We are now officially halfway through term two, and time is flying by! With that, our students have been busy learning in and outside the classroom this week, with visits to Christchurch for the Court Theatre (senior drama), Censor for a Day (senior media studies), a rugby refereeing course, newspaper production at the Grey Star (year 10 social studies). Today our premier basketball team headed to Nelson to play three games in the Top of the South competition. A special shout out to Coach Woody’s mum for putting the team up at her place! This is well and truly above and beyond, and I know the team are grateful for your generosity. Safe travels, team!

We are continuing to monitor student attendance carefully. Please ensure you are phoning or emailing us early so we can accurately track student attendance. You can contact us through our official channels: the relief phone (768 4166 ext 1) or by emailing our attendance officer at attendance@johnpaul.ac.nz or bev.shearer@johnpaul.ac.nz, or via KAMAR. We ask that you please do not contact the attendance officer by her personal cellphone number as this is a breach of privacy. If you notice any error or confusion about your child’s attendance, please get in touch so it can be remedied.

Next week on Tuesday we have school photos, including the whole school photo, and individual and family photos. All students will need to be in their correct uniform. School jackets (not puffers) can be worn in the photos.

Senior students are feeling the pressure of a mounting assessment load, and we encourage them to be getting enough sleep, exercising, and eating well to support their wellbeing during these times of extra pressure. Help is at hand, and their teachers and the counsellor are available to support them anytime.

Take care this weekend.

Ngā manaaki
Renee Hutchinson
Principal