Principal's Message

Senior Formal, Polyfest, Get-to-Go Day, Senior Exams ... it has been a busy couple of weeks!

It was an absolute privilege to spend time with our year 12s and 13s at their Senior Formal on Friday evening. We are fortunate to have such a great group of seniors, who were appropriate, respectful, dressed elegantly, looked after their outside partners, and enjoyed the opportunity to spend time together in a formal setting. We even sang Ka Waiata as part of our prayer before the meal, complete with harmonies – there are not many schools that can or would carry that off at their formal!! Congratulations to the organising committee lead by Mrs Jean Allibone, which should be very proud of how well this event ran.

The 30th Anniversary of Otago Polyfest is being held this week at the Edgar Centre. Our Kapahaka group, Te Whetū Tirama, performed on Monday night, and our Pasifika group, Tangata Moana will perform tonight. It is still possible to watch past performances on https://livestream.com/accounts/15197514/OtagoPolyfest2023 and you can watch our Pasifika Group tonight using this link too. Our DRS, Pesamino Tili, was involved in the first Otago Polyfest, so it is special for him to have been invited onto the committee this year to help with the running of the event.

Last week, I went to the Integrated Schools’ Conference for two days. This was the first time I have attended this, and I was reminded throughout the conference of the work put in by so many committed people during the past 50 years to ensure that integrated schools continue to have their special character protected under legislation, regardless of political climates and priorities. I had the privilege of sitting with Sir Brother Pat Lynch at dinner as he accepted his AIS life membership. Sir Brother Pat was instrumental in the integration legislation that allowed Catholic schools to be state funded but with our special character teaching and values culture remaining intact. We are thankful to him and to those who followed him, including our own Paul Ferris, who took on the mantel of protecting and keeping true to the intent of the Integration Act. Having taught for many years in the state system, I continue to appreciate the difference and ‘feel’ of being employed in a Catholic integrated school.

All the best to our senior students who begin their senior practice exams today. I encourage them to make the most of this opportunity to thoroughly prepare for the external exams in November. Students and staff have worked hard up until this point, and academic rewards will follow this commitment so long as the self-discipline and grit continues for the final few weeks of the senior year.

Next week you will receive our termly ‘Trinitas’. This publication is a summary of events important to us during the term. Please take time to read it and share it with whānau further away. Because of this publication, I will not write a principal’s comment for the newsletter next week, and therefore I wish you all a happy spring holiday with plenty of sunshine to accompany your child’s NCEA study (a big hint here!) as well as the opportunity to relax a little and take time for reflection and refreshment.

May the sunlight and the rain be reminders that You are at work renewing the earth. As a God of renewal, You are ever at work in our lives, too. Open our eyes and lives to the needed changes in our lives this Spring. Awaken us to new life and perspective, for we pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

- Xavier University Prayers