St Kevin's College News and Reminders Term 4 Week 1

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

Welcome back to the final term for 2024! We jumped into full swing this week with Cambridge exams, Year 9 Science Extension Day, and the Leavers Transition Day.

We've also opened up the Course Counselling bookings for Year 10 going into Year 11 for 2025. (info below)

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.

Course Counselling bookings are open for Year 10 going into Year 11 for 2025

Parents and caregivers need to attend these events.

SKC Year 11 Handbook

stkevins.school.nz/enrolment/senior-curriculum

Please follow the link for booking times:

schoolinterviews.co.nz/code/pyxza

Mountain Bike track closed

The mountain bike track is closed for maintenance until further notice.

Term 4 Uniform

In Term 4, students are expected to wear their summer uniform.

Proper dress code: uniform

Attendance Matters

As we venture into Term 4, it is an excellent time to check in on your school attendance. 

Every day matters! 

2024 School Magazine

Just a quick reminder that all students have been invoiced for this year's school magazine/yearbook.
Please ensure payments are made by 30 November 2024 so we can print enough copies for everyone who has paid by then.

If you don't want the magazine, just contact the school office, and we'll be happy to remove the charge from your account. 

We'll also keep you posted about when the magazines are ready for pick-up.

Is your child keen to go to uni?

Here's the rundown on how University Entrance (UE) works from NZQA

WHAT IS IT?

University Entrance is the minimum requirement to go from school to a New Zealand university. Being awarded UE also opens doors to tertiary study in other countries.

Once you have met the requirements for University Entrance, it will appear on your Record of Achievement.

TO BE AWARDED UE, YOU NEED:

 NCEA Level 3

 14 credits at Level 3 in each of three approved subjects

 10 Literacy credits at Level 2 or above, made up of:

 5 credits in reading

 5 credits in writing

 10 Numeracy credits at Level 1 or above, made up of:

 co-requisite Level 1 Numeracy unit standard 32406 or Te Pāngarau unit standard 32412, or

 certain achievement standards.

MORE INFO

To find out more about UE and NCEA itself, head to the NZQA website: https://bit.ly/46SUh6a

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.

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

Principals Post

Kia Ora Kevinians and Supporters of the College,

Next week will be the final week at school for our senior students. This is a bittersweet time for many as they want to leave us, but they do not always feel they are quite yet ready. An important message we want to send to all of our graduates is that on the first day they attended the College, they were welcomed as new Kevinians, and they will always be part of our history.

Over the past few days, Kara Cox, Paul Olsen, and I have been in Auckland and Wellington, visiting with Alumni from the College. The purpose of these visits is to keep them connected with our College community. These events remind us of the wide range of opportunities there are in the world for motivated, community-oriented people who have made the most of their opportunities while at the College.

My plea to our graduating students every year is the same. Please finish in a way that adds to your mana and makes you feel good about ending your time with us. Please keep in contact and, where you can, engage with the College. Please remember that you have written your name in the history of our school, and it is now part of your history.

I wish all our graduates the best for the coming final week and remind all families that our prizegiving is the week after on the 31st October starting with Mass at 6:30 pm.

God Bless
Jo

Past few weeks at SKC

Year 9 Science extension day - 15th October

On Tuesday 26 Year 9 and Year 10 students, including 3 international SKC students, participated in the One Day Science Extension Program organised by the NZ Marine Studies Centre (Aquavan) and Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony Centre.

The programme included topics on plankton, microplastics, turbidity, sedimentation, photosynthesis, feeding, and penguin homing. They also did some experiments on microplastics, penguin poo microscopic examination, turbidity and clarity of seawater. 

We also visited the penguin colony and saw the penguins in their nests in the dark room. The students were actively engaged in the lecture and experiment sessions and raised relevant questions. 

The group was accompanied by SKC Science Teachers  Socorro Laraga, Lee O’Neill and Philippa Sutton. 

Before we left, we thanked the team for the experience and took a group photo in front of the OBPCC building.

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Tūrakawaewae Waitaki

The Creatives in Schools Programme is a legacy wellbeing programme delivered by the MoE in partnership with the Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatū Taonga and Creative New Zealand. SKC has received one of the final grants to research, design, and paint a series of nine murals that tell the story of our district, parish, and school. During Term 4, our Year 9 and 10 classes will be working on one mural each, guided by internationally respected creative Ira Mitchell. Ira will stay with us at the Redcastle as an artist-in-residence for the next eight weeks.

