The term has flown by....

.....and here we are heading into the eleventh week and the most important event on the Catholic Church calendar.  With Easter we look forward to the celebration of renewal and hope and the possibility  and richness of new life in all it forms.  We will be celebrating our Easter liturgy on Holy Thursday period 6 next week and school will conclude for Term 1.

Our staff are into week 3 of their classes for the Unitech/Mindlab Post-graduate Diploma in Digital and Collaborative Learning.  The first module includes 16 weeks of four hour sessions and assignments followed by 16 weeks of online modules.  They are completing this as a cohort of 34, with 5 already having completed the qualification.  A number are already planning to go on and complete their Masters degrees in 2018.  This is fantastic for our school and a very significant commitment to your sons' education.

Next week we will also farewell staff members:

• Mr Thomas Newton has contributed to St Thomas' for over a decade teaching History, Social Studies and Religious Education.  Thomas is moving on promotion to the position of Director of Religious Studies at Villa Maria College.  We thank him for his extensive contribution to St Thomas', congratulate him on this significant appointment and wish him all the best for the future. 
  
• Mr Andrew Murphy has taught music here for the last two years and shared the leadership of the Arts faculty.  He is moving to Auckland with his family to take up a position as Head of Music at Takapuna Grammar.  We wish him all the best for life in the big city.
• Mr Liam Gallagher has been working as a learning support tutor in our school this term.  Liam is an old boy, has completed his tertiary education and heads off to Arusha in Tanzania, to join Br Bill Dowling and work as a volunteer in the Brothers' school.  We know this will be a transformative experience for him and look forward to hearing how he goes via Br Bill's newsletters!
• Mr Sam Corry has also been working as a learning support tutor for the term (as well as running our canteen with his wife Jane) but has completed his teacher training and will move into teaching. We know Sam will make a wonderful teacher and we wish him well in his new career.

The last few weeks have been incredibly busy :

Secondary Schools' Summer Tournament and sport -we have participated and achieved on numerous fronts:

• Junior basketball team - 4th place year 9/10 nationals
• Junior futsal -3rd place year 9/10 nationals
• Senior futsal - 4th place at senior nationals
• Athletics - top South Island placings including 1st U19 300m hurdles, 3rd U16 800m, 2nd U15 High Jump, 3rd U15 200m, 1st U15 400m
• Rowing Maadi Cup - good national ratings for our teams including two top ten - 5th (U17 double) and 8th (U15 double)
• Rugby Sevens U15 - 2nd South Island Tournament
• Softball Seniors - 2nd South Island Tournament
• Cricket 1st X1 and 2nd X1 - some great run rates versus top schools

Congratulations to all the staff and young men involved above.

Best wishes to the 1st XV who performed strongly in a trial game versus Shirley Boys High School last week and head off on a pre-season training camp next week.

In the midst of the summer/winter sport crossover, we have also had staff and students involved in

• Duathlon
• Caritas Leadership Day
• Year 7 and Year 9 retreats
• Biology Field Trip
• Year 8 camp at Burnham military base
• Year 9 camp at Orton Bradley Park
• Year 7 camp at Hanmer
• Year 12 Outdoor Education cycle tours

Coming up next week we have

• Basketball exchange with Catholic Cathedral College for the Earthquake Memorial Cup.  This trophy has a special meaning for both schools after we shared our site with CCC in 2011 post earthquake
• 12 Outdoor Education Little River Cycle Trail ride
• Junior Rugby League Tournament
• The France U15 rugby trip departs for 3 weeks
• The China trip departs for two weeks
• Easter liturgy Thursday
• Two teams from St Pius School Australia play a fixture with us Thursday afternoon

Yes we are all still sane - just!  You can see the fantastic commitment and passion from our boys and staff which make possible all the above.

I wish you all a blessed and peaceful Easter and enjoyable holidays with your sons at the end of next week.

Nga mihi nui

Christine O'Neill

Principal