This is the final newsletter for 2021 and I remain hopeful that there will be less disruption to our students’ learning in 2022. I am sure you will be feeling the same! However, this year our students in Years 11-13 were well-placed for their NCEA and Scholarship exams. The ‘Unexpected Event Grades’ put in place became a guaranteed minimum grade a student could attain for a standard for this year only. The UEG option reflects the difficulty some students faced trying to learn during lockdown. Many students did take advantage of sitting subjects they wanted to improve their grades in by sitting specific exams. Overall, many students took the opportunity of attending exams and we were pleased with their decision to experience exam conditions.
It was pleasing to see the positive response of students in Years 7-10 returning to school over the past weeks. While there was some nervousness about their return, students seemed happy to be at school. The atmosphere within the school was positively warm. Students enjoyed catching-up with fellow students and their friends, being active in break times and learning in class. Getting students back into the habit of being at school will make it so much easier for the start of next year.
The impact of the pandemic continues to have a significant effect on school finances. As a school that aims to provide the very best opportunities and experiences for all our students through academic, sporting, cultural, service and authentic learning we rely significantly on the full financial contributions from all families. This is going to be crucial for the 2022 year as we continue to provide the best educational opportunities for your children.
The NCEA National Curriculum Re-Alignment Programme is well underway. Sancta Maria College has been working with representatives from the MoE Curriculum Team, undertaking research and have been visiting a number of other schools. This preparation will be key as we start the process to develop our newly designed Learning Framework that will continue to meet the needs of the 21st century learner. We look forward to sharing more about this in 2022.
Congratulations all those who were recently acknowledged in the Years 7 to 10 Recognition Ceremonies, Senior Prizegiving and Sports Awards. (You can view all the photos of these award winners here.) In addition, we were pleased to hold a farewell liturgy and afternoon tea for Year 13 and wish them continued success next year and beyond.
I wish everyone a blessed Christmas and holiday break. Keep safe and I look forward to welcoming all new and returning students at the start of the year.
With Blessings
Louise Moore
Principal