We would love your ideas and feedback to flesh out our proposed timeline from prehistory to the present day (the Waitaki River will be a motif linking each mural). The murals will be placed in the Upper Quad in chronological order.

We welcome all feedback from all students, parents/caregivers, alumni and interested community members.

Form: https://bit.ly/4eDNjVG

Ngā mihi

SKC Leavers Transition Day - 17th October

On Thursday our Year 13s and school leavers had a Transition to Life day, during which we had several workshops.

The day's purpose was to give our Leavers some skills for life after school. Thank you to the following people and businesses who offered their services:

-Workbridge
-Diane Vidallon from Berry and Co
-Health Nurse Verena Birchall
-Greg Heller and past pupil Sam McCarthy from Otago University
-Alan Grant
-Melissa Smith Total Wellbeing
-Food teacher Trevor Griggs
-Community Constable Jay Morriss
-Oamaru Rotary Group

The day was well received and the students had some fantastic take home messages! 

It was also awesome to hear from last year's Deputy Head, Boy Sam McCarthy, about his experiences at Otago University. 

Cricket Pitch upgrades

The Gillies family has kindly donated their time and money towards installing a popup sprinkler system for the No. 1 cricket block. 

This will significantly improve the facilities and will save time watering the blocks during the week and after matches. 

Thank you for your contribution to SKC Sport and Cricket.

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Edmund Rice Conference 2024

St Kevin’s College hosted the annual Edmund Rice Conference during the first weekend of the school holidays. The conference theme was Te Pūtahitanga - Coming Together. 

It was a wonderful opportunity to come together, share our lived experiences, and reflect on the connectedness of our colleges, camps, entities, Edmund Rice groups, and other relationships. The keynote sessions were informative and enriching. 

However, it is often in the unplanned activities and conversations that our young people form connections and grow as future leaders. We all left the conference with a renewed sense of hope. Our St Kevin’s College students were fantastic hosts, and all who attended commented on our beautiful school.

Thanks to Mrs Buckham for the 📷s

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School Events

Coming up this term

Tuesday 22nd October - Year 13 retreat
Thursday 24th October - National shakeout
Friday 25th October - Leavers assembly. Last day for Seniors
Thursday 31st October - Senior Prizegiving
Tuesday 5th November - NCEA exams start
Tuesday 5th - Thursday 7th November - Course Counselling Yr 10
Tuesday 12th - Friday 15th November - Junior Assessment 

Sports

Coming up this term

Monday 18th - Friday 22nd November - Aoraki Junior Sports Week
Sunday 24th November - Willows Cricket

R2k regatta

A great result from the first rowing regatta of the season for the Oamaru rowing club at the Y2K single skulls event in Twizel at the beginning of the holidays.

In a large Under 19 field that included several rowers recently returned from the junior world champs, Paddy and Nye both qualified for the A final. They finished 7th and 10th, respectively, in the  A final, making the event a very exciting start to the season.

Oamaru Swim Meet

Oamaru Swim Club hosted its annual swim meet on Sunday, with more than 80 swimmers of all ages attending from across Otago and Canterbury. The club had 18 swimmers covering 99 races. Overall, the club received impressive results, with placings and personal bests.

SKC students Frankie McDiarmird-Jones and Macey Stratford swam well, resulting in the following placings:

1st XI Australian Cricket tour report- Lloyd Fellowes

Tours don't come around very often, and those lucky enough to go on one will create memories for life. The St Kevins College 1st XI cricket tour to Sydney 2024 certainly lived up to expectations. As activities continued, we began by ticking off one many people would class as a once-in-a-lifetime experience. That was watching the NRL grand final. With roughly 80,000 people surrounding you, the atmosphere was electric. It's not often that the first activity on a tour is classed as your favourite, but this time it certainly was. The Sydney Cricket Ground tour was another special experience, inviting cricket enthusiasts to look into the heritage of cricket. 

Walking through the new neighbouring Allianz stadium and then the Sydney Cricket Ground gave a taste of the past and present and contrasted how far technology in professional sport has changed. For example, the changing rooms in Allianz were spacious and offered all the latest recovery technology, in contrast, the SCG visiting changing rooms were no bigger than most bedrooms in the average household. Bondi Beach was quite the experience. Sharing a beach with roughly 10,000 people in 29-degree heat made us boys from Oamaru feel out of place. Nevertheless, the swimming was welcomed. 

