Greetings from St Bede’s College.
I sense this may be the last week of the balmy weather for a while. A cold weekend looms, which I hope doesn't play havoc with winter sport.
Ongoing strike action continues beginning on Tuesday next week (4 June), when Year 9 students will be rostered home.
Rostered home days for the other year groups are as follows:
- Tuesday 11 June - Year 10
- Tuesday 25 June - Year 11
- Tuesday 2 July - Year 12
We sincerely hope we won't need to proceed with all of these days, and the government see that the teaching profession is one that is attractive to graduates, but also that those still the profession are valued for what they do for the young people of the nation.
Samoa Language Week
This week was Samoa Language Week and at assembly one of our Year 13 students who is also the Head Boarder, Mac Meredith, addressed the assembly, which follows:
E muamua ona fa’atulou atu i le afio –
- O Lau Afioga i le Pule A’oga – Justin BOYLE
- Afifio le Vasega o Faia’oga
- Susu le Aiga o Ta’ita’i o le A’oga
- E fa’atalofa atu fo’i i uso uma o le tatou A’oga o St Bedes College
Talofa & Greetings from Samoa to you all –
- Principal of the College
- Valued Teachers
- Fellow College Leaders
- And all my brothers here at St Bedes College
Samoa Language Week – in NZ
Theme: “Lalaga le si’osi’omaga mo se lumana’i manuia”
Translated: "Weave an environment for a better future"
Quoting NZ’s Pacific Peoples Minister Aupito William SIO – “There is a unique opportunity to highlight the importance of language to our own and our collective sense of well-being.”
Language or ‘Gagana’ – to me, is a tool to communicate between ourselves & others and between generations; which can be either Oral, written or visual.
These days, technology has had much impact on language and its usage. Communication is instant and new short formats and words are created and easily stored via Cloud based systems.
But historically in Samoa, language was spoken (not written) and the only way to record an historical event was through Story -Telling (tala-tu’u-gutu) and Traditional Music via lyrics (Po-pese) being used to pass down information through the ages, from one generation to the next.
Our people needed to understand these shared stories in order to learn from the wisdom of our forefathers. At the same time appreciate our uniqueness and to take pride in having such a special gift that we could share with the world.
So WHY is Samoa Language Week so important to me in NZ?
In this day and age – it offers an opportunity to reflect on WHO I AM, My Identity? And critically, it offers an opportunity for me to share my Culture with you all, My College Family!
For now, it is with Pride that I Declare:
- O a’u o le Samoa … I am Samoan;
- O lo’u igoa …My Name is;
- Meki Apete Taua’ana MEREDITH;
O lo’u Nu’u (my villages are);
- Falelatai – Aiga or Family of Va’atu’itu’i
- Apia – Aiga or Family of Tamaseu
- Fagamalo – Aiga or Family of Fa’amoe
- Luatuanu’u – Aiga or Family of Lauofo
Ia fa’amanuia le Atua i le Kolisi;
May God Bless our College – St Bede's College.
SOIFUA
Yesterday Mac and Lopeti Sumner won Pacifika Leadership Awards for outstanding leadership and service.
David Kobler - YourChoicez
As promised I also attach a parent summary and some useful links from David Kobler (YourChoicez),who recently presented to both parents and students at the College.
Until next week.
Justin Boyle
Link for the family zone free month trial www.fzo.io/pok
Recommended reading and websites: https://yourchoicez.com.au/for-parents/