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

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

A new year is upon us, and we are thrilled to welcome our returning students and those joining us for the first time! 2025 promises to be a year filled with learning, friendships, and exciting new opportunities. 

This week, we welcomed our new cohort with a special Liturgy, and a Mihi Whakatau was performed to formally welcome the 2025 cohort. We also had school photos, and we ended our first week back with Investiture Prefects Mass today. 

Things to remember for Week 2 are our Meet the Staff evening on Tuesday at 7 pm in the library, Thursday is Waitangi Day, and School Athletics are on Friday to finish off the week.

Get ready for a year of discovery, growth, and unforgettable experiences. Let’s make 2025 a year to remember!

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.

St Kevin’s College – Single Sign On

As part of increasing the security posture of our school environment, St Kevin’s has recently
rolled out a centralised authentication platform via Microsoft Office 365.

This means a slight change to the way staff and students log in when using school systems such as
email.

When prompted to log into associated systems, there will be an extra step asking for your school
email address and password. These are the same details you use when at school to join the wireless
and log onto our shared computers.

All users are encouraged to self-register for Multi-Factor Authentication (aka.ms/mfasetup). As part of
this change, this additional security measure is enforced for all staff users only.

Attendance Matters

As we venture into Term 1, 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.

SKC Auditorium Hire

🎭 Host Your Event at St Kevin's College Auditorium! 🎶

St. Kevin's College auditorium is available to groups, clubs and individuals by contacting the school office. The auditorium can seat 500 at maximum capacity in rows of 250 connectable seats plus 250 in tiered steps. The connectable seats can be removed so that the floor area can be used for spatial activities.

The stage is 12m across and 4m deep, with wings, curtains and rear access. The renter should provide speakers and instruments if live music is required. Please get in touch with the school to arrange lighting/sound/seating arrangements, or rehearsal(s).

For bigger events; please note this equipment must come with the technician we supply. Note also the Theatre Lighting uses two banks of Flat Par Lighting; 8 with colour plus UV, 6 with electric zoom.

📞 Contact us now for inquiries or to book your event: 03 437 1665 or college@stkevins.school.nz

🍽️ Te Ngakau Nui Hungry Horse Café - Oamaru Racecourse 🏇

We are seeking volunteers to help at the Hungry Horse Café during a fundraising event on Sunday, February 2nd. Your assistance would be greatly appreciated in the following time slots:

- 12:00 PM – 2:30 PM: Setting up, food preparation, and selling food 🍳
- 2:30 PM – 4:30 PM: Selling and preparing food 🍔
- 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM: Selling food and cleaning up 🧼

This event is an important fundraiser for St. Kevin's Te Ngakau Nui, with all proceeds going directly to benefit the students 🎓.

If you are available to help, please contact Sam at 021 293 1158 or tengakaunui@stkevins.school.nz 📞✉️.

Thank you for your support! 🙏

📚 Meet the Teachers of St. Kevin's! 📚

Join us for a warm and welcoming Meet the Teachers evening on Tuesday 4th February, at 7:00 PM at St. Kevin's College! 🏫✨

This is a fantastic opportunity to meet the dedicated teachers who make St. Kevin's special. Meet the teachers, ask questions, and share your thoughts with us.

We look forward to seeing you there!

📍 Location: St. Kevin's College library

🗓 Date: Tuesday, 4th February

⏰ Time: 7:00 PM

Temporary Bus Drop-Off and Pick-Up Location

Due to ongoing upgrades to the sewer system outside the stadium's main gate, Taward Street is now a one-way street. 

As a result, all bus drop-offs and pick-ups will be temporarily relocated to Lismore Street for the foreseeable future.

Thank you for your patience and cooperation!

For parts of next week, the intersection on the corner of Taward Street and Sandringham Street will be closed so you will be required to use Stirling Street to access the Taward Street school entrance.

Start Up Procedures for 2025

Welcome to 2025 at St Kevin’s College!

Contact Information

Week 2

Monday 3rd February Normal school day: 8:50 AM -3:10 PM

Tuesday 4th February Meet the Staff Evening at 7 PM for all our students and

their families, especially those who are new to the College.

Wednesday 5th February Normal school day: 8:50 AM -3:10 PM

12:20 PM Dominican Excellence Awards - Chapel

Thursday 6th February Waitangi Day – College is closed.

Friday 7th February Athletics Day

Uniform Shop

The College operates a Uniform Shop and Eftpos facilities are available. During the school term the Uniform Shop is open every Thursday at lunchtime from 1PM-2PM. PE uniform can be purchased from SKC Uniform Shop

Extra Opening Hours for the beginning of 2025

The Uniform Shop will be open on: Sunday 19th January 12PM-4PM Thursday 23rd January 12PM-4PM Sunday 26th January 2PM-4PM

Contact Jane Taafaki (021 119 6525)

Our uniform shop sells new Kilts, Blazers, Ties and PE tops. All other items are second hand and we have limited amounts available.

