JO H N P AU L II H I GH SC HO O L
Dec 2017
Nov/Dec Issue
JOHN PAUL II HIGH SCHOOL
Kia ora from the Princ ipal
KEY DATES TO
REMEMBER
Dec 11 End of Year Awards & Mass 7.15pm
start
Junior Reports
Issued
Last Day Yr 9
& 10
Dec 12 Orientation
Day Yr 9
2018
Jan 26 Uniform
Shop Open
Jan 29 Uniform
Shop Open
Snr Options
Day
Jan 30 First Day of School—Yr 9
& 13
Jan 31 Whole School, First
Day
As I write this the end of the year is fast approaching and reflecting on the year I
recognise the successes we have had as a school community. I was pleased that we
achieved a very favourable Education Review Office (ERO) report recently. ERO noted
in particular the strong Pastoral Care in our school and this is credit to the hard work
put in by our Pastoral Care team at school led by our Assistant Principal (AP) Mrs
O’Regan. Our students have again excelled in Sport, Science, in the Arts and in
Academic exams and competitions as outlined in the monthly newsletters throughout
the year. Many of our students have taken up the challenge and have tried new things
in their school life, and things outside of their comfort zones. A key goal again for us
this year has been for our students to aspire for excellence, to not be happy with medi-
ocrity, and we are beginning to see this reflected in their school grades as well.
I thoroughly enjoyed the recent Marist reunion and was proud to show many visitors
through our school. The whole event was a credit to the organisers and the fact that
they had around 400 people attend, showed how important the Marist school and
schooling was in Greymouth. The Saturday mass was well attended and a stand out
for me was the homily from Father Paul Shannahan in which he mentioned for parents
‘… the sending of a child to a Catholic school is the second duty, the primary duty is the
education at home’. As parents we are indeed the main role models in our children’s
lives!
Heading into next year we have five staff departing from our school. Mr Adams, Mrs
Buenaventura, Ms Carson, Mrs Jackson and Mrs Stone. Our fond farewells to those staff
members for all the work they have put into our school during their time with us. They
will all be missed!
We will be fully staffed next year with the following new teachers joining our school;
Miss Holly Lindsay a specialist Physics and Science teacher is joining us from Guernsey
in the Channel Islands, Ms Jeanne Gagnon a first year teacher from the College of Edu-
cation at Canterbury University, formerly from Quebec in Canada, is our new specialist
Maths teacher. I am in the process of appointing a new Head of Social Sciences, a new
Bursar and a new Sports Coordinator. You will hear more about our new staff in our
first newsletter next year.
All the best for Christmas and New Year. God bless. Nga mihi nui!
Kieran Stone
JPII Students Receive First Holy Communion
Congratulations to Kate McCann who was Bap-tised and to Jacob Smith & Alice Morrison who were received into the Catholic Church at the 9.30am Mass on Sun-day. All three students then received their first Holy Communion.
P A G E 2 N O V / D E C I S S U E
The beginning of November saw our All Souls Liturgy and
rose planting in memory of Rory Hayward (see separate
article All Souls at John Paul II).
The following day, we celebrated Mass in Columba Hall for
the whole school. It was the first time for the new carpet
tiles which helped tone down extraneous noise as well as
provide a space that reflected the importance of Mass. At
the end of Mass, we took the opportunity to recognise
those students who were leaving school or moving to
another town.
Year 13 presented their final assembly for the year, handing
out certificates to the staff and showing a PowerPoint of
their time at school. We wish them well. That evening,
parents, Year 13 students and staff gathered for the School
Leavers’ Dinner. Katie Milne was the guest speaker. Katie is
the President of Federated Farmers and an ex pupil of JPII.
She spoke about her time at school as well as the joys and
challenges of being a farmer, and her role supporting New
Zealand farmers.
Exams began the week of the 6 November. This year, we
were able to set up Columba Hall for the Exam Centre.
Having the newly renovated Hall, new carpet tiles and new
desks from the Maths room all made for a great
environment. Each year, an
exam prayer is written on the
board and a candle lit at the
start of the exam. Students say
the prayer at the start and then
can use it as an anchor when
they are struggling for inspira-
tion. This year is the last year for long-time supervisor, Mrs
Margaret Swinburn. Margaret started at John Paul II as a PE
teacher, retired, and then took over the role of Exam Super-
visor. We thank her for her years of service and support of
our students and wish her well in her “second retirement”.
