Mountain Rd – Epsom – Telephone (09) 524 8108 – Fax (09) 524 9459

Email: admin@st-peters.school.nz     -  Website: www.st-peters.school.nz

Friday 14 August, 2009                                                                                           Newsletter No. 12/09

Dear Parents and Boys

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE

“IT’S ABOUT ME …”

vs

(“You are not the centre of the universe”)

It is one of those hard lessons of life that everyone at some stage has to come to face, with all the discomfort and hurt of change.

The world does not revolve around any individual.

This truth is despite all the messages from glossy magazines, from self-serving governance, from celebrity soaked sportsmen and women that we hear daily.

Boys need to hear that counter-culture message viz “you are not the centre of the universe”.

They can hear the message – you are extremely important, loved and created especially individually and personally by a loving God.

   But: “you are not the centre of the Universe”.

In my experience boys are drawn to authentic community with zeal. They love the involvement, the sense there is a bigger group and the belonging that comes from such a group. At times they even like the anonymity of the large group.

This year our sport and music groups have provided to some extent an antidote to the culture that everything revolves around me.

The St Peter’s Army cheering and vigorously promoting St Peter’s community of rugby, soccer, basketball and hockey. Their fellow team mates must feel the support and inspiration of such a group.

Is it any coincidence that the 1st XV Rugby is in the semi-finals, the 1st XI Soccer is in the finals of the Knock-Out-Tournament, the 1st V Basketball is in the finals of its tournament and the 1st XI Hockey is in the finals of its grade!

They have achieved these results in community.

Our college Service Programme has as its foundation philosophy that a St Peter’s Man is

 “A Man for Others”.

This is simply a requirement about a boy doing so many service hours, combined with the personal reflection and journal also springs from the notion that the world is about community – or other!

“It is about me …?” Certainly it is true God did not see a crowd when he created each of us, but once born, our destiny and our lives are made in community.

Enjoy the finals of the games.

In His Peace

In this issue: 

• Upcoming events Congratulations Bereavements Special Character
• Sports Update

K Fouhy

Principal

UPCOMING EVENTS

Friday 14 August

• Assumption Day Masses
• Level 3 and A2 Geography trip to West Coast beaches. Buses leaving school at 9.00am and returning at 3.00pm
• Year 9-11 Service Journals due in

Saturday 15 August

• 1st XV Rugby vs Mt Albert Grammar @ 2.30pm in The Cage
• 1st XI Soccer vs Mt Albert Grammar @ 12.00pm @ Mt Albert Grammar

Monday 17 August

• Lumino Dental starts (free service)

Tuesday 18 August

• 2010 Course Information Evening for current Year 11 and 12 students @ 7.30pm in the College Hall

Wednesday 19 August

• KBB Music Festival in the Aotea Centre Concert Band performing @ 12.05pm in the ASB Theatre and the Stage Band @ 2.30pm in the NZI Convention Centre. Entry is free
• India Meeting @ 7.00pm
• Year 7 and 8 NSW Maths Competition
• Year 7 and 8 Cross Country at Wesley Intermediate from 9.00am to 1.00pm

Thursday 20 August

• KBB Music Festival in the Aotea Centre Senior Orchestra will be performing at 10.55am in the ASB Theatre.

Friday 21 August

• Year 7 and 8 Social from 7.30 – 10.30pm in the College Hall. Fundraiser event for India - tickets from Mrs Gin in Middle School

Saturday 22 August

• 1st XV Rugby Final (venue to be arranged)
• 1st XI Soccer vs MacLeans College @ 12.00pm @ Waikaraka Park
• Grade rugby semi-finals
• College Ball at Sky City, 7.30pm – 12.00pm

Sunday 23 August

• Gala Concert at the Aotea Centre, tickets from The Edge, groups performing will be advised

Tuesday 25 August

• BOT Meeting @ 7.00pm

Wednesday 26 August

• Year 7 and 8 Mass @ 9.40aml
• Year 9 and 10 Mass @ 10.20l

Friday 28 August

• 10Fin Retreat at the Franciscan Friary

Saturday 29 August

• Grade Rugby Finals at Sacred Heart College

Monday 31 August – Friday 4 September

• Tournament Week starts

Thursday 3 September

• Father and Son Breakfast in the College Hall @ 7.00am, tickets available from front office

