Principal's Message

Last week we were delighted to commission Fr Michael Smith SJ and Fr Eka Tanaya SJ as members of staff for St Ignatius of Loyola Catholic college in 2024. It is a true Blessing for the college that the Jesuit Order have missioned both Fr Michael and Fr Eka to the college to support our growth in the catholic Ignatian tradition. As a college we value our Parish connections and as we grow as a faith community at the college, hope that our students and families will grow too, through attending and becoming involved in our local Parish communities.

As a staff body, we have been earnestly preparing and developing to ensure all ākonga/students receive the highest quality academic programme, delivered with sound pedagogies. Last week, we were Blessed to participate in a workshop on Ignatian coaching, led by Fr Michael Smith SJ. This week it was a true privilege to welcome world-renowned 21st century Ignatian Pedagogy expert and author of ‘Learning by Refraction’, Fr Johnny Go SJ, to develop our understanding of Ignatian Pedagogies and how they lead to depth of understanding through the development of insights into learning by students. Both programmes have developed staff insight and also provided us with affirmation that the plans we have in place will enable growth towards our curriculum vision.   Inveniens Deum in omnibus.

                                                   Dean Wearmouth         

Site Progress 

The outside of the school buildings is really beginning to come together and landscaping is due to commence next week. See photos below:

This inside is looking near to complete too. See below four some picture of one of the Science labs. The walls are painted, autex is up and carpets are down.

Teaching and Learning

This week we have a spotlight on the Faculty of Health Education and Sport.

As Health and Physical Educators, our teaching and learning programmes will be underpinned by the Underlying Concepts (Hauora, Attitudes and Values, Health Promotion and Socio-ecological Perspective). We will provide a wide range of learning experiences to ensure that ākonga can implement strategies to support their Hauora, are well rounded, can demonstrate a high level of personal and social responsibility, can demonstrate self-management and interpersonal skills in a variety of settings. In our programmes we will include a range of contexts including traditional physical education such as a mix of sports such as Futsal, Turbo Touch, Touch Rugby, Netball, Basketball Ki-o-Rahi- and will include concepts such as Hellison’s Model of Personal and Social Responsibility. We will also be offering a range of Health units focussing on Mental Health & Hauora, Puberty, Relationships, Bullying & Resilience and more. There will also be a focus on developing skills that ākonga can apply to other areas of life, both at school and beyond. 

Sport: We will be offering a wide range of co-curricular sports for Year 7-9. This will be driven by the interests of ākonga. For our Year 7-8 ākonga, they will also be competing in the Franklin Northern Zone and we will be having a wide range of sporting opportunities for all ākonga. We will be holding a Sports Muste for all sports at the start of Term 1 - please watch out at the start of 2024. 

I would also like to welcome Melanie Kemp who will be joining the Faculty in 2024. Melanie has a wide breadth of experience in the sporting fields and we are looking forward to her joining the team next year. 

Ngā mihi nui,
Daryl Blincoe
Kaiarataki Akoranga Koiri me te | Hauora Head of Faculty Health, Physical Education & Sport 

Cura Personalis

Our House system is an integral part of the life of St Ignatius.  It helps to nurture a deep sense of belonging for all ākonga / students and provides meaningful opportunities for leadership and collaboration.  Each House has a special symbol and motto which captures something unique about the spirit of each community.  See below for an introduction to the house symbols and mottos.

The Aubert House symbol features a Mangopare which represents Aubert's strength and determination.  The Maunga connects to Aubert as a beacon of light in the world and also reflects the shelter she provided for others.

Building Community at our Year 9 Transition Event

Luke Williams - Year 9 Manutaki writes: 

An awesome time was had on the last day of November at the Year 9 transition evening. We had a great turnout, and I want to express a big thank you to the Saint Ignatius parent community for their support of our transition event. Our brilliant team of Year 9 Kaiārahi and Ms Bell organized four different games for ākonga to experience. Year 9 ākonga are fortunate to have the four house leaders as Year 9 Kaiārahi:  Mrs. Harrison (Acutis and Magdalene), Mr. Benge (Xavier and Barbier), Mrs. Singh (Romero and Aubert), and Mrs. Hartland (Faber and Marian).

The transition event provided an excellent opportunity for ākonga to meet their kaiārahi teachers and future classmates. A great time was had by all involved, and it was fantastic to meet so many of the ākonga and parents.

Community Opportunity

In 2024, the College Staff are working alongside Te Wānanga o Aotearoa to develop and grow our professional capacity in regards to Tikanga Māori and Te Reo. We would love for you, our parents and caregivers, to join us and to engage in the programme as a wider community.

We currently have the capacity for at least another 15 participants.

The details are as follows:

Course: Te Ara Reo Māori (He Pī ka Pao) Level 1 and 2

Venue: St Ignatius of Loyola Catholic College

Location:  Open Learning Space opposite the Library.

Time: 3:30 - 6:30 pm Tuesday.

Duration: 38 weeks in total. 36 weeks – 3 hour class per week​. 2 weeks break

Visits: 2 x Noho Marae, 4 x One Day Wānanga​

Credits: 120 credits

Fees: No Fees

Start date: March 6th or 13th 2024 (TBC)

Aromatawai (assessment):​ Assessment at the end of each unit and completed online.​ 8 units, 8 assessments. 
The facilitators are very helpful and accommodating, and aim to make the experience of the participants enjoyable, interactive and fun.

Please register your interest by 8th December.

Email your name and contact details to:

[email protected] 

Special Character 

Dear God, 
We come before you as we begin a new school day. 
We ask for your guidance and wisdom for our staff and students. 
We pray for strength and perseverance as we face new challenges. 
May we do our best in all we do. 
May this school day be filled with growth and success, 
We ask for your loving presence and guidance throughout the day 
So we can share God's love and kindness throughout our school community.
Amen

This weekend we begin the session of Advent. It is a time of hope, a time to prepare with joy for the coming of Jesus. Traditionally, this is when Catholics prepare for Christmas through little traditions such as putting up a Nativity scene, a Christmas tree, and an Advent wreath. While these traditions can be a lot of fun, particularly for children, it is tempting for them to become a distraction from what we should be doing; preparing ourselves for Christmas. We are called to reflect on the miracle that is Jesus’ birth as it was a moment that changed our world forever. 
The best way we can prepare is to look at ourselves. Now is a time to try and be better by trying to be in a better relationship with God. A good place to start is the Sacrament of Reconciliation which many Parishes will be offering more frequently leading up to Christmas. While it can be a challenge with the busyness of life at the end of the year, it is also a good time to spend more time in prayer. If you are unsure where to start then daily readings at this time of year are great as they are all about anticipating the arrival of the Messiah. Here at St Ignatius, we are doing this every Thursday as a way to enter into the Advent season. It is also something that we will be doing with the students in 2024. 
Advent should be a time of joy as we anticipate Christmas but it is also a reminder to prepare for the coming of Jesus. So over the next few weeks spend some time entering into this season of the Church so you can arrive ready for Christmas and experience it with new enthusiasm.

Research Opportunity

Our DRS Matt Grevatt is currently undertaking a research project on family engagement within a school’s life and culture. This research contributes towards his Masters in Secondary School Leadership at Victoria University of Wellington. He is looking for parents of students currently attending a secondary school to complete a 10-minute survey and you will be given a small koha as a thank you for your time.

All responses will be confidential and pseudo-names will be used in the final report to protect participants. If you are interested in taking part in this research please email: [email protected]

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