Students and staff were given the opportunity to vote for
the Fauth Kersten Award, which recognises students who
are well-rounded and involved in all aspects of life,
respected and liked by his or her peers. It was good to see
the large number of students nominated for the award and
the difficulty of narrowing it down to the recipient. This
award will be presented at the awards ceremony.
Father Peter has prepared six students for Sacraments.
Congratulations to Jak Partridge, Harrison Calder and Beau
Swinburn who have already been baptised. Also to Kate
McCann was baptised, and Jacob Smith and Alice Morrison
were received into the Church at Mass on 10 December.
Many thanks to Father Peter for running the programme. It
takes time and effort to keep turning up each Tuesday for
about 12 weeks. Invitations will be sent out again next year
to students, encouraging them to take part in preparing for
the Sacraments.
It was great to see the senior School Council members and
their friends organise the Junior Formal. MM1 resounded
to the beat of some amazing music. Thanks to the staff,
especially Ms Pringle, and those who turned up to super-
vise and boogie along with the 40 Year 9 and 10 students.
Year 9 and 10 volunteers spent an hour each collecting for
the SPCA. We encourage our students to “take action” in
our community for a number of causes. The SPCA support
our students with Work Shadowing, and work experience
so it is good to be able to help them fundraise. This year,
each group was told how much they raised and the
winning pair were presented with a big bag of chocolate
fish. Thanks to Ms Beach for organising the roster.
Sixteen Year 12 students have been
accepted as Mentors for the Year 9
Induction Programme, beginning with
Orientation Day on 12 December.
This is another opportunity to take
action as well as giving back to the
school community. They had a two-
day training session in December and will spend time
during Term One planning and running sessions for their
groups.
House Leaders were also chosen and took part in a training
day to help them get ready for the new year. Ms Pringle
and Ms O’Regan have put together a range of ideas for the
Houses to be involved in throughout the coming year.
The Special Character Committee of the Board met to
discuss the goals and strategic plan objectives based
around the theme of Religious Education. This is one of
three themes that are the focus over a three-year cycle.
Each month, a report on activities related to these goals are
tabled at the Board meeting.
Year 9 and 10 have both had Masses this month with
Adoration beforehand. Father Peter is teaching them
prayers and simple hymns. This week, we met Monty
Bamford, who is here for two weeks placement as he
studies toward Priesthood. He spoke to our students about
how he never thought about becoming a priest until he
had finished his degree and worked for several years. He
has just finished his second, of seven years of study. We will
keep him in our prayers over the next year.
Jeremy Cumming, Secondary Religious Advisor, had his last
trip to the Coast before taking up a new role as DRS of
Garin College in Nelson. Over the past two years, Jeremy
has supported RE staff and helped with new IT ideas
throughout the Diocese. We wish him well in his new
position. Next year, we will be supported by Cushla
O’Connor who takes over the Secondary role after working
for many years as Primary Advisor.
Congratulations cards were sent to students who received
awards at their clubs’ prize giving, and for those who are
representing the West Coast in a variety of disciplines.
Sympathy Cards had also been sent. Congratulations cards
were sent to Brother Mark Oliver who is celebrating 50
years as a Marist Brother, and to Brother Gabriel Power,
who is celebrating 75 years as a Marist Brother. Both these
men are a wonderful example of dedicating their lives to
God. They have worked in a number of schools promoting
Love of Mary and Love of God. They reflect the 5 Pillars of
Marist in their everyday living.
Mrs Webster attended the National Director of Religious
Studies Conference in New Plymouth. This took place over
three days and over 60 DRS and Heads of RE Departments
were present. The highlight of the conference was the
pilgrimage to Parihaka and hearing the plight of the men
and women who peacefully protested the illegal taking of
local lands. Two years ago, the DRS Conference was in
Dunedin and the group gathered, in Anderson’s Bay, at the
Memorial to the men and boys from Parihaka. cont over…
S pec ia l C har ac t e r Re por t w i t h Mr s We bs t e r
N O V / D E C I S S U E P A G E 3
It was bringing the group to a full circle. CARITAS has
prepared a unit in cooperation with the members of
Parihaka and encourages schools to use it not only in
Social Studies but in the Social Justice units throughout the
year levels.
Year 10 studied the Middle Ages in Religious Studies, this year. As part of the work, they looked at Pilgrimages and the rea-sons why people go on pilgrim-age to various sites around the world. Mrs Buenaventura and the visiting Seminarian, Monty Bamford along with Mr Bergin & Mr Ching took the two classes on a pilgrimage around Greymouth. This was researched and written by last year’s Year 10 stu-dents. Places of pause included the site of the signing of
the deed of Greymouth with Chief Tainui, the start of the Wilderness Trail, the Miners’ Memorial and the pounamu touch stones. Reflections and prayers accompanied each
stop.
