It has been fantastic to see so many of our young people ‘kicking goals’ this week. From our students who have solved a litter problem, to those who have organised the sports gear for break times, to the fence painters.

There are so many ways for students to contribute to the kaupapa of service at JPII. One way is to enter a photo into the weekly photography competition. This week the theme was International Women’s Day, and you can see a selection of the entries here. I want to acknowledge all our learners for the positive way that they continue to represent themselves and the school so well in these trying times.

We celebrated our opening mass this morning in a virtual environment. I would like to acknowledge Ciaran Thow for his ICT expertise in beaming this around the school and connecting us for the celebration of mass. Ms Pope and the Catholic Character team did a superb job of bringing this together, and it was great to see all the different year groups celebrating mass around the school. We are keen to see this become a regular part of school life at JPII, and we look forward to welcoming Fr Matthew back next month for virtual mass.

In Covid-19 news, we have two students away with a positive test, and several isolating as household contacts. Our attendance is still sitting at an impressive 92% which is high even in non-pandemic times. Despite a regional spike in cases, school is still a safe place to be, and all infections have come from household contacts. It is predicted that infections will ramp up in the coming weeks and absences will escalate.

Please continue to notify the school so we can support you. All teachers have their online spaces up and running for students. In the first instance, students should look there for work to keep them ticking along at home until teachers make contact.

Next week we have several events including Sex Wise coming in on Wednesday to present to our Year 11-13 students. Further details can be found in this newsletter. Please get in touch if you wish your child to opt out of this opportunity.

Competitive and club swimmers can participate in the swimming sports on Thursday, and all students are invited to dress up in their house colours on Friday for a fashion parade and fundraiser for Tonga.

Thanks to everyone for your support.

Take care and stay well.

Ngā mihi nui

Renée Hutchinson

Principal