Kia ora whanau,

A very warm welcome to our new students and families who, like myself, are starting at Aquinas College this year.  I hope your introduction to the College has been as welcome and as friendly as mine has been. I thank the Board of Trustees, staff, students and wider community for the support that has been extended to me in what has been a thoroughly enjoyable introduction to Aquinas College.  I look forward to working with you all to achieve the best possible outcomes for all of our learners.

I hope you enjoy reading our second college newsletter for 2018. We will be publishing two newsletters per term this year. One will be midway through the term and a second at the end of each term. There will also be a new initiative this year; a student newspaper. Watch this space!

In an earlier email I sent out to all families, I took the opportunity to share my educational philosophy, ‘non-negotiables’ and expectations for learners. As I am conscious that not everyone will have read my email, I would like to include these again here. These values and beliefs shape my leadership and decision making, therefore, I want them well known.

My educational philosophy is student-centred. It focuses on individual needs, contemporary relevance, and preparing students for a changing future. I strongly believe that every student deserves to be supported by an environment where they not only have the opportunity to achieve, but indeed succeed at the highest level. At the same time, every student needs to be held to account for their individual pursuits towards success. I believe in the holistic development of students, grounded in Gospel values. I strongly believe that a school needs to be an adaptive institution that works with its learners to improve outcomes for everyone while cherishing each learner’s culture and individuality.

Students today master content while creating, synthesising, and evaluating information from a wide variety of subjects and sources. I believe that students must develop strong critical thinking and interpersonal communication skills in order to be successful in an increasingly fluid, interconnected, and complex world. I see the partnership between home and school in preparing students to be successful in the 21st Century as critical.

My non-negotiables
I have four simple rules or expectations for our entire College community; students, staff and wider community, and this starts with me. They are:

1. Be kind
2. Be respectful
3. Be authentic
4. Be honest

I believe very strongly in these four simple things. I hope you can draw parallels between my non-negotiables and the values, ethos and Special Character of this College. I believe these four things are what it means to be good, fair people. Schools serve many functions, but chief among these, in my opinion, is in preparing students to be successful, contributing members of society. By developing good people, we position ourselves well to achieve that goal.

My expectations for learners
In addition to my four non-negotiables, I have four expectations for all learners in how I expect them to approach their work:

1. Be innovative. Take risks.
2. Nurture relationships.
3. Be resilient.
4. Strive for and celebrate excellence.

It is important that we recognise that we are all learners in our college community. In a recent assembly, I explained to our students that I expect to see innovation, positive relationships, resiliency and the pursuit of excellence in addition to the four non-negotiables when I visit their classes. It is also my expectation that as staff and whanau we also model these expectations in our pursuits, especially those that relate to the College community.

In celebrating the start to the new year I would like to welcome our new staff and acknowledge changes within our Board of Trustees.

New Staff (in alphabetical order):

Mr. Steven Binns – Steven joins our Mathematics faculty. Mr. Binns is a first-year teacher. He spent time at the College last year on a teaching practicum. He completed his teaching qualification at the University of Waikato. Prior to entering teaching Mr. Binns worked at a number of Universities. He holds a PhD in Mathematics, an MA (Mathematics) and a BA (Mathematics.)

Ms. Jacq Burrell – We welcome Ms. Jacq Burrell back to the College in our Science Faculty. She has a long association with Aquinas College being a foundation member of staff and having several other periods of employment with the College.

Mrs. Adrienne Danby – Mrs. Danby joins us as a Teacher Aide. She is very experienced and qualified and will be an asset to our support staff team.

Mrs. Rebecca Holmes – Mrs. Holmes joins our English Faculty on a one term, fixed term contract. She is a graduate of the University of Waikato. Mrs. Holmes joins us after holding previous teaching positions at Otumoetai College and most recently the Northern Health School.

Mr. Craig McFarlane – Mr. McFarlane is a graduate from Victoria University and also joins our Mathematics Faculty, on a part time basis. Mr MacFarlane has worked in a number of New Zealand secondary schools, from Christchurch to Kaitaia, holding teaching and management positions along the way.