Several teachers are leaving John Paul II for new adventures. I would especially like to thank Mrs Juliet Buenaventura for all the time and effort she has put into teaching Religious Education and promoting of Marist and Mercy in the school. The hours of extra work preparing students for Mercy Day and Advent Liturgies made for wonderful experiences. I would also like to congratulate
her for completing her Diploma in Religious Education.
She worked so hard this year, completing 4 papers – about 42 hours of study each paper. I wish her well as she
heads to teach at Hornby High School next year.
Thanks goes to Mr Adams for his year at John Paul II. He brought a gentle kindness and a great sense of humour to
our staff.
Mrs Jackson is moving to Blenheim leaving the Bursar role. I really appreciate the way she has helped me keep the many budgets I run, in good shape. Her friendship and support have been special. Ms Carson leaves for Dunedin. She has supported the growth of kapahaka and the extension of waiata in the school. Her hockey skills have encouraged our students to strive for excellence, winning and gaining placings in several Tournament Week competitions. Mrs Stone is also moving on from the Sports Coordinator role, which is currently being
advertised.
As per tradition, our last mufti day will be for the Cobden Mercy Outreach run by Sisters Anne and Theresa. We appreciate the support they give our community and the
example of Mercy in Action.
Our End of Year Mass and Awards Ceremony has been in planning for several weeks. We appreciate all the effort various staff members make to ensure that the evening runs smoothly, and our students are recognised for the excellence they exhibit throughout the year. Coming
together as a community to celebrate Mass is a great way
to end the year.
S pec ia l C har ac t e r Re por t w i t h Mr s We bs t e r c on t . . .
All Souls at John Paul II High School
Each year we gather as a community to pray for the deceased. In our school, that
means spending time in reflection on the students who have died while attending JPII
or after recently leaving. We also remember staff and Chaplains who have died. Sadly,
it has also become a tradition to plant a rose in our Memorial Rose Garden for someone
who has died during the year.
Our Memorial Rose Garden was established in 1996 when two of our students, Catherine Fauth and David
Kersten, died in a car accident just outside of Springfield. Their classmates wanted a lasting reminder of
them in the school. Harold Leask, Deputy Principal at the time, told them they also needed to plant a rose
for other students who had died. And so, it began. Little did we know that in 2015, a rose would be
planted for Harold Leask. Some years, it has been Ash Wednesday for the rose planting and other years, we
haven’t had to plant one. In 2014 we planted 3.
Earlier this year, Rory Hayward was killed in a work accident. He had just begun his
apprenticeship and was loving being a builder. He was a hard case and had lots of friends
throughout the school, leaving a lasting impression. So, on All Souls, we gathered together
with his parents, friends and classmates and planted his rose and blessed his picture which
now hangs alongside the others, in the school foyer.
Our rose garden has two seats dedicated to two special men, Harold and Mons Gerry
O’Connor. They both knew the benefit of meditation and quiet reflection, so now our
students and families have a place to sit and pray and give thanks for the lives of special
members of our school.
In the 37 years since John Paul II was established, over 36 past and present students have died. Every
school holiday, we pray that our students keep safe and return in one piece. May we have no more roses to
plant for a very long time.
Eternal rest grant to them O Lord
And Let perpetual light shine upon them
May they rest in peace. Amen
N O V / D E C I S S U E P A G E 5
Pilgrimage – Year 10
Mrs Buenaventura and the visiting Seminarian, Monty Bamford along with Mr Bergin & Mr Ching, took the two Year 10 Religious Education classes on a pilgrimage around Greymouth. They had been studying the Middle Ages and as part of the work, they looked at Pilgrimages and the reasons why people go on pilgrimage to various sites around the world. Places of pause included the site of the signing of the deed of Greymouth with Chief Tainui, the start of the Wilderness Trail, the Miners’ Memorial and the pounamu touch stones. Reflections and prayers accompanied each stop.
West Coast Secondary Schools - Junior Volleyball
Our school hosted the West Coast Secondary Schools Junior Volleyball tournament at the Westland Recreation Centre on the 22nd November. The schools attending were JPII, Greymouth High School, Westland High School and Buller High School.
The tournament ran smoothly and was enjoyed by all who attended. It was great to see teams mixing in between the games.
