Kia ora koutou katoa
Preparation for prizegiving is well underway, and you are all invited to attend the Mass and Prizegiving on Thursday 7th December at 6pm. We have introduced new awards this year in line with the LIGHT values, as well as service awards for members of our school community who go above and beyond to support our students. Our 2024 student leadership team will also be introduced and commissioned at the end of Mass, your presence and prayers will be greatly appreciated.
I am delighted to let you know that we have appointed James Roberson to the role of English, Music and Religious Studies teacher beginning in January 2024. James comes to us from St Ignatius of Loyola Catholic College in Auckland. He is multi-talented and teaches Music and English to NCEA level 3 and is also an experienced RST teacher. James will be heading the project to refresh the junior English programme and lead the implementation of the new Level One NCEA standards next year. James has particular interest in supporting choir and the school band, so we will see some changes to how music sounds at school Masses next year, along with the re-introduction of music as a subject. We look forward to seeing him in the next few weeks when he will travel down to spend time with us and meet the Year 8 students who start at JPII in January next year.
I am also pleased to let the community know of the year level dean appointments for 2024. Deans are the primary point of contact for all pastoral matters and an important link between school and home.
Year 9 – James Roberson
Year 10 – Trish Dellaway
Year 11 – Celia Costelloe
Year 12 – Ema Motu
Year 13 – Corinne Coulthard.
We have several new initiatives starting at JPII in 2024. This week, our DRS Joanie Roberson, and incoming Year 10 dean, Trish Dellaway, attended a two-day peer support training workshop in Christchurch. Peer support helps schools build student leaders who support junior students. Year 10 students have been offered the opportunity to apply to become our Peer Support Leaders, with training later this term. They will mentor the new Year 8 students into JPII and show leadership of the Year 9 cohort as they progress through the school. Selected leaders will then train the new year 10 leaders, creating leadership succession and excellent role modeling throughout the school. We look forward to receiving those applications!
With a renewed focus on servant leadership, students were introduced to the Student Volunteer Army model of service we are adopting moving forward. All students will be involved in giving their time and/or expertise to the community on a consistent basis next year. They will log their hours through SVA Service app and gain badges in recognition of their service. This will sit alongside the LIGHT points and become an integral part of how we select student leaders in the future. You can read more about it from Deputy Principal, Madeline Campbell, in this newsletter.
With senior external exams on, illnesses on the rise (including covid), and several bereavements affecting students and staff, we ask you to keep our school and community in your prayers.
Ngā mihi nui
Renée Hutchinson
Principal