This week our liturgy, assembly and Gospel readings have all focused our thinking on family/whānau. The sense of family was truly evident as we welcomed our guests from Obirin High School in Tokyo with a powhiri on Tuesday and past pupil Evan Forde at assembly on Wednesday.
I am delighted to lead my blog for the week with the announcement of the appointment of Hamish Robertson to the position of House Captain for Magee. There are still a number of interhouse competitions on the calendar and Hamish is excited to work with Sara and the rest of the Magee team.
The Obirin student's have already started to integrate into the College routine and we look forward to seeing their English language skills develop over the next three weeks. Thank you to the families who have hosted a student. Your support and commitment has made this venture possible.
Evan Forde returned to the St Kevin's family on Wednesday and regaled students with some stories of yesteryear. Evan was a keen sportsman and Treacy House leader. It was pleasing to hear him reflect on how many of the positive traditions have been preserved and enhanced over the years. Central to this is an ethos of care and support that make the College so special.
With all this in mind I would like remind parents and caregivers of two key messages for students. If we wish to see the benefits of being part of a nurturing College family, we need regular attendance and commitment to teams. Behind this reminder is my concern that there is a growing number of parents and caregivers allowing students to be absent from school without a very good reason. These absences have been shown to have an adverse effect on learning and ultimately achievement. The second concern is the number of students who are not being personally accountable for their sporting or cultural commitments. Letting a team down half way through the season is not the Kevinian Way. Dedication and dependability are life skills that we hope to develop in our students and we ask that they are reinforced at home in conversations and actions. These are cornerstones of "family life at St Kevin's".
Our pasifika and kapa haka students shared with the College family by way of a hangi today and I must congratulate each of them on a very successful event. Lead by Mrs Plunkett the students undertook all of the preparations, from gathering the driftwood for the fire to lifting the cages of food from the pit. I have been impressed by their commitment and thank them for sharing this tradition with us. On behalf of all of us who have enjoyed the kai today I must also extend our sincerest gratitude to Mrs Plunkett, and Mike Mullans and Gina Healey from Youthtown for working alongside the students and offering their guidance.
Finally, please keep Alan Ryan, Mr Ryan's father, in your prayers as he battles some health issues this week.
May God bless you all
Paul Olsen, Principal
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