Kia ora e te whanau

Term two is often the toughest of part of the year. The novelty of arriving at a new school and beginning a new year has passed and what is left is the everyday business of learning – which isn’t always easy. It is a time when our values can be tested by the normal frustrations of our daily life and these provide our young people with an opportunity to discern right from wrong, between good and bad, what is truth and a lie, and what is better and best.

We learn the answers to these things – from each other, from friends and family, from society at large and also online. Some of these sources are better than others! I encourage parents to try to monitor what your child is engaged in when it comes to online activities. At St Peter’s College, we will enhance our values to prevent unwarranted behaviour from entering the College and causing disruption, but this is also a partnership between home and school. How we react to a problem is often 90% of solving it.

We continue to experience disruptions with the 7 day grind of isolation periods at varying times for both staff and students. This calls us to be flexible and adaptable in all areas of the school. My gratitude goes out to our staff who have taken on extra class supervision and increased their workloads to support their colleagues and students. My congratulations to parents who have managed to keep their families together through these constraints. Keeping a structure and home routine going during these times is heroic. Well done to our young people who have turned up every day for their lessons without grumbling despite the obstacles of online learning.

Fighting the good fight, finishing the course, and keeping faith is the mission of our learning. Our direction as a school is about looking forward, working towards the goals in our strategic plan that we all contributed to, and putting the students at the centre. Full school assemblies have now been restored and this is to encourage every student to have a sense of the whole and to reinstate our community connections.

"I have fought the good fight,

I have finished the race,

I have kept the faith"

(2 Timothy 4:7)

Keeping the faith is difficult. But we know life is difficult. Keep going today and tomorrow.

Charity Fulfils the Law.

Tara Quinney,

Principal

The Level 3 Agricultural Science class have been getting out and learning hands on about Primary Production in our region. Last term we were blessed with the weather on our trip to Barry Sutherland’s potato farm on Waikaka Road. Barry grows new potatoes for the Christmas market, but still had plenty of tubers in the ground for Year 13 to dig up and sort on Barry’s vintage potato hoe as he drove it down the rows.

More recently we visited Kane Farm to study Beef production from Robert Kane. The Kane family has been in operation on the same site since 1929, and now run a dairy operation alongside a Hereford and Angus stud. The students were impressed by the beef stock, and Emily Irwin tried her hand at being a (pretend) auctioneer in the bull sales shed.

On Wednesday, 18th May the combined Year 12/13 Agribusiness class travelled to Scott's Gap (West of Winton) to visit Auld whiskey distillery, owned by Rob and Toni Auld.

This field trip was to provide context to the assessment standard 'Analyse the effect of a Strategic Capital Expenditure Decision on a Business'. Rob and Toni were fantastic hosts and provided an entertaining and interesting distillery tour, as well sharing their experiences over the past few years, moving from a sheep and cereal cropping operation to a fully integrated value add business. You may have seen their story on Country Calendar earlier this year (if you missed it, it can be viewed on TVNZ on demand) or if you are interested in learning more about their story, please visit their website at https://www.aulddistillery.co.nz/

Please return all forms for Junior Quad by Monday, 30th May. If you are in any of these teams and you haven't been sent a form, please email me - jessicayoung@stpetersgore.school.nz.

Basketball - Boys Years 7/8 (complete) and Years 9/10 teams. Futsal - Years 7/8 and Years 9/10 boys, and Years 9/10 girls teams. Rugby - Years 7/8 and Years 9/10 teams. Netball - 9A and 10A, All forms for 7A and 8A are complete.

If you have any sporting photos you would like to share please email these to Jess Young and we will put them in the newsletter for you.

Student Coaching Course - Wednesday, 1st June

Queen's Birthday, Public Holiday (no school) - Monday, 6th June

Otago/Southland Road Teams Relay Cross Country, Milton - Wednesday, 1st June (please let Jess Young know asap if you are interested)

Eastern Primary Cross Country - Wednesday, 8th June

Junior Quad Tournament - Thursday, 9th June

Southland Primary Cross Country - Friday, 17th June

Years 9/10 Netball Tournament - Sunday, 19th June