Principal's Message

Tēnā koutou St Ignatius community,

Reflecting on the contributions that each and every member of the school community to make this school a special place to belong, it is hard to comprehend that we are still in our first year. We have students representing the school in many areas and excelling; we are building a reputation of excellence within the community. Through our academic programme students are making excellent progress together, discovering more and more about themselves and the world around them. Through our ākonga electives, students are flourishing in co-curricular areas of their own interest and passion. Through our House time, students are learning every week, gaining new skills working together to complete in their own Houses; this week seeing the staff and students wholeheartedly preparing for our lip sync battle next week was a joy to behold.

It has grown to really mean something to belong to our thriving community and this is important. It is important because through their everyday school experiences our staff and students are growing into belonging to a faith community that is finding God in the experience of everyday life. Through the experiences of the many aspects of life of the college, our reflections, prayer, our daily reflections and the Sacraments, students are finding out more and more about themselves and others by finding God in themselves and God in others others. This helps students to find the love of God; the highest value in themselves and the highest value in others, to find the love of God within them and amongst them. This is helping to build our community as a place where it means something special to belong; a place where the true value of each and every person can be discovered. Finding God in all things.

Inveniens Deum in omnibus.

Dean Wearmouth

College Life

Pasifika Speech Competition

Last week two of our Year 8 ākonga were chosen to participate in the Franklin Pasifia Speech Competition held at St Joseph's Primary in Pukekohe. 
Aja-Lucia Vatau competed in the Samoan category and Lachlyn Makahununiu competed in the Tongan.
The competition is relatively new but is growing in popularity with finalists coming from all across Franklin. Students from Years 5 - 8 are encouraged to compete and can either present bi-lingual or full Pasifika . 
The girls crafted excellent bi-lingual speeches which not only argued the importance of celebrating your heritage but also how we as New Zealanders can learn from the wisdom of Pasifika cultures and their celebration of family, faith and identity. 
We are incredibly proud of these two girls and look forward to competing again next year.

Year 7 Retreat Day

On Thursday this week the Year 7 students attended their first year level retreat. The focus for this day was Gratitude in which students learnt and reflected about themselves, and their family and friends, and how all things are ultimately God's graces, which have been poured upon them. 

Here is a reflection by Year 7 student Caitlin McFadden:

On Thursday this week, the Year 7’s had their retreat. Our first activity was in our Kaiārahi. We had to move a wooden stick from one end of our class to another using only one of our right fingers; this was a fun activity using teamwork and communication. Next, we had to think of all the things we are most grateful for; they might have been Hobbies, friends or family, and then draw them; we then needed to find God in all the things we drew. The activity helped us to appreciate the special things in our life. To help us find God in all things, we needed to start with finding God in ourselves, so as a Kaiārahi, we wrote our names on a piece of paper and handed it around our circle; we had to write a compliment or something we liked about the person until it went around the whole circle after that we went into the chapel and read our papers from my personal experience I was filled with joy by the nice complements people had given me after that we had Mass presided over by Father Eka. After that, another fun activity was held. We had a piece of paper divided into six equal parts, and on one square, we drew the thing we were the most grateful for out of all, and then we drew five other people we were grateful for. As a Kaiārahi, we wrote down one thing on a canvas from our paper as a canvas for being grateful. The year seven retreat was a peaceful, lovely experience we are lucky to have had.

Romero House Mass

On Wednesday Romero House students and parents, along with Aubert House students attended a House Mass in our school chapel.  Student Rosaria Soo Choon has written about the experience:

On Wednesday our school St Ignatius of Loyola had another feast day mass. And this time it was for some of us our favorite house Romero and Aubert. As I sat in the Mass dedicated to Saint Oscar Romero, the reading from Wednesday, August 28th felt particularly powerful. The service began with uplifting hymns, and the chapel was adorned with The stained glass windows reflecting the sun on me. The life of Saint  Oscar Romero  known for his deep courageous stand for justice. The reading focused on themes of faith and service, which perfectly connected with the legacies of St Romero. The homily beautifully linked the Gospel passage to his and our lives, illustrating how Romero’s call for justice both inspire us to live out our faith actively. Listening to the reading and the reflections, I felt inspired to follow their examples, striving to combine inner spiritual growth with a commitment to justice in my own life.

