Principal's Message

 Tēnā koutou katoa, as we come towards the end of the year and see the Ignatian Catholic character, buildings, school curriculum, co curricular programmes, staffing, community and everything else we have been working on taking shape, I acknowledge the faith shown by all families; as you can now see evidence of the promises of an excellent school coming to fruition. As parents and caregivers, choosing our new college for your children was an important decision that required a leap of faith in our vision for the college. There have been many leaps of faith, some small and some large, and through this faith we see the first cohort of the ākonga/student community forming before our eyes, a wonderful mix of young people with some amazing gifts and talents. This faith gives us a reminder of living life in Christ. We need to make him our focus and take smaller and larger leaps of faith everyday in order to live in him. One of the mysteries of our faith is that we are not sure of the end result but we can be sure that with faith in the promises of Christ then we can be comforted that we are heading in the right direction and that our leaps of faith in Christ, whilst sometimes we may not see any immediate benefit, are helping us all and others to grow towards him.

There is some fantastic news further down in the Newsletter for all families regarding transport to the college next year and I hope that you are as pleased as we are with the update.

Finally, we very much look forward to seeing you at the upcoming transition events where there will also be the opportunity for your children to meet others in the same year level and make some connections in advance of the school year; growing confidence and growing community. We look forward to seeing you there. Finding God in all things.  Inveniens Deum in omnibus.

                                           Dean Wearmouth             

Site Progress

Progress at the site has visually accelerated and inside the painting and fixtures are progressing well. We are on track for the building to be handed over to school staff with plenty of time to be ready for the opening of the college on Wednesday 7th February.

Teaching and Learning

This week we have a spotlight on our Arts and Technology Faculty.

2024 promises to be filled with many exciting and rich experiences in all four Arts subjects and Technology at Saint Ignatius of Loyola Catholic College.  
Ākonga will explore using their imaginations, ideas and feelings through movement, sound, visual image/design, realisation of role and working with food and soft materials.  An understanding of these aspects creates critical literacy and enables people to shape, communicate and interpret meaning and to understand themselves and those with whom they share the world.
Building strong working relationships and accompaniment is at the centre of our teaching pedagogy within the arts and technology faculties in order to accelerate the success (Ka Hikitia) of all ākonga. 
Our schemes of work aim to nurture creativity and allow ākonga to explore their imaginations, experiment with ideas and express themselves in unique ways.  We will also explore critical thinking and analysis of art whether it is in music composition or viewing and interpreting live dance or drama performances or art exhibitions.

Some of the units of work we will cover include:

Art - Begin with building a strong foundation of the fundamentals of art, including mark making, observational drawing, colour mixing, composition, light and perspective. Ākonga will be provided with opportunities to experiment with a range of art media and techniques, including drawing, painting, collage and tile mosaics. They will explore and develop ideas about identity and community through art making, to create a collective legacy art piece permanently on display at Saint Ignatius.
Dance - Creating dance choreography inspired by a range of sports, spoken word, using props and object manipulation within group choreography. Ākonga will learn a variety of dance styles such as Creative Dance, Musical theatre, Street Dance, Sasa and Contemporary plus experience performing as an ensemble.  Ākonga will also view and interpret professional dance performances.
Drama - Performing characters from a range of scripted plays, devising and writing original work based on NZ disasters, our Patron Saints and Superheroes. Ākonga will also explore the theatre forms of Physical theatre, Improvisation and Shakespeare and perform in these styles. They will also create their own Children's Television show.
Music - We are aiming to create continuity and step-wise learning from Years 7 to 9.  
Year 7 will explore an Introduction to Song and will research songs from a range of genres and styles as well as why song is one of the most powerful means of communication in Music.
Year 8s will be composing their own loop tracks in digital audio workstations (DAWs) which will be highly rewarding.  All year levels will cover a Theory and Aural programme starting at Grade 1 and developing to early Grade 3 by Year 9 with extension opportunities for ākonga with existing theoretical skills beyond Grade 3. All year levels will also have the opportunity to perform music under the Communicating and Interpreting strand with Year 7 performing simple songs from a range of genres, Year 8 leading Liturgical Music and Year 9 telling stories through Folk Song. 
Technology - In Year 9 Food Technology, ākonga will cover the topics of food safety, nutrition, functions of different ingredients and the art of baking. Year 7 and 8 will take a tour through the food laboratory studying the procedures involved in safe food production and the role of different equipment in successful food production. All ākonga will participate in practical sessions each week which will not only be linked to theory lessons and teach an important life skill but also instil a love of cooking.
In Soft materials, ākonga will be introduced to the art of sewing. Through various fun projects,  ākonga will learn important skills like hand stitching, sewing on a button and an introduction to the sewing machine. Skills learnt in all areas will be tailored and appropriate to each year level. 

