Sancta Maria College .::. Newsletter 11

I hope that the holidays have been an enjoyable time for you. There are a number of issues and occasions that I wish to bring to your attention as we prepare for the second half of the year

ICON

The ‘Sancta Maria’ ICON is now hanging in the school Chapel. This magnificent ‘painting’ of Mary holding the Child Jesus will serve as a symbol of our first year as a full school. All current students will receive a bookmark which will have a photo of the ICON on it.

The Board of Trustees is inviting Parents to contribute towards the cost of the ICON through donations. A donation of $50 or more will secure the family name on a plaque to be placed adjacent to the ICON. The closing date for donations is Monday

1 September after which the plaque will be prepared. Donations can be made at the accounts office.

WORLD YOUTH DAY

Our WYD group of staff, parents and students are now experiencing the culmination of their pilgrimage. Our prayers and thoughts are with them as along with hundreds of thousands of others they witness the Holy Spirit in their lives. We look forward to their safe return and to them sharing their experiences with us. Sky News (Channel 90) is covering the major ceremonies live.

ART / DRAMA / MUSIC

The last week of Term 2 was filled with wonderful occasions. On Tuesday evening our Senior Debating Team, who have performed superbly well this year lost narrowly to Tuakau College. While disappointed, the team of Julia Young, Ryan Sainsbury and Sam Vincent (standing in for his sister Charlotte) can be proud of how far they progressed in this senior competition. On Wednesday evening the students preparing for NCEA Performance Music presented some of their pieces of work. These soloists and small groups stunned the small audience with their confidence, their quality and the obvious enjoyment they get from their music. It was an opportunity for one to appreciate the outstanding talent that has been nurtured here at Sancta Maria College.

On Thursday evening an Art Exhibition of students work, together with a Yr 11 NCEA Drama performance were held in the Staffroom. The quality of the student art, painting and photography was stunning.

It is a classic example of the young people’s appreciation of Art and the levels that they have reached through the guidance and encouragement of their teachers.

The Drama production of “Living with Lady Macbeth” was outstanding. This 1 hour play was superbly presented by a small group of students who were playing roles totally ‘out of character’. Again it reflected their development in this area and the support they receive from the Drama Programme at the school.

There were 2 nights of wonderful entertainment.

PARKING / DROP OFF / PICKUP

From Day 1 of Term 3 the new drop off / pick up area at the front of the school will be in operation. All parents / caregivers dropping off students at the beginning of the day and / or picking up students at the end of the day MUST use the front area. Cars are not to access the top of the driveway, beyond the left hand side entry / exit unless parents are picking up a student for medical reasons or have an appointment with a staff member. The visitors car park can be used for this purpose. Staff cars and buses only can proceed beyond the front car park. This arrangement will greatly enhance safety procedures in the mornings and at the end of the school day. Your co-operation is appreciated.

On a related matter, we assume that when students are dropped off in the school grounds they are to remain in the school area. Some students, in the mornings are going across Te Irirangi Drive to the various Cafés. We are concerned that some parents may not be aware that this is occurring. If parents are happy for this to occur we would appreciate your indication of this approval by dropping your son / daughter off in the commercial area, rather than in the school.

HOMEWORK CLUB

The school library is open from 8.00am to 4.30pm five days per week. On a Monday and Wednesday the closing time is extended to 5.00pm. On these 2 days senior students are available to assist students with homework or assignments. We are considering extending this to one further day, depending on demand. Many students wait around till 4.00pm, 4.30pm or later for parents to pick them up. Rather than waiting outside, they need to be strongly encouraged to use their time wisely in the library getting 40 minutes or more of their homework completed. I strongly urge parents / caregivers to support this initiative and by so doing enhance the academic focus of our school.

SIDELINE BEHAVIOUR

I am most grateful for the excellent support that we get from parents, grand parents and other friends of the school for our sports teams. From most the nature of the support is positive, encouraging and fair. Many of you will be aware of the unfortunate incident that occurred in a rugby match towards the end of last term. The incident would not have escalated had parents and others from the sideline not have ventured onto the field. Sadly, this situation is an extreme example of inappropriate behaviour by spectators that occurs in many codes of sport in both club and school competition. Inappropriate comments and language, excessive criticism of home and opposition players, criticism and abuse of the referee or umpire are examples of sideline behaviour that could possibly result in inappropriate displays of unsportsmanlike behaviour by our players. Such behaviour is an embarrassment to others on the sideline and should not be tolerated. At Sancta Maria College we strive to instil in our students values that are higher than what is found in the wider community. When a small number of parents and other adults supporting our teams do not demonstrate these values it reflects on ‘all of us’. We are a Catholic School, we should be seen to be different. I strongly request that everyone who supports our teams reflect our values, our compassion, keep off the fields and courts and let the referees / umpires do their job as best they can – without exception.

HEALTHY EATING

From 1 June all schools were required to have healthy food options in their canteens and to limit the availability of pies etc. Our canteen has been leading into this for many months now with ‘pie less’ days and healthy options for students. All our products have the Heart Foundation tick of approval. I ask that parents support this campaign by ensuring that packed lunches are also healthy. Some suggestions are below.

