The next few weeks are extremely busy for our senior students and those who will be attending St Bede’s for the first time in 2024. The final Pockets Assembly will be held on Tuesday, 17 October. This will recognise those who have achieved in the sporting, cultural and service areas of school life.

On Thursday, 19 October next year’s Year 9 boarders will have their first experience of boarding life at St Bede’s with a sleepover in the dorms. They will then join all the new entrants for testing the following day, and for all of them their experience at St Bede’s begins.

The Year 13s have their Leavers' Ball on Friday, 27 October. This is a highlight for them and their extended families and is always a memorable night.

Week Four, beginning on Monday, 30 October, is a tutorial week for all the Year 12 and 13 students who are sitting NECA examinations in the coming weeks. On Wednesday, 1 November, senior prizegiving takes place along with the announcement of the Dux and the Head Student for 2024. The next day, Year 13 students and their parents will attend the Leavers' Breakfast at the Papanui Club. This will be followed by the Leavers' Mass, attended by the whole school,and the Year 13 Tie ceremony. The following week, beginning on Monday 6 November, NCEA exams begin for all Years 11 to 13 students.

We have two teacher-only days coming up on 9 and 10 November. These are the days of the heaviest demand on classrooms for examinations. There is another NCEA teacher-only day on 20 November, which is one of the compulsory training days for the new NCEA change.

For all our students, the next few weeks are important for assessments, study for the examinations, and preparation for 2024.