Catch up on the Intermediates camp at Living Springs, and other activities of College life in the past few weeks. Plus reminder: Last day of term Wednesday 5 April. Start of Term 2, Wednesday 26 April.

Kia ora koutou

Another three weeks of term have quickly passed by since I last wrote an article for the newsletter and we now have just two weeks of term remaining. A reminder that the last day of Term One for students is Wednesday 5 April and that Term Two starts on Wednesday 26 April.

Yesterday many students wore mis-matched coloured socks and made a gold coin donation supporting Downs Syndrome Awareness day. 

On Wednesday evening we welcomed Year 9 families for Mass. This was an enjoyable opportunity to connect with other Year 9 families as well as with some of our staff. A special thanks to Fr Rick and to the Special Character team who organised the Mass and supper. Also to the Year 9 students for their involvement and to all of the families who attended.   

High Achievers Assembly on Tuesday was a special occasion (see separate story) and Academic Leader Macy Bennett spoke with wisdom about the true meaning of excellence in a speech which would have resonated with all students. Ms Kirk, DP Curriculum, also gave a thought provoking address about the challenges and opportunities that AI technology brings to education. 

The Intermediate students have had three days of camp at Living Springs. As we packed the buses on Monday morning I could not believe just how much gear some had brought. One told me she could fit herself in her suitcase, and another could not carry her bag without my help, due to its size! I joined them after school on Monday afternoon and on arrival I found the Year 7’s involved in a range of activities of their choice such as a rope swing, mini-golf, trampolining, basketball and the mono-rail. 

I started off watching a group on the rope swing, then enjoyed joining in a game of basketball and managed to get five blocks in the first few minutes before realising that given I am 6 ft 3 and some of them were significantly shorter at 5ft or less, I needed to be more of a team player. I then went over to the trampolines where some were having fun showing off their tricks, while others played “break the egg.” 

We then enjoyed chicken curry with rice and naan bread for dinner, followed by chocolate mousse and ice-cream. The evening continued with girls having the option of a swim in the indoor pool or time together in the lounge area. The noise in the pool area was testament to the fun they were having, and I found similar enthusiasm in the lounge area with a group acting out “Dance Mums.” 

The girls had walked two hours in to the camp, including a decent long hill climb. One student told me that “the walk nearly broke me, but when I got to the top and looked back down, I felt amazing about what I had achieved.” She went on to say she was a bit anxious, having never had a night away from family before. I left her with the challenge of focusing on all of the positives about being on camp and making the most of her time away from home and she assured me she would take on the challenge and succeed, just like she did with the hill climb! 

The next two days of camp were rather wet and windy so some activities had to be re-arranged. The campers returned on Wednesday afternoon looking very tired, but positive. One of the very last students to be collected was so tired she fell asleep on her bag in the Hall! 

Polyfest was on Saturday at Hagley Park and the girls were supported by a significant number of staff and families. We all loved the performance and the team deserve to be so proud of how well they represented their families and the College. 

On Wednesday evening they performed at a Fiafia evening at the College for our community. This was a wonderful celebration where they performed for family and the wider community in advance of their Polyfest performance to come. They received great support and positive feedback from those attending. 

Canterbury Secondary School Athletics finals were also held on Saturday for athletes successful in qualifying after the prelims on Tuesday. Our students performed very well with a number achieving placings, as detailed in a report in this newsletter. 

I enjoyed seeing the relay teams competing in the afternoon. The Senior Volleyball team were also competing in a three day CSS tournament which concluded over the weekend. Congratulations to the team on making the Division 2 final, which is a great achievement. 

Our Swimming team achieved outstanding results at the CSS meet on Thursday, see separate article in this newsletter. 

The rowers had the SISS championships two weekends ago and the Maadi Cup squad depart this weekend for Lake Karapiro, Cambridge. All rowers make a huge commitment to their sport throughout the season with at least three Gym sessions at Villa and another three trainings at Kerrs Reach, which they return bike, from and to Villa. They also maintain their own fitness and nutrition programmes throughout the season. Congratulations to all of the squad and we look forward to supporting the Maadi team at the final regatta for the season. 

An update about Photos and CANDO cards: CANDO cards have now been distributed to students. I will alert students through Teams and also email parents as soon as Photos become available for purchase. Please look at the College Calendar on the front page of our website for full details of all upcoming events: https://www.villa.school.nz/ I always enjoy hearing about students seeing a need and having the initiative to do something about it. Last week one of our students noticed rotting fruit that had fallen from the trees on the orchard near the Pool and was attracting wasps. Aware that this would be harmful for the College beehive nearby, she took the initiative of spending several hours of her time collecting the fallen fruit. Congratulations to all of our students who show initiative where they see a need, as this is what Mercy is all about. 

Ngā mihi   

Mr Baugh Deputy Principal, Operations