Life is very busy at the College with seniors completing external NCEA examinations and planning underway for 2017.

It is great to see the juniors stepping up to leadership in the absence of senior boys and the junior outdoor education camps were very successful.  A big thanks to the PE team who organised and ran these activities.   We were very lucky that our camp at the Boyle River returned just ahead of the large earthquake.

I am sure Kaikoura and surrounding townships are in the thoughts of Christchurch people.  Here at school, we particularly think of the schools in North Canterbury as they re-open and the challenges ahead as recovery begins.  As we know from our own experience in this city, schools are an important community hub and serve as a place of security and normality for young people after a natural disaster or major upheaval.  Teachers and school staff in Christchurch did an often unacknowledged but amazing job through the recovery supporting and enabling site sharing and creating a safe emotional haven for our young people.

I am sure North Canterbury schools will be responding in the same way and we acknowledge those unsung heroes as they begin that long journey back to a new normal.

Remember that in the event of future earthquakes, school communication is via the website, email to you and the cellphone mobile app alerts. We aim to get information out as quickly as possible but are also dependent on receiving advice from the Ministry of Education and, recently, NZQA, as external NCEA examinations were running at the time of the earthquake.

Recently the Board of Trustees Chair wrote to you regarding College finances and school fees and contributions.  We are very dependent on these payments for the financial viability of the school and, in particular, post earthquake to meet building development needs. 

We do have families in the school who are genuinely unable to pay fees and who struggle with uniform and activity costs (for example sport or culture).  The school supports these families so that these young men can receive the same opportunities as others.

The Catholic Bishops of New Zealand are very clear that no family should be denied access to Catholic education through inability to pay.  If you feel you would like to blind "sponsor"  a family or make a general donation towards these costs we have an Edmund Rice hardship fund which can hold the contribution and target the payments according to your wishes.  Should you wish to do something like this please contact  our bursar Jackie Redmond via 033487010 or jredmond@stc.school.nz

Warm regards

Christine O'Neill