Principal's Message
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Tēnā koutou St Ignatius Community,
This week, it was deeply moving and uplifting to witness the faith of our young people as they participated in the sacred rituals of Benediction and our Ash Wednesday liturgy. These moments are more than just traditions of our faith, they are profound encounters with the Divine, shaping not only the hearts of our students but also reaffirming our own spiritual journeys. They serve as sacred markers in our lives, illuminating our path with deeper meaning, purpose, and a call to Christ.
Each Monday morning, as our students kneel in reverence to receive the Benediction, they are reminded of an eternal truth: they are cherished and loved by God. This simple yet powerful act at the beginning of the school week anchors our students in faith, strengthening their spirits and calling them to share God's love with those around them. In this act of devotion, they express not only their love for God but also their respect for themselves and for their peers. Through the sacred presence of the monstrance, through the priest’s blessing, and through their own actions of faith and humility, students are immersed in the grace of God, this sets the tone for the week ahead.
On Ash Wednesday, as we stepped into the season of Lent, our students embraced the call to deeper faith. With quiet reverence and devotion, they received the mark of ashes, a visible sign of our mortality but also of our hope in Christ. This sacred moment is a testament to the power of faith in action; a call to renewal, to transformation, and to walking ever closer with God. Through these outward signs, we reaffirm our innermost conviction: that we belong to God, that He walks with us, and that we are called to reflect His love in all we do.
These sacred rituals do more than strengthen our faith, they shape us into the people God calls us to be. They nurture not only our spiritual growth but also our confidence, our self-worth, and our ability to see the divine at work in our daily lives. In these moments of grace, when our hearts are open, God can touch us, call us, and transform us. In this transformation, we find our truest purpose and that is to seek and find God in all things.
Inveniens Deum in omnibus.
Dean Wearmouth |
Preparing ourselves for Lent
On Wednesday, we would have had ashes put on our foreheads. While they are a visible sign of our identity as Christians, as with all traditions in the Church, there is a deeper meaning. Ash in the Old Testament was a sign of a person's sorrow for something they had done against God; on Wednesday, it was a sign of our commitment to become better Christians as we prepare for the coming of Easter. So, how do we do this? It is traditional for Catholics to give something up during Lent, but sometimes, we may choose something with the wrong intention. We could quickly lose those Christmas kilos by fasting or giving more to others to get their approval.
The reality is that the next forty days of Lent are not about you but God. The readings on Wednesday summarise this nicely. Jesus reminds us that if we pray more during Lent, it should be done with the right intention: to draw closer to God rather than get the attention or praise from another person. When we fast, we should do it to help us have the self-discipline needed to be a better Christian, not to remind people how great we are or avoid certain foods. And when we give, we should do so with generosity, remembering that God has given us everything.
So, as Lent begins, reflect on your motivations for your resolution. Is it for me, or is it for God? Do you want to draw closer to God and become the person he is calling you to be? May Lent be a time of spiritual growth for us all.
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Curriculum
Science
EOTC Year 9 Day Trip to Rainbow Park Nurseries
As part of the Year 9 Science course, our ākonga have been studying the plant way of life this Term.
As part of this topic, Year 9 went on a field trip to Rainbow Park Nurseries on Wednesday 26th February. Akonga were taken on a tour by the owner Andrew Tayler. The tour looked at the state-of-the-art greenhouse facilities and students learnt about sustainable and low impact horticulture using technology and modern propagation techniques.
The students got to see a working local nursery and many thanks goes to Rainbow Park Nurseries and Andrew Tayler for supporting this field trip.