Music

Bandquest

On Wednesday night, two groups of our students went to the Bruce Mason Centre to perform in the Rockshop Bandquest competition. These students have been working incredibly hard to get their bands ready, and Wednesday night saw them up on stage giving it their all. The first band, 'Red, Black, and Gold', performed Beggin by Maneskin, and Living on a Prayer by Bon Jovi. The second band, 'The Zipties', performed Symphony of Destruction by Megadeath, and Creep by Radiohead. 
They all had an amazing evening, and Shaira Perez won Best Drummer of the evening!!! Congratulations Red, Black, and Gold, and The Zipties, and congratulations Shaira!

Sport

Week Ahead

Saturday 31st August

Netball
St Ignatius Ferns VS Buckland
Pukekohe Netball Centre
9.00am

Results this week

Netball

St Ignatius Black VS Hill 8-59

St Ignatius Ferns VS Puni 14-13
St Ignatius Ferns have made to the finals for their grade. This is a huge accomplishment. Please head down to give them your support at their next game.

Badminton

St Ignatius Silver VS Alfriston
This was the final game for our Badminton teams. Our school had 14 players in 3 teams, with this being the first season for many of our players. We are greatful for Tiger's dad Bernard Bernabe for training for the playing, his effort was evident in their growth from week to week. 

Franklin Zone Cross Country

Yesterday eleven Year 7 and 8 students competed in the Franklin Zone Cross Country at the Pukekohe A&P Showgrounds. To get to this stage the students had to do well at the school competition as well as the Franklin North competition, so these race's were the best of the best in our area. All of our runners placed in the top 20, which is an awesome result. Two students placed in the top 10 and will go through to the next round. Clara Wielenga placed 5thand Sian Balle placed 6th in the Year 7 girls race.

Netball

On Tuesday our Year 8 boys Netball team went to the Te Pai Netball courts in Henderson to compete in the Auckland Boys Netball competition. There was some very tough competition but the team improved throughout the day. The boys did St Ignatius of Loyola proud with their behaviour, sportsmanship, commitment and determination. 

Archery

The Winter Aims Archery Tournament had 43 schools enter and 195 archers competing in 1 of the 3 categories. While representing St Ignatius of Loyola Catholic College, John Glynos placed 4th for his category missing out on third place by one point and missing out on first place by just 6 points. Congratulations on such an incredible day John!

Ākonga Elective

Nacho's News

Don't forget to check out the latest edition of our Student Newspaper, Nacho's News, via the New link at the bottom of this page.

Ākonga Achievement

Nagorry and Iosua Perelini

Saturday night was the “Alofa” Awards for the Pacific Youth Short Film competition. We are proud to announce Iosua and Nagorry Perelini were named the winners of the People’s choice award!

The short film Iosua and Nagorry created was also a finalist in 4 other category nominations:
- Best Director Junior
- Best Sound
- Best Pasifika language
- Best Film

Many thanks to those who rallied together to view and share the boys film.

Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam

Celebrating Ākonga

Manutaki Award

This week the following ākonga/student were recognised by their Manutaki for having received an outstanding Weekly Excellence Review.  

Year 7 - Tyla-Rae’ Howell
Year 8 - Bryn Mair
Year 9 - Paikea Maihi

We celebrate these ākonga/students being more fully alive and reflecting the greater glory of God through their work and actions.

485 Award

We had many nominations again this week and it was a pleasure for senior leaders to read of students finding God in others through their nominations. Some of our top nominations this week are:

Travis Baldwin nominated Rupert Archer for checking on someone when they were upset and shared with them his tech food cooking.

Zythea Laud nominated Jaime Barillas for helping Mr. Benge sorting out rubbish during lunchtime.

Ben Michie nominated George Lishout for giving him the confidence to lead the Examen for the class

Bela Giri nominated Felicity Kavanagh for helping others when they were struggling with Maths and for being committed to completing her own work and helping others.

Grace Tucker nominated Alisa Cha for helping her with a Maths problem

Evony Burford nominated Tyla-Rae Howell for committing herself to studying well for her practice exams and for helping others.

Rosaria Soo-Choo nominated Drew Liefting for always having a smile on his face and having a positive attitude.

