Tēnā koutou katoa ngā whānau,
Thank you to the students and staff that have supported the many events that have happened at school in the last few weeks; Shakespeare Festival, Reading Challenge, Work Day, our Mass of Creativity, Senior Music Nights, Showquest – and more.
Matariki hangi
A huge thanks to our Māori whānau for their Manaakitanga and Whanautanga in preparing a Matariki Hangi, celebrated at lunchtime last Thursday and shared with our students, staff and school community.
| Archdiocese of Wellington Attendance Dues | |
| We would like to thank you for your patience regarding the Attendance Dues invoicing and collection this year. Due to issues with the new software system and illness in the team, we have not met our standards of service delivery for which we apologise. The Cathconnect system parent portal should soon be up and running for you to check your outstanding invoices and balances.
If you have any queries or concerns, please contact the Attendance Dues team, preferably through emailing dues@wn.catholic.org.nz providing Child’s full name/Account number and brief details. As we are expecting a large influx of queries, response times may vary, and we will get back to you as soon as we are able to. |
Mahi Toi – All That Glitters
We will be celebrating our annual Arts Festival next week, Week 10, 2-4 June; an opportunity for our students to participate in an array of events, along with a healthy dose of competition.
Thanks to the enthusiasm and mahi of our Arts Leaders, Ellen Theobald and William Haywood teamed up with Sarah Pumphrey (Arts Coordinator), Sharlene Belcher (HOF Arts Faculty), our Art, Music, Drama teachers, and all our teachers and staff who make the stage come to life.
You are invited to our Mahi Toi concert evening on Thursday (4 July). Tickets can be purchased from our school office.
Achievements
Congratulations to the band Solace, winners of the Rockquest Nelson Regional Finals, coming first out of 30 bands competing in Nelson. Four of the five players are Garin students, Mia Coldicott, Oscar Walsh, Daniel MacBrayne, and Boston Harvey and another Nelson College student, Oscar Begg. They will now go onto the next online round, for a chance to compete in the National Finals in Auckland.
UWCScholarships
Nate Wilbourne has received one of four ‘sustainability scholarships’ offered to students worldwide to attend UWC Robert Bosch College, located in Freiberg, Germany. It specifically focuses on sustainability & environmental issues, and the school encourages students to tackle global challenges through interdisciplinary education and practical initiatives. Congratulations, Nate.
Kiriana Little has received one of two scholarships for a Māori/Pasifika student to attend UWC Red Cross Nordic located in Flekke, Norway. The school has a partnership with the Red Cross movement, and humanitarian values are part of the school’s educational mission, which helps create a deeper understanding of global issues. Well done, Kiriana.
High levels of unwellness
This continues to be an issue. Along with other schools in our region, we are still experiencing high numbers of student unwellness and of course some of our teaching staff have also succumbed. Our Relief teacher pool has been sorely stretched some days, meaning we have needed to strategise various staffing options. We will continue to use hand sanitiser in the classroom and promote safe hygiene practices to keep everyone well.
Arriving for the School Day
The Garin College school day starts at 8.40am. Students are required to be at school by 8.35am ready for the first bell at this time.
- If students are late to school or arrive during the school day, they must report to the school office to sign in. Students are required to have a valid reason for the lateness, a supporting note, phone call or email from a parent or caregiver is appreciated.
Enrolments 2025
We are now receiving enrolments for next year. We have our Parent Information Evening in our College Gym 7pm, Wednesday 24 July and our Open Day 12pm (midday), Wednesday 31 July. If you have family or friends considering secondary schooling for their children, please encourage them to enquire at our school office for an application pack.
As part of our annual enrolment process, some staff and students will visit our local Catholic contributing schools this week and next; this year we’ve also visited St Jo’s in Kaikoura – a special thanks to those students that participate and support these events.
Scholarships 2025
Scholarships are again available for 2025. Thanks to the generosity of Nancy Black (Twinkle), we have a number of scholarships available.
Due to the increasing cost of living and financial demands placed on families, we want to ensure the scholarship fund provides financial support to the families needing it to enable access to an education at Garin – this was very much Nancy Black’s heart and intention as the benefactor.
We also encourage applications for those existing Garin students who are able to demonstrate outstanding potential in academic, sporting, cultural, leadership and faith-based activities.
Scholarship information and applications can be found on our website.
Ngā manaakitanga
Jeremy Marshall
Acting Principal