HOF Science
Simon Benge
 Fashion and Textile Technology
This snapshot captures Year 8 Fashion and Textile ākonga engaging in fabric manipulation techniques, including tie-dye, appliqué, stencilling, and leaf printing. With enthusiasm and curiosity, they are eager to experiment and refine their skills. The objective of this learning experience is for each ākonga to incorporate at least one of these fabric manipulation techniques into their cushion cover designs, fostering creativity and hands-on exploration in textile design. Food Technology
It has been a busy week in the Food Technology room, with a number of the year levels making some delicious savoury dishes. The Year 8 class made their own pita pizzas with a range of yummy toppings, while the Year 9's are now well versed in the dinner staple of Spagetti Bolognese. Year 10 ākonga baked some cheese scones, and the Year 7's made a sweet marshmallow and vanilla ambrosia.    Sport
Franklin Tournaments
Year 9 and 10 students will now be taking on leadership roles in the Franklin school tournaments. This opportunity helps them develop leadership skills through coaching, umpiring, and training younger ākonga.
Yesterday, a group of students successfully ran trials for Ultra Rip, leading warm-ups, passing drills, and games while reinforcing rules and tactics to enhance performance.
Another trial will be held next Tuesday at lunchtime.  | |  |
College Sport Aquathon
On Tuesday, St. Ignatius was proudly represented at the College Sport Aquathon by three students. Paikea and Saskia competed in the U16 Girls team section, securing 5th place, while Kaeleb Allison also placed 5th in the U14 Boys individual race. Students are now preparing to build toward the College Sport Triathlon on May 1st.
If you are interested in this event please contact Ms Knight.
On Tuesday, March 4th, Kaleb, Saskia, and I proudly represented St Ignatius at the College Sport Aquathon II. Competing for the second time, I felt more confident and excited as I sprinted into the water, giving my best for my team and school. Despite a longer swim, Saskia and I dropped four minutes off our previous time, which was a reminder of how much we can grow with every opportunity.
- Paikea Maihi 10RA
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Franklin North Group Swimming Sports
St. Ignatius was proud to host our first Franklin Zone inter-school event welcoming North Group schools; Buckland, Bombay, Waiau Pa, Kingsgate, and Pukekohe Christian Schools to attend the Year 7 & 8 Swimming Sports at Jubilee Pools.
Our students performed strongly, placing well in their heats.
A big thank you to Elysia Rollo for guiding our ākonga throughout the day and ensuring they were in the right place at the right time. We are also very grateful to our parent and grandparent volunteers, whose support helped the event run smoothly. It was a great day of competition and teamwork!
Congratulations the following Swimmers who have made the Franklin Zone team
Alexei James, Ava Latu, Ava Liley, Isla Shields, Indi Allison, Renzo Johnston, Paul Eyton Fa’afiu, Sian Balle, Tamara Edwards.
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Orienteering
Round 3 of Orienteering at Papatoetoe High School was a tougher challenge. As one participant put it, “This event was a lot harder to navigate.”
Great work by all, 2 more events to go.
Year 7 Girls
3rd Clara Wielenga
4th Sian Balle
Junior Girls
17th Veda Anuraj
18th Natalie Lee
19th Layla Mohan
Junior Boys
3rd Drew Liefting
5th Kees Smith
6th Max Ovington
7th Nacho Esquivel Garcia
Round 4 10th March at Rosehill College
Round 5 17th March at Strathallan
See Counties Manakau Orienteering website for other events outside of this series
Up Coming Events
Franklin Zone Swimming Sports
When: Tuesday 11th March
Where: Jubilee Pool
Who: Letters have been sent to the parents of selected Y7 & 8 students.
Time: Leaving school 9.00am
Franklin Year 7&8 Ultimate RIP
Trials took place yesterday & the teams will be named and posted in Sports Classroom
Franklin schools competition is on Wednesday 26th March
Waterpolo
Year 9 & 10 One day Tournament Saturday 5th April
We are looking to put together a team for this tournament, options are a girls team or mixed.
We are also interested in collecting expressions of interest from all year levels who may be interested in participating in Water Polo.
Please register your interest here
Basketball
Where: La Storta
When:
3:05pm – 4:05pm Magis Knights Basketball Team: Wednesdays
4:05pm – 5:05pm Junior Year 10 Boys Team: Wednesdays
Keep an eye on the daily notices and Google Sports Classroom for the muster date.
