Tēnā koutou kātoa ngā whānau o te kura,

As we come to the end of yet another busy term, I once again wish to acknowledge the challenging space that we found ourselves in navigating staff welfare and student learning. I thank you, the Aquinas College community, for your continued patience and understanding. It is in times of adversity that our culture is strengthened and our sense of community rich in faith and relationships grows. This newsletter is a further testament to the amazing accomplishments and diverse talents of our students and the contributions that you, our community, make to ensure the success of all.

Our Graduate Profile in Action at Aquinas College

Firstly, the Touchstones at the centre of our Graduate Profile are brought to life as we continue to understand our purpose. There is a constant need to seek fulfilment, happiness, and a sense of belonging. This is what drew the crowd towards Jesus. They were seeking holiness and were allowing themselves to be called into a relationship with Christ. In our world today, it is even more important that we openly respond to our calling to be the light of the world, the city on the hill, as the body of Christ. To use our gifts and talents to serve those around us with respect and humility. We need to connect with others and give our time and resources freely so others may also come to know their purpose through the love, peace, and freedom that is our Lord Jesus Christ.

A truly wonderful example of using our gifts and talents were the students and staff who were involved in ‘Pride and Prejudice’. These students humbly went about learning their lines, turning up for numerous rehearsals, and harnessed a real sense of belonging from being part of the cast and exhibiting their gifts and talents. They showed up for one another and supported each other along the way. They connected with each other and produced an amazing show through perseverance and had a real sense of purpose. They all responded to their call and their lights shone brightly on stage!

Our Graduate Profile aspires to develop a sense of belonging by encouraging students and staff to firstly be strongly connected to community, whānau, and their identity to participate in the mission of the Church and bicultural Aotearoa New Zealand. We experienced an immense sense of community on Aquinas Day where we all gathered to celebrate the day with a liturgy and House events. The day was filled with enthusiasm, joy, and passion! We are now building towards our haka waiata house competition in Term Three, another opportunity to bring our House spirit and passion. Students and staff also participated in the 159th Commemoration of the Battle of Gate Pa on June 21, where the community joined us for morning tea afterwards. We also look towards Matariki and as a staff, we have been building on our learning so we are able to bring meaningful learning experiences into the classroom.

In becoming, we are all called to be servant leaders who positively influence the lives of others through our actions by advocating, kaitiakitanga, and by using our God-given gifts and talents for the common good of society. We demonstrated this on Service Day, as we got out into the community and gave our time to support others. I also know that many of our students are volunteering in many areas of our community. Our Kura Kai group has been working with Hārini Marae to support the elderly in our community by providing meals. A small act of service can make a massive difference in the life of another.

Finally, by believing with reason we seek a deeper understanding of ourselves, our faith, and the world around us to make ethical decisions, which are based on Truth and conscience. We want our students to think critically, solve problems, to be adaptable and resilient learners who are globally connected. This term we found ourselves in a very challenging space as two-year levels a day were rostered home across four days of the week. We continued to manage the disruptions as the term progressed and found ways to lessen the impact on learning. Even though we were experiencing disruptions, we were proud of the way our students firmly focused on achieving goals and targeting personal excellence. Our learners continued to be adaptable and resilient. They continued to explore their own unique gifts and talents. Most of all, they continued to thrive in our catholic community as they journey towards their future pathway.

Parent-Teacher Conferences:

Thank you to all of the parents and whānau who attended our recent parent-teacher conferences. It was a good opportunity to connect and to have conversations that supported learning outcomes and the next steps of each learner. If you were unable to attend this evening then please do not hesitate to get in contact with your child/ren’s teachers.

Phone-Free Statistics:

Since the introduction of the Phone-Free Policy this year, our Pastoral Care team has been tracking the phone surrender data from across the year levels.

The data that we have collected, for Terms 1 and 2, shows that fewer students across year levels are being asked to surrender their phones a second time. While Years 10 and 11 show that they have the highest number of second-time surrenders. We will continue to support our students to be phone-free and intend on revisiting these statistics later in the year. It is positive to see more students involved in lunchtime activities, such as an increase of students out on the field playing games, there are more face-to-face conversations observed during breaks, and the basketball courts in full use. We are currently looking at installing further basketball hoops for this reason. We believe this continues to be a positive step in enabling our students to grow in their connections with others.

Aquinas College Community Cyber Safety Evening:

We are thrilled to announce a special upcoming event on Thursday, 3rd of August in the Aquinas College Gymnasium from 7.00 pm to 9.00 pm that promises to be both enlightening and thought-provoking for our school community. Author, Filmmaker, and Speaker, Rob Cope, producer of the documentary "Our Kids Online", is coming to our College to deliver what promises to be a humorous and eye-opening talk to our parent community.

In today's world, our children are growing up immersed in technology, and while it offers incredible opportunities, it also presents significant challenges. Rob will share valuable insights and practical strategies to help us better understand the potential dangers and challenges associated with raising children in the digital age. Rob's expertise will empower us to make informed decisions and foster healthy digital habits within our families.

An email has been sent out to families and whānau which outlines the topics which are covered over the evening. Within that letter, we state that there is utmost importance for every family with a student/s in Years 7 - 10 to attend. Families with children in other year levels are also invited to attend. It is an opportunity for our college community to engage in open conversations and embrace the challenges together, as we all seek to make a difference in the lives of our rangatahi.

School Donations:

We kindly request your support by contributing to the Aquinas school donation. Please keep in mind that our government funds do not cover all of our operating costs, and the wrap-around services we provide to support your child's learning and well-being rely on your generous donations. Your donation is essential to help us continue providing these services. We understand that times are financially challenging for many in our community, especially at the moment, and we appreciate any help you can provide. If you have already made a payment arrangement or donation, we thank you wholeheartedly.

A reminder of some of the services funded by your school donation:

• Provision for the delivery of our Special Catholic Character. State-Integrated schools must raise their own funds to provide rich opportunities to grow the faith of our young people.

• Additional staffing above Ministry-approved levels. School donations pay for three extra teachers and bolster our teacher aide funds, which the government only makes a contribution towards.

• Additional school counsellor student support. With young people experiencing more pressure than ever, Aquinas is fortunate to have counsellors on site every day. Unlike most schools, we have two counsellors — a staffing commitment that significantly exceeds our government funding.

• Targeted programmes for literacy and numeracy support. For example, Education Perfect and Write That Essay interactive online tools to help students improve their learning outcomes.

• Student welfare and support of needy families. Pastoral care is a cornerstone of the Aquinas ethos. School donations help students in need, ensuring they can attend school trips, take part in sports teams and receive a school uniform. The funds also help Aquinas families experiencing hardship.

• A wide variety of student well-being services and enrichment opportunities in academia, the arts, sports, and cultural pursuits.

Open Day:

Our Open Day is being held on Tuesday, July 25 and is being run over two sessions. These sessions begin in the college Gymnasium and are scheduled for:

Session One: 8:45 am - 10:45 am

Session Two: 11:40 am - 1:40 pm

Registration is essential for these sessions using the following link: https://rb.gy/p9gy0.

Please encourage anyone thinking about enrolling at Aquinas College to attend one of these sessions. It is an opportunity to take a tour of the college, and to ask questions to key members of staff. Our enrolments open on Monday, July 17.

Ma te Atua tātou e manaaki

May God’s Blessings be upon us all

Susan van Zyl

Acting Principal