Luke 1: 46 – 48.
And Mary said, ‘My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;’
Tēnā koutou,
Welcome back to Term Two.
Thank you for arranging the collection of your children last Friday as our staff undertook professional learning. Sancta Maria College teachers are building our knowledge of science of learning pedagogy, and we used Friday afternoon to do this. Science of learning pedagogy is based on explicit teaching and checking for student understanding before moving on to more independent learning activities. This pedagogy goes hand in hand with the new curriculum that is being introduced to secondary schools over the next year. Students will notice this pedagogy in things like starter activities at the beginning of lessons, directed book work for notes and activities, episodic lessons where learning is broken down into small chunks, and understanding is checked before moving on to new work. Reducing classroom distractions and creating a calm and predictable classroom environment are other factors of science of learning pedagogy.
Sixteen students were involved in the Pompallier Shield competition on Friday afternoon. They competed against fifteen other Catholic colleges in the greater Auckland area in activities such as speech making, waiata, and scripture delivery. The competitors and student helpers were superb ambassadors of the school. Their maturity and helpfulness in aiding our visiting guests were admirable. Special mention goes to Beerlahairoi Goetz who won the Junior Scripture Proclamation prize.
Senior students enjoyed themselves at the school Ball held on Saturday at the Ellerslie Events Centre. The seniors made a great effort with their dress, and I was very impressed with their positive attitude and behaviour throughout the evening. Thank you to Mr Bali and the Ball Committee and Prefects for organising this popular event.
Our winter sports season has begun with Badminton, Football, Netball and Basketball teams playing opening games last week. Good luck to all our teams this season. Special mention goes to our Premier Girls Basketball team who gained promotion to the tough Auckland Senior A grade – they had a great opening win on Friday night.
Click this link for our Sports uniform expectations and our Sporting Code of Conduct – please ensure all students are in the correct uniform when representing the school.
It was great to see Mikaela Bangalan (2025 Head Girl) get game time on her A-League professional football debut when she came off the bench on Sunday evening representing the Phoenix Women’s team in their semi-final against Brisbane. Gaining a professional contract and getting game time so soon after leaving school is a fantastic feat, and we wish Mikaela all the best for the second leg of the semi-final and with her professional career.
Attendance continues to be a priority this term. Regular attendance is one of the most important ways students stay connected to their learning. Being at school consistently helps them build strong routines, maintain friendships, and keep up with the progress of their class. Every day of learning supports their confidence, wellbeing, and long‑term success.
Lateness is becoming an issue for some of our students. Punctuality to class allows students to make the most of their one-hour of learning in each lesson. Arriving to school and class before the bell, being organised with equipment and books, and being ready to learn are important skills for our young people to develop. We ask parents to support us in our drive to lift attendance and punctuality.
Finally, we look forward to hosting mothers and the mother figures in our students’ lives at our lunchtime Mother’s Day Mass tomorrow. All mothers connected to the school are welcome to attend. Mass begins at 1.30pm at St Lukes. We would love to celebrate with you.
The term has begun in a very positive manner, and I look forward to seeing our students continuing to work hard in their studies, while involving themselves in co-curricular sporting, cultural and performance activities across the term.
Nga mihi,
Andrew Mackenzie
Principal
Key dates:
Here is a small gallery of senior ball photos taken on Saturday evening:
