JOAA Class Report

My first year in the JOAA form class started off by making new friends, getting to know each other and caring for one another. I quickly learnt that this wasn’t just a class, it was a strong group of young men who were there for each other.

Unfortunately during term one we were all brought together after something tragic happened, the Deans Ave Mosque shooting. We were all left struggling somewhere inside so the best thing that we could do was to look out for each other and take care for not only our form class but our entire school. Although we were from Year Seven to Thirteen we all checked on each other and our headspace and were all thoughtful of one another at this time

Highlights for our form class were things like the exciting Joyce House activities such as Special Character Week………, This is the best time when we bring our form class and our house together in a celebrating way, with performances like Waiata and Haka. The JOAA form class and the Joyce House were together as one.

We also brought together a joint class the JOAA form class and JORL form class, so we could be stronger together and can rely on more people to give us a lending hand and to pick us up when we are down or in need of support, but most importantly to just grow and be better people and greater young men here at St Thomas’s.

Coming in to the gym foyer on a Monday morning was a highlight for me, Having access to the gym and even a kitchen where we recently had a shared breakfast. Playing games in the gym, from basketball to league and handball was fun and we are blessed to have such a great space. We had amazing times such as wellbeing walks and webs, we even set our self a challenge to improve our wellbeing, mine was my social wellbeing so I decided that every morning I was going to interact and chat with two different people a day.

I’m grateful as I know we all are of the amazing form teacher Mr Auimatagi and for such an outstanding Form Class throughout 2019

This is a great Form Class and I enjoy being a part of it, together as one

Thank you for your time

Isaiah Savea - JOAA