After a long and very eventful term with a great deal achieved and a number of this year’s milestones already passed, we enter Holy Week.  We finished the day with a full school liturgy where the Year 11 drama class enacted the events of Good Friday.  In the liturgy we heard the responses from Judas, Peter, Caiaphas, Pilate and the criminal crucified next to Jesus when they were asked ‘Where you there?’  The liturgy finished with a 20th century Christian asking ‘Where you there when they laid Him in the tomb?’  His response to this queried if it would have been any different to today, challenging us to look at our actions today. The difference he did point out though, was this. We know about Easter Sunday . . . we are a people of hope.  As the final words of the liturgy said, ‘And the cross for us means not just death and evil, but victory as well’.

We will begin next term with a return to the last year’s daily timetable. The results of the survey conducted last week, which are included in the newsletter show a strong preference from the boys and parents for the 2.40pm option. While the staff preference is less clear we appreciate the need to listen to all of our community and found the number who chose to respond and their comments heartening.

We ended the term with a liturgy that left the boys in no doubt as to the importance to us as a school of this time of the year.

The boys return next term in their winter uniform and we hope ready to achieve a balance with their spiritual, academic, sporting and cultural commitments. During the first weekend back we will be competing in the Bishop Lyons Public Speaking competitions being held at Marian College. We hope to successfully defend the Bishop Lyons Shield our team won last year. This is a great opportunity for all the Catholic secondary schools of the Christchurch Diocese to gather for competition and to continue to build friendships and relationships. The winter term also sees a huge percentage of our boys involved in a variety of sport on Saturdays. Trials have been held and teams are being selected every day this week.

We wish everyone a safe and happy Easter.

Gerry Davidson

Deputy Rector (Pastoral)