Rugby
All Year 9 and 10 Rugby players are invited to preseason training with Counties Manukau.
When: Wednesday Lunchtime
Where: Rugby Field
Wear: PE Uniforms, bring boots, mouthguards and water
Pukekohe AFC
Calling all 10-12year old girls and 13year old boys, Pukekohe Football are after more players to fill their teams for this season.
Training depends on the team - during the week.
Games on Saturday
Contact Suzanne
[email protected]
Ākonga Elective
We are in week two of our Ākonga Electives, and the excitement and joy on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons is contagious! Each week we hope to share with you a little bit about what goes on during these incredible learning opportunities. This week we look at the Lego Challenge Club!
Lego Challenge Club Elective
Lego is so much more than a toy, it is a tool that can open up a world of creativity, and imagination. In Lego Challenge Club we are going to be doing a mix of set building, free building, and Lego Challenges. We can develop skills to work in teams, to potentially become arcitects, engineers, builders, designers, and to use our imaginations to problem solve, and face a range challenges.
Last week we had our first group challenge - build a freestanding tower, tallest wins! The competition was fierce, with some groups getting up to approximately 170cms!
This week our challenge was to build a bridge that could hold the weight of a bottle of water, and if it can hold that, how heavy can it support? Our winners were able to hold 3kgs on a bridge they only had 30 minutes to make, which is pretty impressive!
We would like to thank the Stacey-Harvey Whanau for the loan of some Lego to make this possible. We hope to be able to build up our own school Lego collection in the future.  | |  |
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 Ākonga Acheivement
Magis Knights
After an impressive 1st place finish in last year’s tournament, Magis Knights are back and ready to take on 2025! The team has welcomed new faces and is stepping up to compete in the CMBL’s higher division for the first term. Although they faced a tough loss in their opening game against a more seasoned team, the season is just getting started. With more members joining, we're excited about the possibility of fielding two teams in the second term. Plenty of exciting activities are on the way! Be sure to drop by La Storta every Wednesday practice to meet and greet the team.
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John Glynos
Ākonga John Glynos recently placed first in the first league round of the Bowhunter Unmarked National Series. John was also recently notified that he has broken seven National records—an incredible achievement!
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Manutaki Certificates
For our first Manutaki Certificates of the year the following ākonga were recognised by their Manutaki for having received an outstanding Weekly Excellence Review. We celebrate these ākonga being more fully alive and reflecting the greater glory of God through their work and actions.
Year 7: Tyler Sublette
Year 8: Loisi Liava'a
Year 9: Nic Madelozo
Year 10: Christopher Afoa
Congratulations!  485 Award
We had many nominations again this week and it was a pleasure for senior leaders to read of ākonga finding God in others through their nominations.
Our top nominations this week are:
Loisi Liava’a nominated Luke Kiutau for showing compassion for always being positive and funny wherever he goes.
Kees Smith nominated Killian Ainsley for showing compassion when helping a Year 7 student to tie their tie after PE.
Brooklyn Henry nominated Leila Pahulu for showing compassion by giving advice when she was feeling down.
Eva Amstad nominated Jasmine Matangi for showing compassion by being the person they could talk to on the bus when no one else would.
Irene Lijeesh nominated Neysha Philips for showing compassion by inviting them to play in their friend group.
George Lieshout nominated Leo Bent for showing conscience by greeting a Japanese exchange student when they got off the bus.
Mercy Lautua nominated Quinn Robinson for showing compassion towards a Year 7 student and showing them where to go.
Douglas Lemanu nominated Hailey Zhao for showing conscience by allowing him to use his PE gear on athletics day.
Congratulations to this weeks winner, Travis Baldwin, who was nominated by Olivia Fitzpatrick for showing compassion by always uplifting and being a great leader to his younger peers.
Well done Travis!
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Donation Certificate / Tax Receipts
Please note, all Donation Certificates / Tax Receipts will be generated and emailed to all parents after the 31st March 2025 as the IRD financial year runs from April to March. Calling All Parents/Caregivers Who Can Sew!
