De La Salle College Newsletter “A Catholic School for Boys in the Lasallian Tradition”

in this issue

TERM 4 WEEK 7- COLLEGE NEWSLETTER

College Principal - “With Gratitude & Thanks "

Associate Principal - "Did It Work?"

Special Character - Ministry & Mission

Deputy of Curriculum - Curriculum

Deputy of Pastoral - Pastoral

Academic Year 7/8

Literacy Centre

Intermediate School

Parade of Nations - Niue Cultural Group

Gateway & Careers

Notices

Enrol Now

Contact Us

cover images by Roache Studios

“with gratitude and thanks”

Mr Myles Hogarty

College Principal

Greetings, As a Catholic, Lasallian community we are privileged to celebrate the coming season of Advent leading up to our celebration of the birth of Christ. Our young men know that it is Christ’s birth which is the reason for our celebrations and they are challenged to unashamedly display our 2025 year old Catholic traditions and rituals at De La Salle in praise of our saviour’s birth. Standing strong and proudly showing our Catholic colours is our mark of difference, we are privileged to be able to study, learn and live the Gospels as a Catholic school.

Next year our Scriptural Theme for the College will be:

Do to others as you would have them do to you

Luke 6:31

This phrase is a moral principle, commonly known as the "Golden Rule," which means you should treat other people with the same kindness, respect, and fairness that you expect for yourself. It is an encouragement to act with empathy and consider how your actions would affect others if they were to happen to you. For example, if you would want someone to help you when you're in a tough spot, you should be willing to help them in a similar situation. A very strong and relevant message for us all as we head into our new year. This is our last Newsletter for the year and an appropriate time to reflect on the year. I can proudly say that as a College we continue to provide an excellent holistic education for our young men, we are aware of the areas that we need to develop further and have planned for these through our Strategic Plan, composed through consultation with Staff, Parents, Board of Trustee members and students. I enjoy the strong partnership and engagement that we have with our young men’s families, this partnership has been identified as a key factor in the success of students in several recent research papers on educational success. Community is one of the original De La Salle Brothers’ values and remains so relevant in today’s teaching and learning environment. The long school holidays ahead for our young men can pose a daunting prospect for parents, many of whom do not have the same lengthy break from their jobs. In our constant reminders to our young men about taking responsibility for themselves and showing greater self management, I would like to offer Parents and our young men some practical tasks to accomplish over the holidays.

Celebrate the Advent and Christmas season by going to Mass at your Parish
Read for a minimum of 20 minutes a day and keep a Reading Log of your reading
Join your local Public Library and take out seven books to read
Learn how to use the family washing machine
Learn how to iron a shirt
Learn how to sew a button on a school shirt
Make a meal for your family
Perform an act of Service to your local community, Parish or School
Find a Part-time job to help pay for your 2026 College Fees
Join your Parish Choir
Do 30 minutes a day of exercise so that your fitness levels are strengthened.

The end of our school year is a good time to look back at all the outstanding achievements throughout the year but also a time to set ourselves even higher targets and goals for the coming year so that we continue to grow as a learning community. I would like to wish all our families and friends of De La Salle College a blessed Christmas filled with the love of Christ and the joy and hope that the celebration of the Birth of Christ brings.

God Bless

associate principal

Mr Dermot English

Did It Work?

At this stage of the year we can start to look back and ask the question, did it work? We had our annual plan, our own financial, emotional, academic and relationship goals, so did the plan work? Maybe we are in the same spot we were a year ago. That is a very common outcome! For me most of my worthwhile goals took more than 10 years to get close to, but I just kept going. Its not too late. I had a boy come to my office today because he finally got motivated to get Level One. He is searching for internal credits to do and studying up for the rest of his externals. He could still gain another 25 credits and make this year work. As a school there are some things we haven’t yet accomplished but there is a lot that we have. In 2024 we had our best academic results in over 20 years. This year Level 2 is looking to be a record, and we have 18 boys who have Excellence Endorsement, which is a record. They will be going to Hong Kong in April. It worked for them. There were 10 rugby teams, a basketball title, lots of other sport, a massive Polyfest effort, a Year 7/8 ‘Production’, a fenoga to Niue, debating success and $400k of tertiary scholarships. These, and many other things all worked for us and for the boys.

