Kia ora koutou katoa

It was an emotional few days for them with completing their classes, going on retreat at Punakaiki, and celebrating their leavers’ dinner. Special thank you to Joanie Roberson and Celia Costelloe for the support they have provided to these students this year. Most students are pursuing tertiary study next year, with a couple taking enviable gap years (hit Liam up in Malta for some shark diving, and Rosara for some Outdoor Ed in the Lake District!). These students can feel immensely proud of their resilience over these past five years. We look forward to hearing about all their adventures in whatever they choose to do.

All senior students are now officially on study leave, with NCEA external exams starting next week. Students are welcome on campus in uniform to attend tutorials or for study. Students are required to be in full uniform while on site, including to sit their exams. We ask you all to keep our students in your prayers through this often-stressful exam season. Parents and students, please don’t hesitate to contact subject teachers for extra support, tuition, or exam revision materials. We are all here to help.

The annual Town vs Country match was played with great spirit on Wednesday. It was a magic way to finish the year for seniors, and it was fantastic to see Year 9 and 10 students on the field as players and lines judges. Country just beat out Town in the end for a close 32-30 win. We will present the new Town vs Country trophy at prizegiving in week 9. Well done to all players who made this such an inclusive and special event. A special shout out to Lynne Berry for taking amazing photos (check them out on Instagram (lynne_berry_photos). Lynne has become our official photographer for school events, and you will get to see many of her photos in our yearbook. Alan Berry stepped in as referee – thanks Alan for your awesome support of our school – from masses, to sports, to the BOT, you go above and beyond for us, and we are incredibly grateful for all you do for us. There are a few videos on the school Instagram account (jpii.hs) so give us a follow to stay up to date with what’s going on.

Wednesday was also a busy day for the senior drama students who put on a hugely entertaining and thought-provoking play that rejected the traditional narratives presented in fairytales. Congratulations to our fantastic drama teacher, Trish Dellaway, for the work she has done with our talented dramatists! There was much laughter from the audience along with much to ponder around gender roles and societal norms. It’s great to see this level of performance coming from our students as they explored the narratives behind the classic Little Red Riding Hood.

It was wonderful to celebrate Mass at St Patrick’s church this morning with Bishop Michael and heartening to see 16 new Catholics take the sacrament of Baptism from St Patrick’s School. Welcome to our Catholic whānau and may God bless you and your families.

Take care this weekend.

Ngā mihi nui

Renée Hutchinson

Principal