Mr. Mat Synge – Mr. Synge joins our Science Faculty and is a graduate of Victoria University. Mr. Synge joins us from John Paul College and brings a very unique set of skills as it relates to bee-keeping. We are exploring ways for Mr. Synge to share these talents with our students.

Board of Trustees 2018

The school this year is pleased to once again have a stable and capable Board made up of the following trustees:

Scott Kahle (Chair)
James Houghton (Deputy Chair)
Colleen Lowe (Elected Parent Representative)
John Mackay (Elected Parent Representative)
Chris Phayer (Elected Parent Representative)
Margie Cooper (Proprietor’s Representative)
Therese Ford-Cartwright (Proprietor’s Representative)
Clare Sokimi (Proprietor’s Representative)
Matt Dalton (Principal)
Peter Nicholson (Staff Representative)
Ben Sokimi (Student Representative)
Moira Ramsbottom (Board Secretary)

In acknowledging the Board, it is appropriate that I formally acknowledge and welcome Clare Sokimi as a new member of the Board. Clare’s Trustee experience began on the Board at St Peter Chanel School in Hamilton where she was a Board member for 12 months.  When her family moved to Tauranga, Clare served on the St Mary’s School Board for 6 years before taking up the challenge with St Mary Immaculate Parish and then St Thomas Aquinas Parish where she served as a Parish Counsellor for three years, with the last two as the Board Chair.  Clare and husband Tony, have two children currently attending Aquinas College, Ben (Yr. 12) and Poppy (Yr. 10).  Their eldest daughter, Bailey, graduated from Aquinas College in 2014. I know that Clare’s wealth of experience will be an asset to the governance team.

I must also acknowledge and pay tribute to Margie Cooper, who has signaled her resignation from the Board of Trustees when a suitable replacement can be found. Margie has been a member of the Aquinas College Board of Trustees as a Proprietor’s Representative since 2011.  At that time, her two sons James and Luke were students at Aquinas College.  In the 6½ years Margie has been a member of the Culture & Ethos Committee contributing and leading change in policies.  Margie has represented Bishop Steve well in Board meetings, ensuring the College’s Special Character was foremost in thoughts during decision-making.  We thank Margie for her years of service and congratulate her on a place on the Diocesan Schools Council.

Student Achievement 2017

As is detailed in this newsletter by our Director of Curriculum, Mr. Graham, the results that our students achieved in National Standards, REACH, NCEA and New Zealand Scholarship in 2017 were simply outstanding! Your role as parents in our College community is essential in providing the support to our teachers and obviously, our students in achieving these wonderful outcomes.

I encourage you to peruse the report provided by Mr. Graham. These results underscore the culture of academic excellence Aquinas College has established and continues to maintain. We have had the opportunity to now compare our results to the other local schools and while these results are still provisional, they highlight the fact that our students are outperforming all other schools in NCEA relative to pass rates and proportion of endorsements.

We recently celebrated 66 students in our Academic Honours Assembly. The criteria to achieve Academic Honours is demanding, so to celebrate this number of students was wonderful. We were able to make special mention of Lilli Scott and Daisy Vahey-Bourne who not only met this criteria, but also had the special distinction of attaining New Zealand Scholarship passes, placing them in the top 3% of all students in the country. A simply outstanding achievement.

Special Character Events

1. Our new students’ Mass took place in the College foyer on the 31^st of January Father Danny led us in celebrating the start of the year for new teachers and new students. Our peer support students from Yr. 11 were also present, as were some members of the wider community.
2. On Ash Wednesday we celebrated a liturgy for the start of Lent, with Imposition of Ashes, supported by reflections and readings. The celebrant was Deacon Vince, ably supported by Yr. 13 students and other staff. McKenzie Frear, our joint leader of Special Character, delivered a moving reflection on Lent.
3. The College Retreats for Yr. 9 took place on 20^th and 22^nd February at St Joseph’s, Te Puna. These provided an excellent opportunity for students and staff to reflect.
4. Appeal for Tonga – Thank you for your support of the appeal for money and clothing in the wake of the Cyclone Gita. Our community responded very positively to this appeal and again in support of the College mufti day that supported the same appeal.
5. The Hamilton Diocese Commissioning Mass was held in Rotorua at St Mary’s Church on 27^th of February. We were well represented by a group of students, their families, staff and members of the Board of Trustees. Bishop Steve was the main celebrant and it was a celebration for all involved in Catholic education.
6. Our first whole-school Mass of the year was held at St Mary Immaculate, Tauranga on 4^th March at 10:30 am. A special thank you to all members of our community that supported this special Mass.