We need your sewing skills! Our school production is coming up, and we're putting together a work party to create amazing costumes for our performers. If you're handy with a sewing machine and would love to help, we'd love to have you on board!
Work party dates to be confirmed - stay tuned for details
Express your interest by emailing Mrs. Allan: [email protected]
You help will make a huge difference - thank you in advance. Important Information About Overseas Travel and Attendance
According to the Ministry of Education’s Attendance Code guidelines, overseas travel is not classified as a Justified absence. This means that even if whānau inform the school about travel plans, these absences must still be recorded as Unjustified.
If a student accumulates 5 or more days of Unjustified absence within a term, their attendance will fall below the Ministry of Education’s target of 90% attendance.
At Saint Ignatius of Loyola Catholic College, we encourage all whānau to schedule family travel during official school holiday periods to minimise disruption to learning. While we understand and respect the importance of family commitments and travel, please note that choosing to take leave during term time is a family decision and responsibility.
In these cases, it is essential that both students and parents work together to ensure that missed work is completed upon the student’s return to school.
We appreciate your support in prioritising regular attendance, as this plays a key role in student success   New Staff
Each week we will introduce you to new members of our school staff. This week we would like to introduce you to Dr. Llew Richards and Miss. Theresa Knight.  | | Dr. Llew Richards- Science (Physics)
New Science teacher at St Ignatius, with particular emphasis on Physics. Previously was the CEO of New Zealand’s Accreditation Authority (IANZ) accrediting all scientific laboratories throughout New Zealand. I trained initially in Science (Physics and Chemistry), and then obtained a doctorate in Mechanical Engineering.
I am looking forward to engaging with all the students and staff, and making science really fascinating for all students. I also speak Mandarin Chinese.
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 | | Miss. Theresa Knight - Sport's Coordinator
I am excited to introduce myself as the new Sports Coordinator here at St Ignatius. My journey in sport began at the age of 7, competing in swimming and athletics, which eventually led me to triathlons in high school. I had the privilege of representing New Zealand on the Junior Triathlon Team at 17 and 18, and I’ve even raced at the Ironman World Championship in Kona. |
This year, I’m looking forward to introducing students to the thrilling world of triathlon and adventure racing, and I’m passionate about guiding students in their own sporting pursuits.
Alongside my sporting background, I am a qualified massage therapist and a light automotive mechanic — two talents that might surprise you!
I’m looking forward to an exciting year ahead and am eager to help students discover new opportunities and reach their sporting potential.
Let’s make this year a memorable one! Containers from House Parade Food
If you sent in food to the House Parade on the 24th February please come and collect your containers or we will dispose of them at the end of next week.  |
Special Character Review - Monday-Wednesday March 10th-12th
Community Mass - Monday 10th March 7:30am Companions of Jesus Chapel
Wear Your Own Clothes Day - Friday 14th March
Stations of the Cross (students only) 14th March
Photo Catch up for students Thursday 20th March
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Wear You Own Clothes Day
Next Friday the 14th, we are having a Wear Your Own Clothes Day to support the Papakura St Vincent de Paul food bank. Instead of bringing in a gold coin, we ask that each year level bring in an item of food from the list below:
Year 7 - Canned spaghetti or baked beans
Year 8 - Tinned mackerel or tuna
Year 9 - Cereal, tea bags or instant coffee
Year 10 - Sugar, pasta or rice  |
The Friends of St Ignatius (FOSI) cookie dough fundraiser has launched! Please head to https://stignatiuscollegecookies.raiseit.co.nz/ to sign up for a fundraising page so you can start selling and help us fundraise. Once you have a page setup, share it with friends and family. After the fundraiser Go Raise It will send you a report of your sales and you can pick up your products and use that report to get them to your supporters. Last day for selling is 30 March. Pick up your goodies from the school on 01 May!
The student with the highest sales will win a Hungry Wolf voucher and everyone who participates in the fundraiser earns 5 House points! Ready, set, SELL! |
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