Principal's Message

Early next week we will be sending out information for 2024 fees. You are welcome to commence payments from now and this is a good idea to get ahead. In our letter we will outline when fees need to be paid to keep up to date and how you can pay. If you have any questions in the meantime then please email [email protected]

It was a pleasure to welcome new staff to the college and get to know them more at the beginning of this term. Our college is truly Blessed to have attracted such high calibre staff and it is exciting to know that your child(ren) will be engaged and challenged by the best. We commissioned all new staff at St Patrick’s Parish Pukekohe this week and we now have our full team for 2024!

We are delighted to announce that we have a new school website. Please visit www.ignatius.school.nz to take a look at the new design and content. On the new site, applications for admission for Year 7 in 2025 are now officially open and will close on 23rd February. Details can be found on the 'Admissions' page. 

Things are certainly starting to come together with our uniform fittings scheduled, the buildings being fitted out, staff hired, curriculum written, cocurricular electives chosen and our many plans in place to provide some truly exciting opportunities for your child(ren) in 2024.

See the News Section of our newsletter below for more details about the uniform fittings.  Alternatively, Click Here

It is a true privilege to serve in an Ignatian college where we can consider the whole child and plan for their holistic growth to become the best person they have been created by God to be. I know this sentiment is shared by all of our staff as our excitement grows for the future educational experience we will be accompanying them in our shared journey of growth towards our Lord.    Finding God in all things.  Inveniens Deum in omnibus.

                                           Dean Wearmouth                               

It is great to see the covers come off the main teaching block and see completed roads round the school site. Inside the building work is progressing rapidly with internal works taking shape. See below for a picture of one of our science labs taking shape!

This week we have a spotlight on our Maths and Numeracy Faculty.

I think of a number, multiply it by 4 and add 8. If I divide this by 5, I get back to my original number. What is my original number?

See the end of this article for the answer!

Mathematics is the study of patterns, not numbers.  God is a mathematician, patterns are everywhere, and we are naturally inclined to spot them.  In Maths at school, we will find ways to describe and explain these patterns. We will use the generalisations we discover to find clever ways to solve problems.

In Years 7 and 8, calculators will not be required, and if they are needed we will provide them for the lesson (or use devices).  The emphasis in those years is on basic facts and using strategies to solve problems.  Basic facts are the addition, subtraction, multiplication and division of small numbers as instant recall - without having to use pen and paper or objects to figure them out.  Students who can instantly recall basic facts can build on their knowledge and solve more complex problems. For this reason, students will be assessed on their basic facts every term.  Keep an eye out for your child's first result, and consider a small incentive to return an improved score every time!

Students will require a scientific calculator from year 9 onwards. These cost $30 to $40, and any brand is acceptable as long as it is a scientific calculator. Graphics calculators will not be compulsory in later years, but they are also acceptable.

Research has found that a parent's involvement in their child's Maths is more important for the child's achievement than parental expectations.  Parental involvement includes discussing schoolwork with your child, participating in school activities such as parent-teacher conferences and reading reports, and involving yourself in the child’s learning.  These activities are known to reduce a child’s maths anxiety, increase self-esteem and in the long run, increase results.  High expectations from a parent can improve results in the short term, but in the long term can lead to maths anxiety and lower self-esteem.  Interestingly the strongest association is the mother-daughter link. This means that mothers who model a fear or dislike of Mathematics have a high chance of passing this on to their daughters.  I recommend ‘Hidden Figures’ for an inspirational true story of women mathematicians! Girls and boys alike enjoy and are good at maths.

Links to research in case you are interested:

https://www.ejmste.com/download/parental-influence-on-high-school-students-mathematics-performance-in-vietnam-13068.pdf

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01648/full

Maths is a universal language, the answers are the same regardless of culture, age or religion.  What we can have wonderful discussions about in maths, is how we arrived at an answer,  and which methods might be worth trying next time. For this reason, everybody's viewpoint is welcome.  Your child has a way of spotting patterns that are valued and welcome in our Maths classes.  

Some students who have achieved high levels in Mathematics may be looking for a challenge. In class, we will use a range of activities that provide opportunities for extended abstract thinking and modelling real-world concepts.  Students will be able to enter mathematics competitions and showcase their talents, as well as compete for prizes.  We will be selecting and entering Mathex teams to represent our school.  There is a maths competition group students can join.

Andrea Singh
Mathematics and Numeracy Head of Faculty 
Answer: 8

Cura Personalis

As we move quickly towards our first day with ākonga/students on site on 7 February 2024 we are working hard to ensure that everyone has a smooth transition to St Ignatius.  

Please note the following Transition events for ākonga/students and whānau/families:

Year 7 2024 November 16 -  6-7:30pm
Year 8 2024 November 23 -  6:7:30pm
Year 9 2024 November 30  - 6:7:30pm

We are also planning an informal meet and greet event for ākonga/students and whānau/families where they are the only one moving to St Ignatius from their current school.  

Meet and Greet for solo ākonga November 15 4:40-5:30pm

All of these events will take place at St Joseph's School, 94 Seddon Street, Pukekohe.  Please keep an eye on future newsletters for details of how to register for these events.

Transition Information Request

We are thrilled to be able to introduce to you our Manutaki/Year Level Deans for 2024.

Year 7 - Daryl Blincoe
Year 8 - Melissa Bell
Year 9 - Luke Williams

Each of our Manutaki will have overall responsibility for the care and well-being of ākonga in their year group.

If there is any further information that you feel would be helpful for our Manutaki to know to support your child's transition to St Ignatius please follow the link below:

Click here for Ākonga Transition 2024 Form

Scholastic Bookclub

Fostering a love of reading and valuing story time together is one of the greatest gifts you can give your child. Having books in the home is proven to positively benefit children in a myriad of ways. International studies have found that the mere presence of a small home library increases children’s academic success, vocabulary development, attention and job attainment.

Here at St Ignatius, we have joined up with Scholastic to provide the opportunity for our families to purchase books for their homes. For every book that is purchased, St Ignatius will receive 15% back as a credit to use for purchasing books for our Library and our classrooms.

A book is a wonderful gift to give your child, and with Christmas only 10 Mondays away it would be good to purchase now, before the madness of the Silly Season!

In Issue 7, (please follow the link) you find a wonderful range of books available for your child at very competitive prices. You may also like to purchase books for our school library, which would be gladly received!

If you are already a member of the Scholastic Bookclub - you will need to update your child’s information under ‘Profile’ - adding them to St Ignatius and selecting 9FM Hartland as their class.

If you are new to Scholastic Bookclub, please click on the “Shop” tab, then the “Scholastic Bookclub/Parents LOOP’ tab. Click on “Register”, then search for the school by either Suburb “Drury” or School name ‘St Ignatius”. Once again you will select 9FM Hartland for your child’s class.

The closing date for orders is December 1st 2023.
Thank you for your support
Bridget Hartland
HOF English & Literacy
[email protected]

Special Character

This Sunday is Mission Sunday. It is a reminder that the Church is always on a mission to spread the Good News of Jesus. This year Pope Francis has asked us to reflect on the story of the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35) with the phrase “Hearts on fire, feet on the move.” He reminds us that while the two disciples left Jerusalem with their heads down and disappointed, after their encounter with Jesus they returned with renewed passion and faith running to tell people what they had heard and who they had encountered. In this passage, Jesus models to us how to be missionaries in the world today. Jesus does not force his way into the conversation, instead, he asks to be part of it. Once he is present he doesn’t impose his point of view on them, but instead answers questions. Jesus is “accompanying” these disciples, supporting them where they are and giving them hope. This is the work of a missionary. 
We are all called to be missionaries in the world today. When Jesus gave the great commission saying “Go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:17) he was commissioning each of us. While his disciples stood in public places to preach, this is not what God calls most people to do today. Instead for most of us it is as Jesus models on the road to Emmaus: a quiet accompaniment. This involves spending time respectfully listening, answering questions and being present to others. In this way, we become the face of Jesus to them. Many missionaries throughout history to the modern-day know that evangelisation takes time and respect for the free will of the individual. Jesus’ model of accompaniment respects that.
St Ignatius of Loyola Catholic College is missionary. At the heart of our mission as a college is to bring our ākonga/students into an encounter with the person of Jesus. We are very fortunate that one of the key concepts of Ignatian education is the idea of accompaniment. This means that we are called to journey with our ākonga/students as they grow in faith and life. This is seen best in the relationships they build with their teachers, the prayer times provided throughout the school day, and the regular opportunities to receive the Sacraments. It is our hope that they can experience their “hearts on fire, feet on the move.”

News