"We must strive to do the ordinary things extraordinarily well." Catherine McAuley

The Filipino students lead out Prayer this week.  They have drawn out attention to the plight of the Philippines as they hold their national and local elections.  The students asked us to join them in a prayer of solidarity.

 Be with us, O Lord our God, as we pray with the peoples of the Philippines, including those overseas, in this time of elections marked by deep division, uncertainty and pain.
We pray for all public servants and electoral authorities in the Philippines, especially those who remain upright and motivated by a genuine sense of duty and respect for good governance.
We pray for those who peacefully challenge human rights violations and disinformation. Give them strength and courage to stand their ground for truth and justice. Protect their lives from those who seek to harm them when they hold firm to Your righteousness.
May the crises brought about by political differences everywhere bring about conversion and a change of heart in all.
May You teach all people to rise above personal and political loyalties, redirecting our efforts towards the common good and celebrating the gift of diversity in life.
May we be guided by your Spirit to respond with mercy and compassion for those in need, the persecuted and the most vulnerable members of our societies.
For we know that what we do for others in need, we do for You.

Our Pasifika Leaders have been very busy this term.  This week we celebrated Rotuman Language week.  We learned how endangered this language is and were taught some phrases.  Mariana and Josiah spent Saturday at a Governance training day hosted at SCC as part of their work on the Tu Tangata organising committee.  It is fantastic so witness this leadership.

Strategic Direction

The College is working on renewing the Strategic Direction for the future. If you would like to share your ideas, you can via this form or by arranging a time to meet with Katrina via this email link or by ringing the school office 04 939 8988. The strategic direction is our goals and aspirations and includes the government's National Educational Learning Priorities (Parent feedback for Strategic Direction click here)

1. LEARNERS AT THE CENTRE Learners with their whānau are at the centre of education

• Ensure places of learning are safe, inclusive and free from racism, discrimination and bullying
• Have high aspirations for every learner/ākonga, and support these by partnering with their whānau and communities to design and deliver education that responds to their needs and sustains their identities, languages and cultures

2. BARRIER FREE ACCESS Great education opportunities and outcomes are within reach for every learner

• Reduce barriers to education for all, including for Māori and Pacific learners/ākonga, disabled learners/ākonga and those with learning support needs
• Ensure every learner/ākonga gains sound foundation skills, including language, literacy and numeracy

3. QUALITY TEACHING AND LEADERSHIP Quality teaching and leadership make the difference for learners and their whānau

• Meaningfully incorporate Te Reo Māori and Tikanga Māori into the everyday life of the place of learning
• Develop staff to strengthen teaching, leadership, and learner support capability across the education workforce

4. FUTURE OF LEARNING AND WORK Learning that is relevant to the lives of New Zealanders today and throughout their lives

• Collaborate with industries and employers to ensure learners/ākonga have the skills, knowledge and pathways to succeed in work

5. WORLD CLASS INCLUSIVE PUBLIC EDUCATION New Zealand education is trusted and sustainable

On Tuesday evening, we held our first Whānau Hui for the year. It was great to have such a good turnout and share our vision for the future. We covered what the school goals were for Māori and Te Tiriti partners, as well as Whānau feedback and aspirations

• Te Tiriti partnership - what would you like SCC to be working on?
• What do you value about your daughter being at St Catherine's College?
• How does SCC help your daughter become the person she wants to become?
• What else might SCC do to ensure we support Māori students' identity, language and culture?

Check out this new app

Whānau Mercy has developed an app; click here to open it. It has karakia in Māori, Samoan and English, Catherine McAuley quotes. The app also includes a digital copy of He Kakano Atawhai, a fantastic resource and worth checking out.

Mask Wearing

We have made the decision to continue to wear masks while indoors.  This will be regularly reviewed and for any changes you will be informed.

Uniform

Just a reminder that ties are part of our winter uniform.  Ties are compulsory for all, please encourage your daughter with this.  As it gets cooler there have been items of clothing that are not uniform being worn, unless your daughter has a note these will be asked to be removed.