1. education
2. school

St Catherine’s
College
Newsletter December 2014
“No work of charity can be more productive of good to society,
or more conducive to the happiness of the poor than the careful
instruction of women”
Catherine McAuley
14 Upper Bourke Street: Kilbirnie: PO Box 14076: Wellington 6241: Telephone 9398988: Fax 9398985: www.stcatherinescollege.school.nz
THE PRINCIPAL’S NEWS
Fr. Andrew Greeley, 12-22-81
"It might be easy to run away to a monastery, away from the commercialisation, the hectic hustle, the
demanding family responsibilities of Christmas-time. Then we would have a holy Christmas. But we would forget
the lesson of the Incarnation, of the enfleshing of God—the lesson that we who are followers of Jesus do not run
from the secular; rather we try to transform it. It is our mission to make holy the secular aspects of Christmas
just as the early Christians baptised the Christmas tree. And we do this by being holy people—kind, patient,
generous, loving, laughing people—no matter how maddening is the Christmas rush…"
As you read this, in amongst the hustle and bustle of getting things done before the end of year; before
Christmas arrives; I would like to take this opportunity to give thanks for the many blessings that our
St Catherine’s community has received this year. I would like to thank you all, for the support you have shown
our staff and students this year. It is within our shared community values that we draw strength from each other
and hence the success of our young women.
It has been yet another busy term with senior exams, the junior Integrated Programme and the exciting build up
to the Williams Shield, not to mention the Water Fight! Congratulations to the 2014 Class Leaders who have
really stepped up to their roles over the term.
We look forward to welcoming all our new Year 9’s to our St Catherine’s family at the beginning of 2015. I’m
sure they will be excitedly waiting for their new journey to begin.
I would like to formally invite all families to bring along a picnic or takeaway dinner to our Friday night FAITH,
Food and Whanau evening at 5.45pm on 20 February 2015. The FAITH, Food and Whanau evening will be
preceded by an Orientation Meeting, staring at 5.00pm, for all our new Year 9’s and their families
I wish you kindness, patience, generosity, loving and laughing people—no matter how maddening is the
Christmas rush…"
God Bless
Principal
Me aro koe ki te hā o Hineahuone
Pay Heed to the Dignity of Women
Staff Farewells
At the end of the year we will farewell Mrs Christine Jarratt who leaves us to spend more time with her
granddaughter. Over her 22 years with us, Chris has had an absolute focus on what is best for staff and students.
She has been a person of great integrity, with absolute loyalty and commitment to St Catherine’s. When we talk
about ‘A Mercy Women’ and all that it encompasses, Chris has been that woman for us. We thank her and wish
her well for the future.
Mrs Dianne Sweet has been with us for 25 years in both administration and teaching positions and leaves for a
well-earned retirement. We thank her for her contribution to the college
Mrs Amy Jennings will be on maternity leave next year and we wish her every blessing on the safe arrival of her
baby
Mr Tim Stevens leaves for future travel
Mrs Ellen Castle has looked after our STAR and Gateway classes
Mrs Barbara Woodcock leaves us for a new position at Tawa College
Mrs Marg Cook has decided to retire at the end of this year
Petra Spearman worked in the Mathematics department from September this year
Gerard Denton worked in RE, Science and Mathematics this year.
SENIOR LEADERS 2014
HEAD GIRL
DEPUTY HEAD GIRLS
COMMUNITY CAPTAIN
CULTURAL CAPTAIN
Anna Cacace
Terena Federico
Eva Malthus
Madeline Reese
Rachel Allen
Clare Lewis
INTERNATIONAL CAPTAIN
Demesha Whyte
SPIRIT CAPTAIN
SPORTS CAPTAIN
Clare Sullivan
Lauren Duggan
NEW STAFF 2015
Head of Maths
Teacher in Charge of Music
Teacher in Charge of History
Careers Pathway Advisor
Senior Physics
Sports Co ordinator
Susan Prestwich
Emma Lewis
Fiona Boddy
Heather Miller
Gareth Newton
Kylie Tuffery
DEPUTY PRINCIPAL
(Pastoral)
It is with very mixed feelings that I approach the end of the year. Whilst I am looking forward to having some
time to do the things that have long been on the back burner: spending time with family, rediscovering the
garden, sewing, reading, I am not sure how it will be when I don’t have my school to go to. St Catherine’s
College has been a huge part of my life, for 22 years. That’s way before our current students were even born! I
expect it will take me time to adjust to a different rhythm in my life.
Over my time at St Catherine’s College I have seen many changes. There are the obvious ones like change of
uniform and there are the more far reaching ones like the massive changes in technology. When I arrived here, I
couldn’t have imagined taking a lap-top to class to do the roll, taking a class to a computer room to do on-line
learning or even texting students to remind them about a practice. The daily use, by our students of functions
such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and all, are way beyond any capability I have, at least at present! But I
think the most exciting change in education is the shift in focus from teacher directed learning to student
directed learning and the development of individual pathways for our students. Although this is a requirement
now from the Government, it is something that St Catherine’s College has been working towards for some time.
You will find that your daughter has an Academic mentor and regular Awhina time to focus on her goals and
needs as she moves through the college. As always, this little school is well up with the play and your daughters
will be well served.
I would like to thank our staff at St Catherine’s College, teaching and ancillary, for all their support and
friendship over the years. I am especially grateful to my Pastoral Team: Kathy Ryan, Sue Smith, Martin Kaulback
and Caro Atkinson and the Senior Leadership Team of Mary Curran and Mandy Page for their dedication,
perseverance, forward thinking and Mercy spirit. Our school is in good hands.
Finally to you, our community, my thanks for your support for the learning of your daughters and in their cocurricular activities. I feel that I have made many friends along the way as we have worked together. Thank you
for entrusting your daughters to this very special school and the people in it. It has been an honour and a
privilege to be part of the team here.
I wish you a very blessed Christmas and happy times with your families over the summer.
Chris Jarratt
Deputy Principal (Pastoral)
DEPUTY PRINCIPAL
(Curriculum)
BYOD (bring your own device) 2015
Any device (netbook, notebook, laptop, tablet, smartphone) can be connected to the school wireless network. We
are a N4L (Network for Learning) school, which means we have a safe network for the students to access. We use
google apps so that students can save work to the cloud. The device will not connect to the school student
drive. Computers in the Maclab, library, room 6, music and art rooms will still be available for students to save
work to the network. Printing will not be available from the device. Teachers will discuss with the student any
specific programmes or apps that will be useful in the relevant learning area. Some apps may have a cost.
Students will need to bring their device to school early in term 1 and get their device checked by our onsite
technician.
If the student’s device has internet capability without using the school wireless network there is no need to go
through this set up process.
The cost of connecting to the wireless network is $20 annually which covers our security (fortigate) costs.
What device to purchase?
Recommendations
While we do not specify a device we do expect minimum specifications. When choosing your device consider its
educational value. Secondary school students need their device to be quick and powerful to research and create
content but also have a keyboard available if they need to write an assessment.
Wireless networking capability using 802.11g or n (St Catherine's College provides filtered wireless access for
students use with their devices).
A colour screen.
An on screen or external keyboard or other means of entering text.
An audio-out port and ear buds or headphones.
A minimum 4 hours of use from one battery charge.
The ability to run a full functioning, recent web browser (Firefox, Internet Explorer, Chrome, Safari) that will
allow it to access Google Apps and other learning resources .
Virus protection program (for computers running a Windows or Macintosh computer operating system).
Operating System requirements - Windows 7 or higher, Max OSX 7 or higher, Apple IOS 6 or higher, &
Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) or higher.
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You may also wish to consider these features:
A camera that takes both still photos and video (front and rear cameras are most versatile) .
A microphone.
Productivity software (word processing, drawing, spreadsheet tools) that can be used when an Internet
connection is not available.
The capacity to run graphing calculator software.
Mandy Page
Deputy Principal
Term 1 2015
Monday 26 January
Wednesday 28 January
Thursday 29 January
Friday 30 January
Monday 2 February
Wednesday 11 February – Friday 13 February
Monday 16 February
Wednesday 11 March – Friday 13 March
Thursday 2 April End of Term 1
Term 2 20 April – 3 July
Term 3 20 July – 25 September
Term 4 12 October – 11 December
School office Open
Teacher Only Day
Year 13 Peer Support training 9 – 3pm
Course confirmation 3 - 5pm
Year 12 Course confirmation 9 - noon
Year 9 and 13 Orientation
9.30am – 3pm
New Students at other levels orientation
All students at school 8.40am
Year 9 students and all new students to Library
Years 10,11,12,13 to Whanau rooms
Powhiri begins 9.15am
Year 13 Retreat
Athletic Sports – Newtown Park
Year 10 Camp
RELIGIOUS STUDIES AND SPECIAL CHARACTER
As the year draws to a close, we can celebrate a great year of Special Character and Religious Education at
St Catherine’s. The Mercy Crew has been active all year running bake sales, letter writing and raising funds for
Caritas and Vinnies, for Iraq and for our sponsored child, Mary. Several Year 12 girls will be travelling to Forest
Lakes Camp at the end of the school year to attend the Archdiocese Young Catholic Leader Camp. This will
boost their leadership skills before they take on some of the roles as Year 13s next year.
