St Kevin's College News and Reminders Term 3 Week 6

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

What a way to end the week, blue skies and high temperatures. Smells like spring!
This week was Assessment Week for our Seniors, and we had Peter Breen come to speak to the Junior High-Performance Class. Today, we celebrated NZ Multicultural Day. Next week is Tournament Week, so a number of our teams will be competing around the South Island. We wish them the best of luck.
Monday is a Teachers-only day, so for those not going away for tournament week, enjoy a long weekend, and we'll see you on Tuesday.

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 3, 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.

SKC Moke Jackets 

The uniform shop is now selling wind and semi-waterproof SKC Moké student jackets.

These lightweight jackets have 90% Duck down lining, so you know they'll be toasty warm.

Available now from the uniform shop for $90.

Comes with its own bag and packs down for minimal space.

Is my child well enough to go to school? (Advice from Ministry of Education NZ)

Is my child well enough to go to school?

We know that going to school every day is important for all students. But as a parent or caregiver, it can be difficult deciding if your child is well enough to attend school.

Here is some advice to help you decide when it is okay to send your child to school, when you should keep your child at home, and when you should contact a health professional for advice. This advice is based off in-depth guidance prepared by Te Whatu Ora | Health New Zealand, which you can view here.

Knowing if your child is well enough to go to school: guidance for parents and caregivers – Te Whatu Ora

My child has mild symptoms that are unlikely to be infectious. Should they attend school?

If your child tests negative for COVID-19 and they do not have any of the symptoms of concern outlined below, there are some mild symptoms that could be caused by a condition or reaction rather than an infectious illness that mean it is okay for your child to still be at school.

Examples include a happy energised child who has mild respiratory symptoms (cough, headache or runny nose) with no fever, their usual hay fever and allergy symptoms (sneezing, stuffy nose or an itchy face), or skin problems that are not infectious, such as eczema or insect bites.

Learn more about these symptoms here:

When a child has symptoms but can still attend school – Te Whatu Ora

If your child has any of these mild symptoms but is well enough to go to school, support them to go and let their teacher know.

When should I keep my child home from school?

You should keep your child home from school if they are:

-too sick to learn and need time to rest and recover 

-have symptoms of concern including fever, vomiting, diarrhoea, sore throat, skin infections such as school sores, a new rash or difficulty breathing

-have tested positive for COVID-19 (more information on symptoms, testing, and when it is safe to return to school, can be found below)

-a household contact of someone with COVID-19, they develop symptoms themselves and they are testing with a rapid antigen test over a 48-hour period to see if they present a positive result during that time

-have an infectious illness and have been advised to stay home by their local public health team or their healthcare provider.

If you have COVID-19 – Te Whatu Ora

Raising awareness around measles and MMR vaccine

Follow the link below to watch a series of animated videos covering various health topics, including women's and men's health, immunisations, and antiviral medications. 

These videos are available in multiple languages to accommodate your preferred dialect.

https://www.ethniccommunities.govt.nz/resources/videos/health-videos/

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

Recently at SKC

SKC Filipino Group

Filipino Youth Connect is a group of dedicated students aiming to connect Filipino youth around New Zealand. Spearheaded by Chris Barrientos, our SKC Filipino students formed a group to represent Oamaru. 

The group aims to build a supportive and inclusive community for all Filipino youth across New Zealand. It also encourages everyone to retain their cultural background regardless of where they are. The group will do this through community-held events that aim not only to embrace our culture but also to make an impact. 

A Game Day Gala Event was held in Christchurch last Saturday, and featured sports events like dodgeball and badminton. For the first time, we participated, and the youth had fun and enjoyed the day. We are grateful to Mrs. Hazel Barrientos for supporting the group as their adult supervisor and for the photos. 

Mabuhay!

Maths Extended Class

Last week, the Year 9 Cambridge Maths Extended Class bravely put their Trigonometry skills to the test despite the drizzle. 

Equipped with a clinometer, measuring tape, calculator, and a sketch plan, they ventured around the school to measure the heights of various objects of their choosing. 

Ka Pai!

SKC Celebrates NZ Multicultural Day

National Multicultural Day is celebrated every year on the last Friday of August. It is an initiative from the Federation of Multicultural NZ to normalise the sharing of cultures and languages.

