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Tracy O'Brien
 
Photo by Chris Sullivan

Principal's Message

Tracy O'Brien —

Tena Koutou Malo e leilei Talofa lava Greetings

Our staff professional development session was led by Father Mark Chamberlain on Wednesday with a focus on wellness. 

Mark gave an excellent and engaging talk leading us to consider and reflect on a number of things in our own lives. He used St Benedict of Monte Casino as a key model who promoted balance in all things. This includes our capacity to be overly harsh on ourselves and expecting too much at times. This, in turn, can lead to a spiral of negative thoughts and energy which then spills out onto others. "Good is good enough and sometimes good is very good," said Mark. A poignant message in a world that demands ever more from us with increasing demands and imperatives in our work and sometimes personal lives. We need to give ourselves a break and in turn, we give others permission to do the same. Of course, as teachers, dealing with an array of issues on any given day and caring for our students, we can only be effective if we are staying healthy and maintaining our own well-being. Thank you Mark.

This week our annual production "Beauty and the Beast" is in full swing. Well done to all students, staff and parents involved. Already we are getting feedback on how magnificent and simply delightful the show is.

On the winter sports front, all of our teams are acquitting themselves well. Again it is a pleasure to get feedback from refs and others in the community associated with our teams. Win, lose or draw Kavanagh students and teams exhibit sportsmanship and respect. Well done to all coaches, managers and players for setting the standard.

Senior Years 11-13 mid-year reports are being prepared and will be released soon. The year is absolutely flying by. Overall most students are performing very well and the reports will provide a useful guide as to where students are at and the next steps required to ensure success this year. My thanks to our teachers, support staff, Deans and Counselors who are all working hard to provide the best outcomes we can get for every student. 

Thanks also to parents and caregivers for keeping your young ones on track the way you do. As the cold weather really bites it's great to see the all-around care, support, and Aroha being shared and thereby allowing students the space to be their best. Kia Kaha te Whanau o Kawana.