We have been especially blessed with the news that the Board of Proprietors is going to provide two sets of
Catholic Youth Bibles for better Bible study in 2015. This is a very generous and wonderful gift for my
Department.
The final week has been very busy with Williams Shield, a junior school competition based on O’Shea Shield. Ms
Walsh and I organised the competition this year and we are pleased to announce that 10MY were the clear
winners! We congratulate the whole class, as well as every other junior student in the school, as all girls have to
take part in this. Do ask your daughter what her role was in the Shield competition. We are finishing the year
with a lovely Advent Liturgy, focused on joy. I am very aware that many families are feeling the sorrow of their
relatives suffering in the Middle East and we have been praying for special blessings for all of those in war-torn
areas. However, we still need to remember and celebrate the joy of the birth of our Saviour at Christmas.
On that note, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas with many blessings from our Lord at this time. Our girls
have prayed for peace in their families.
Jenny O’Brien
Director of Religious Studies
SENIOR DEAN’S UPDATE
Scholarship congratulations!
Our Year 13 students have achieved fantastic external scholarships this year – more than any other year in the
College’s history. Huge congratulations to Ella Jansen (University of Otago Academic Excellence Scholarship,
University of Otago Dux Scholarship, Old Girls’ Tertiary Scholarship), Nera Tautau (University of Otago Pasifika
Entrance Scholarship, First Foundation Scholarship), Rebecca Moriarty (University of Otago Maori Entrance
Scholarship, and Victoria Univeristy Excellence Scholarship - declined), Hannah King (University of Otago
Leaders of Tomorrow Scholarship), Julia Ryan (Victoria University Excellence Scholarship, Catholic Foundation
Tertiary Scholarship), Caitlin de Reeper (Victoria University Excellence Scholarship), Joanna Rubi (Victoria
University International Excellence Scholarship and Wellington Airport “Wild at Heart” Scholarship), Bezawit
Tadesse (Catholic Foundation Refugee Scholarship).
We are still awaiting news on several other scholarship applications. Most of these scholarships are the result of
excellence in Year 12 – I cannot stress enough the importance of getting the very best grades possible in Year
12 for achieving tertiary study scholarships.
Congratulations also to Kuini Vidal (Year 12 who has been awarded a First Foundation Scholarship. This
wonderful scholarship provides Kuini with substantial financial support for the next four years, as well as work
experience with Gareth Morgan Investments, and personal mentoring. Congratulations, Kuini!
Nothing gives me greater pleasure than to help our young women to access the many scholarships that are
available, and to support them in their applications. This year’s scholarship winners have amassed in excess of
$100,000 of financial support for their tertiary studies between them. Our scholarship achievements are
considerably higher than those of much larger schools. Well done, girls!
Dates for Year 13 2015:
Girls returning to Year 13 in 2015 need to be aware of the following dates:
Thursday, 29 January, 9am – all day Peer Support Training in the school hall, starting at - finishing by 3pm
Friday, 30 January, 9am – Peer Support with Year 9 students
Wednesday, 11 February to Friday, 13 February – Year 13 Retreat at Bethlehem Retreat Centre, Featherston.
Kathy Ryan
Senior Dean
ENGLISH LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT
English Language Department News
This is a very sad farewell to Margaret Cook who has worked an an ESOL teacher aide and Refugee
Careers Coordinator. She has helped many of our refugee background students on a very personal level
and she will be sadly missed.