Communication

College Office

Phone: 03 437 1665

Mobile: 021 437 176

Email: college@stkevins.school.nz

The Pastoral Care Team

At each level of the school, there are particular staff members available to help students in need. Our Deans are the first point of contact where questions, difficulties or concerns are being experienced.

Year 9 Dean: Mr J Devereaux

Year 10 Dean: Mrs L Cooper

Year 11 Dean: Ms J Atabelo

Year 12 Dean: Mrs H Strauss

Year 13 Dean: Mrs H Mellor

Guidance: Mrs E Dupu

Alternative Education: Mrs L Marshall

Vocational Pathways: Mrs M Burton, Mrs C Brenssell & Mrs K McLaren

Absences

Where a student is absent on any one day before 9:30 AM, families are to either:

• Phone the school office on (03) 437 1665
• Email absences@stkevins.school.nz
• Text 021 437 176
• On the College website > Connect > Student Absence

Where a student is going to be absent from school for an extended period of time, a request must be made in writing to the Principal at least 14 days in advance of the intended leave. Students who are granted leave are expected to make up the work that they have missed out on.

2025 Term Dates and Holidays

• Term 1 Monday 27th January to Friday 11th April
• Term 2 Monday 28th April to Friday 27th June
• Term 3 Monday 14th July to Friday 19th September
• Term 4 Monday 6th October to Friday 5th December

2025 Public Holidays

• Waitangi Day: Thursday, 6th February
• Good Friday: Friday, 18th April
• Otago Anniversary Day: Monday, 24th March
  (The hostel will be closed from 5 pm Friday, 21st March until 2 pm, Monday 24th March)
• Easter Monday: Monday, 21st April
• Anzac Day: Friday, 25th April
• King's Birthday: Monday, 2nd June
  (The hostel will be closed from 5 pm Friday, 30th May until 2 pm, Monday 2nd June)
• Matariki: Friday, 20th June
• Labour Day: Monday, 27th October
  (The hostel will be closed from 5 pm Friday, 24th October until 2 pm, Monday 24th October)

Principals Post

Kia Ora Kevinians and Supporters of the College,

It has been with great excitement and some trepidation, at least on behalf, no doubt, of our new Year 9 students, that the year has begun here at SKC.

I thought I would take a few moments to share the wisdom that over thirty years in the secondary system and being a parent has taught me about these initial weeks at school.

For our junior students, the first year is about finding their feet in the school community. This year is divided into sixes: the first six weeks and the first six months. 

In the first six weeks your young person is dealing primarily with the social settings they are finding themselves in.  Whose class are they in?  Do they like their teachers?  Where will they sit?  How will they respond to the undoubtedly harder demands of learning in a high school environment?

Over this period of time, the common challenges that arise are anxiety about classes, especially if they have been moved away from friends, anxiety about the change in approach to work, changing classrooms, and the level of organisation required. Often, very often, in fact, your young person will find that the friendship groups which they clung tightly to in primary school will shift.

Please be aware that if your child has been placed into a class away from traditional friendships, this has been done with a great deal of thought and consultation with their feeder school.  Our aim is for all of our students to do as well as they can academically and socially.  Sometimes initially painful decisions have to be made for the long term good.

Moving into a larger pool of potential friends means that for many students, their close friendship bonds are challenged.  This is especially visible in female friendships.  Where boys just tend to collect other boys and the crowd becomes larger, girls, in turn, seem to transfer their affections to others either wholly or selectively at different times. For example, they may have one friendship set they sit with in class, but that may not be the friendship set they wish to have lunch with. 

This can be very painful and needs to be approached with care.  Your child may appear moody and or tearful as a result, but be assured it is all very normal.  Deans, our counsellor Esther and teachers are all here to listen to both the student and you, as whanau, so please reach out if you need support.

Social media can contribute greatly to the misery students may feel at this time.  We strongly suggest that students do not engage with social media until at least year 11.  Our aim is to empower your student to be their authentic selves and contribute meaningfully to this community in the way that works for them.

The second six is the first six months.  During this period students will establish the pattern which will set the scene for their academic approach to what the College has to offer.  It is very important that, as a family, you are able to support your students with systems that will put them at the best possible advantage to achieve their potential. 

