Dear Parents, Caregivers and Students

FROM THE PRINCIPAL

As I write this the celebrations of our school Feast Day are about to begin.  The Feast Day of the Visitation is very special to us and hopefully to you at home as well.  In putting others before herself, in showing endurance, commitment, patience and love, Mary in visiting her cousin Elizabeth  demonstrated many values that we need to aspire to live by in the modern world.  Our Feast Day Mass is followed by our annual talent quest ‘Sancta Maria has talent’.  This is a wonderful occasion which shows, not only the talent of the performers but also the encouragement they get from their  peers in the audience.

I wish to make a comment regarding Homework.  Homework is a vital component of student learning.  It is set regularly at all levels.  In the Middle School (Yrs 7 – 10) this will usually be set on a daily basis, however students may find in some subject areas that work is set and is not due for 3 or 4 days, or even longer.  It is important that in this situation  students do small components of the work each night and not leave it all to the evening before it is due.  Doing homework regularly is important as it reinforces what has been done in class during the day.  Students in Year 7 & 8 should not, in general be spending more than 1 – 1 ½ hours (max)  on their homework.  If they are regularly spending more time than this then please let the Homeroom teacher know.  Occasionally they will need to spend more time than this and students who wish to perfect their work will tend to spend more time than is sometimes required by the teacher.  Year 9 & 10 students should spend 1 ½ - 2 hours per night.

In the Senior School (Yrs 11 – 13) homework is also set regularly but in more subjects this will involve assignments or folio work.  Senior students always have homework, it may not however always be set by the teacher.  Senior  students should always be doing a minimum of 2 hours per night for 4 nights per week plus 2 – 3 hours over the weekend.

If homework has not been set by the teacher, senior students need to engage in ‘self directed’ homework.  They should take the opportunity to do supplementary reading, update revision notes, go over previous work,

practice more questions and answers, do further research or prepare for upcoming assessments.

Sometimes, self directed homework may be more beneficial than set homework.  Senior students need to start getting into the habits that will serve them well when they go to Tertiary Institutes where most of their learning will be ‘self directed’

Our Homework Centre operates every Wednesday and Friday at lunchtime in AU1.

This supervised room is available to students to catch up in work or to make a start on homework or assignments.

May God Bless You All

Paul Daley

Principal

SPECIAL CHARACTER – Mrs G Devoy

May has been a very busy month at Sancta Maria College.

On Wednesday the 15^th May, four of our students represented the school at the Pompallier Shield. The event was hosted by Marist College and involved students from 16 Catholic schools in the Northland and Auckland districts. The two categories were Scripture Reading and Oratory, in which students had to write and present a speech on the topic of “Light a Fire-Leave a Legacy”.

The Sancta Maria team consisted of Dillon O’Brien, Jessica Wilkins, Lauren Kubala and Joseph Xulue. The standard was extremely high and Jessica and Joseph performed extremely well to both gain second place in the Junior and Senior Oratory.

 I would like to congratulate all four students for their positive participation and hard work. It was a pleasure to work with these four students and to witness their dedication and commitment. One of the highlights of the evening was watching our students interacting with their peers from other schools.

A number of students participated in the recent 40 Hour Famine and I would like to commend Callan Jaffar, Charlotte Long and James Stolten for their diligence and enthusiasm in promoting and supporting this worthwhile project. It is remarkable how just a small amount can make a huge difference in the lives of others.

 Friday the 29^th May was our Feast Day, the Feast of the Visitation. On this day, we celebrated and remembered those special qualities that make Mary such an outstanding role model. Her willingness to leave her family and home when requested to do so by her cousin is a wonderful example to all of us.

This spirit of being prepared to help when requested is very much alive in our school, with many students coming forward immediately to assist in the preparations for the Mass.

We would like to thank Fr Ezio for celebrating the Feast Day Mass with us.

May concludes with the Feast of Pentecost, so called as it falls fifty days after Easter Day. It is on this Feast Day that we remember how the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles as a mighty rushing wind, fulfilling Jesus’ promise to them. This is a day for us to remember two important realities: the Holy Spirit and the Church. Pentecost marks the official beginning of the Church and the fact that the Holy Spirit bestowed upon the apostle’s gifts of grace.

One of these gifts was the gift of tongues, enabling them to speak in many languages, thus spreading Christ’s words to many people.

Although Pentecost ends the Easter season, we celebrate the Resurrection regularly through the Eucharist.

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful. Kindle in them the fire of Your love. Lord, send out Your Spirit and renew the face of the earth.

