During the last couple of weeks...

my messages to the boys have built upon the excellent homily by Fr Tim Duckworth at the Feast Day mass a couple of weeks ago, where he talked about the place for the boys to be a foundation for life after they leave school. Many activities have been curtailed as a result of the pandemic, and the restrictions placed upon us. With fewer of these now, it is great to see some of these other opportunities open up for the boys. The winter sports programme is in full swing and today this weekend the choir will sing in the Big Sing event two of our rock bands will perform in the Rock quest. These are great opportunities for our boys to participate in activities that they might not have thought about when they came to St Bedes.

Other activities offer more opportunities for the boys to take part in, that may not be as well known, and I list some of them here and the people who are coordinating them.

St Bede’s Student Groups

NAME & CONTACT PERSON

WHAT IT INVOLVES

SVO Mr Entwistle

A group that provides service to others. (There are lots of opportunities to work with members of our wider community who are marginalised and suffering including the homeless.)

Band of brothers Mr Malone

A group where students come together to Pray & reflect

Kapa Haka Ms Days and Matteo Brennan (tutor)

Engaging with culture through waiata and haka. Meets in the Whare weekly.

Students Wellbeing Committee Mr McMahon

Engaging with all aspects of Wellbeing that affects St Bede’s students

Student Carbon Neutral Committee Sam Ryder - Yr 13

Investigating and supporting the College in reducing the impact on climate

John Bosco Mr McMahon

A group of students who provide a safe place for others with games & conversation during lunch

Peer Reading Mr Wilson

Assisting others with literacy

Theatre Sports Ms. Days and senior student coaches.

Actively engaging in all things impromptu, learning team games and participating in competition with other schools. Meets in the Drama room weekly tuesday lunchtime

Chess Club Dr Maarten Jordens

Play chess recreationally or competitively. Develop your pattern recognition, and analysis skills. Represent SBC in Tournaments!

Philosophy club Dr Maarten Jordens

Philosophy is the study of some big questions: existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. We also discuss topics such as multi-track drifting with Lego trains and what heavy metal music would sound like in the 16th century.

Junior/Senior Choir Ms King

Groups of students who rehearse and perform together

Men of Bede Who Read Mr Wilson

This group meets twice a term to share kai and discuss what people have been reading

Kaha group Jared Talanoa - Yr 13

A group that discusses and supports others who are dealing with grief and loss of a loved one

CoW Mr Wilson

Peer Tutoring

Helping others based on their academic strengths

Animation/claymation/film Mr Mullen

Set design

Lunchtimes Winter, Upstairs, Grimes.

Teen Ag Club Mr McPhail

The Teen Ag club is a group for any student interested in the business of farming and the production of food and fibre products

Debating Ms Growden, Ms Cooper

Creating factual/logical, ethical & emotional arguments to persuade others

EPro8 Challenge Mr Frost M110

The EPro8 Challenge is an inter-school science and engineering competition. Students participate in a series of events: firstly, within their school and then inter-school. These events are designed to promote science and engineering.

We have two teams now and would like two more teams, preferably from Y9 or 10.

Link: https://epro8challenge.co.nz/

Your reinforcement of the messages to the boys is important. As I said at assembly, involvement or participation in such activities out of the classroom, help shape the boys for when they leave school.

Nga mihi nui

J. G. Boyle