Stella Thomson nominated Evelyn Henderson for being kind and supportive when Stella was nervous about the exams.

Natalie Lee nominated Georgia Pierce for helping her understand and study for social science.

The winner this week is Tyla-Rae' Howell who was nominated by Emily Burford for committing herself to her practice exams for helping others.

Congratulations Tyla- Rae'!

Cura Personalis

2025 Financial Contributions

Financial contributions for 2025 are set out below. The college continues to be flexible around payment methods and will invoice termly. Payments can be made annually, monthly, fortnightly or weekly. Financial contribution charges for St Ignatius compare very favourably to similar colleges in Auckland and represent excellent value.

Seasons for Growth

We are delighted to be offering an educational research-based In-school Programme called Seasons for Growth to start Term 4, 2024. 

Seasons is beneficial to children coping with major changes, challenges, grief or loss. Small peer groups are facilitated by trained ‘companions’ in 1 hour sessions over 8 weeks, and look at themes such as change, managing feelings, choices and support.
Activities alongside these topics encourage shared discussion and a safe space to talk about what may be going on for them, and importantly, with others who are going through changes too. We believe it will be a valuable experience for all those involved.

If you are interested in the Programme for your child, please contact Mrs Bamber-O'Malley at [email protected], or for further information about Seasons please contact Marisa Mencarelli-Skilton, Coordinator for Seasons For Growth Franklin, [email protected] or ph 021 142 5812.

Young Vinnies

During assembly on Monday the Young Vinnie's group performed a skit, and spoke about the importance of respect and care for our elders. They have announced that they are running a canned food drive for St Vincent de Paul, collecting as much as possible to donate to the Can's for Christmas appeal.

Cans for Christmas

We are asking that students please bring in cans in for our Christmas can drive. Students can drop them off to their Kaiārahi to contribute towards house points! Deadline is next week, Thursday.

Week 8: St Ignatius Book Week

St Ignatius's very first book week is less than TWO WEEKS AWAY!!
The first "Match the teacher with their favourite book" competition is up in the Magis Centre with photos of 16 of our staff and their favourite books. 
All ākonga will have two chances to go in the draw to win one of two $25 Whitcoulls Vouchers. Some choices are pretty obvious but we're not sure that anyone will get them all correct!

We're hopeful that some of the reading tips suggested in the previous newsletters have helped reluctant readers to give it a go. Here are some interesting facts about children who are encouraged to read.

1. Research in New Zealand shows that students who read regularly outside of school tend to perform better in NCEA assessments, particularly in literacy-related subjects like English, History, and Social Sciences.
2. Reading, especially fiction, allows readers to experience different perspectives, which can lead to increased empathy and a better understanding of others' emotions and experiences.
3. Reading exposes individuals to new ideas, cultures, and subjects, fostering a sense of curiosity and a love for learning that can last a lifetime.
4.  Reading can be a form of escapism, helping to reduce stress and anxiety by allowing readers to take a mental break from their daily challenges.
5.  Readers often have more to talk about and can engage in discussions on a wide range of topics, which enhances their communication skills.


Each week we will put the spotlight on potential books/series you can read at home with your children and this week's recommendation is:


Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Who doesn’t love the idea of going to a magical land (factory) made entirely out of dessert!! 
This timeless story of young Charlie Bucket’s journey through Willy Wonka’s whimsical chocolate factory is a perfect choice for bedtime reading. 
The book's vivid descriptions and quirky characters captivate children, sparking their curiosity and creativity. Each chapter unfolds like a new treat, filled with surprises that make kids eager for the next night’s reading. Beyond its entertaining storyline, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory offers valuable life lessons. Through the escapades of Charlie and the other children, your child will learn about the importance of kindness, humility, and the dangers of greed. Discussing these themes together can lead to meaningful conversations that reinforce positive values. Sharing this book also provides an opportunity to develop your child’s love for reading. The rhythmic language, playful words, and imaginative scenes will draw them in, making the experience enjoyable for both of you. It’s an ideal way to wind down after a busy day, creating a peaceful, shared moment that your child will remember fondly.
Roald Dahl is an absolute legend and we think you should give his stories a try - you’ll love them!