Monday 7 September

• Year 11–13 Prelim Examinations begin

COMING UP THIS TERM

Monday 31 August – Friday 4 September

• Tournament Week

Friday 5 September

• NZ National Concert Band Festival in Rotorua, day trip

Monday 7 September

• Year 11–13 Prelim Examinations begin

• PTFA Raffle closes today

Thursday 10 September

• Stroke Foundation Collection

Friday 11 September

• Year 8 Humanities trip to Mangere Mountain from 9.00am – 3.00pm

Saturday 12 September

• Mass of Initiation @ 6.00pm at St Benedict’s
• 1st XV Dinner @ 7.30pm in the Hall
• 1st XI Hockey Dinner @ 7.30pm in the Pavilion

Thursday 17 September

• Sports Photos all dayl

Saturday 19 September

• 1st XI Soccer Dinner @ 6.30pm in the Pavilion

Friday 25 September

• Teacher Only Day, Professional Development for Staff

BEREAVEMENTS

Our prayers and thoughts are with these families at this time:

Matthew and Michael Wilkie - Grandfather

If there are other close relatives who have suffered bereavement – please let us know.

CONGRATULATIONS

To the candidates accepted into the Order of Catechumens on August 12, 2009 by Bishop Patrick Dunn:

Kisione Ahki   , Kc McMahon, Liam Burke Barton, Samuel timothy Pallas, Connor Bellett, Callum Rio, Gabriel Byrne, Liam Rollinson, Ian Cairns, Williard Smith, Jason Cairns, Taylor Sommerville, Felix Commarieu,               Luther Su’a, Jervis D'Silva,       Asher Tee,  Michael Green, Etiveni Uhatafe, Josh Hickey, Goswien Van Heeswyk, Ashley Hodge       , Klaus Van Heeswyk, Jonathan Kumarich, Miguel Widdison, Fergus Managh Marco Wang.

To the following boys for gaining selection into Auckland  Rugby Teams:

Auckland Secondary Schools ‘A’:

Conrad Lam,          Nepai Fox-Matamua, Bryn Hall, Francis Saili, Matt Gandy,  Ben Lam

Auckland Secondary Schools ‘B’:

Zac Moi Moi            , Michigan Lam, Michael Bing

Auckland U16’s:

Eugene Teauraki,            Patrick Tuipolotu, DJ Solomona

Auckland U14’s

Trevor Steffany, Vince Aso, Junior Lolohea, Jayden Huch.

To Rory Kelly for being selected for Auckland City FC to play in the NZFC starting in November. The NZFC is the premier Soccer competition in New Zealand. Congratulations Rory on this outstanding achievement.

Liam Neuwelt-Kearns, Angus Craig, Jarrod Gardiner and Saahil Castalino for winning the Senior B, Division 1 Squash Competition.

SPECIAL CHARACTER NEWS

(a)       Service Programmes

The St Peter’s Man is a man of Service

Years 9-11

Congratulations to Y9,10 and 11 students for fulfilling their Service Hours for the year, and for handing in their Service Journals and Essays. Well done for loving and serving in your community.

Late Journals: If your journal is late, you need to complete it and hand it in now!

Year 12 Reminder

Due Dates and  instruction

Service Hours Sheet due on or by the last day of term, September 24.

Hand completed Hours Sheet into the student academic centre. Place in your class’ file in your Year Level’s Service Box.

Blank Service Hours Sheets can be obtained from the Academic Centre.

(b)       Kairos Retreats for Senior School

St Peter’s College is pleased to announce that a new retreat experience for senior students will begin at the end of this term.

St Peter’s is adopting a retreat programme that has been running at fellow Edmund Rice school Trinity College in Perth for the last seven years. Mr Fouhy and Mr Kingdon attended one of these retreats in Perth last December and found the experience to be profoundly life giving and beneficial for the students of Trinity College. For this reason, we are beginning a St Peter’s Kairos retreat this year, with one in September for Year 13 and one in December for Year 12 students.

Places on the retreat are limited, and this is an opportunity that it is not to be missed. Be in quick to assure your place. See Mr Kingdon immediately for more details. arents please also do not hesitate to contact Mr Kingdon if you have questions in regard to the retreat.

Here is some feedback from Trinity College Year 13 students about their experiences of a Kairos Retreat:

“Kairo was one of the most enjoyable and growing experiences I have been on, as it allowed me to understand and get to know more about my fellow Year 13 students.”

“A Kairos Retreat helps you become more knowledgeable about yourself and the people around you, as well as the amount of trust and value you have in the people you surround yourself with. Retreat goers are encouraged to ponder over things we might not have thought about in other circumstances.”

“but it is more than just a few days away from the hustle and bustle of regular day to day life. It opens our eyes to the bigger picture and allows us, if only for a few days, to reflect on what God and life in general means to us.”

(a)     Father and Son Breakfast – Change of Date

The Father-Son breakfast will now be on Thursday September 3 at 7.00am.

TAHITI EXCHANGE

Applications for the Tahiti Exchange are now open to senior French students.

