Kia ora Koutou Katoa

 As a school, we remembered Jesus' sacrifice though our liturgy today. Easter is a reminder to us that we are not just a state school with values, but a proudly Catholic community. The joy we have in Catholic schools is providing opportunities for every young person to have authentic encounters with Christ. We cannot teach faith. It is something that is caught, not taught. The importance of our liturgies and masses is key to those encounters with Christ. We welcome all students and families to participate in the Easter Triduum these next three days. You can find the details of Mass times in the newsletter. It would be wonderful to see you there, even if you are not regular Mass attenders. Thanks to Dr Roberson and the Mission Team for sharing the powerful liturgy with us.

Staffing Update
We are delighted to announce the permanent appointment of Allan Porter as the Learning Area Leader of Science. Allan has worked with is for just over a year across the science, mathematics, and technology learning areas. He is a specialist biology teacher and has a passion for practical science. The panel were impressed with his vision for the sciences and his emphasis on local curriculum, learning outside the classroom, and revamping our laboratories to become interactive spaces for learning.

James Roberson has been appointed permanent Learning Area Leader for English and Languages. James has a proud history of teaching in Catholic schools, and brings with him expertise in English and music. James presented a vision of a literature rich curriculum in English that will challenge and engage students across all abilities. James emphasizes the vital importance of the humanities within the curriculum, and is already working to promote a cross-curricular, integrated approach to junior English. We are delighted to have James in this role, and look forward to seeing the development of this learning area at JPII.

There are currently 1064 vacancies advertised in the Education Gazette, and 46 of these are for teachers and leaders of mathematics and statistics. We have been advertising now for nearly 5 months for a new LAL Mathematics. We did interview and offer the role to an excellent candidate to start at the beginning of term 2, however, a change in family circumstances means this person is no longer able to take up the role. We are now working with international recruitment agencies to attract a skillful educator to take up this vital position. I have been in regular contact with the Ministry of Education about the difficulty of attracting staff. My principal colleagues at the five other West Coast Secondary/Area schools are having the same issues with recruitment, as are secondary principals around the country who cannot find teachers to fill vital roles. We are grateful to our staff who have stepped up to support our learners, and ask for your support and patience while we work through this challenging process.

Sport
We know that sport is life for many of our students. We are pleased to have six basketball teams entered for the winter season. We will be seeking interest for a school rugby team next week. We have a 9 aside rugby league tournament coming up on 9 April. If you would be interested in accompanying the team, please contact admin@johnpaul.ac.nz Our hunt for a great sports coordinator continues! If you or anyone you know is interested in this part-time role, please get in touch! Details can be found on seek. Thanks to Madeleine Castle who has stepped into this role temporarily while we look for our new sport coordinator.

Voices of Hope
On Tuesday, our students had the wonderful opportunity to meet the team from The Voices of Hope who shared their powerful messages of hope through the challenges of life. We know that New Zealand has the second highest youth suicide rate in the OECD, and the importance of talking to young people about mental health and bullying is essential to removing stigma and providing help. So many students commented that they heard messages that resonated. As Jazz Thornton said, "Asking for help doesn't make you weak. It makes you smart." We look forward to Pink Shirt Day next term to continue to promote anti-bulling and inclusion messages for our students. Thanks to our Hauora Navigator, Madeline Campbell, for bringing this amazing group to JPII.

May God bless you and your loved ones this Easter time.

Ngā manaaki
Renée Hutchinson
Principal