Congratulations to our very gifted and hardworking English Language Learners students who have
done so well in NCEA and junior exams. Of particular note: Diana Rasho who has passed Level One
NCEA after arriving in New Zealand in 2012. By the way, English is Diana's fourth language. Also Ngste
Gebrimikal who gained Level Two NCEA and is at Victoria University on an English Preparatory Course
prior to commencing her tertiary studies. Nenwi Dankha of Year 9 has improved her vocabulary size by
3000 words this year and has gained some Merit grades in Year 9 despite arriving in New Zealand from
Iraq just last year! Merry Christmas to all students and remember to keep reading lots so you don't
forget your English over the holidays
Lisa Lorenzen
HOD ESOL
FRENCH DEPARTMENT
Results of Australian French Competition
High Distinction
Amy Campbell
Marina Comesky
Thomas Simpson
Credit
Alisi Me’afo’ou
Palolo Bali
Chantal Blaikie-Salkeld
Alannah Catsburg
Micah Fitisemanu (in both Year 9 and 10)
Catharina Lee
Clare Sullivan
Evana Philip
Kaira Scheck
Mariam Toma
Chyna West-John (in both Year 9 and 10 tests)
Sophia Zandi
Charlotte Basile
Aurshenna David
Caitlin Hunter
Megan Lister
Jade Raemaki
Katherine Serjeantson
Bridget Sullivan
Sophia Basile
Gabrielle Hamilton (Year 12 test)
Thomas Hall
Conor Geoghegan
Jack Turnbull
Jordan Murphy
Yohan de Rose
Vincenzo Costa
Distinction
Audesia Adam
Joyce Zhang
Georgina Pohe
Angelina Amitrano
Lara Najim
India Flood
Madeleine Reese
Madeleine Piesocki
Catharina Lee (Year 10 Test)
Tabatha Billington
Benjamin Lek
Tobias Stephen
Michael Wilson
LANGUAGE PERFECT
Top Scorers - Congratulations to the following students who are the top scorers for 2014, as at 31 October:
1. John Miklos
2. Elisha Prasad
3. Jasmine Arora
4. Georgia Gadsby
5. Madeleine Piesocki
6. Georgina Pohe
7. Manfred Manglicmot
8. Luigi Cacace
9. Katherine Serjeantson
10. Talitha Tanuvasa
Exchange News
Coucou! C'est moi Talitha.
I've been in France for 2 months now and I've experienced many
things, one being that I ate a duck liver!
It was just the holidays (yay) and my host family took me to Paris in
the first week! On Monday we went to Paris zoo and it was awesome,
but I think it was about the same size as Wellington zoo… the next
day we took the metro and went to a wax museum where there were
statues of famous people, such as the queen or president Obama, that
were made from wax! It was amazing to see how life-like these
statues were, in fact I wouldn't have at all been surprised if they
came to life. We spent the rest of that day shopping and saw the Pompidou Centre as well. Wednesday was
spent shopping but we walked to the Obelisk and I saw the silhouette of the Eiffel Tower against the sunset, it
was beautiful. We then walked to the Louvre museum and to the metro to take a train home. Thursday was the
full-on tourist day. We took the metro to the Sacre Coeur (we had to catch 3 trains) and walked around a market
near it. We then went to L'Arc de Triomphe and climbed the many stairs to the top where we had a clear 360
view of Paris and it's many attractions. After L'Arc de Triomphe we walked to the Eiffel Tower but didn't go up, it
was being evacuated because of a suspected bomb (if you go to Paris never leave your bag somewhere, the
police will blow it up for being a suspected bomb). That day we also visited Notre Dame as well as taking a boat
tour on the Seine during the day as well as at night. Friday, we spent our day at Euro-Disney Land! We arrived at
about 11 am, eager to start the rides. They were amazing, the rides, luckily we didn't eat before the first ride
otherwise I would've lost all the food in my stomach on that ride… it was great fun but some of the lines were
really long, they were about a 55 minute wait! But we were never disappointed by them. It was funny on the
Space Mountain ride, my host father started screaming before the ride began and Vanessa (my host sister) and I
couldn't hold back our laughs the entire ride. Now whenever we see the host father we scream like he did on the
ride and now we have this little joke about it. It was great and I can't wait to share more experiences down the
track!
Talitha Tanuvasa Y11
Bonjour,
Je m’appelle Clémence et j’ai 17 ans. J’habite dans le nord de la France dans
une maison avec mon frère, Camille, et mes parents, Valérie et Franck. Mon
frère a 16 ans et il est dans le même lycée que moi. Ma mère est professeur
des écoles et mon père est comptable.
Je fais de la danse classique, du moderne jazz et du contemporain.. J’aime
aussi faire du shopping, rencontrer mes amis ou aller au cinéma. J’écoute
souvent de la musique, je lis et regarde des films. Quand j’ai le temps, pendant
les vacances ou le week-end je cuisine avec ma mère.
Quand je suis à la maison, je passe un peu de temps ma chambre mais j’aime
aussi être avec ma famille. Je ne suis pas difficile, je mange de tout. Entre en
Nouvelle –Zélande, je suis sûre que ça sera une expérience extraordinaire.
A bientôt 
Je m’appelle Pauline Pieters, j’ai 17 ans. J’habite avec ma famille à Villers-Châtel,
un très petit village du Nord de la France, à la campagne et qui compte 130
habitants. Je vis donc avec mes parents, et mes deux sœurs. La plus grande
s’appelle Cécile, elle a 19 ans et est partie de la maison pour faire ses études. Et
puis, il y a Thérèse qui a 15 ans et qui est, avec moi, au lycée Robespierre à Arras.
