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

in this issue

TERM 1 WEEK 2- COLLEGE NEWSLETTER

College Principal - “New Year, Fresh Start"

Associate Principal - "The Same or Different"

Deputy of Curriculum - Curriculum

Deputy of Pastoral - Pastoral

Academic Year 7/8

ICT Academy

LaSallian Student Leadership Seminar

Rotary National Science Forum

Notices

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Contact Us

“new year, fresh start”

Mr Myles Hogarty

College Principal

Greetings, The College year has started smoothly, we are at full capacity with 1000 young men and a full teaching staff, both of which are great signs for a successful year. As is our College tradition we have a Scriptural theme which will provide our College community with a focus throughout the year. This year’s theme is

Do to others as you would have them do to you

Luke 6:31

This phrase is often called the Golden Rule as it summarises all the Christian values that are expected of followers of Christ. In our College community this theme demands that we display respect, kindness and love for everyone we interact with in and outside our school. The theme also demands that every person deserves to be treated with the same high standards of dignity and respect regardless of who they are, therein lies the Golden rule. At our College Assembly this week, I challenged our young men and staff to be witnesses to this theme in their roles as teachers and learners, to give life and effect to this Golden rule. We have completed another extremely successful Academic Counselling Day, emphasising that at De La Salle we enrol the family. These learning conversations are a great way for our young men, their families and teachers to have clear, attainable goals and targets for their education over the year. I thank all parents for giving their time and for being so strongly connected with the school. Also at Assembly this week, we farewelled the group of 20 young men and 3 staff who are travelling to the United Nations in New York city. These young men through their outstanding achievements in Debating were invited to speak at the United Nations, a wonderful experience. I know that they will never forget this opportunity and will as always represent themselves, their families and their College with pride and humility. There are many changes that the New Zealand education system is going through at the moment, however we as a school are mindful that we must maintain a clear, structured environment for our young men to learn in. An environment that focuses on our faith, Catholic and Lasallian traditions and daily routines all of which provide a safe and stable foundation for our young men to grow. A very busy start to the term, one that we have well planned for and expect. I thank parents for having your son ready for the start of the year and your continued partnership with the College.

God Bless

associate principal

Mr Dermot English

The Same or Different

For about 25 years I had the same habits around health. A lot of activity but usually not taking notice of warning signs which resulted in injuries, and not following up on what health professionals told me to do. This meant that nothing really changed. This continued until Covid, when routines changed. This gave me a chance to change and so my health greatly improved, so I know about ignoring advice and not doing what is good for you. I also know about the opposite, and how effective and beneficial it is. At the start of a school year boys, and staff, have this choice. Many don’t need to change as they are doing very well, but a big number do. Will it happen? Will I put down the console or phone earlier in the evening so that I get enough sleep? Will I actually do the homework set?. Will I shave more often? For me it came down to what I didn’t want, that is I didn’t want more pain, lack of sleep and general exhaustion. That was enough to motivate me. Maybe for you, you don’t want that sinking feeling in November when you know you failed a lot of credits you could have passed. You don’t want that look in your parents’ eyes when your final results come through. Or it could be what you want. Either one works. The question is,

will this year be the same, or different?

curriculum

Deputy Principal Curriculum- Mr Phil Doyle

Parenting in an Online World 101

You are invited to Parenting in an Online World 101 – Rob Cope Tuesday 17 February 6.30 pm – 8.30 pm in the De La Salle College MPC This presentation, hosted by De La Salle College and McAuley High School, will give practical help on how to protect and keep our young people safe in the online world. See you there.

Provisional NCEA Results for 2025

We are extremely proud of all our students who achieved their NCEA Certificates last year. We congratulate our senior students, families, and teachers. 2025 saw a drop in achievement rates at Year 11. This is closely tied to the challenge of the Literacy and Numeracy Common Assessments. However, we are very pleased to say that we have been able to maintain high rates of achievement at NCEA Level 2 and NCEA Level 3 with pass rates of well over 80% at both levels. Achievement rates at these levels continues to exceed all local and national rates

NCEA Level 2

NCEA Level 3

Weekly Note begins next week

Next week you and your son will receive the first Weekly Note for 2026 by email. If you have not received the Weekly Note, or need a paper copy until you have an email please message me at Mr Phil Doyle DoyleP@delasalle.school.nz or contact the main office. As mentioned in your son’s Academic Counselling session, students receive a Weekly Note score on a 5-point scale;

