Kia ora koutou katoa
This week our students were involved in several activities outside the classroom, from rugby successes in Darfield, to Tech Week demonstrations, John Paul II Feast Day Mass and celebration, to Pink Shirt Day today. Thank you to Fr Mathew for bringing Mass to our students on Thursday. Thursday was also a celebration of Jesus’ Ascension to Heaven, which is one of the foundations of our faith as Catholic Christians. A special thank you to our fabulous new Director of Religious Studies (DRS) Dr Joanie Roberson, for the beautiful Mass she prepared with the help of the Catholic Character students.
On Monday our Māori and Pacifika rangatahi had the opportunity to attend a workshop here at JPII with Greymouth High School and Westland High School students, learning about entrepreneurship using a unique ‘wayfinding’ model. This model is based on the extensive history of innovation, trade, and navigation of tupuna from tangata moana (people of the Pacific). Learn more here: https://www.werowayfinding.com/
Today our students and staff raised $350 for an appeal to buy new warm duvets and blankets to donate to St. Vincent de Paul to be distributed to families in need within our community. I would like to thank the generous donors, including the Kispa family for their generosity. We are happy to pay this forward to those in need. If you have any good quality clean duvets or blankets that you would like to donate, please drop them into reception at school or deliver them straight to St. Vinnies in town. These items make a real difference for those doing it hard in Greymouth.
Some of you might remember ‘Hutch’s hoodie collection’ from 2022, with a shocking 12 hoodies amassed at one stage! Hoodies are creeping back in with the cold weather, and I am hoping I won’t get to break that record this year. There are school jackets available for sale in the uniform shop in a range of sizes. Students may wear black, navy, or white polyprops under their school shirt and jacket for added insulation. Hoodies are not part of the uniform (including sport hoodies), and students who do not follow our uniform code will be excluded from participating in representative sports teams, cultural activities, and school excursions. We do understand that the cost of living is taking a toll on many families, and we can support your child with the required uniform through trust funds. Please contact your child’s Dean or me, so we can have a chat about how we can support you.
It is great to see so many of our students actively involved in sport at school and club level. Wednesday bootcamps are but another way of supporting student fitness and resilience. We wish everyone playing sport this week the best of luck – play hard and play fair!
Ngā mihi nui
Renée Hutchinson
Principal