Our most important goals are not academic.

They are to do with family and partner relationships. How did it go? Do I still have the same patterns that cause issues or have I been able to make a shift, for example to listen better? If we, both as people and as a school can be honest in our reflection on how we have done it is more likely to work even better next year.

special character

Assistant Principal Mission- Mrs Teuila Vaotuua

As we come to the end of another school year, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to all our families for your unwavering support. Your partnership, encouragement, and trust have carried our young men through their learning, their challenges, and their moments of growth. We are truly grateful for the way you walk alongside us in nurturing their faith and character. To our dedicated staff, thank you for your tireless commitment and generosity to educating and forming our young men. Your steadfast service, your patience, and the countless hours you give reflect the very heart of our mission. This year, guided by our theme “Let all you do be done in love” (1 Corinthians 16:14), we have strived to live out the core values Faith, Service, Community, and Excellence. As we reflect on the year, may we continue to carry these values into every space we step into, allowing them to shape not only what we do but who we become. To all students who leave our College this year, we offer our sincere thanks and blessings as you step into the next chapter of your journey. You have each contributed to the life, spirit, and culture of our school in your own unique way, and you will always remain part of our Lasallian family. As we enter the holiday and festive season, I pray it will be a time of rest, joy, and renewal for you and your families. May Christ’s peace fill your homes, and may the break be a time of connection, gratitude, and grace for those nearest and dearest to you all. Thank you once again for being part of our De La Salle whānau. We look forward to welcoming everyone back in the new year. Blessings and warm regards Mrs Teuila Vaotuua

Live Jesus in our Hearts forever

curriculum

Deputy Principal Curriculum- Mr Phil Doyle

Last Weekly Note for the Year

You will receive the last Weekly Note for your son for 2025 this week. Our Weekly Notes have provided an update on your son’s academic progress, classroom behaviour, effort, and social development. It is a key pillar in keeping you informed and establishing the lines of communications with your son’s teachers We will start again in Week 3 2026. Remember to use it as a conversation starter and a chance to have a productive discussion with your son about his school week. If you haven’t done so this year, make it a goal for next year to communicate with the teacher. We are here to support you.

Year 9 and 10 exams

I would like to congratulate our year 9 and 10 students for their hard work and dedication they have shown to completing their exams this week. Our students have risen to the challenge. We now look forward to their results. Year 9 and 10 students will have their De La Salle Certificate Ceremonies next Wednesday 26 November. Year 7 and 8 will have theirs the following week on December 3rd.. School Prizegiving is on Thursday 4 December. Junior reports Junior Reports will be sent home Tuesday 2 December or Wednesday 3 December. If you have questions or concerns about the report, reach out to the teacher for a more detailed conversation. NCEA Exams continue Congratulations to our Year 11 – 13 students who have been completing exams. Mrs Warrender, our Exam Centre Manager, has been impressed with the perseverance and attendance shown by the boys. NCEA Exams continue through to Friday 28 November next week. As you can see below, the vast majority are digital exams. Students are reminded to either bring their laptop or inform their teacher that they need to loan a laptop for the exam.

Monday

Scholarship RE
L1 Gagana Samoa – digital
L3 Geography
L2 Earth and Space

Tuesday

L1 Lea Faka Tonga – digital

Wednesday

L1 Religious Studies – digital
L1 Health – digital
L3 Health – digital
L2 Business Studies – digital

Thursday

L2 Health – digital
L3 Business Studies – digital

Friday

L2 Technology – digital

Parents, if you are struggling to find work for your son to revise with, try https://nzqa.toasting.me/ . This site has a databank of all the past NCEA papers available in your son’s subject. For those students who have finished, I wish you a safe summer. Remember results will appear on the NZQA website in mid-January. https://www2.nzqa.govt.nz/ Summer School Summer school for Year 11 has now ended. Students who are actively being assessed can keep coming in and any student that would like a place to study are welcome to continue come in. However, there will not be dedicated teachers attached to the group.