There will also be many opportunities in 2024 for ākonga to experience and view professional artists with classes attending live theatre performances, dance shows, art exhibitions and musical concerts. Viewers and listeners in all subjects will interpret individual and collective meanings of the art forms studied which may be shared informally or developed through their own polished performance.

In Technology there will also be exciting opportunities to visit factories such as the Chelsea Sugar factory and the Tip Top factory for an immersive learning experience. 
Outside of the classroom ākonga could get involved with being part of Theatresports inter school competitions, Sheila Winn Shakespeare festivals, Talent Quests, School Productions, Big Sing competitions, Street Dance competitions, KBB Music festivals, Stand up and Stand out, Auckland Showdown Competition, Smokefree Rockquest and Wearable Art Exhibitions. 
Our staff are thrilled and excited about the prospect of welcoming new students to our arts and technology programs in 2024. We are looking forward to inspiring, nurturing, and accompanying these young minds on their creative and innovative journeys. 
Ngā Mihi
Stacey Harrison
Head of Arts and Technology Faculties

Cura Personalis

School Transport Update

We are in a position now to give you some exciting updates regarding our school bus services.

The Ministry of Education have confirmed that the majority of our students are eligible for transport assistance.  Those families who are not eligible have already been notified.  If you have not heard from us then this means your child will receive free transport to school.

The Ministry have planned 7 bus routes and have engaged with Ritchies Bus Company to ensure all eligible students are transported safely and effectively to school.  This service is provided at no cost to families.

When the new train line opens in 2027 student eligibility will be reviewed by the Ministry.

We are expecting further details in the coming weeks from the Ministry who will advise on final routes, timings and pick up points.  We look forward to being able to share this information with you soon.  

If you would like to know about student eligibility criteria: CLICK HERE

If you would like to know about route design:  CLICK HERE

Transition Events

We are really looking forward to meeting you again at our upcoming Transition events.  A reminder that the dates are as follows:

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

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

All of these events will take place at St Joseph's School, 94 Seddon Street, Pukekohe.  For all events ākonga/students will have a short program of activities and will meet some of their teachers/kaiako.  Parents and caregivers will receive some important information regarding the beginning of the school year in February 2024.

Please can you follow the link to register your attendance at the relevant event: TRANSITION EVENT REGISTRATION

Special Character

Dear Lord, 
Grant us competence in all our work and sport. 
Bestow on us a good conscience when making choices 
and let us all have compassion for everyone we meet. 
Help us to be committed in everything we do. 
Thank you, O Lord, for letting us be here today. 
May we all have a good day. 
Amen.

It is a tradition in the Church during November to pray for those who have died. As one of the seven spiritual works of mercy, we believe that those who have died are now on a journey to be with God in Heaven and our prayers can help them along the way. Beginning with the Feast of the Commemoration of the Holy Souls on the 2nd, we are encouraged to remember and pray each day not just for loved ones but also those who may have nobody to pray for them. This can also be a nice time to remember people we have known and share the various memories we have of them with loved ones. Other activities could include visiting loved ones' graves or putting a picture of them in a prominent place as a special reminder to pray; both of which are common Catholic practices. 
 As a Catholic school, we see traditions such as these as instrumental to the faith life and formation of our students. It helps them to enter into the liturgical life of our faith and see that they are part of the universal Church. Most importantly it reminds them that while faith may mean time in reflection and contemplation it should always convert to service for others, in this case, prayer for others. 
This month as a staff we are remembering the dead through a small addition of the “Eternal Rest Prayer” to the end of our midday prayers which is below. We invite you to do the same.

School Employment Opportunity

School Caretaker

Maintenance & Handyperson Services (Trades & Services)

We are seeking a school caretaker on either a part or full time basis to carry out a wide variety of duties associated with the security, health and safety, maintenance and good order of the school campus.

The successful person should have:

- Excellent maintenance and repair skills
- Experience in a trade and working with others
- Ability to prioritise, work unsupervised, meet deadlines and use initiative
- Excellent communication skills
- Ability to relate well with people of all ages
- Demonstrated reliability and trustworthiness

All enquiries and applications should be emailed to [email protected]  by Friday 17th November.

Applications should include a short CV including the names and contact details of 2 work-related referees. 

Start date will be Monday 22nd January 2024 

Salary $25-30 per hour

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