Elle est en Seconde et moi en Terminale. Ma mère est éducatrice de jeunes
enfants et mon père est vétérinaire. Nous avons tous la double nationalité belge
et française. Ma grand-mère, mes cousins, mes oncles et tantes vivent en
Belgique. Nous avons un chat, Twitch, et cinq moutons !
Les matières qui me plaisent le plus à l’école sont les maths, la biologie, la
musique et l’anglais. D’ailleurs, j’espère pouvoir perfectionner mon anglais en
Nouvelle Zélande, j’aime la danse. Je joue de la guitare électrique,
Je suis curieuse des autres, des cultures du monde.
Ce sera pour moi le plus long voyage que je ferai loin de ma famille et de mes amis pendant une année
scolaire importante. pouvoir partager le quotidien d’une nouvelle famille et de.
We look forward to having Pauline and Clemence with us until mid-May 2015. They will be hosted by
four of our families throughout their stay. Thank you in advance to the families of :
Tabatha Billington
Amy Campbell
Georgia Gadsby
Talitha Tanuvasa
We wish Tabatha well as she spends 2 months in France this Christmas staying with Camille, whom she
hosted last year.
Maureen MacIver
HOD French
SOCIAL SCIENCES
GEOGRAPHY
Students have been doing all sorts of revision work for exams using giant scrapbooks, posters and workshops.
We wish success for those who put in the effort during the year. Some worked hard to complete their internals
before the cut-off date. Perseverance does pay off.
Samoa Trip
In July 2015, students from Year 12 and 13 Geography have the opportunity to go to Samoa. (Yes, we will be
there at the same time as the All Blacks, but that is a hindrance rather than a help as it increases some costs).
20 students and 4 staff will be looking at the impact of tourism on Samoa. We are looking for more fundraising
opportunities to help the girls get there. The girls will be working hard and collecting data for NCEA standards.
Do you have any jobs for either small groups or large? We do gardening, house cleaning, car cleaning, laying
mulch, child minding, and other part time jobs. These are year 12 and 13 girls. If you have any ideas over the
holidays please contact Gill Willis at phone 4797380 or [email protected]. If you need any people for a
permanent part time job after school, this is a fantastic way to support us.
Dairy Farm Contact
I am looking for a contact on a dairy farm, either Kapiti Coast or lower Manawatu. The year 11 girls need to visit
one in about April 2015. It is so that they can experience sustainability issues in a real life context. Please
contact me at the contacts above.
SOCIAL STUDIES
Students have been studying ‘Mobility’ in Year 9 and looking at ethnic groups in NZ. We have looked at push
and pull factors and what events have changed the groups exiting and entering NZ. We are now looking at the
impact of return migration from Australia.
Year 10 students have been looking at the topic ‘Justice & Human Rights’. We have looked at lots of different
examples of loss of human rights over time. This has included Apartheid in South Africa, Rwanda, Black
American civil rights, the stolen generation in Australia, and the Holocaust in Germany. The students have
finished this term by watching an amazing movie about life in Germany during World War 2, ‘The Book Thief’.
I wish all families a happy Christmas and a peaceful family time.
Gill Willis
HOD Social Sciences
Images of 2014
MUSIC DEPARTMENT
Year 10 Concert
Congratulations to all of our Year 10 Music students who performed so beautifully in their end-of-year concert
on Thursday 27 November. I was delighted with the way the students conducted themselves and behaved so
professionally. We had performances on the piano, guitar, bass guitar, flute, voice, clarinet and even an original
composition. Special thanks to our stage managers, Farren Halliday and Anna Price, and Anastasia TevagaLemalu for her warm introduction. Thanks to the family members and friends who supported the students too –
we hope you had an enjoyable evening!
String Ensemble Concert
The String Ensemble and violin students held their final concert of the year on Wednesday 3 December. The
concert was comprised of a number of solo and ensemble items. Special congratulations must go to Bea Blanch,
Maya D’Sousa, Lara Najim, Marina Comesky, Lavinia Foliaki and Shivani Pereira for their lovely solos. The
Ensemble has come a long way this year and this was evident in the substantial repertoire they performed –
including ‘In the Hall of the Mountain King’ and ‘Pomp and Circumstance’. The evening came to a fitting end
with some Christmas carols. Many thanks to Heather Miller (our violin teacher), her daughter, Bethany and
husband, Roger who also came and played with the Ensemble. This was a lovely way to finish the year!
Farewell from Mrs Jennings
I have been Head of Music at St. Catherine’s College for the past 10 years and 3 terms. I have thoroughly
enjoyed my time here and I have been fortunate enough to teach so many wonderful students. I will always have
fond memories of the Music Department and the many wonderful performances that have come out of it. To all
of my students; may you continue to enjoy music for the rest of your lives. I wish you all the very best for next
year and beyond. I will miss you greatly! Good luck and may God bless you all.
