Greetings to our Kavanagh College Whānau

This is our last newsletter for the year, and as such, it is time to publicly farewell some of our staff. Due to the exciting appointments to new jobs for some of our staff this year, and retirement from teaching for others, we have needed to call on some special people to fill in teaching gaps as they arose during the year. Thank you very much to Malcolm Nuttall (Maths), Erin Winder (PE, Social Inquiry) and Emmeline Kendrick (PE) who have picked up various classes throughout the year when the need arose. We have been fortunate to have competent and experienced teachers to fill these gaps and fit so quickly and easily into the culture of our college.

I would also like to acknowledge Sr Anna Burrowes who has worked two days a week in the guidance counselling area while we determined our counselling and pastoral needs for 2022. Again, Anna assimilated beautifully into our place and we have enjoyed having one of our own Mercy sisters on staff again. Tom Jakubcik came to us from Rosmini College, North Shore, a couple of years ago to teach a couple of graphics and workshop classes. Tom is moving to Queenstown next year to do a similar job at Wakatipu High School and, of course, enjoy all that Central Otago has to offer. Adrienne Buckingham (English) stayed on after her fixed term contract finished in Term 3, to see out the year with us – and to have the pleasure of attending year 10 camp! Adrienne returned to teaching with us temporarily and is now looking to go back to her wellbeing work outside of the classroom. We are grateful to all these people who have had an influence on the Kavanagh College community in some way this year, and we wish you all well for your future career paths.

One special person who has given a huge amount of her life to Kavanagh College is Katheen O’Kane who retires from teaching after joining the staff in 1989. Kathleen is one of those people on staff who carries Kavanagh with her in everything she does. She fully lives by our college values and role models them in her everyday. We will miss Kathleen next year, but we know that the long-awaited retirement in Alexandra is very well-deserved.

2022 will bring about some changes in reponse to our external pastoral review. Some of our planned actions have resulted in a change to our weekly structure. There is more information in a separate article in this newsletter so you can be prepared for the changes for next year.

Thank you for all the large and small ways you have supported Kavanagh College this year. This is a very special community, and whether you have helped with coaching sports teams, provided afternoon tea for our Open Day, took part in the working bee, supported our musicals, or simply sung the praises of Kavanagh College in the community – thank you. You are as much a part of our college as those regularly on-site. Have a very special Christmas and enjoy special family time during the long anticipated holiday break.

Arohanui ki a koutou katoa