Principal's Message
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Tēnā koutou St Ignatius community,
This week it was an honour to witness students and staff receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation conferred by Bishop Steve, Fr Eka and Fr Mathew. Thank you to all sponsors, parents and caregivers for your presence and support as we witnessed sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, friends and colleagues sealed with the Holy Spirit and strengthened for a life in Christ.
A very important part of the whole liturgy and experience was the willing commitment of those students and staff to come and be confirmed in the presence of our school community. The public commitment of moving the pathway of life to a pathway aligned to Christ faith, hope and love.
After the Mass, I addressed the community with a reflection about the Spirit within us all, referring to Pentecost and the teachings of St Ignatius. At Pentecost a sound like a great wind came and something like tongues of fire rested on the gathered Apostles. The scripture says ‘something like’ and we are left to wonder what that might mean. St Ignatius describes the love of God using fire and this is a possible explanation for us.
We can find and nurture the presence of God inside ourselves, the flickering flame within us all. We can do this through prayer, through reflection and through the Eucharist. We then grow in confidence that God is working within us and amongst us when we find him in our everyday life, in ourselves and in others. I explained to the community that a flame doesn’t care how big or small it is and we should never feel that our faith is not enough or compare our faith with others, feeling like our flame is too small or that we aren’t worthy or religious enough. One small flame can light many others and a small flame can grow into a raging fire. God is there inside all of us. The flame flickering waiting for us to find and grow. To grow enough so that we too want to share the love of God with others. We too, like St Ignatius, will want to go out and set the world on fire with the love of God that we share. We too can become the greater glory of God.
Ad majorem Dei gloriam
Dean Wearmouth |
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After this week's Sacramental Mass, it is appropriate that we are celebrating the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity on Sunday. The Trinity is a central mystery of our Catholic faith. At first glance, the doctrine of the Trinity can seem abstract—one God in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Yet it is much more than a theological concept. The Trinity reveals to us that God is, in essence, a communion of love. This divine relationship of giving and receiving models how to live in unity with one another. It is a mystery we enter into through prayer, worship, and especially through the Sacraments. We saw this at the Confirmation Mass on Wednesday when the Bishop prayed over those to be Confirmed, and they so beautifully put out their hands to receive this gift from God.
In Confirmation, the gifts of the Holy Spirit are sealed within us, so we are invited to share more fully in the life of the Trinity. Through the gifts, we become a gift to others, thus creating a reciprocal relationship - empowered to live as Christ did—bringing hope, love, and truth into the world. Just as the Father sends the Son, and the Son sends the Spirit, we too are sent out from Confirmation to live as active witnesses of the faith, united to God and to one another.
Over the weekend, those who were confirmed will receive their First Holy Communion in their parishes. The Eucharist is often referred to as the “source and summit” of the Christian life. At every Mass, we encounter the Trinity in action. We pray to the Father, through the Son, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, best seen every time we make the Sign of the Cross. When the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ, we are drawn into the very heart of the Trinity. Jesus, the Son, gives himself fully to us, and through that gift, the love of the Father and the power of the Holy Spirit are made present. In the Eucharist, we experience divine love poured out for us.
This feast, so fittingly placed when our students receive the Sacraments, calls us to reflect on who God is and who we are because of Him. Just as the Trinity is a community of persons, we too are called to live in community, particularly as members of the St Ignatius of Loyola Catholic College community, and to lives of unity, self-giving, and love. The Trinity teaches us that relationship is not optional but essential to who we are. This is something we strive for every day at our college, whether in the classroom, on the field, or in moments of communal prayer.
So over the weekend, take some time to reflect: How do I live out the image of the Trinity in my relationships with others? How have the Sacraments connected me more deeply to God? And how can I, through simple acts of love, reveal the mystery of God to the world? |
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Book Week
We have had an amazing week this week celebrating all things literature! We started out with our Librarians receiving their leadership badge and announcing our St Ignatius Reading Challenge for this year in assembly.
Around the school students have been tasked with finding Wally, Wenda, Odlaw, Woof, and Wizard Whitebeard, who were hidden in secret locations. We also had a competition to guess the titles of the books with no titles.