Mrs J.
Amy Jennings
HOD Music
INTEGRATED STUDIES
In week 7 we held our annual Integrated Studies Programme, making learning more relevant for the
junior school. The Year 9 students attended numerous workshops preparing them for their visit to Tapu Te
Ranga Marae on Friday. They learnt about kai, waiata, karakia, and other aspects of tikanga Māori, and practised
to be ready for a pōwhiri at the Marae itself.
On their visit to Tapu Te Ranga, they had an opportunity to say their mihi, to learn about the story of this
amazing marae, and they made putiputi from flax. It seems the day was a great success. In the words of one
student:
The activities were really fun! We had several different classes to go to and my most favourite ones were learning our
Mihi . It was interesting because I got to learn how to introduce myself in Maori. The other class I liked was singing
and learning what song we were going to sing on our trip. It was a really fun, interesting and educational week! If they
have that next year I know you would enjoy it as well. (Katelyn Koko).
Meanwhile the Year 10 students prepared for their tramp. They learned about bushcraft, writing RAMs
documents, sports nutrition and other useful skills. The tramp itself was a great day out. We walked from Muritai
to Butterfly Creek and out again. The hills were hard but not too high, the weather was perfect and the students
were absolutely terrific in the way they prepared, cooperated and behaved. We shared the picnic area with
several other school groups at lunch time and our girls were a credit to the school.
Liz Hill
GATEWAY
2015 STAR courses & workshops for Years 11, 12 & 13.
Applications are made through the STAR coordinator, Deans and teaching staff.
STAR (Secondary Tertiary Alignment Resource) is funding provided to our college each year from the Ministry of
Education. It is to help our Year 11, 12 & 13 girls with their transition from school to further education or
employment. They can explore career pathways, which will highlight the relevance of schoolwork to future
employment or study, they can also access training not provided within the school curriculum. Some learning
contributes towards NCEA and other learning offers an exploration opportunity only. A few courses run during
holiday time but most courses are attended during school term time. Certificates gained and learning
experiences can all be added onto the girls CV’s.
Some examples to date are:
First Aid Certificate
Pre Hospital Emergency Care
Automotive Engineering
Confidence / High Ropes
Make-up Artistry
Hairdressing
Airline Taster
Radio Training Seminar
Tourism
Bakery
Coffee Making
Early Childhood Education
Business Administration
Restaurant Service
Beauty Therapy
Customer Service
Game and Art, Graphic Design, Web Design
Nursing & Health Studies Seminar
NZIS training
Health and Safety
QC Comfort and Quality Hotels
Gateway
Our congratulations go to our girls who diligently worked throughout the year and consistently gained credits in
their area of interest. We celebrated the completion of the Gateway year this term with a lunch at the local café.
I would like to thank the following 2014 employers who have each willingly provided our Gateway students with
their work experience:
The Denturist
Pak’nSave Kilbirnie
Martin Goulden Builders Ltd
Rita Angus
Nailed It
Kidzone
The Warehouse
Kilbirnie Community Creche Inc
After 4 ½ years working in the transition area at St Catherine’s College I will now hang up my many hats. I
intend to pursue some personal interests and I look forward to spending more time with family and friends.
Ellen Castle
Gateway & STAR Coordinator
INTERNATIONAL COORDINATOR
Term four 2014
It has been an interesting and successful year for all of our international students. Sandra and Fran had a
wonderful time in New Zealand, appreciating the greenery in everyday life, which is a contrast to their home in
the desert area in Chile. Fran worked as a volunteer at the Botanic Gardens and enjoyed it so much that she
wanted to take our plants home! Next year we hope that more Chilean students will come and enjoy our
beautiful New Zealand. The Chilean government is considering the prospect seriously so we will know early next
year if we will have more Chilean guests.
Even though Riho started her studies in May, she had a very successful year. She enjoyed chill-out time with her
host family, a young Chinese-Kiwi couple, spending Friday nights and the weekend going to movies, chatting
and eating good food. She also became a pseudo-adopted grand-daughter to 92 year old Gran. Her time here
was regularly punctuated by the noise of four lively dogs! Riho said she will miss them all. Of course she has
made so many good friends at school and had such a lovely time generally that she said she did not want to go
home! Above all, Riho felt her English improved a lot. Thanks to you all.