Suggestions I would make to support families with this are as follows:

1. Establish routines around sleep.  Bedtimes need to be firm, and sleep needs to be supported as the physical and mental changes your child is moving through are immense in the next few years (as great a change as when they moved from baby to toddler). Ensure phones, games and computers are switched off once the student has gone to bed.   This not only promotes sleep but also helps with exposure to negative online experiences and mental health.

2. Create time and space for homework.  This needs to be somewhere where other children and distractions are kept away.  In large families, this can be more difficult, but younger children need to know that their College student sibling needs time out from them at a certain time each day.  At SKC, we have provided set study times for senior students, but juniors must complete homework on their own time. Students are encouraged to use the library at lunchtime if it is too difficult to find a quiet space at home.

3. Get your student to school on time and ready to learn, with lunch and equipment, before the first bell. If families are having issues with any of these, please contact the APs, James Devereaux or Carl Herbst. We are here to help.

4. Have your student read for a minimum of 15 minutes a day.  This not only supports their literacy but also their mathematics and every other academic discipline.  There is a temptation these days to try to look for all kinds of methods to shortcut the reading process but unfortunately, the fact remains that the discipline and practice of regular reading is still a great predictor of achievement.  Families can do much to model and support this, and it is never too early to start with younger siblings.  15 Minutes of reading in bed in a quiet space promotes literacy, good sleep and good mental health and gives young people (and parents) a chance to disengage from the worries of the day.

It is at times like this, when I am writing to families at the beginning of their child's educational journey with us, that I wish I was better at platitudes, but the reality is that being a young teenager is hard, and the world our young people are living in is often uncertain and scary.  Coming to secondary school is a huge step, and often, how well a student is able to handle that sets the course of their life.  There will be (and are) challenges, but we cannot grow resilience without conflict, and, at the end of it all, no diamond emerges without harsh polishing.  SKC will be here to help your young person.  We ask that you trust us to do the very best we can for your student.  To share some early wisdom from the great philosopher Mick Jagger,  your young people may not' always get what they want, but they will get what they need'.

God Bless, and good luck to our new families.

Welcome!

Jo Walshe

Faith Facts

Week 1

A Student's Prayer for a New School Year

Lord Jesus,

I ask for Your help as I begin this new school year.

Allow me to experience Your presence in the many blessings You put before me.

Open my eyes to the new challenges and exciting opportunities that this new school year brings. Open my heart and mind to new friends and new teachers. Give me a generous spirit to be enthusiastic with my studies and courage to accept new opportunities.

Help me to be attentive to my teachers and let me experience Your presence in my new friends.

Jesus, inspire me to do my best this year!

Amen

31st St John Bosco 1815 -1888

It is fitting that the first week of school contains the day dedicated to St John (Don) Bosco. He was a gentle Italian man who disapproved of corporal punishment, instilling a sense of duty and virtue instead.  He encouraged daily Mass, guided children in a fatherly way, and united spirituality with work, study, and play. John Bosco is the patron saint of school children.

This week at SKC

2025 Year 9 Welcome & Liturgy

🎉 Hello, Year 9! 📚✨

On Monday we officially welcomed the Year 9 Class of 2025 with a special Liturgy and Celebration 🙏. It was a beautiful way to start the year, reflect on new beginnings, and come together as a new cohort.

Year 9 is a time of growth, discovery, and building lifelong friendships. We can’t wait to see all you achieve in the months ahead! 🌟

Here’s to a fantastic 2025 school year!

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School Events

Coming up this term

Tuesday 4th February - Meet the staff 7 pm
Wednesday 5th February - Dominican [Excellence] Awards 12.20 pm
Thursday 6th February - Waitangi Day/School closed
Sunday 9th - 10th February - Prefect retreat
Friday 21st - 23rd February - Edmund Rice Leadership Weekend
Wednesday 26th - 28th February - 12GEO Trip - Aoraki Mt Cook
Wednesday 26th February - Mural Project Celebration Period 5
Tuesday 4th March - NCEA/Cambridge talk to Yr 11s
Wednesday 5th March - Otago Uni visit
Tuesday 11th March - Year 12 Retreat
Friday 14th March - Health and Safety course
Tuesday 18th March - Year 9 Retreat
Wednesday 19th March - Year 13 Bio trip 
Thursday 20th March - Otago Polytechnic visit
Tuesday 1st April - Year 11 Retreat
Thursday 3rd April - Yr 12/13 Transition Day