The Weekly Note also shows the attendance % for each subject and an overall attendance %. The attendance % will jump around at the start of the year as attendance at our pōwhiri, our Dedication mass and other Induction events will affect the overall scores in the first couple of weeks. However, it will settle down after 2 or 3 weeks. The Weekly Note system is not solely about academic achievement. It is also about all those things that make achievement possible – punctuality, attitude in class, homework completion, engagement in lessons, participation in and contribution to class activities, focus on tasks etc. It is also about making our boys aware that someone is always watching their progress. Boys need and value these constant reminders about what they should be doing. Remember to celebrate the 4's and 5's and to follow up on the 1's and 2's. The Weekly Note is the start of a conversation between families and the college not the end. Please contact your son's subject or homeroom teacher at any time if you have any concerns. Teacher emails are in the form fulllastnamefirstnameinitial@delasalle.school.nz e.g. doylep@delasalle.school.nz Your son's homeroom teacher will also help you make contact with the right person if needed. We will endeavour to reply to queries within a day of hearing from you.

O loʻo tulimatai atu i se manuia 2026

pastoral

Deputy Principal- Mr Elton Charles

Welcome Back to a New School Year – Creating Connected, Independent Learners

The start of a new school year always brings a sense of fresh energy and possibility, and it has been fantastic to see our boys return with such a positive and settled approach to learning. I would like to acknowledge how smoothly the year has begun. The “settled start” expectations have been met by the vast majority of students, and this has been reflected in their readiness for class, pride in uniform, respectful behaviour, and positive attitudes. These small daily habits make a big difference — they set the tone not only for learning, but for the culture of our college.

Our 2026 Theme: Creating Connected, Independent Learners

This year, our focus is on developing connected, independent learners. What does this mean?

Connected Learners

Students who:

build strong relationships with teachers and peers
feel a sense of belonging at school
understand that learning is supported by whānau, teachers, and community

Independent Learners

Students who:

take responsibility for their learning and behaviour
manage their time well
set goals and follow through
show resilience and self-discipline

When students feel connected, they are more confident. When they become independent, they thrive — not just at school, but in life beyond De La Salle College.

Attendance Matters - Every Day Counts

A major focus for us this year is attendance. Our goal is clear: all students attending 90% or more of the school year. Regular attendance is one of the strongest predictors of academic success, wellbeing, and positive future outcomes. Missing just one day a fortnight quickly adds up to weeks of lost learning across the year. We are working closely with families and our wider community to support students to be at school every day. Where challenges arise, we want to partner early and find solutions together. Quite simply: being present matters.

Small Things Make a Big Difference

At De La Salle College, we believe that addressing small issues early prevents bigger problems later. Simple things like:

arriving on time
wearing the correct uniform
completing work consistently
communicating openly

These habits build discipline, pride, and responsibility — qualities that serve our young men for life.

Strengthening Partnerships

As I write this, we are in the middle of our Academic Counselling meetings, which have already been extremely positive. These conversations between students, families, and teachers help set goals and provide clarity and support for the year ahead. We are confident this process will continue to be a great success. Throughout the year, there will also be additional partnership meetings, events, and opportunities for engagement, because we know that students achieve more when school and home work together.

Looking Ahead

We are excited about the year ahead and deeply value the support of our parents and caregivers. Your involvement, encouragement, and partnership make an enormous difference. Together, we can ensure every student feels connected, grows in independence, and achieves his very best. Here’s to a successful and purposeful year at De La Salle College.

Academic Year 7/8

Assistant Principal- Mr Herbert Tanuvasa

2026 is upon us and wow what a year it will be in the Year 7/8s! We see our former students walking around as Year 9s and are proud of their growth the last few years. We now welcome our new Year 7 cohort and also a small number of new Year 8s. I am very excited this year about the students we have and the culture that is set in these early weeks. This is my fifth year teaching at the school and I don’t know if it is my imagination but it just gets better and better. We cannot start the year without acknowledging those we have lost in our Lasallian community. Our condolences to the families going through the difficult process of grieving over the summer. We acknowledge Mr Han who passed away this summer. He was a kind teacher with deep roots within the Lasallian community here and abroad. Our school goal this year talks about connection. We want to remain strongly connected with all our community, even more during difficult times. The new curriculum (Te Mataiaho) starts for us this year in Year 7/8 and we are very excited about where this will take us, particularly in our focus to have deliberate acts of teaching. We are well prepared to move into the new curriculum with 4 years under our belt teaching the learning progressions framework and now we take another step forward in our academic programme. At De La Salle our aim is to be ahead of the curve, leading the way with changes. We are lucky to have famous pioneering educators in the NZ curriculum such as Sir Brother Pat and John Singh, and we want to continue that tradition as a school by leading the way with implementation as we have done with the Learning Progressions Framework and now Te Mataiaho. Thank you again everyone for what you do for your son’s. In Christ

ict academy

BYOD Registration

Students who wish to use their own device at school must complete the BYOD registration process.

