“Success is the sum of small efforts repeated day in and day out”. Robert Collier
Tēnā koutou,
Well done to our senior students on their efforts during the recent Derived Grade Examinations. The students were serious in their intent and stepped up to the behaviour expected of them in an exam setting. The students now know what the ‘real thing’ will be like later in the year. NCEA external examinations begin in early November, so it is important that our seniors plan their study programme for the next six weeks and use their time wisely. The upcoming holiday is also a time for rest and recovery; seniors need to get the balance right. All students have access to our ‘How to study’ guide.
Congratulations to our junior students who competed in several academic competitions over Term 3. Assessments such as ICAS, are internationally recognised and involve thousands of students across New Zealand and around the world. Our students can be proud of their participation and achievement in these competitions.
Many of our senior sports teams attended winter tournaments, and our Year 7/8 basketball and netball teams attended the popular AIMS games in Tauranga. Well done to our senior boys’ basketball team for winning the Northern Regional Cup Tournament, and our Year 7/8 Boys Basketball team who finished 8th out of 84 teams at the AIMS games.
We had a very successful Te Wiki o te Reo Māori where we celebrated Māori language. This was capped off by a kapa haka festival involving Sancta Maria College, St Marks Catholic School, Our Lady Star of the Sea School, and Sancta Maria Catholic Primary School. The students proudly show cased their kapa haka skills and the sharing of song and talent was exceptional. Special thanks to Mrs Hiddleston and Mr Rimamate for their organisation and hard work in making the festival happen. Special thanks also to our Year 10 student hosts of the event, Beerlahairoi Goetz and Hezekiah Faletagoai – two very talented young leaders.
It was lovely seeing many grandparents at our recent Wednesday lunchtime Mass with their grandchildren celebrating ‘Grandparents Day’. Our student led Masses on a Wednesday lunchtime are a great reflection of our student community – well done.
Our social media pages display the array of events and opportunities that take place at Sancta Maria College. Thank you to Mrs Ferguson for her regular updates that showcase what we do here. There is so much on offer for our students to involve themselves in at Sancta Maria College.
It has been a long term, with some cold weather and plenty of illness. Thank you to the hard-working Sancta Maria College staff for their commitment and dedication to our young people’s learning, thank you to our parents for your continued support, and thank you to our students for staying focussed and involved during this important term.
I hope everyone has a chance to relax and rest over the break…as well as do some study.
May faith be our compass.
Nga mihi,
Andrew Mackenzie
Principal