Principal's Comment

 Kia Ora Kevinians and Supporters of the College,

As we come to the end of our first term for the 2024 year I am very pleased with how the school is tracking both in terms of teaching and learning and it's overall health.

Teachers and faculty leaders have done an excellent job of embedding the Cambridge curriculum alongside of our NCEA offerings. This has taken a lot of planning and hard work and I am very proud of the way in which our staff and students have stepped up to the challenge. In a recent survey conducted with the year 11 students, they fed back to us that although it was a challenge, they are enjoying the structured nature of the courses and have improved in areas such as personal time management. I believe that if we expect a lot from our young people, they will deliver.

I would like to thank the staff and students for their efforts this term. Our staff have supported students in retreats, milestones within their spiritual life such as confirmations, artistic and sporting events. We have also hosted a brilliant group of young international students and gappers, thanks to the tireless work of June Campbell and our ODENZ agent May Britt Christiansen. Thank you to the hostel staff, our wonderful learning assistants in the Ako Hub and our dedicated grounds and admin staff.

You all make our College the dynamic, warm and hopeful place that it is.

I have included a picture of our grotto which has recently had its original lighting reinstalled in time for ANZAC Day.

Have a safe, restful and happy break.

God Bless

Jo

Principal's Comment

Kia Ora Kevinians and Supporters of the College,

This is feeling like a very strange 'end of term one' as we approach the holidays after having two, three day weeks. Next week students may find it tough going to school for the final week as they are all getting very tired and Covid is certainly making its rounds. I do encourage you all to 'hang tough' until the holidays as we rely on terms one and two for laying the foundations of our learning for the year.

Last week our Student Council met for the first time this year. They were tasked with giving feedback on a number of issues. One of these was the amount of time students miss in term one for sport. This has been a topic of conversation with our Senior Leadership Team as we are pulled between giving students as much in - class time as possible, with the need to also develop all round students with the ability to work in teams, develop their physical and sporting capacity and learn the skills they will need to be good citizens. As parents, you are best equipped to judge how well your student is coping with the demands of their school work, any extra employment they have and sport. Please do not be afraid to let coaches and sport staff know if you are concerned about your student's ability to manage all of the demands on their time.

It is ok for caregivers to say 'no' to sports or sporting events for which your students may have been selected. If this is done in a timely manner and with good communication, teams can manage. I am also personally not afraid to turn down sporting opportunities if families feel that their students are being disadvantaged in the classroom. Whilst I value sport and the opportunities it can provide, I also ascribe to a 'balance is better' approach. Most of our students will have all of their lives to play sport, the same cannot be said for making the most of their very plastic young minds in terms of their academic ability at this stage of their lives.

I hope Easter was a blessed time for you and your family

God Bless

Jo