You remember our Hong Kong friends? They were here for only two weeks but they had a lovely time with you
and learned a lot about New Zealand. They were all from Catholic Schools in Hong Kong, which are located in
the city. They are without much space in the city and they just loved our small school with a sea view and green
hills. Hopefully they will come again next year.
Efu and Kanami have been our friends for a full year and they have had a wonderful and interesting time like the
other students. So long and we all wish you the best of luck for your future.
Next year we will have many international students in Year 10 and 11 for either one term or for the full year. I
am sure they will be welcomed into our community. Mei, Chiharu and Yurina will be here with us until 27
March. They will be in Year 11 and are looking forward to meeting you. Mei is a good basketballer! Chiharu is a
dancer and Yurina is a pianist. Sakura and Atsuko, in Year 10, are Kun-ei students who will be with us next year.
They like sports such as figure skating and swimming. I hope they will join in as many of our sports activities as
possible.
Minori and Risa are from St Dominic High School in Tokyo. They will be Year 10 and will leave us on 4 April.
They are pioneers because they are the first from their school to come to New Zealand. Minori’s nick name is
Mino and Risa is looking forward to exploring NZ nature.
Narumi is from Iwate in Japan and will be in Year 11. She will stay with us until 15 November 2015 and she
enjoys running and basketball.
Thank you for all your support this year and wish
you all the best.
Megan Kim
International Coordinator
SPORTS NEWS
From 24 -28 November, 75 Junior Volleyball teams attended the North Island Junior Volleyball
Tournament. St Catherine's College were entered in Division 3 (16 teams) and ended up 11th in this
Division. It was a big learning curve for all the players especially those with very little playing
experience. The days were long and noisy! Eliza Dunn unfortunately suffered an accidental injury to
her thumb on the second day and was unable to play any more games. Thanks should go to April
Va'auli (who injured her knee and couldn't be at the last few games), Paige Va'auli and Diana Foliaki
who gave up their time to coach the team and Penina Fitisemanu who assisted with injuries during
games. Penina has offered to coach the junior volleyball team next year. The junior North Island
tournament will again be in Wellington (23-27 November).
As always we are looking for experienced coaches to develop the considerable talent we have at
St Catherine’s. If any of our school community has coaching experience and would like to coach our
senior team please ask them to contact Kylie Tuffery (Sports Co-ordinator)
[email protected]. The senior team is aiming to attend the senior National
tournament next year in Palmerston North (22 -27 March). Weekly games are held on Fridays after
school beginning early in the term.
To all the senior players intending to play volleyball - a commitment will be required when registering
for volleyball next year. The National Tournament entry fee must be paid in full when entering the
team $850 (approx $85 per player). Then the cost of the trip itself will be about $600 per player. Talk
with your families and think about this over the holidays so that you have the funds available to attend
the trip or it won't happen!
SCC PARENT TEACHERS ASSOCIATION
2014 has been a busy year for the PTA. Raising money for the new school van has been a focus for us and we
hope to purchase it in time for the 2015 school year. But we are not just about fundraising, we are also working
to build a stronger parent community.
During the year the PTA also raised and used funds for new hall window blinds, three couches for the library,
and a new piano for the music room. We supported the netball movie fundraiser with an ‘angel’ loan and the
school’s Geography trip to Samoa with fundraising activities. We paid for the teachers’ academic gowns hired for
prize giving. The PTA also provided hospitality at most school functions. We also held the first St Catherine’s
Old Girls, Parent s and Friends event and have started a database so people can stay connected with
St Catherine’s, especially with the 100 year anniversary in 2019.
Over 1,000 people supported our fundraising and social events this year. These included:
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working on the bar at the Stadium for the Sevens in February
dinner at La Bella Italia, hosted by Antonio and Luisa Cacace
an hilarious evening with the comedy hypnotist Andrew Newton in June
the return of the Father/Daughter dinner at the Realm
afternoon tea for St Catherine’s old girls, parents and friends using our fine china donated by the Mercy
Sisters
 the special SCC viewing of Mockingjay at The Roxy, and
 our bumper Christmas raffle.
The PTA Committee thanks staff, parents, girls, and other members of our community, especially the Sisters of
Mercy, and our event and raffle sponsors, for all your support in 2014. We could not have achieved so much
without you. In 2015, we are hoping to ramp up the school’s grant applications so we can support more of the
school’s needs.
Several of the events, such as the Father/Daughter dinner and the afternoon tea, will be run again in 2015 so we
will let you know the new dates in early 2015, so you can plan ahead. We welcome your feedback and
suggestions for 2015. New Committee members are always welcome. But offers of help in other ways are
always appreciated. You can get in touch with us at [email protected] .