The group leaves on December 25, 2009 and returns January 23, 2009.

Cost is $1500.00 plus own spending money.

Applications need to be submitted by September 18th.

See Mrs Ubels-Rattray for details.

SPORTS CORNER

(a)     1st XI Soccer through to the Final of the Knock-Out Cup

The First XI has progressed through to the final of the Knock Out Cup with a resounding 4 – 0 win over Northcote College on Tuesday.

Hopefully this sets the tone for our premier teams who are all involved in Finals over the next few days.

Rory Kelly’s goal scoring prowess was to the fore again when he netted three goals against Northcote College. The best was when he managed to evade two defenders with a clever loop and then out do the keeper with a strike to the top left of the net. Nathanial Hailemariam scored the other goal on his first game back from injury.

Co-Captains Andrew Van Ross and Ethan Galbrith led by example with outstanding games.

The 1st  XI are in a rich vein of form having won their last three Premier League matches. On Saturday they face top of the table Mt Albert Grammar at Mt Albert Grammar, 12.00pm kick off. They are very keen to gain a result against Mt Albert Grammar in what is shaping to be an outstanding double header with the Rugby to follow.

1st V captain James Glucina goes up for a shot against Auckland Grammar School

(b)     Home Semi-Final for 1st XV Rugby

The 1st  XV completed the round robin on top of the table with a comfortable win against St Paul’s College. The side play Mt Albert Grammar on Saturday at the cage 2.30pm. Mt Albert Grammar will be feeling confident going into the match having come through three tough must wins games over recent weeks. The Firsts are fully aware of the task ahead of them. Let’s make the most of the home ground advantage with another big crowd.

The 12 – 5 win against Auckland Boys Grammar was a memorable occasion for the St Peter’s College community.

The 1st XV are welcomed onto the field by “Peters” Army against Grammar

Saturday is shaping up to be another great occasion as St Peter’s strive to make the final for the first time since 2000.

(c)     Finals Action

• 1st V Basketball vs Glendowie College at 6.30pm at the YMCA in Pitt Street. This is the Final of the Central Zone Competition.
• 1st XV Rugby vs Mt Albert Grammar at 2.30pm in The Cage. This is the Semi-Final of the 1A Competition.
• 1st XI Hockey August 19. Opposition, Venue and Time to be arranged. This is the Semi-Final of the 1A/B Competition.
• Grade Ruby Saturday August 22, Semi Finals
• 1st XI Soccer – Final of the Knock Out Cup on Wednesday September 9 at 2.00pm at Bill McKinley Park, Panmure.

PTFA RAFFLE

 Thanks to those families that have already supported this fundraising effort.

It is intended to have a “ring–a–round” next Tuesday evening to remind students if there has been little action!

 It is important that books that are not going to be sold be returned next week for re-distribution. This will ensure better success. 

KAPA HAKA

St Peter’s Kapa Haka roopu will  be attending the annual Year 7 Hakari (feast) at St Cuthbert’s School. All students who have been doing a Maori unit of work will be eligible to share some of what they have learnt during this time, including Pre-European Maori, traditional cooking methods and hosting guests and they will be able to put these skills into practice.

It is a celebration of learning and guests will share in a hangi lunch and kapa haka.

St Peter’s Kapa Haka would have an opportunity to share an item if they would like.

EASY GYMNASIUM  FUNDRAISER

We have sent a letter to you extending an offer from Michael Overend Photography for a portrait session valued at $395 plus two 150mm x 200mm prints valued at $195 each, total value of the package being $785 all to you for just a minimum donation to the school of $50.00. “It seems too good to be true”  - but it is true and there is no catch!!

Your donation goes direct to the school. Your names and contact details go direct to Michael Overend Photography’s studio that arranges a consultation appointment for you with Michael prior to the Portrait session.

There is no other cost unless you decide to purchase further prints.

Testimonial from a parent at Epsom Girls Grammar School

Thank you for the opportunity to donate to the school and also to get some fantastic photos.

We have had family photos taken by Michael and I commend him to others. He is most obliging, offering either his centrally located studio or our home as the venue for the sitting. We chose our home, and he was in and out within an hour- really efficient. The family photo we chose has attracted compliments in our first week of hanging it- and I smile everyday as I look at the cheeky smiles he has managed to get from both our daughters.

The photos we have previously had taken will now have to be moved to another room as they look so amateur against Michael's production.

Thank you and the Foundation for this incentive.

Tina Plank – 12th June 2009

Please support St Peters College and take advantage of Michael Overend’s fantastic offer now. The offer closes Friday September 25. Your donation goes towards the purchase of much needed new equipment for the new gymnasium!!