Sport Events

Coming up this term

Friday 7th February - School Athletics
Friday 14th February - Swimming Sports Day
Sunday 16th - 17th February - Roncalli Cricket exchange 
Thursday 20th February - Aoraki Tennis
Friday 28th February - Aoraki Senior Touch
Sunday 2nd -3rd March - Taieri Cricket exchange
Sunday 2nd March - Aoraki Triathlon
Tuesday 4th March - Aoraki Senior Girls Volleyball
Thursday 6th March - Aoraki Senior Boys Volleyball
Friday 7th - 9th March - SISS Rowing
Wednesday 12th March - Aoraki Athletics
Wednesday 12th - 13th March - St Thomas Cricket exchange
Saturday 22nd March - SISS Touch
Saturday 22nd March - SISS Mountain Biking
Monday 24th -30th March - Summer Tournament Week - MAADI Cup
Thursday 27th March - Aoraki Croquet
Thursday 27th March - NZSS Triathlon
Friday 28th March - NZSS Triathlon NZ Mixed Relay
Friday 4th - 6th April - SISS Athletics
Tuesday 8th April - Senior Quads

School TV

Sleep

As the school year is about to begin it is timely to consider our holiday sleeping routine. Young people today have extremely busy schedules, with ever increasing responsibilities at school and at home. Many young people, especially adolescents, are going to bed later and later and are at risk of sleep deprivation. This affects three areas of a young person’s development: psychological, physiological and psychosocial. All three are essential to a person's growth, learning ability and overall well-being. Sleep is vital to a young person's overall development and is as important as diet and exercise.

Sleep also strengthens a young person’s immune system and supports their ability to function properly on a daily basis. Young people who do not get enough sleep show increased levels of aggressive behaviour, are less attentive and are much less active. Trying to catch up on sleep on weekends is not the answer and can still lead to severe sleep deprivation.

In this edition of SchoolTV, families will learn about the importance of sleep and how sleep deprivation can have adverse effects on a young person's health and wellbeing.

If you have any concerns about your young person, please contact the Pastoral Care Team/Dean or our school counsellor for further information or seek medical or professional help.

Here is the link to the Sleep edition of SchoolTV

https://stkevins.nz.schooltv.me/newsletter/sleep

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

Oamaru Warehouse Stocktake

📣 Calling All Students 16+!

Are you seeking a chance to earn funds and gain experience? We need your help at the Oamaru Warehouse Stocktake on Saturday, 1st February!

• When: Starting time is TBC, but assume 4:30 PM based on previous years (7–8 hours of work)
• Who can join: Students aged 16+ and family members are welcome to pitch in. More hands mean more funds raised!
• Why: It is a great opportunity to support the cause, work as a team, and make a positive impact.

Ready to take up this fantastic opportunity?

📧 Email Sarah at sclapperton@stkevins.school.nz to register your interest.

St John Youth in Oamaru

St John Youth focuses on helping people aged 5 to 18 develop their potential through leadership, community engagement, and fostering hauora (a holistic approach to health and well-being).

Meeting Details:

• Location: St John Oamaru, 23 Exe Street, Oamaru.
• Cadets Meeting Time: Mondays from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM.
• Penguins Meeting Time: Mondays from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM.

Contact Information:

• Email: youth@stjohn.org.nz
• Phone: 0800 ST JOHN
• Website: youth.stjohn.org.nz

Weston School is looking for Music Tutors! 🎸🥁

We're seeking enthusiastic and experienced music teachers to join our out-of-hours music program in 2025. We're particularly interested in tutors who can teach:

• Drums
• Guitar
• Ukulele

If you're passionate about sharing your musical talents and inspiring young learners, please get in touch with kruddenklau@weston.school.nz for more information.

Papakaio School 2025 Fundraiser

Battle of the Bikers Ride - 15th March 2025 - Willow Park ​

Compete against other schools to take out the title. ​

How to score and represent your high school:

• Lap Crushers: Every lap earns 1 point for your school. ​
• Team Power: Each team entry gets 5 bonus points. ​
• Solo Legends: Individual riders score 10 points for their school. ​
• Chill Points: Every entry on the Easy Rider track earns 1 point. ​

Register online from 1st January 2025 at www.papakaio8hour.nz. ​

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

Edge is Becoming Helix! 🚀

We're thrilled that Edge is evolving into Helix—an upgraded platform for secondary and area schools! 🎓

For now please still use your existing Edge logins

What's new?

✅ Specialised Features: Helix offers enhanced modules and tools tailored to secondary and area schools' unique needs.

✅ Dedicated Teams: Helix and Edge are now separate products, allowing us to focus on delivering the best for each school type.

✅ Continued Development: Helix will grow in ways that support secondary/area schools, while Edge remains the go-to platform for primary and intermediate schools.

What about the mobile app?

📱 The Helix App is coming soon! In the meantime, you can continue using the Edge app to stay connected.

With Helix, you'll still get the same great functionality you love from Edge; it's just upgraded for your needs.

Stay tuned for more updates! 🎉

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 summer! 

Ngā mihi
Shane Rees
Communications and Events