Can you guess the titles of some of these books?
Book Week - A Student Perspective
Book week reminded me how much I really love books. Ever since I started school I found a spark in reading, it felt like an adventure. Reading not only helped me to enhance my literacy skills but it also made me explore a whole new world. What’s great about books is that there's always something for everyone. Whether it’s space, World War I or comedy, you can find whatever you're interested in.
I also found reading as a great tool for sharpening minds and intellect. It can help with exposing us to complex arguments, distinct perspectives and critical thinking. Reading books can also help us to shape our way of thinking, become articulate and communicate intellcutally.I often find that I need to work on my vocabulary in my essays, so reading advanced books helps me with this skill. Although I admit that I do read more Diary of a Wimpy Kid’s books than sophisticated texts.
Besides all the enriching knowledge you can get, getting yourself into a book is a great source of enjoyment. Find yourself transported into new magical places. It’s like a movie really, except without the screen. Reading shouldn't be seen as something boring but a wonderful and exciting privilege. I could carry on about my passion for books, but for now I guess you get the jist.
"The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go." - Dr Seuss
Erendiria Schuster - 10XB
 Book Character Parade
On Thursday we held our annual Book Character Parade, and we were blown away with how incredible everyone looked, staff and students alike. The overall feeling was that everyone had really stepped it up this year with so many creative and interesting costumes.
Thank you so much to our fantastic judges, Deborah Chapman, Carolyn Harvey, and Anne Devoy, the dedicated Librarians from St Josephs, Holy Trinity, and St Mary's. They had a difficult job deciding the winners!
We have some amazing photographs of the day if you follow the New link at the bottom of this Newsletter, or look at the Recent News tab on our website.
Congratulations to our winners!
Year 7: Saxon Cooper 7RA - Dragon
Year 8: Luka Anketell 8RA - The Joker
Year 9: Cedric Dena 9RA - Willy Wonka
Year 10: Travis Baldwin 10AM - Optimus Prime
Duo: Frankie Frost & Therese Wong 10FM - The Titanic
Group: Ben Hunter, Oli Yee, and Tate Yorke 10FM - The Three Blind Mice
Staff - Fr Eka Tanaya SJ as Moses.
Our House winner will be annnounced in assembly on Monday!!   | |  |
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 Sacramental Mass
It was wonderful to celebrate our annual Sacramental Mass with Bishop Steve, assisted by Fr. Eka and Fr. Mathew Vadakkevettuvazhiyil. Congratulations to all of our ākonga and staff who received the Sacrament of Confirmation. We look forward to them receiving their First Holy Communion this Sunday in their Parishes.
Photos from the day are available via the News link at the bottom of this Newsletter or through the Recent News tab on our website.     Ākonga Elective
Magis Media
Magis Media is where ākonga engage in the art of video storytelling. They plan, film, and edit content—such as interviews and event highlights—developing skills in narrative structure, visual composition, and audio editing. Through collaboration, they create videos that showcase the diverse experiences within the school community. This hands‑on approach fosters creativity, technical proficiency, and effective communication.
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Saturday 14th June - School Production Rehearsal
Sunday 15th June - 5pm Mass St Patrick's Parish Pukekohe School Assisted Mass (see below)
Monday 16th June - Matariki Liturgy 9am
Monday 16th June - Kiwi English Competition
Monday 16th June - Year 7 Loving for Life Parent Evening 5:30pm - 8:00pm
Monday 16th - Thursday 19th June - Loving for Life for Year 9's
Friday 20th June - Matariki (School is closed for instruction)
Tuesday 24th - Thursday 26th June - Show Stoppers: The Best of Broadway
Friday 27th June - Last day of Term 2
Please note ‘Teacher Only Days'
Term Three - September 19th 2025 (Staff Retreat)
Term Four - October 22nd 2025 |
St Patrick's Parish Pukekohe School Assisted Mass
On Sunday, 15th June, at the 5 pm Mass, we will have a St Ignatius assisted Mass at St Patrick’s in Pukekohe, during which 30 of our students will receive their First Holy Communion. As a school, we request that all families who are parishioners of St Patrick's, if you can, attend this Mass with their children to represent the school and support those students receiving the Sacrament of the Eucharist for the first time.
