St Kevin's College News and Reminders Term 2 Week 3

Kia ora whānau and friends of St Kevin's College,

Today, we end the week with what has become widely popular at SKC and Aotearoa: an extremely important movement: Pink Shirt Day, a day to promote and bring awareness to anti-bullying.
On Monday, North and East Otago Attendance Service and St Kevin's College hosted attendance service teams from across Otago and Southland. We had World Rally Car driver Hayden Paddon speak to the school at assembly, a Rugby coaching course, and Aoraki Cross Country. Today, along with Pink Shirt Day, we also had the ChessPower Timaru-Oamaru regionals in the SKC auditorium. Tonight in Timaru, three of our students are competing in the Timaru Smokefree Rockquest. Best of luck to them and all of our students in numerous sporting teams.

School Notices

• This is a friendly reminder that parents and caregivers must let the office know beforehand if students have appointments during the day: 03 437 1665 or 021 437 176.
  
  
• All students in Years 9-12 are not permitted to leave the school grounds during intervals and lunch breaks.
  
  

• All Year 9-11 students must get caregiver consent to sign out during school hours. Caregivers can email or call the office to provide consent and reason for the absence. Students cannot sign out until the caregiver is reached.

Attendance Matters

As we venture into Term 2, it is an excellent time to check in on your school attendance. 

Every day matters! 

SKC uniform shop

SKC desperately needs donations of any and all second-hand clothing for the SKC uniform shop. We especially need pants, shorts, white and blue shirts, and socks. Depending on their condition, we are able to buy back kilts, blazers, jumpers, soft shell jackets, and new PE tops.

Drop off at the shop on Thursdays (1-2 p.m) or the main school office. 

For all inquiries, call Jane at 0211996525.

Te Ngakau Nui AGM - 21st May 2024

Te Ngakau Nui (The Big Heart)

Te Ngakau Nui is a group of St Kevin's parents/caregivers and supporters who raise money to help out the school. 

We are a small but dedicated group that meets once a month to organise fundraising ideas for the school. We would love new members. Our AGM is coming up on Tuesday, 21st May, at 7 pm in the staffroom. 

Everyone is welcome.

If you are interested in joining Te Ngakau Nui - please get in touch with Sam Growcott at tengakaunui@stkevins.school.nz

Ngā mihi, 

The Te Ngakau Nui team.

Gym floor upgrade

Over the school break, the gymnasium floor was sanded back, lines redone, and recoated. New netball hoops and basketball backboards were also installed. The PE department and sports teams have noticed a big difference in the floor's performance. 

Thank you to Hardwood Floors for the fantastic job they did! 

NCEA study tips from students

Here are some handy NCEA study tips from students for students; please share them with your student/s to help them prepare. 

Meet students, hear their study advice and learn about the tools they use for success in NCEA exams.

Ngā mihi

Past few weeks at SKC

Marine Science Programme trips

At the end of Term 1, a rainy day didn't deter our Marine Science students from exploring the hinterland to see the ancient marine life that is part of the World Heritage Whitestone Geopark. We visited the site of the whale fossil, Elephant Rocks, and the Vanished World Center in Duntroon. For some students, the highlight was seeing Aslan's Campsite in the Movie The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

So far this term, we had to reschedule an activity, which allowed us to visit Orokanui. There, the students witnessed the impact that introduced mammals have had on our ecosystems. They had an opportunity to interact with several species, including takahe, stick insects, kaka, bush robins, bellbirds, and tuis. Unfortunately, the weather was too cold for the tuatara.

We also visited Second Beach, located at the end of Cape Wanbrow. The students spent the morning enthusiastically collecting data to contribute to the Australasian Marine Metre Square project. This was an excellent way to involve the students in Citizen Science.

Hayden Paddon Visit - 13th May

On Monday, World Rally Car driver Hayden Paddon spoke to the school at assembly about his journey from Geraldine to competing on the World Stage. 

He also passed on some Road Safety advice to students. 

It was great hearing about his stories and the value of patience in seeing hard work pay off.

Attendance Hui - 13th May

On Monday, the North and East Otago Attendance Service and St Kevin's College hosted attendance service teams from across Otago Southland. 

These teams work across all schools in Otago and Southland to support young people attending school. 

Our Kapa Haka group welcomed our visitors with a Mihi Whakatau.

Thank you to Sasha Slee, our student photographer, for the photos.

Timaru Smokefree Rockquest - 17th May

SKC is proud to have three students competing in the Rockquest Final in Tīmaru this Friday, 17th May. 

Jemima Riley Duddin - Solo performance 

Nye Jones Hogan & Oliver Davison - Oamaru Group Frog Finger

The show starts at 6 pm at Craighead Diocesan School, Wrights Avenue, Timaru. 

Best of luck, guys!

