Principal's Message
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Tēnā koutou katoa,
I would like to thank all families for your message of support following our message about the power outages on the 14th and 18th March. The great news is that we have been on a generator today at the college, enabling Counties Power to commence their work. This, coupled with our move to be offsite on the 14th March for Athletics, should allow all works to be completed that would affect the school site. This means that we may not need to be at distance on the 18th. I will let you know at the end of the day on the 14th whether all works are complete and therefore school changing back to onsite, as normal, on the 18th. I am sure you will appreciate the efforts that the school have made to ensure that families are not affected by the outages.
This week we held our first House challenge and it was such a pleasure to see so many of our students really engaged and competing, In the photo below, I am consulting on the winning entry with guest judge, Mr John Mills , who is the Deputy Chair of our Establishment Board. Our House system provides all in the school community opportunities and challenges to grow and to shine in many ways; developing skills in leadership and teamwork that will become become very useful as our community grows and for later in life. In the school community we are concerned with the development of all aspects of each individual person, we care for the whole person. We strive to become who we have been created and called to be and the more we do this, the more we find out about ourselves and how we can make a difference for others and in the world around us. Finding God in all things.
Inveniens Deum in omnibus,
Dean Wearmouth  |
 | | Over the next few weeks further work is happening on Burtt Road and at the Gate 1 access point to college.
From Friday March 8 until the end of March the Gate 1 entrance will be closed. All vehicles coming on site should enter and exit through what will be the main entry point to the school site going forward.
The map to the left indicates the route for parents to enter the site, drop off/pick up, turn around and exit the site.
Thank you for your patience and cooperation during this time. |
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Beginning of Rugby Skills and Netball Selection at St Ignatius
We're pleased to share the latest developments in our sports programs here at St Ignatius of Loyola Catholic College! Our students have been actively participating in our Rugby Skills Programme, which started on February 20th. Over the past three weeks, they've been enjoying learning various aspects of the game. In addition to rugby, we've also begun forming our College Netball teams. Our Year 9 students got things started on Monday, February 29th, and our Year 7 and 8 students followed suit on Wednesday. We're proud of our students' enthusiasm and dedication to sports, and we look forward to seeing their continued progress in both rugby and netball. Stay tuned for more updates on our sports programs!
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Faculty Focus - Science
Science has started well this term and ākonga are working at learning the skills and attitudes associated with working in a laboratory. Safety has to come first, then learning to use the new equipment, while making careful observations and accurate measurements. We have talked about the language of Science and the Scientific method as a way of thinking. From this ākonga will be able to make a confident leap into the new topics we cover this year.
Students in action with Bunsen Burners |
Student Voice
Alyssa Yeo (Y9) - 'Science is great!'
Travis Baldwin (Y9) - 'It’s very interesting learning all the new Science skills.' |
 One of our Ākonga Elective's is Art Club. During the Tuesday sessions the student's are working on the art of Zentangle, which is about creativity, mindfulness, and going with the flow - that there aren't mistakes in art, just opportunities to adapt and follow a new direction.  |
Our Nacho News Journalists were out and about on Tuesday afternoon collecting information and photographs to use in their news stories. |
A central feature of the Ignatian charism is the phase Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam. This means ‘For the greater glory of God’. This week we have been celebrating ākonga iwho have received outstanding Weekly Excellence Reviews. Each year level Manutaki has identified ākonga who recieved 4's in their Weekly Review across multiple subjects. Recieving a 4 recognises that ākonga have gone above and beyond what is expected of them and displayed Magis in their learning and in the community.
We celebrate these ākonga being more fully alive and reflecting the greater glory of God through their work and actions. They were acknowledged in their year level assembly and will receive a House Point.
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Year 7
Andy Nguyen
Emma Wattanapradit
Torito Esquivel Garcia
Emily Tod
Year 8
Isaiah Baker
Aja-Lucia Vatau | | Year 9
Bela Giri
Thomas Chamberlain
Madi Clark
Ignatious Noue
Annabelle Shields
Kourtney Sublette
Pippa Wilson
Sebastiano Simonetti
Frances Frost
Anne Finau |
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House Competitions
This week saw the first of our House Competitions. These competitions are opportunities for ākonga to be involved in activities which foster a sense of team spirit and belonging in each House Community. They also provide ākonga with the chance to shine outside of the classroom.
Ruby Waugh from Romero/Acutis House writes:
On Wednesday we had our first House Competition in our houses. The Pipe Cleaner challenge. We were given pipe cleaners in our house colors, a limited amount of tinfoil and 10 minutes to create any creature we could think of. Everyone went off in there groups of 6-7 and made creatures. Then, the best 2 out of our house were taken to Mr Wearmouth for him to judge. It was a great activity for teamwork, it was both challenging and engaging for student's. We can't wait to find out who the winning house is when Mr Wearmouth announces it next week in our whole school assembly!
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PE Uniform Expectations
Now that La Storta is open and ākonga are able to use the PE changing rooms there are some changes regarding ākonga arriving to school in their PE Uniform.
Please note:
- On Mondays all ākonga to arrive in full school uniform in preparation for whole school assembly.
- On Tuesday to Friday ākonga may arrive in full PE Uniform if they have PE or Dance in P1 or P2.
- All ākonga are to leave school in proper uniforms (either in full uniform or full PE uniform) if they have PE or Dance P5.
- Ākonga may not wear combinations of PE and Full school uniform at any time.
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Important Dates to Remember:
Athletics Day (Massey Park) - Thursday 14th - All Day
Parents Formation Evening - Monday March 18th - 6:30pm to 8:30pm
Community Open Day - Saturday April 6th - 9:30pm - 12:30pm
House Parades - Tuesday April 9th - 1:30pm - 3:00pm
Parent / Ākonga / Kaiako Interviews - Wednesday / Thursday 10th-11th April - 2:00pm - 7:00pm
Teacher Only Day - Friday April 12th - All Day |
“A Life of Contradictions”
In this Lenten Journey, some students have been devoted to attending the Stations of the Cross, either at school at lunchtime on Tuesdays or in their parishes with their parents on Friday evenings. Amongst them, without articulating it, there is a deep desire to get to know Jesus better. This practice, however, does not guarantee that each of those students has been the perfect model students at school. Perfection only belongs to God, and all of us can only try to strive toward it, despite our life contradictions.
How many of us know that junk food and healthy diets do not go well together? Yet, many of us want both. It takes too much to live only with one and not the other. We pray for peace in our family, in our world; but when someone cuts us off in a hectic morning traffic, we could feel anger rise up within us. We speak of the truth and justice, but when such a thing is too inconvenient, we have no qualms sweeping them under the rug. Our life contradictions could feel familiar but sometimes scary.
In the Gospel reading (John 3:14-21) for the 4th Sunday of Lent, also known as Laetare Sunday, Jesus tells us, “... that though the light has come into the world, humankind has shown they prefer darkness to the light.” Perhaps, Jesus is not admonishing his hearers and us, but rather stating the fact how the world is and how we simply are. Our life contradictions are not just simple moral choices; but a reality we all have to face and live with. They are not one or the other situation; but both live within us in some tension. They hold us together and pull us apart, as a unified message that tells us a deeper truth about ourselves and God, that we are always in need of God’s graces.
That is also what our Catholic Sacraments and other devotions convey, outward visible signs which can give us inner spiritual growth and graces. They are never perfect in themselves, but are made holy in spite of the imperfections. May our Lenten journey continue to be held in good tension, allowing us to be humbled before God, so that God can nurture us despite our absurd contradictions.
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