Education Outside the Classroom and College Events

1. Our First XI Cricket team enjoyed a successful tour to Melbourne the week before school started.
2. Our Student Executive enjoyed an overnight leadership camp that culminated in a dinner with their families and senior staff.
3. The Yr. 8 students, staff and parent helpers enjoyed a modified camp due to challenging weather conditions. The camp was largely held at the Ngatuhoa Lodge and I am pleased to report that despite the conditions, the camp was a great success.
4. The Student Executive enjoyed an overnight leadership camp where they undertook leadership training and set goals for the year. A Yr. 13 Leadership Day held on February 9^th followed this and allowed for all of our Yr. 13 students to have a sense of agency and empowerment in deciding their own goals for the year, initiatives they want to get behind, and the legacy by which they wish to be remembered. Having it led by the Student Leaders also allowed them to demonstrate to their peers their leadership style and the level of support and approachability they will deliver on this year.
5. Numerous groups of students across the curriculum have been out of the classroom on field trips which aim to further enrich and deepen their learning experiences.
6. The College Athletics Day took place on Friday 23^rd February on our campus. We enjoyed a spirited and competitive event where strong inter-house competition was to the fore. This event underscored the Aquinas College Spirit for me.

Community Engagement

1. The School Powhiri for new students and staff was held on February 1^st and was a wonderful occasion. This was an occasion that I will personally never forget. Following the Powhiri we broke tapu with kai in the staffroom. We were joined by many guests and members of our community.
2. On January 31^st the PTA assisted us in preparing and hosting the new families’ morning tea in the staff room. This was a great opportunity to welcome our new families and bring comfort to them around their transition into our community.
3. A new families’ BBQ was held on the 8^th of February. The PTA once again offered invaluable support on this evening, catering for our students and families. Our Student Executive oversaw the activities for Yr. 7 students while families met with the Yr. 7 teachers. A wonderful evening that I believe sent a strong message of welcome to these families.
4. Our Twilight Festival held on March 1^st was a brilliant afternoon and evening. Despite challenging weather conditions, we were well supported by our community where everyone enjoyed a great afternoon and evening. This event further underscored for me the wonderful connection Aquinas College shares between school and community. I want to pass on our sincere thanks to the PTA for their commitment and contribution to the Twilight Festival and indeed all community engagement related events they continue to assist us with. We are fortunate to have their support.
5. I want to extend my thanks to those students and families that responded to my ‘climate check’ survey. I will be analysing this feedback and will report back to you in due course.

Upcoming Events

I have included dates of key events that will take place over the second half of this term directly below:

March 9               Catch-up photos for individual and siblings
March 12             Attitude Health Visits for each year level
March 13             Yr. 7 and 8 Swimming Sports at Greerton Pools
March 14-17       Polyfest, Auckland
March 14             Yr. 12 Student Support Training
March 19             Interim Reports for all students
March 19-23      Summer Sports Tournament Week
March 19-29      Caritas Challenges
March 24            Waikato BOP Athletics
March 28            Cross Walk from St Thomas More Church to Aquinas College
March 28            Easter Liturgy
March 29            Yr. 9-13 Swimming Sports at Baywave
March 30            Good Friday
March 31/32      Easter Holidays
April 6-8              NISS Athletics Champs, Whanganui
April 6                  BOPSS Swimming Champs
April 10                Meet the Teacher interviews
April 10                BOP Yr. 7 and 8 Zone Swimming Champs
April 13                End of Term 1.

As you can see it has been a busy term for the College and I extend best wishes to all students and staff and the wider college community for not only a successful Term 1, but a highly successful 2018. Targets have been set, goals defined, and now we must all work hard, and work together to realise the same. Best wishes for a successful 2018.

Mr. Matt Dalton
Principal.