SKC celebrates Pink Shirt Day 2024 - 17th May

Pink Shirt Day is when Aotearoa comes together to take a stand against Bullying. SKC spoke up this week, and today, we stand united against Bullying!

Speak Up, Stand Together, Stop Bullying!

https://pinkshirtday.org.nz/

School Events

Coming up this term

Tuesday 28th May - Numeracy Common Assessment Activity
Wednesday 29th May - Writing Common Assessment Activity
Thursday 30th May - Reading Common Assessment Activity
Wednesday 29th - Thursday 30th May - Prefects Retreat
Friday 31st May - Teachers Only Day
Tuesday 7th June - Loves Me Not programme- Year 12
Tuesday 11th - 13th June - Year 11 Geography trip
Saturday June 15th - SKC Formal
Monday 24th June - Thursday 27th June - Cambridge Practice Assessment Week

Term 2 Holiday Dates

Monday 3rd June - King's Birthday. The Hostel will be closed. 
Friday 28th June - Matariki

Sports

Coming up this term

Wednesday 22nd May - Roncalli Exchange 
Friday 24th May - Aoraki Swimming 
Sunday 26th May - South Island Secondary School Cross Country 
Sunday 26th May - Aoraki Chess
Saturday 1st June - Smallbore Postal Shoot
Wednesday 5th June - Junior Quads/Aoraki Squash 
Sunday 9th -10th June - Otago Secondary Schools Netball
Tuesday 11th June - Mercy Cup
Thursday 13th June - Aoraki Open Basketball
Tuesday 18th June - Aoraki Junior Boys Basketball 
Wednesday 19th June - Aoraki Junior Girls Basketball 
Sunday 23rd June - Aoraki Netball 
Monday 1st -5th July - Waitaki Week

The Past week in Sports

1st XV vs Taieri College - 11th May

Thanks to Norman Hibbs, NH Photography Sports, for capturing these awesome photos from the Saturday Rugby Match played at Tairei College. 

The 1st XV defeated Taieri College with an impressive score of 35-3

Awesome game, lads!

You can find the full album on NH Photography Sports Page

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Clay Team - 12th May

Our Clay Team started their season strong this weekend, with two members competing in Waimate for the Wilson's Sport Triple Trophy.

Kate Murphy won the trophy with a score of 49 out of 50!

Across the 4 DTL disciplines shot on the day 

Kate hit 100 out of 105 targets, and Cooper Sales hit 96 out of 105

Fantastic Guys!

Under 15 Girls St Taki Rugby vs Timaru Girls High School - 13th May

On Monday night, the St Taki Under 15 Girls Rugby team tied six tries each against Timaru Girls High School in a great game.

Rugby Coaching Course 13th - 15th May

The Learning Place, in partnership with NZ Rugby, is delivering a Level 3 rugby-focused course to SKC students this week. These courses are implemented across Aotearoa, New Zealand, in secondary schools with Year 12 and 13 students involved in rugby. 

A group of our Senior students are participating in the programme and have been learning how to plan and deliver coaching sessions, understand injury prevention and risk assessment, and learn about individual and group characteristics for coaching. 

This is a great initiative that is well received by the students!

Aoraki Cross Country - 14th May

On Tuesday, eight of our students participated in the Aoraki Cross Country event in Timaru. The weather was fantastic, with barely a cloud in the sky. It was a great day for sport, and everyone had a blast.

Congratulations to everyone, especially Gabriel and Paddy, for their placements.

Junior Boys

1st Gabriel Davison

Senior Boys

3rd Paddy Spillane

Art and Cultural Events

Coming up this term

Monday 10th June - Big Sing
Thursday June 20th - Scripture Reading

Play It Strange Songwriting Competitions

Play It Strange is well into the year's national secondary school songwriting competitions, but there is still time to enter!
 
Year 9 – 11 Songwriting Competition – closes Friday 24th May
All winners will have their songs recorded in a professional recording studio and then released onto Spotify albums.
The first prize will be a 1:1 mentor session with our guest judge, Marlon Williams and a $500 Rockshop gift card.
 
Peace Song Competition – closes 30th June.
The theme of peace and non-violence may be interpreted broadly from inner personal peace, peace in the home and among families, to peace between people worldwide.  
All winners will have their songs recorded in a professional recording studio and released as Spotify albums.
The first prize will be a 1:1 mentor session with our guest judge, Jordan Luck and a $500 Rockshop gift card.
 
Year 9 – 13 Songwriting Competition – closes 31st July
All winners will have their songs recorded in a professional recording studio and then released onto Spotify albums.
First prize winners will receive a 1:1 mentor session with our guest judge, Ladi6, a $1000 Rockshop gift card, and a $10,000 recording and PR music package thanks to NZ on Air.
 
Te Reo Māori Award
Any song entered in any competition will also be eligible for our Te Reo Māori Award, formally known as the Junior Maioha Award. All winners will have their songs recorded in a professional recording studio, and the first prize will win a 1:1 mentor session with our soon-to-be-announced guest judge!
 
