Acting Principals Report

Dear Kevinians

It was with great excitement that we welcomed Mr Justin Tippa to school on Tuesday to work with all our Year 9 and 10 students on the second school haka. He worked for 3 hours with all our junior students, the video below shows what will become a very polished performance over time. This haka takes nothing away from our traditional haka which will still have it's vital place in the school but introduces some extra elements such as our story as a school, our values and our passion for education. The girls also now become an important part of the challenge that is laid down and as a co-educational school it is only right and correct.

Click here to link to a movie of the students performing the haka.
Here are the words: click here

Ms Casey and the PE department have incorporated this haka into their performance unit. This unit is changing shape to more reflect the current research around co-educational schools, where students benefit from a real world experience working with the opposite sex, varying viewpoints and respect for the opposite sex. Our students will work in a co-educational world. click here

Collaboration is the shape of the future and here at St Kevin's we are working very hard to ensure through class work, Information technology, Google documents etc.  We reflect the world our students will face. This initiative is reflective of that drive.

Our recent ERO report stated clearly that we are a 'moving school' and I know through all the interactions I have that this is becoming our battle cry. Our hostel numbers are building and applications to the school for Year 9 next year are looking very healthy.

I was pleased to see the Chorus trucks roll onto the school property on Wednesday to start laying the fibre optic cable for our hook on to high speed internet. We are currently working on our wireless network and how we will integrate our BYOD [Bring your own device] policy. Later this term we plan to hold an open evening for students and parents/caregivers looking at some devices, getting student and staff experience and mapping out where we would like to go with this next year and into the future.

The good news for our feeder schools is we are planning to take the National Basketball Trophy on a small tour to visit local schools and offer some clinics with our 2013 New Zealand Champion team, Mr Ryburn Sports Coordinator will be in touch.

Mr and Mrs Olsen are nearing the end of there overseas trip. They are currently in Rome and have visited Vatican City, taking Holy Communion with 100,000 people was apparently quite an experience. They move onto Hong Kong and then home.

We welcome Mr Olsen back next week.

God bless you
Kerry Ryan
Acting Principal