Principal's Comment

 Kia Ora Kevinians and Supporters of the College,

Today I have sent home the newly adopted sports policy which the College Board voted through on Wednesday night. It is never nice having to be in a position to ask whānau for money and I realize that things have been tough for many people over the past two years, but as Tumuaki of the College I have a responsibility to ensure that the school and its associated clubs are financially responsible and that we are realistic about costs. I also have a responsibility to my staff not to place them in a position where they are abused for doing their jobs which is why I have placed debt recovery into the financial arm of the school rather than making it the responsibility of teachers whose job is to be fantastic advocates for students not debt collectors.

I ask whānau to help us avoid embarrassing situations by doing the following things:

Please think carefully about the costs associated with the sport/s your young person is doing. While sport is a wonderful thing, it should not be driving any families into financial difficulty. Students don't have to play multiple sports or go to every tournament. Feel free to say 'no'.

Please be informed. I have asked teachers, coaches and managers to be fair and specific in the information they give out pre season so that caregivers are prepared for what is coming up in terms of travel, sport and tournament costs.

Please get involved. We are offering partial fee rebates for coaches and managers who step up and support school sport over the season. We are also happy to see fundraising happening for clubs to help spread the load. In order to fundraise for your sport, please contact the College and we will help you work through the Board process.

Please familiarize yourself with the portal. This is a hugely helpful system which doesn't take long to set up, is secure, is also linked to reports and attendance and is at the heart of our student management system. If you need help, please do not hesitate to ring the office and they will talk you through it. You can also pay part payments in the portal or pay through the office if the portal is not an option.

Finally, please communicate. We would much rather know there was a problem before things get out of hand. The last thing we want is for caregivers to be intimidated about coming to school simply because they are struggling.

To all of you playing sport over the weekend, best of luck!

God Bless

Jo Walshe

Principal's Comment

 Kia Ora Kevinians and Supporters of the College,

Yesterday I spent the day reviewing documents online with our new ERO (Education Review Office) review officer. In the past, ERO has visited schools once every three to five years for a few days at a time to check that schools are compliant around things like fire alarms and policies and also to check that they have some strategic direction in place. As of this year, that model has changed. ERO review officers will now work every year with schools to help them stay on track. This is much more of a partnership model and I feel a much healthier and supportive way of doing things. Like every business or institution, St Kevin's College needs to be constantly challenging itself to do things better. We need to constantly adapt for a changing world and every leader needs a critical friend to challenge their assumptions. I am looking forward to continuing this relationship.

It has been great to see sport continuing this week with some great results in rowing, cricket and volleyball to name a few. We are also seeing the winter season sports beginning to gear up, albeit slowly with the constant disruption of isolation for students. What I am cherishing most of all is seeing our students excited, happy and healthy as they participate in activities that have been interrupted over the past two years. 'Being Active' is a key message from the five ways to wellbeing research. The more our young people can physically challenge themselves, the happier they will be.

I would like to thank Mr Harris for organizing our Green Mufti day for St Patrick's Day and for our communion service to celebrate that special day. The money raised will be donated to the St Patrick's Parish to help to support vulnerable people in need.

Have a great long weekend.

Go Otago!

God Bless

Jo Walshe

Principal's Comment

Kia Ora Kevinians and Supporters of the College,

It has been another busy week at the College this week having had Ash Wednesday, the cricket game against the Willows cricket club in Christchurch, the swimming sports championships and the start of our Friday options for years 12 and 13.
The Willows game, unfortunately, did not go our way but I am reliably informed that our team was a credit to the school. I would like to thank those members of staff and whānau who travelled up to support the team and the past students who came to both play and watch the match.
As it was Ash Wednesday, I was back at the College participating in our distribution of the Ashes. It was a privilege to be able to give out the ashes to the staff and students and it reminded me very much that our Catholic rituals help to articulate the most important aspects of our humanity. The ashes, as a symbol of our mortality, remind us that no matter how important we think we are, we are still only a moment in time. It serves to remind us that the valuable things in our lives are the relationships we have with each other. I would also like to thank Mr Harris and Father Wayne for their excellent organization of the service.

I chose this image today of two friends having a chat in the sun because it captures a moment of being young, enjoying friendship, discovering new learning, enjoying nature and laughing.  All essential ingredients for a happy healthy life. 

We have had no further Covid cases today.  Our next update will be on Wednesday next week. 

God Bless

Jo Walshe