pastoral

Deputy Principal- Mr Elton Charles

Welcoming Our 2026 Year 7 and Year 9 Families

This past Tuesday, we had the pleasure of hosting our new Year 7 and Year 9 students and their families as we prepare to welcome them into the De La Salle College community for 2026. It was a warm and positive evening that gave our incoming families a first look at what makes our school special. During the event, we introduced our Lasallian character and the values that guide everything we do — faith, service, community, and excellence and a commitment to helping each young man become the best version of himself. We also outlined our expectations and shared what students and parents can look forward to as they begin their journey with us. It was encouraging to see so many families engaging, asking questions, and showing genuine excitement about joining our community. The presence of our staff and student leaders contributed to the welcoming atmosphere, and the evening truly reflected the spirit of togetherness that defines De La Salle. To all the students and families who will be joining us next year: we extend a very special welcome to you once again. We are thrilled to have you as part of our Lasallian whānau and look forward to walking alongside you in the years ahead. The journey begins now, and we are excited about everything you will bring to our college. We have included a few photos from the evening to capture the wonderful sense of connection and anticipation.

Academic Year 7/8

Assistant Principal- Mr Herbert Tanuvasa

I know I have spoken throughout the year about all the different things our Year 7-8 students have done outside of the classroom but for this last newsletter I am going to speak solely on academics. 😊 Our E-Asttle Results have come in and our Year 8s have an average of 4P for both Reading and Maths and our Year 7s have an average of 3A for both Reading and Maths! That is a fantastic result for any school in NZ and even more so for a South Auckland school full of boys without any girls to push up our average. My daughter is next to me as a I type this and she is stunned by our results. I have to give credit to a fantastic team who have dug in deep the last few years pushing our academic culture. It cannot be underestimated the decision from Principal Myles to give the top floor in our new building solely to the Year 7 and 8s. The top floor is without doubt the best learning environment in the school; away from distractions, a beautiful view, and one floor one team culture for the students. My colleagues up here have taken this opportunity and run faster than ever with it. The students have reciprocated and performed incredibly with their results. I am impressed with my Year 7 teachers as they have the added responsibility of showing our new students the way of a Lasallian. I cannot understate our success without mentioning the great work our contributing schools have done with students prior to their arrival at De La Salle. Coupled with this is the never-ending foundational work of parents, obviously the biggest factor in the success of a child. We as teachers are grateful for the support parents give us in the education of their child. 😊 Next year we move into Te Mataiaho (the curriculum refresh). It is a huge shift but because we have been doing the complexities of the Learning Progressions Framework for 4 years, we are well placed to transition seamlessly. 2026 will be an exciting year and we are looking forward to even better success than what we have now. Again, thank you all for your support this year with your son/s.

In Christ

literacy centre

intermediate school

Parade of Nations

NIUE Cultural Group

Hofohofi atu e tau fakaalofa kia mutolu oti! On Sunday 16th November, our group was privileged to perform alongside 9 other Island groups in the WIPCE “Parade of Nations”. This prestigious conference is held every three years, in different locations around the world. WIPCE is an acronym for World Indigenous Peoples’ Conference on Education. This is an international conference, with almost 5,000 participants. Several of the native Indian tribes from North America (Canada and America) were involved, alongside Australian first nation Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders. There were also Laplanders (from Sweden, Finland and Norway), native Taiwanese aboriginals, and first nation people from all over the world, including the Pacific (Polynesians, Melanesians and Micronesians). It was great day, filled with day of Pasifika vibrancy, colour and flair!!  The morning began with a powiri by Ngati Whatua in the ‘cloud’ followed by participants assembling in Britomart Square. From here, the participants marched behind the 10 representative Pasifika nations, stopping at road intersections up Queen Street for a quick 90 second performance. The two main performances were at the first intersection (Customs Street), and then at the end – inside Aotea Square.