A HEALTHY PACKED LUNCH

· One good portion of starchy food such as wholegrain bread roll, pita, tortilla wrap or pasta salad with a serving of protein like lean meat, fish or egg.

· A piece of fruit or a handful of cherry tomatoes, grapes, carrot or celery sticks, some raisins or a pot of fruit salad.

· One serving of dairy such as a wedge of cheese or a pot of yoghurt (60g a day meets a child’s calcium needs)

· A drink such as milk, yoghurt drink or home made smoothie (to be supplemented by water from school drinking fountains)

· An occasional treat like a bran muffin, biscuit, scone or slice of fruit cake.

May God Bless you all.

Paul Daley

Principal

ELIZABETH MICHAEL SCHOOL UNIFORM SALE

Elizabeth Michael School wear is having a big mid-winter sale during the month of July (or while stocks last) on selected uniform items.

For more information on selected styles please call Elizabeth Michael Ph 358 1680.

STUDY WORKSHOP FOR SENIOR STUDENTS

A 2 hour workshop for senior students will be run at the end of term 3. The workshop will be run by Stuart Wright from UCANDO. There will be a small charge to cover the costs of Stuart but spaces will be limited to 30 students. If you are interested please contact Mr Shaw at g.shaw@sanctamaria.school.nz . Stuart has work with many students and schools throughout the country and comes highly recommended.

NETBALL – FASHION AND STYLE NIGHT – Friday 1 August

"The Sancta Maria Netball Club is hosting a Fashion and Style Night on Friday, 1 August at 7.30pm to raise funds for those teams travelling to various netball tournaments this season. The Fashion and Style Night is hosted by the Style Doctors, Trudy and Alison who provide you with a chance to listen to and see an informative, interesting, comprehensive and fun filled night. They cover body shapes, tops, jeans, pants, skirts, dresses, shoes, accessories, colours and many more topics. Tickets are just $20.00 and include a glass of wine or soft drink with a light supper. To get you tickets, please contact your daughters Netball Coach or Manager, or if your daughter is not a netball player, contact Bridget Danbrook on 532 8129 (h) or 021 532 819 (mob) to get you tickets NOW. Tickets are limited - only 150 are available and will be issued on a first come first served basis."

PTFA SAUSAGE SIZZLE

The next PTFA sausage sizzle will be held on Friday 8 August.

CAREERS AND TRANSITION SERVICE

New Careers Advisory Website

The Sancta Maria College Careers Advisory Website has recently been updated and expanded. Visit www.sanctamaria.school.nz. Follow the links to a variety of subsections that now include: Career Events, Gateway, and The World Beyond School with sub pages for Producing a CV, Tertiary Exploration, Apprenticeships and Careers Information.

Tertiary Exploration

Senior students have been attending a number of events at school and offsite that enable them to experience what courses and options are available in order to make more informed decisions about their future. These events include MIT Experience Days, Tertiary Open Days, Information Evenings, and Pasifika Career Awareness Days.

Dates for upcoming events are can be accessed on the Sancta Maria College Careers advisory website.

Guest Speakers

We have invited representatives in to talk to students at lunchtime from all the Tertiary Providers around New Zealand. Students have the opportunity to talk direct to the delegates about the courses and services they offer.

July

· 24 July Hospitality Standards Institute (H S I)- Careers In Hospitality

· 25 July Auckland University Scholarships. For all year 13 students intending to study at Ak Uni in 2009.

· 28 July Engineering Faculty- Auckland University

· 29 July Business Faculty- Auckland University

· 31 July Lincoln University

August

· 7 August AUT University

· 5 August Auckland University.

Scholarships & Tertiary Funding Information

The Break Out Database can now be accessed through the school intranet. This enables students to locate over 2,000 scholarships and awards available in New Zealand and overseas.

These are not all based on academic performance so we encourage all students to research and apply for as much as they can.

Sancta Maria College Careers Evening

Mark this date on your calendars! Our Careers Evening will be held on 14^th August 2008 from 7pm – 8.30pm.

The Gateway programme is well underway for 2008. All twenty of our of senior students selected for the programme have been successfully matched with suitable employers. This Government funded programme blends school study with work based learning and experiences. Assessments are completed in the workplace and count towards national qualifications.

We are always interested in hearing from employers from within our school community who would be willing to assist us by taking on a student for an average of 8 working days.

Contact Amanda Morby, Gateway Co-ordinator on (09) 274 4081 ext: 244 or Mobile: (021) 104 5373 or email a.morby@sanctamaria.school

Should you wish to contribute towards the cost of the ICON, please complete the form below and forward it with your donation. You will be issued with a receipt which you will be able to use for tax purposes. Closing date for donations is Monday 1 September. Donations can be made at the accounts office.

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Icon Donation

Family Name: __________________________ Amount Donated $_________
(please print)

Name for Plaque ___________________________
eg. Smith (James, Mary)

Method of Payment: (Please tick)

Cheque			Eftpos		) At School
Cash			Visa		) Cashier ) Office Only