The power point that played during the weekend - 60 years!

Last weekend as a community we celebrated our 60th anniversary in style! It was an absolute privilege to host 60 old boys on Friday for a Mihi Whakatau, school tours and cultural celebration assembly. The emotion in the haka from our students to our old boys demonstrated how proud our young men were to host our old boys. On Friday night we held a Tausala night which was well attended and a lot of fun expressing our Pasifika culture. Saturday started with a thrilling 1st XV fixture in front of a crowd in excess of 3000 spectators. We were very proud of our young 1st XV that narrowly lost to the table topping St Bedes team. The team were a true credit to their coaches, parents and our wider school community.

Saturday evening saw 260 members of our legacy come together and reminisce together all that forms our rich tapestry. Personally it was a wonderful reminder of the importance of our community and the way we come together and support each other. Meeting many old boys who I have worked with in my 17 year tenure, it was fantastic to see the men they have become and how proud they are of their school. For our current parents of teenagers, it is a reminder that the journey we are on raising our young men is a marathon, not a sprint, as long as we walk alongside our young people and not in front of them, to be there to support as well as challenge, and to role model our gospel values. If we don’t give up on our young men we will raise good fathers, good partners, good friends and good people. This was so evident on Saturday night.

On Sunday evening I participated in our sacramental mass which concluded our 60th anniversary celebrations. It was an uplifting experience as we welcomed 29 young men into the Catholic faith, and it was humbling to see the support from our community at OLV. Please keep these young men in your prayers as they venture on their faith journey.