Upcoming Events

Year 7 & 8 Blake ER Experience - Monday 2nd September - Friday 6th September
Father's Day Mass - Monday 2nd September 7:15am
Year 8 & 9 Volleyball trials - Monday 2nd September at lunchtime
Lip Sync Competition - Wednesday 4th September 2:20pm- 3pm in La Storta
AIMS Games 2024 - Saturday 7th  - Friday 13th September
Year 8 Sport Camp - Monday 9th - Friday 13th September 
Social Justice Week Monday 9th Sept  - Friday 13th Sept
Ignatian Contemplation Parent Formation Evening - Tuesday, the 10th of September, from 6 - 7:30 pm PLEASE NOTE NEW DATE
Book Character Dress Up Day - Wednesday 11th September as part of Book Week.
Māori Language Week - Monday 16th - Friday 20th September
St Ignatius' Got Talent Auditions - Monday 16th - Friday 20th September
Ten Ways Ignatian Spirituality Supports a Busy Life  Parent Formation Evening- Tuesday the 17th of September, from 6-7:30 pm
Aubert House Mass - Wednesday 18th September
Parent/ Ākonga Interviews - Wednesday 25th and Thursday 26th September
Last Day of Term 3 - Thursday 26th September
Teacher Only Day - Friday 27th September
First Day of Term 4 - Monday 14th October
Teacher Only Day -  Wednesday 20th November
Year 7 Camp - Wednesday 4th - Friday 6th December. More information, including permission slips, will be sent out soon. 

Father's Day Mass

The College welcomes all Fathers and Father figures to attend its Father's Day Mass and breakfast on Monday, 2nd September, at 7:15 a.m. in the Companions of Jesus Chapel. Spaces are limited, so please reserve your ticket on the College website. The breakfast costs $10.


Formation Evening

Due to unforeseen circumstances, the Parent Formation evening on Ignatian Contemplation has been postponed to Tuesday, 10th September. 

Fr Michael Smith SJ will continue his formation evenings for parents and caregivers this term, focusing on Ignatian Spirituality. He will run a session on Ignatian Contemplation on Tuesday, the 10th of September, from 6 - 7:30 pm (PLEASE NOTE THE DATE CHANGE) and another on how Ten Ways Ignatian Spirituality Supports a Busy Life on Tuesday, the 17th of September, from 6-7:30 pm. More details are on our website, and a ticketing system to help plan. There is no cost for the tickets. 
For tickets to the 10th of September please follow this LINK.
For tickets to the 17th of September please follow this LINK.

Community Notices

Catholic Character

More Student Groups To Find God in All Things

Centred in the person of Jesus Christ, our school is founded with a vision to proclaim the virtues of hope, faith and love in society. Indeed, all Catholic schools are called “to be establishments of hope and to be responsive to the emerging socio-economic, political, religious and cultural structures that face them.” (Catholic Diocese of Auckland). It is always our intention to grow our school community to recognise, appreciate and celebrate those virtues that reflect our Catholic character. For that reason, three new voluntary student groups will be introduced next week at the School Assembly, with one of them (Ignite) to be immediately offered as an Elective on Tuesdays. Involvement in any of these groups can lead to further leadership opportunities at school in the future. 

The Companions
The group’s name is taken from the name of our College Chapel, the Companions of Jesus. The group focuses on the service in the Chapel and at the Altar of the Lord, such as being Altar Servers, Sacristans, Eucharistic Ministers, Lectors, Greeters and Digital & Sound System Technicians. 

Ignite Group
The group’s name is a word-play taken from the name of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, as well as the actual meaning of the word “ignite” that, for us, is to inflame the hearts of others in the community. The group focuses on the service of the Word of God, through giving reflections at Masses and leading liturgies and student retreats. Also, there will be coordination with the Music Department to link this group with the school’s future liturgical choir.

Pilgrims
The group’s name is taken from the name that Saint Ignatius of Loyola called himself, a “pilgrim” after his conversion. Like what Ignatius experienced, a pilgrimage journey can be transformative. The focus of the group is to allow opportunities for students to experience transformative journeys as part of their schooling, through acts of service. The details are still being developed towards a Jesuit term “Faith that does justice” - inspired by Ignatius’ teaching that “love manifests itself more in deeds than in words.

News