Collect a BYOD Agreement Form from the School Office, School Website, or your Homeroom Teacher.
A parent/guardian must sign the form.
Bring the completed form and your device to Room H4 at lunchtime for registration.

Only registered devices can access the school Wi-Fi.

Harvey Smith, Br. Lewis Harwood and Raymond Patolo

LaSallian Student Leadership Seminar

On the 19th of January Raymond and I were blessed with the opportunity to travel to Sydney, Australia to partake in the annual Lasallian Student Leadership Seminar for 2026 alongside Br. Lewis who accompanied us throughout our stay.

The theme for this year's seminar was “New Beginnings”. This experience truly served as an opportunity to represent our school and further develop our leadership skills, by learning new concepts and ideas around the traditional Lasallian values of faith, service, and community, being important guidelines and core reflections towards our approach to leadership this year. A key take away for me was this idea of SERVANT leadership. In Matthew 20:26 it says

whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant

A simple reminder that teaches us that success is no longer about personal promotion, rather it's about the growth and wellbeing of the people and the communities to which the leader belongs to. This being a testament to our own leadership journeys, we as a team are ready to embark on, to serve our school, families, and communities. On top of the great lessons and teachings we were able to learn, it was the people who really elevated this whole experience. Connecting and networking with students all over our district opened the endless possibilities in our community, seeing how vast our Lasallian family really is and being able to share important information and ground knowledge with each other were great picks that were highlighted.

A quote that stuck with me from LSLS was from Br Peter Bray, during our closing mass he mentioned saying “Do what you can, with what you have, where you ARE!” reminding me of the good old “if life gives you lemons” quote, this teaches us that we don’t need a perfect environment or unlimited resources to make a difference. Leadership isn’t waiting for a grand stage, its the small, courageous actions we take right now, with the tools currently in our hands. It’s about being grounded in the present and realising that our current circumstances, no matter how humble, are exactly where our service is needed most.

As we step into this year, our message to the student body is simple: Don’t wait for a title to be a leader. Each of you has the capacity to uplift someone else today. Whether it’s a kind word in the classroom or helping one of the boys out with a difficult task, you have everything you need to embody the Lasallian spirit right where you are. As your student leadership team, we aim to move beyond just “holding positions” and instead focus on active presence. Our goal is to promote the values of our school and build up that culture of brotherhood where every student feels seen and supported. We want to ensure that our Lasallian values aren’t just words on a wall, but actions that drive our school forward. We are honored to serve you this year. Let’s make it a year of true “New Beginnings.” Live Jesus in our hearts, forever!

Rotary National Science Forum

During the recent summer holidays, from 10th–24th January, I was honoured to represent our school at the Rotary National Science and Technology Forum. This prestigious residential programme has been running since 1989 and is designed to inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers, and innovators from across Aotearoa. Every year, only around 160–170 students from all regions are selected, making it a highly respected opportunity. The Forum is known for its intensive schedule and its incredible exposure to real-world science. Throughout the two weeks, I took part in a wide range of modules, including Mechatronic Engineering, Biomedical Science, Environmental Science, and many other specialised fields. Being surrounded by students from across the country who shared the same passion and ambition for science made the experience even more exciting. Friendships formed quickly, and I expect that many of the people I met will become familiar faces again when we cross paths at university.

One of the highlights of the programme for me was the chance to dissect a sheep heart. Exploring the internal structures and learning about the different chambers, valves, and pathways felt like a real step into the world of medicine. Moments like these reminded me exactly why I aspire to pursue a future in healthcare.

Beyond the academic side, the Forum helped me grow personally. The demanding schedule, public speaking opportunities, and constant collaboration built my confidence, independence, and leadership skills. By the end of the two weeks, I felt more inspired than ever to chase my dream of becoming a surgeon and to continue striving for excellence both inside and outside the classroom. It was truly a life-changing experience, and I am grateful for the support that allowed me to attend. I hope students from our kura will continue to take up opportunities like this in the future representing our school with pride and passion in spaces that celebrate science, innovation, and the potential of young people in Aotearoa.

notices

This is an invaluable opportunity for parents of students aged 11–18 to gain insight, reassurance, and practical guidance for navigating the online world alongside their teenagers. Attendance is strongly encouraged. Watch video

Last chance to order your 2025 photos! contact the school office for your 2025 access key

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