The other groups involved in the parade were

AOTEAROA -Ngati Whatua Orakei
SAMOA - Tatau Manaia
TONGA – Ikuna Brass Band
COOK ISLANDS – Anuanua
HAWAI’I – The Hula Journey
TOKELAU – Mafutaga Tupulaga
FIJI – Alesha Bati
KIRIBATI – Akisi Kiribati Youth
TAHITI – Ahuuranui

It was a real buzz of activity inside Aotea Square, with food stalls, apparel sellers, and a free concert that featured groups/acts such as Betty Anne Monga, Sons of Zion, Corrella, Broherhood Musiq, Seth Haapu, Nga Tumanako, Le Masiofo Samoan group, Tuaikaepau Tongan group, and others.

The group did extremely well, especially considering they had to stand around in boiling sun for over 3 hours before the parade began! They were great, charming ambassadors for our beloved kura and were real crowd pleasers. To be the only school group there, amongst some polished professional performers was an achievement in itself! They more than held their own and I’m proud of their efforts. A massive “Fakaue lahi” (big thank you) to Mrs Tulisi-Apelu and Mrs Leau for their tireless work behind the scenes. Great work gentlemen…seeing our school crest being paraded up Queen Street in front of thousands of Kiwis and International visitors was an extremely proud moment – “Live Jesus in our hearts”..!!

images supplied by Mrs Laura Fe'ao

gateway & careers

As we come to the end of another incredibly busy and rewarding year, it’s a perfect time to reflect on the successes, challenges, and achievements of our Gateway and Trades programmes in 2025. Our young men have shown commitment, resilience, and genuine excitement about their futures — and that is something we can all be proud of.

Gateway Programme 2025 — A Year of Real-World Success

This year, 110 students participated in the Gateway Programme — our largest cohort ever. Each of these young men experienced meaningful work placements, gaining firsthand exposure to real workplaces across Auckland and beyond. From construction sites to retail, logistics, engineering, hospitality, automotive, healthcare, and early childhood centres, our students represented De La Salle College with pride and professionalism. Many of these placements included assessments completed successfully through GRIP, ServiceIQ, Skills, MIT, and other industry partners. These achievements show not only the dedication of our students but also the strength of our partnerships with employers. The positive feedback we have received from supervisors has been outstanding — our young men consistently showed reliability, respect, initiative, and a genuine appetite for learning.

Thank You to Deans and Homeroom Teachers

We extend our deepest thanks to our Deans and Homeroom Teachers for their support throughout the year. In incredibly tough times for schools and whānau, you continued to put students first — allowing them to attend work experience, helping manage timetables, attending meetings, and guiding each young man with patience and understanding. Your support ensures our students receive life-changing opportunities. We appreciate you more than you know.

Trades Academy 2026 — Places Confirmed Planning for 2026 has already begun, and the response has been outstanding. We already have confirmed spots for students heading to NZMA next year, in both:

Carpentry
Electrical

These programmes continue to be some of our most successful pathways, with students gaining valuable trade skills and often moving straight into apprenticeships or full-time training. We are also working closely with industry partners to establish a Plumbing programme for 2026, giving our young men even more opportunities to enter essential trades. The interest, passion, and readiness shown by our upcoming 2026 cohort is inspiring — the future of Trades at De La Salle remains bright.

A Great End to 2025

As we wrap up the year, it's clear that 2025 has been one of the most successful years for Gateway and Trades. The energy, commitment, and spirit shown by our students - backed by the incredible support from staff, families, and community partners - has been something special.

Now it's time for all of us to re-charge our batteries, rest, and come back ready for another big year in 2026.

Merry Christmas and God Bless On behalf of the Careers, Trades, and Gateway team: Mogi, Tufosa and myself Have a wonderful, safe, and blessed Christmas. Enjoy time with your families, rest well, and celebrate all that your sons have achieved.