We entered three teams - congratulations to the Boys A team & the Girls team for winning their competition with the Boys B team placing third. Thanks to Mrs Stone, Mr McNish, Atila D'Oliveira (Greymouth Volleyball Club) and Allan Brodie (Tasman Regional Volleyball) for running a successful tournament.
Boys A team - Kirk Magner, Asher Lambert, Finn Sharp, Zeb Thompson, Callum Donaldson
Front - Ravin Brown, Jacob Smith.
Girls team - Back - Mikayla Stevenson, Andrea Rennie, Catarina McDonnell, Emma Wilson, Shayle Obrero
Front - Anna Donaldson, Klaudia South.
Boys B team - Back - Harrison Watson, Mahuenoa Hislop, Leo Whitcombe, Front - Brett Rees, Caleb Mahuika, Geordie Gibson.
The Year 9 and 10 Drama students recently presented “A Night of Two Halves”. Three short plays adapted
from short stories by Anton Chekov began the night, showcasing the skills of our Year 10 students. Set in
Russia in the early 1900’s, the peasant costumes of the period instantly transported the audience back in
time. “The Lottery” explored how winning a sum of money might spell doom for some couples, and was
expertly played by Shanae Rennie and Cameron Dodds. The next short play was “Difficult People” and
showed how a wayward son can cause strife between a doting mother and an overbearing father. These
strong roles were played by Charleigh Beynon, Lydia Gill and Nova Anderson-Brooks. The final piece, “I’m
Famous”, highlighted the naivety of youth and featured the aforementioned students. The themes
presented about relationships are still relevant for us today and kept the audience well entertained.
The second part of the night was devoted to the Year 9 production entitled “Hitler’s Youth”. The difficult
subject detailing how the youth of Germany were indoctrinated was handled exceptionally well. Catarina
McDonnell served as both narrator and participant in the hard hitting emotional play, and delivered a
vibrant performance. All the students were believable and their parts ranged from the totally un-
questioning youth represented well by both Aiobhean McClunie and Riley Lindsay to those who
increasingly questioned what was happening to them, such as Tom Grosser, Braithon Crew and Beau
Swinburn. Ben Radics stood out as Herr Hesler, a conniving Nazi officer, whilst Morgan Kelleher, Breanna
Hilton, Jayde Foster and Neve Davidson played strong supporting roles. Once again the costuming was
very effective and helped take us back to World War II.
The lighting and sound effects combined with the costumes and acting to deliver a first rate evening of
entertainment. Jonathan Goodall is to be commended for his efforts and generous donation of time and
equipment. The performance was well polished and reflected the skills usually present in a more
experienced drama group. Congratulations to everyone involved including Mrs Smith and Miss Morgan
for two nights of fantastic entertainment. Well done Year 9 and 10 Drama!
N O V / D E C I S S U E P A G E 6
P A G E 6 N O V / D E C I S S U E
John Paul II Uniform Shop
Opening hours
Orientation Day 12th Dec 2017 10.55-11.25am & 1.35-2.10pm
The shop will also be open in January (week before school
starts in 2018)
Friday 26th
& Monday 29th
January, 2018, 9am-2.30pm
JPII SPORTS 2018
SPORTS COACHES/MANAGERS/SUPPORT NEEDED—PLEASE CONTACT THE SCHOOL IF YOU CAN ASSIST IN ANY WAY.
The next tournament is 9th February. Any help with coaching would be appreciated.
JPII Basketball
JPII Basketball will start in March 2018. We will need to have trials early February. Please contact the Sports Coordinator on 7684166 or email [email protected] if you can coach or manage a team (or know of some-body that may be interested in coaching) and your preference of which team, eg senior, junior, boys, girls etc.
Drama Performance —A Night of Two Halves
Special thanks for our audience support last week with our show. We managed to make $210.00 towards sending two students off to NZDS which is much appreciated. If you didn't get the opportunity to come along but you would like to contribute to our fund, it is not too late. All donations gratefully accepted at the office! Thanks again for being such an awesome audience. Susan Smith
The Bishop’s ordination will take place early in 2018 at a date yet to be decided by Bishop-Elect Paul. Let us remember with fondness Bishop Barry Jones as we rejoice in the appointment of a new Bishop for our diocese. God bless. Fr Rick Loughnan.
Pope Francis has appointed Fr Paul Martin SM as the 10
th Bishop of the
Diocese of Christchurch. We thank God for this appointment. Let us join together as a Diocesan family to pray for Bishop-Elect Paul.
New Bishop-Elect Appointed