All students attending should be in school uniform unless they are receiving their First Holy Communion. |
Creating a Strong Team Culture Through Shared Values and Vision
A positive team culture doesn’t just happen, it’s built through shared values, clear expectations, and a sense of belonging. When everyone in the team knows what they stand for and works towards a common goal, it brings people together and lifts individual and team performance.
A strong team identity also plays a big role in how we represent our school and ourselves in public. When athletes understand and live out the team’s values, they show respect, responsibility, and pride. Whether we’re on the pitch, travelling, or in the classroom, our behaviour and teamwork help shape how others see our school.
https://balanceisbetter.org.nz/developing-a-team-identity/
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Swimming
A number of our students represented our school in swimming this past weekend and achieved some fantastic results.
Auckland Champion of Champions Secondary Schools Swimming Meet
Annabelle Shields:
2nd - 13 & Under Girls 50m Breaststoke
13th - 13 & Under Girls 50m Back
College Sport Individual Swimming Championships
Paikea Maihi:
6th - 14-15 Year Girls 200m Freestyle
9th - 14-15 Year Girls 100m Fly
8th - 14-15 Year Girls 100m Back
2nd - 14-15 Year Girls 200m Breaststroke
Annabelle Shields:
4th - 13 & Under Girls 100m Breaststroke
3rd - 13 & Under Girls 200m Breaststroke
4th - 13 & Under Girls 200m Individual Medley
Next event for the students will be New Zealand Secondary Schools on 24 - 27 July 2025.
If there is any other swimmers wanting to do this event and meets the qualifying criteria -
click here for qualifying times please email Miss Knight
 Auckland Secondary Schools Rogaine Champs
On Sunday Kees Smith and Max Ovington took part in their first Rogaine at Muriwai Beach. The boys had 15 minutes to plan their route to collect the most amount of checkpoints in the 90 minutes available. The boys managed a 5th placing in the Intermediate boys age group.
 AIMS Games Boys Football - Auckland Champs
Our AIMS boys football team qualified for the Auckland Intermediate Schools Championships and competed on Tuesday.
The boys were fantastic today, unlucky not to get a win but the performances were excellent. We staunchly held our own within 1 goal in each game, against the best teams in Auckland. This was the teams first run in the 9 aside format. Stoked how the boys worked together & battled, they should be proud. The build to AIMS continues with some more practice games against Strathallan and Tuakau coming up. - Coach Kelvin Ovington
A huge thank you to Coach Kelvin, Dwayne for transport, and the wonderful parents who came and supported throughout the day.
Franklin Zone Year 7 & 8 Rugby Tournament
Yesterday we took a team of 20 students out to the wet and soaky Puni Rugby fields for the annual Franklin schools Rugby Tournament.
The team played 4 pool games against Tuakau College, Waiau Pa School, Waiuku Primary & Onewhero Area School. They won every game & faced Onewhero Area School in the final play off.
Onewhero came out firing & put up a tough challenge to the boys, it was a very close game but St Ignatius managed to come out on Top and take the win.
Thank you to the four boys, Rome Sosene, Logan Baker, Jericho Ulberg & Leo Venu who stepped up to play for Pukekohe North School. It is much appreciated by both schools.
 Wanted!
We are on the lookout for road bikes for a few of our students
If you have one collecting dust that you could lend, donate or sell please contact Theresa Knight
Trainings, Draws & Results
To keep up with our Sports teams check out our weekly schedule.
This is updated regularly be sure to check for updates.
Weekly schedule
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Sacramental Mass 2025
It was wonderful to celebrate our annual Sacramental Mass with Bishop Steve, assisted by Fr. Eka and Fr. Mathew Vadakkevettuvazhiyil. | |  |
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Book Character Parade 2025
We have had an amazing week this week celebrating all things literature! | |  |
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