FROM THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION

After lengthy deliberation the Board has reluctantly decided to increase the school contribution by $150 per student effective from 2010. This is the first increase to our fees since the beginning of 2008.  The Board of Trustees is committed to ensuring that our fees are balanced between being sufficient to deliver an education programme of excellence whilst at the same time keeping any increases to a minimum.  The new fees of $1,550 for Year 7 / 8 and $1,850 for Yr 9 – 13 is a reflection of both these positions.

The reasons for the increase are:

a)             For the past two years the Board has ‘carried’ the increase in the Attendance Dues charges that are charged by the Diocese and are forwarded directly to the Diocesan Office.  There is an increase in these charges again for 2010 and we can no longer sustain our subsidy.

b)             Extra financial commitments on the school in relation to the Gymnasium, ICT equipment and other teaching and learning resources.

The Board appreciates that many families are struggling financially and were reluctant to pursue this option.  We cannot however operate without this support.  We are pleased to advise that the family discount and early payment discount still applies for 2010 and are happy to discuss the situation with any families.

MIDDLE SCHOOL NEWS

Last week on 26 May the students in the Middle School were treated to a MMA Presentation called ‘Voices for better choices”.  MMA stands for Motivational Media Assemblies.  This programme is supported by the Manukau City Council.  The students greatly enjoyed this impressive movie which they viewed on three 10 foot square screens with stereo surround sound.

SEOnet – ICT Cluster

Sancta Maria was joined by staff from Elim Christian College and Our Lady Star of the Sea school last Monday after school for a meeting with Pam Hook from ‘Hooked on Thinking’.  The ICT cluster focus is to enhance thinking and learning through the use of ICT.

DEPARTMENT REPORT

TRIP TO FRANCE APRIL 2009

Olivia Ambrose, Annabel Arrowsmith, Loretta Fale- Manupule, Ellen Field, Callan Jaffar, Zoe Kamsma Melody Lai, Elliott Lam Po Tang, Elly Moody, Gabrielle Patrick, Abby Pearce, Noel Sheck, Danielle Stride, Thomas Tele, Sam Vincent, Charlotte Wilton, Melissa Wing, Joseph Xulue , Mr. I. Wannamaker and Mrs S. Read have just spent 2 weeks in Arras (1 hour north of Paris by the TGV train) and 4 days in Paris. In Arras we were hosted by families of the French students who visited us in February-March this year and we stayed at a MIJE youth hostel in Paris, 6 minutes walk from Notre Dame.

Apart from practising our French, spending 10 hours at school in Arras (quite normal for French schools) eating very strong cheese and sampling frogs’ legs and snails we also visited many places around Arras, including a chocolaterie, la carrière Wellington, Boulogne-sur-Mer , Lille  and of course the coal mines. We had an amazing day in Bruges, Belgium which was a highlight for many. If you get a chance, watch the movie “Bienvenue chez les Ch’tis” (Welcome to the Styx) to see where we were in France. The school and families gave us a wonderful time and we have thousands of photos to prove it!

In Paris we went on a 3 hour bike ride, visited the Musée d’Orsay, saw the Mona Lisa at the Louvre, walked in Montmartre and sang outside the Sacré Coeur. We walked the Champs Elysées to the Arc de Triomphe and went up the Eiffel Tower on a beautiful spring day. Our last day was spent at Versailles. Again a perfect day to visit the Palace and row boats on the lake in the magnificent gardens.

Thank you to Mr. Daley, Ms Cooney, Mrs Littlejohn and Mrs Blewitt for all their help in making the trip possible.  Thank you to the parents for all they did for the French students in NZ and for making it possible for the students to go to France.

Finally, thank you to God for enabling us to go and keeping us safe. We feel very blessed.

Sancta Maria College 2010

JAPAN STUDY TOUR

The biennial Term One school holiday Japan Study Tour that provides opportunity for students of Japanese from Year 9 to Year 13 to experience first hand Japanese language and cultural immersion is once again underway.  The rogramme of the SMC 2010 Japan Study Tour will include homestay in Utsunomiya; experiencing daily school life at Japanese Schools; visiting cultural centres and sharing the sight and sound of the cosmopolitan contemporary life and contrast them to that of our own.  We will travel to ookyoo, Nagoya, Hiroshima, Kyoto, Nara and Osaka.

Please contact Mrs Kevern at  A.Kevern@sanctamaria.school.nz for more information.

INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGES PROGRAMMES 

The world is your classroom

In addition to Sancta Maria College Languages (Japanese and French) Exchange Programmes, students of languages are also provided with opportunity to experience language (Japanese or French) and culture immersion in the country where the language they study is spoken through various international exchange programmes.  Please check these out:

Ministry of Education Language Immersion Awards 2010 :www.afs.org.nz - which opens to senior students of languages.

