Welcome back! There is no doubt that our return to school has been shrouded in sadness with the tragic death of Father Graeme Blackburn.

Father Graeme was a common sight in and around our Parish while living at the Presbytery, preparing for his ordination. Father Alistair, Father Than and Father Graeme were regular visitors to our school, helping in any way they could and bringing many light hearted moments that endeared them to everyone. To have them ordained together last year was indeed a time of great celebration for the Catholic Diocese of Christchurch.

The number of mourners who attended Father Graeme’s vigil and funeral bore testimony to the hundreds of people that he had affected during his life. I know that I speak on behalf of the whole school in offering our deepest sympathies to the Blackburn Family. We will keep his memory in our prayers in the months ahead.

Meet the Teacher evening has been set down for Thursday the 8 February. Each teacher will host two slots, the first from 7.00-7.25pm and the second from 7.30-7.55pm. There will be a brief meeting in the hall beforehand where I will present information to parents about the Ministry of Educations news surrounding the abolition of National Standards and the way forward from here. This will be a brief meeting from 6.40 to 6.55pm.

We have had a request from the Parish to refrain from parking over the front door and garage door of the Presbytery. In fact, we are requesting that if you find this car park full that you find a park in an alternative area. It really is a health and safety issue and there have been several incidents where children have been in danger of being hit by cars. We would really appreciate your help and assistance with this.

It is a pleasure to welcome Robyn Williams to our Junior School Team. She has made a wonderful start in Room 6 and I trust you will make yourself known to Robyn and welcome her to our school.

Hope your start to the new year has gone well.