Jo Woods and Deirdre Hanlon
Co-chair
SCC PTA
St Catherine’s College PTA thanks our 2014 Supporters
Fran De Gregorio
Maria and Joe Di Leva
JUNIOR POETRY 2014
Home
Home is a place I can be myself
Home is a place where I will always be loved.
In there, one can find old creaky doors and dusty shelves
One can find dirty dishes and peeling wall paper
But one can also find the matter most; family
The sweet aroma of freshly baked goodies and the booming of the piano.
The squeaky springs of the neverending bounce of the trampoline.
These things make our homes, they make us who we are. They define us.
The warm sun shining through the living room windows
The click of the computer
Screams and laughs bounce off walls
The feeling of warmth and comfort.
Close your eyes and remind yourself of childhood memories, you feel at ease in the place you’re in. Being a form of love, it
is associated with a tree which has deep roots.
It has four walls and a roof but is not just a house, but a home.
There’s no place like home, so open the door.
By Eilish Carty-Squires
Heart
By Shivani Pereiera
It has a regular pattern
Stable and steady
A movement so rhythm fluctuates
There is turbulence
You are knocked about.
But the pattern returns
Stable and Steady
Reliable
It is always there, never ceasing to exist keeping you alive and safe
You feel at ease knowing it will always be there
It is something so personal
Yet known at all.
Not an object nor organ
But an unseeable atmosphere of love.
A place that is not land that can be valued
But a priceless, safe place within your head.
It is a feeling
A sense of welcome and acceptance
A place where you will always belong.
Where company matters more than luxury
A place where things pick up as they left off
Where small bumps do not cause large problems
A place of stability and security.
It is the heart of your innermost feelings
It is home
Heart
A heart to love
A place to share
Isolated memories
A place beyond an address.
It’s a common idea
Always lingers within
Where everything began.
It holds a precious
Place deep in me
I visit often
A compulsive paradise.
Even if I left everything behind
It’s always something to think about
It’s where one’s heart
Feels at peace
At home.
By Dina Tesfay
Home
Home is a place
where I feel safe
home makes my heart beat race
I know I’m home when
I’m at peace and
at home I always think
about all the happiness
that is unsaid inside my head.
Home will always be a place
where I share my emotions instead.
home is a place which
I visit that lets me in.
By Journey Pine
DATES FOR 2015
Term 1 2015
Monday 26 January
Wednesday 28 January
Thursday 29 January
Friday 30 January
Monday 2 February
Wednesday, 4 February
Wednesday 11 February – Friday 13 February
Monday 16 February
Friday 20 February
Wednesday 11 March – Friday 13 March
School office opens
Teacher Only Day
Year 13 Peer Support training 9 – 3pm
Course confirmation 3 - 5pm
Year 12 Course confirmation 9 - noon
Year 9 and 13 Orientation
9.30am – 3pm
New Students at other level orientation
All students at school 8.40am
Year 9 students and all new students to Library
Year 10,11,12,13 to Whanau rooms
Powhiri begins 9.15am
Academic Mass 12 pm – families welcome
Year 13 Retreat
Athletic Sports – Newtown Park
Y9 and Parents FAITH, FOOD AND WHANAU, 5.45 pm
Year 10 Camp
Thursday 2 April End of Term 1
Term 2 20 April – 3 July
Term 3 20 July – 25 September
Term 4 12 October – 11 December
INVITATION
I would like to formally invite all families to bring along a picnic or takeaway dinner to our Friday night
FAITH, Food and Whanau evening at 5.45pm on 20 February 2015. The FAITH, Food and Whanau
evening will be preceded by an Orientation Meeting, staring at 5.00pm, for all our new Year 9’s and
their families
Mary Curran
If you have any queries about the Catholic Schools Attendance Dues for 2014,
please contact the Catholic Schools Board on 0800 462 725.
College Newsletter
St Catherine’s newsletters are available online at www.stcatherinescollege.school.nz
St Catherine’s College Uniform
New uniform items are available from
MOANA CLOTHING
30 Tauhinu Road
Miramar
Phone: 3808 881
Monday to Friday, 8am – 4pm
A limited amount of second hand uniform is still available at the college.
Contact: Janet (Reception) 9398 988 ext 0 during Term time only
Student Absences from College
If your daughter is going to be absent from College for any reason, please either:
Leave a message on the absence line 939-8988, dial 1 after 7.30 am or email [email protected]
School Term Details
Term 1: Thursday 29 January – Thursday 2 April
Term 2: Monday 20 April – Friday 3 July
Term 3: Monday 20 July – Friday 25 September
Term 4: Monday 12 October – Friday 11 December
Hato Kataraina
Kia tau tō Atawhai me to Mātauranga