New Zealand Institute of International Understanding Student Exchange: www.student-exchange.co.nz   Long term and short term exchanges are available through this organisation.

Education First High School Exchange: www.ef.com   The programme offers both short term and long term exchange.

Japanese Language Programme for High School Students Exchange:  Japan Foundation: Japan Information and Cultural Centre Embassy of Japan: www.nz.emb-japan.go.jp   The programme offers a year of learning at a selected high school in Japan.

See Mrs Kevern or Mrs Read for more information.

GEOGRAPHY

Year 13 Geography students have been studying the Muriwai Coastal Environment as their study of Coastal Processes. As part of these studies they spent one day last term becoming familiar with the environment and then last Friday spent the day investigating processes of their choice. Most students chose to investigate the differences in current movement within the environment while others investigated the effects of different types of vegetation on the dunes. Students are using the information for both internal assessment work and knowledge for their external exams.

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS

NETBALL

Senior A Netball Team has gained entry into the  Auckland Secondary Schools Netball Premier Grade

The following students have qualified as Howick/  Pakuranga Netball Reps:

Jessica Danbrook; Mary-Anne Lopapalangi; Rachel Cieslik; Vanessa Fifita; Elizabeth Ene; Simone Morrogh; Makayla Samaeli; Tysha Ikenasio; Sian Papalii; Leilani Jamieson;

Samantha Teinakore

Janeiya Gascoigne has had  a number of netball achievements this year:

Manukau U19 mixed indoor netball team – runners up in the National tournament in Palmerston North, and Most Valuable Player.

North Harbour U17 Outdoor Netball Team Rep.

Open Mixed Outdoor Netball Rep at the Maori National Tournament.

Chris Vaiangina is the U17 Counties / Manukau Basketball Team Rep -  and U19 Boys Basketball Sancta Maria College Rep.

SENIOR 1 DEBATING TEAM

Defeated Botany Downs Secondary College team in their second debate.  Sam Vincent was judged  Best Speaker.

SENIOR OPEN DEBATING TEAM

Freddie Conquer, David Agnew and James Stolten.

Defeated Rangitoto College.

Moot.  That this house would impose criminal penalties against citizens who do not recycle.

James Stolten was judged Best Speaker.

LITERACY WEEK COMPETITION

Junior Fiction Winner – Tinielle Kerwin

Picture Book Award Winner – Jonathan Murti

Poetry with Pictures Book Winner – Fraser Campbell

Children’s Choice Award Winners

–     Middle School, Samantha Woollaston

–      Senior School, Jasmine Chan

Young Adult and Overall Winning Book – Andrea Malto

ROWING

Counties Manukau recently held their annual end of season prizegiving.  Sancta Maria Rowers won multiple awards for the 2008 – 2009 season.

Ex student Phillip Moody received the most committed rower award while Emma Hutchinson received the coxswain award for most dedicated coxswain.

The Senior Woman’s Club and Senior Eight won the most consistent crew.  (Emma is the coxswain for these crews)

Carlos Ter Huurne won the Novice and Most Promising Rower Award.

SANCTA MARIA CROSS COUNTRY

Junior Girls

1^st – Taylor Shrimpton – Waitemata

2^nd – Kayleigh Aspeling  - Waitemata

3^rd – Hope Stewart  - Waitemata

4^th – Sari Ter Huurne – Akaroa

Junior Boys

1^st – Scott Ambrose - Kororareka

2^nd – Elliot Bennetts  - Waitemata

3^rd – Wayne Stalls  - Akaroa

4^th – Cameron Bish – Waitemata

Intermediate Girls

1^st – Patria Harris – Waitemata

2^nd – Danielle Hareb  - Akaroa

3^rd – Mercia Cloete  - Akaroa

4^th – Nicola Wing – Waitemata

Intermediate Boys

1^st – Nic Osten – Waitemata

2^nd – Kevin Crowe  - Akaroa

3^rd – Connor Gallen  - Hokianga

4^th – Nathan Noble-Campbell  – Hokianga

Senior Girls

1^st – Tori Shrimpton – Waitemata

2^nd – Annabel Arrowsmith  - Kororareka

3^rd –Charlotte Long - Kororareka

4^th – Lauren Kubala  – Waitemata

Senior Boys

1^st – Liam MacKenzie – Akaroa

2^nd – Carlos Ter Huurne - Akaroa

3^rd –William O’Connell – Hokianga

4^th – Connor O’Driscoll  – Waitemata

Students selected to represent Sancta Maria College at Secondary Schools were:  

 Elliot Bennetts, Kevin Crowe, Nick Osten, Patria Harris , Scott Ambrose, Kayleigh Aspeling, Emma Noble Campbell, Taylor Shrimpton, Tori Shrimpton  

KEY DATES