I look forward to meeting you at this inaugural event.
May God Bless You
Paul Olsen
Principal
Malo e lelei, Talofa lava, Bula vinaka, Taloha ni, Kia orana, warm pasifika greetings.
On Thursday evening the Oamaru Pasifika Success Talanoa Project was launched at the College Auditorium. Students and families gathered to hear local Principals and representatives from the Ministry of Education share plans for improving educational outcomes for our Pasifika students. This work follows on from the community fono (gathering) held last year and seeks to build stronger family links with the College. Over 200 people were in attendance and with entertainment provided by a number of groups, including the combined St Joseph's - St Kevin's Multicultural Group. I was very proud of our students who gave a stunning performance. Thank you to Mrs Plunket who manages the group. A special thanks to Mrs Burton who organised the mammoth catering task with consummate ease. The launch was timed to mark Tongan Language Week and Ben Latevo, a Year 12 student, took the opportunity to display his fine oratory skills as MC for the evening. We look forward to celebrating more Pasifika Success as the project develops.
Over the week we have had a number of teams at winter sports tournaments throughout the lower South Island. The details follow in later blog items, however I would like to formally thank the Coaches and Parents who have made these events possible. With tournament week occurring in school time, the teacher relief cost limits the number of staff who can attend. In many cases, colleagues have covered classes and parents have taken annual leave to support the teams, so thank you on behalf of the College.
Finally, I encourage people to join us for the Sports Evening next Friday. The event will be a celebration of sports at the College and provide a venue for younger students to see high achievers and aspire to excellence in their chosen code. While there will be awards presented, the evening is intended as much more than an end of season trophy session. The Home & School team are decorating the venue to ensure the evening is a gala event for parents and students. We have kept costs to a minimum while trying to deliver a quality evening. Warren Lees is an excellent speaker and there will be drinks and nibbles provided. The cost can be charged to your school account. I look forward to meeting you at this inaugural event.
May God Bless You
Paul Olsen
Principal
EXCEL 2012 Tour
Today the College welcome the team from EXCEL School of Performing Arts who are currently touring the country with their 2012 show "All That Glitters". EXCEL is a Christian-based performance school and they visit the College each year during their tour. They are performing at the Christian Life Centre on Saturday 8 September, 6.30pm - admission is free.
Pasifika Talanoa Launch
Last night the Pasifika Talanoa Launch was hosted by St Kevin's College and attended by a large crowd of community members from the cluster of the schools collaborating in this project. Ben Latavao welcomed the large crowd to the talanoa, speaking in fluent Samoan and we were very proud of the way he compared the evening. Leali'ie'e Tufulasi Taleni, the Pasifika Education Advisor and Project Leader, spoke about the project and it's aim of raising the achievement of the Pasifika students in our schools.
Multi-cultural groups from several schools gave performances and our Multi-cultural Group were wonderful. The audience were treated to a spectacular of Pasifika culture and given a deeper appreciation. Guests then moved down to share supper in Room 13 and our grateful thanks to Mrs Burton for organising the catering.
Choral Festival Semi-Finals
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| Gypsy-Mae Harihona-Harrison & Tiana Mihaere perform their duet accompanied by Parewhero O'Brien-Harrison |
The College Chapel has been ringing out with the sounds of hopeful auditionees with the Junior Choral Festival Semi-Finals held this week. Senior Semi-Finals will be held over the next two weeks ahead of the Finals on Choral Festival night - Thursday 20 September. Good luck to everyone!
Admission to the Choral Festival is free and we look forward to seeing everyone join us for a great evenings entertainment.
Admission to the Choral Festival is free and we look forward to seeing everyone join us for a great evenings entertainment.
Making A Splash
Isobel will be joined by Yr13 student Libby McGee in three weeks time for the Short Course Nationals, where a spot to qualify for a National team to travel to Australia is up for grabs.
Thursday, September 6, 2012
African Drum Concert
On September 13th, St. Kevin's College has the honour of presenting one of the world's greatest drummers on stage. Epizo Bangoura is a master drummer from West Africa and is touring New Zealand with one of his students, Oamaru's own Ra McRostie. Ra's journey into African music was the topic of the documentary film Peace and Love in Africa, created by Bronwyn Judge and screened recently at Oamaru Movie World.
All year 9 and 10 students have studied African drumming as part of their music courses at St. Kevin's, so this is a valuable and timely opportunity to see the "real deal" in person. The concert will take place during period 4 (12:10pm) on Thursday, September 14th. The cost of admission is $3, and will be automatically billed to student accounts. Parents are welcome to attend as well. Please sign into the office as a visitor and then come up to the auditorium. Please direct any questions regarding the concert to Mrs. Haig in the Music Department.
Tournament Update
News from the Tournament front is that there is a mixture of results. Regardless of results our students have represented the College well and continue to compete displaying that Special Character for which St Kevin's is known.
After a shakey start the netball girls have hit their stride with two out of two wins yesterday and both the Boys and Girls Football and also Boys Hockey are playing for top ten finishes today. U15 rugby had a solid outing with some tight scorelines and our Girls Hockey team play St Margaret's this morning.
To follow our Boys Hockey 2012 Tournament please go to http://stkevins1stxihockey.
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