Aside from the tourist activities, we managed to experience cricket in another country. We began the tour by playing Holy Cross College. We lost the toss and were put on the field in slightly adverse playing conditions. Holy Cross College boasted a score of 265. Hamish Fowler took 3 for 26, and Elijah Fariu took 2 for 34. With a large score on the board, the top-order batsmen had their jobs cut out for them. Overall, our batsmen couldn't convert their starts into match-winning innings; however, the batting tail stood up, with Jimmy Miers scoring 37 and Flynn Sanford scoring 33. 

Shore School was next on the cards. It was a privilege and honour for all the boys to play at such a ground worthy of hosting first-class games. Shore, one of Sydney's top cricketing schools, meant the boys would learn valuable lessons against solid competition. Shore scored 233; in hindsight, the boys bowled well, restricting a solid batting order to such a score. Lachie McEwan picked up four wickets. Again, the top-order batsmen could not capitalise on their starts, and we were bowled out for 148. Hunter Growcott top scoring with 26. 

Thursday was a rest day. This time, we went to the much quieter Manly Beach, trying to make the most of Australian beaches. We then ferried back to Central Quay, which offered some amazing views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Next on the cards was Oakhill College. We won the toss and elected to bat first, posting a score of 262. This time, the top-order batsmen capitalised, with Lloyd Fellowes scoring 85, Hunter Growcott scoring 44, and Jack Kelly scoring 42. With great improvements to single-taking, it highlighted how we could build a bigger score in batting partnerships. A picturesque Australian afternoon, set up for a competitive bowling battle to defend our score. We were able to bowl them out for 224, as the game came down to a nail-biting final ten overs. The fielding performance was notable, having four runouts, and many catches. Again, well done to Hamish Fowler, who took 3 for 41. What a way to end the tour!

Thank you to all the sponsors and parents who offered their time to help fundraise. Thank you to Mr Smith for coaching and organising the tour. Other thanks to Liam Direen for coaching and Mr Fowler and Mrs Fowler for housekeeping.

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Art and Cultural Events/Dates

Coming up this term

Saturday 26th - Monday 28th October - Caritas Challenge
Friday 1st November - All Saints Day
Saturday 2nd November - All Souls Day
Sunday 24th November - Christ the King & World Youth Day

Art Competition!!

The Waitaki District Youth Council is looking for some art to put on a mural at the SkatePark in Oamaru. 

The theme is Waitaki; draw something that you believe is special to Waitaki. If you are one of the selected winners, your art will be drawn by an artist and displayed to the public. 

Once you have finished your art, you will need to get it to the Waitaki District Council office, either by mailing it to Private Bag 50058, Ōamaru, New Zealand 9444, dropping it into the office by hand, or by scanning or taking a picture of it and sending it to lkingan@waitaki.govt.nz 

This needs to be done by Friday, the 1st of November. Good Luck!

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’.

Community Events/Notices

Social 6's Cricket League for High School Girls

North Otago Cricket is thrilled to announce a social 6's cricket league for high school girls.

Teams will consist of 6 players and the games will be played with softball- no special gear or prior experience is necessary.

Each game lasts only 45 minutes to an hour, and participation is free.

This is a fantastic opportunity to encourage more girls to get involved in cricket in North Otago while providing a fun activity for them over the summer! Games will be held on Mondays after school, from 3:30/3:45 PM to 4:30 PM

Here is the link to register: https://www.playhq.com/new-zealand-cricket/register/c25fc4

Timaru Ten Run Event - 26th October

Save the date, 26th October!

Timaru Ten Run Event

Levels Raceway, Timaru

There's something for the whole family! We're very excited to have expanded our event to 5 km and walks this year.

For the 5km and kids' races, we will give spot prizes to the best-dressed, so get that tutu or Spider-Man suit out if you want!

Events will be spread out over the morning. The 10km is split into two groups to avoid congestion, as it's the Levels Raceway Track.

Register now https://timaruten.nz/#events

Aoraki Pasifika Festival - 23rd November 

Aoraki Pasifika Festival will be held on Saturday, November 23rd, 2024, at the Caroline Bay Soundshell. This vibrant celebration will showcase the rich culture and creativity of the Pasifika community, featuring a market filled with delicious Pasifika cuisine. Your involvement will greatly enrich the festival and resonate with Pasifika families in your area, fostering a sense of community and celebration.

Should anyone in your community like to have a stall at the festival, please contact Fakafetai lahi lele at aorakipasifika@gmail.com or 022 018 4647

Registration: https://bit.ly/4001tvY

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 holiday break! 

Ngā mihi
Shane Rees
Communications and Events