All competition winners will also be flown to Auckland to perform at our Annual Awards at the end of the year.
 
The recording and performance quality of the entry are not taken into account during the judging process. 

Entrants need to upload their original song and lyric sheet into our online portal. 
 
Enter now: https://www.playitstrange.org.nz/competitions

Guidelines for Attitude to Learning

General philosophy.

The purpose of ATL feedback is so that parents and students can have real time information about how students are engaging in each subject.

The overarching objective should be to have ‘no surprises’ for caregivers.

ATL numbers should cover how students are working generally in relation to:
How they are developing the habits of an independent life long learner.

This means: 

Teachers will be providing opportunities within classes for independent, differentiated learning opportunities.

ATLs will be used with the Junior reports. This will require additional weight to be given to ATL, meaning that periodically, a curriculum statement will be added to the ATL report. At the end of Term 1, the focus will be on setting goals and identifying learning challenges for the students so that we head things off before they become a problem.

Comments.

These should be specific and address immediate concerns or celebrate recent, specific achievements.  
These should provide caregivers the opportunity to be able to participate in supporting their student.
These should be brief and accurate. 
Only be provided for immediate and relevant issues.  

What ATL’s are NOT.

They are not a method for punishing a student.
They are not a forum for diagnosing medical or learning issues e.g. suggesting a student is dyslexic
They are not a place for long term guidance such as large general statements about learning.
They are not a report which you must feel compelled to write every fortnight.
They are not a replacement for Dean involvement, discussions with HoF’s, phone calls to parents etc.
They are not a ‘restorative chat’.

School TV

Social Media & Digital Reputation

Social media has become such an integral part of a teenager’s life. However, many miss out on some critical social skills with most communicating whilst looking at a screen instead of another person! Statistics show that 60 per cent of 10-11 year olds are using at least one social media site, with the majority using age-restricted platforms. What young people do, post and say online is permanent and most are not mature enough to manage their own digital footprint. Friendships, relationships and even future job prospects are all put at risk.

Families need to be aware of what picture their young people are painting of themselves online. Unfortunately, many families do not see the dangers of these sites, as they form opinions based on their own experience. But predators are usually not interested in grooming adults. Over the years there has been a dramatic increase in the number of primary schoolers owning mobile phones, highlighting the importance to teach young people about the dangers of social media and the implications it can have.

In this edition of SchoolTV, families will learn how to talk to their young people about the inherent dangers of social media and how to educate their young people to be responsible users in the online world we live in.

We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this edition of SchoolTV. If you have any concerns about your young peron, please contact our Pastoral Care Team for further information or seek medical or professional help.

https://stkevins.nz.schooltv.me/newsletter/social-media-and-digital-reputation

Community Events/Notices

TE NGAKAU NUI (The Big Heart)

Te Ngakau Nui, the parents/caregivers and supporters group of St Kevin's, is a beacon of hope for our school. Our collective efforts have raised significant funds that have made a substantial difference to St Kevin's.  

We are not just a small group, but a close-knit community of dedicated individuals. We meet once a month to brainstorm and organise fundraising ideas for the school. We welcome new members and invite everyone to our upcoming AGM on Tuesday, 21st May, at 7 pm in the staffroom.

As a group, we have a constant fundraiser thanks to Rebecca Hefferman, who runs the Hungry Course Cafe at the race course.  This involves providing and selling food for at least 10 race meets annually.  So far, we have made around $10,000 through this venture. 

We run the Uniform shop and provide quality second-hand uniforms and new kilts, blazers, PE tops, beanies, scarves, and soon-to-be-sold winter jackets. We are looking for donations of any uniforms to restock our supplies.

Our primary fundraiser is held Biannually, which involves a 'Do' of some sort. This year's will be a Masquerade Ball, date to be confirmed, so watch this space! 

Anyone can help out, and everyone is welcome to join in. Money from our last 'Do', 'Mr North Otago, ' $18,000, was used to help resurface the gym.

If you are interested in joining Te Ngakau Nui - please get in touch with Sam Growcott at tengakaunui@stkevins.school.nz

Ngā mihi 

The Te Ngakau Nui team.

Musac Edge portal and app guide

We have an updated guide on how to use the Edge caregiver portal/app that allows you to view school information about your child(ren), and to pay school bills online if your school supports this. The portal & app gives you quick and easy access to the information for the children in your care and can receive announcements and notifications from the school. Please view the guide here

News to Share?

We love celebrating our students' success. Photos are always a bonus; please email these as Facebook Messenger compresses the quality!

Please let me know via email any relevant news we could share - srees@stkevins.school.nz

You can follow St Kevin's College on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube

Have a great weekend! 

Ngā mihi
Shane Rees
Communications and Events