Today at SKC, we shared our diverse cultures, customs, and food.

School Events

Coming up this term 

Monday 2nd September - Teacher Only Day
Tuesday 10th September - Sports and Cultural photos
Monday 16th - Wednesday 18th September - Literacy and Numeracy Common Assessment Activity
Tuesday 24th September - Mural project trip
Wednesday 25th September - Year 7/8 SKC Maths comp
Thursday 26th September - Year 11 retreat

School Production

St Kevin's College is proud to present - That's Life!

That's Life is a New Zealand created musical comedy where the fairy-tale world clashes with modern day. 

From teenagers in a modern day classroom to a variety of well-known fairy-tale characters, we follow the story of two young ladies - Cinderella and Sarah.

Sports

Coming up this term

Saturday 31st August - Friday 6th September - Tournament Week
Sunday 8th September - Smallbore InterIsland Shoot
Saturday 28th - 30th September - South Island & NZ Trapshooting

Girls' Football XI Fundraiser

The Girls' Football XI is fundraising for Tournament week.

They are holding car washes to raise funds

• Saturday 31st August

9 am to 3 pm at the BP2GO garage next to McDonald's

Car washes cost $10 per vehicle, including a free hot drink from the garage barista.

We will also offer a full service, which will take an hour and cost $80 per vehicle, including an inside and outside clean. These need to be booked with Ralph Davies 021682461

Thank you for your support!

Oamaru Rowing Club Open Day - 8th September

Oamaru Rowing Club is holding their Open Day on 8th September, 9.30 am - 1 pm, down at the Esplanade, so come along to learn more about rowing in North Otago!

For further information, they can contact the club at oamarurowingclub@gmail.com

SKC boys' first XI

The SKC boys' first XI football team finished the season strongly, securing a comfortable victory in the high school senior league against Geraldine 8-0 last Saturday.

Best of luck to the boys playing in tournament week.

Thanks to Dave Boyle for the photos.

Riki Butson - New Zealand Motocross TT Nationals

Last weekend, the New Zealand Motocross flat track Nationals were hosted by the South Canterbury Motorcycle Club.

SKC Year 9 student Riki Butson achieved 6th place in the 12-16 age group. 

Excellent stuff, Riki!

Peter Breen's High Performance Class

On Thursday we had the pleasure of having Peter Breen speak to the Junior High Performance class and take a kicking session with some of our rugby players. 

Peter grew up in Oamaru and represented Otago and Northland in Rugby; he has been an assistant coach for the Wallaroos and Womens Super Rugby Matutu rugby teams and has worked with some of the biggest names in world rugby, helping refine their kicking and passing techniques. Peter spoke about how he started his business, Rugby Bricks, the advantages of being from a small town, how to outwork and outlearn, and why building rapport with others is an important trait. 

Thanks for giving up your time and working with our athletes!

You can keep up with Peter @rugbybricks

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Art and Cultural Events/Dates

Coming up this term

Wednesday 11th September - Choral festival
Thursday 12th September - Polyfest
Thursday 19th - 20th September - School Production - 10:30 am & 7:30 pm
Saturday 21st September - SKC Community Mass
Saturday 28th - 29th September - Edmund Rice Conference

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

Community Events/Notices

Summerjam Family Fun Day! - 7th September

Waitaki Community Recreation Centre

Saturday 7th September 2024

9 am - 3:30 pm

Waitaki Community Recreation Centre

Schools Alpine Competition Trans-Tasman Schools Winter Festival 2024 - 23rd to 27th September

The Schools Alpine Competition aims to provide young ski and snowboard enthusiasts with a platform to showcase their skills, foster sportsmanship and promote the sport of skiing and snowboarding.

This event serves as a gathering of talented skiers and snowboarders aged from 8 to 13 years of age and provides an exhilarating, supportive atmosphere while at the same time fostering healthy competition.

More details in the PDF attached below

5-Day Teen Sailing Adventure! 

Embark on an Epic 5-Day Teen Sailing Adventure! 

Calling all teens aged 14-18! 

Get ready to embark on an unforgettable journey that blends adventure, skill-building, and lasting friendships.

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