De La Salle College Newsletter

associate principal

Mr Dermot English

Faith Adds Value

In the last 2 years we have done well in NCEA/UE data. There are some gaps, but in general we follow a nationwide trend that schools of faith and Kura Kaupapa schools make up most of the schools in the country that have pass rates above their socio-economic measure. Having a Faith narrative about life being about more than ourselves and being able to act that out in the way our families live and the way our school runs adds value to a range of outcomes for our boys. Our results are in some areas up to 25% higher than some well known boys schools throughout the country.   We punch above our weight in most areas of academic achievement and there is a lot of data on that but I would like to focus on one particular measure of success for our school. Nationally 1 in 7 students leave high school and don’t go into education, employment or training. That is 14% of the country. At DLS for the last three years that number has been 0%, so all of our boys are having a successful initial transition from high school into ‘the real world’.   This takes a huge amount of effort from parents, teachers and most of the boys. What the data suggests is that across the country that effort produces better outcomes when we operate from a strong faith base. That is the strength of our community and our boys are the ones who benefit.

pastoral

Deputy Principal- Mr Elton Charles

Celebrating Pink Shirt Day at De La Salle College

Pink Shirt Day — a day that promotes kindness, inclusion, respect, and standing together against bullying. Pink Shirt Day is an important reminder that every student has the right to feel safe, valued, and supported at school. At De La Salle College, we continue to encourage our young men to live out our Lasallian values through the way they speak to others, support their peers, and respond when someone is being treated unfairly. Throughout Friday, students will take part in Pink Shirt Day awareness activities during homeroom, while messages around respect, inclusion, and positive relationships will also be shared during assembly. Staff will be showing their support by wearing pink to help raise awareness and reinforce the importance of creating a school culture where everyone feels they belong. Bullying can take many forms — including verbal, physical, social, and online behaviour — and often has a lasting impact on young people. Pink Shirt Day encourages all of us to take responsibility for the culture we create by choosing kindness, speaking up, and supporting one another. As a school community, we want our students to understand that true strength is shown through respect, empathy, and service to others. Even small actions such as including someone, checking in on a friend, or standing up for what is right can make a significant difference. We thank our staff and students for supporting this important day and helping make De La Salle College a place where every young person feels safe, respected, and valued.

Let all that you do be done in love

Academic Year 7/8

Assistant Principal- Mr Herbert Tanuvasa

At our assembly on Wednesday, Mr English shared some data of our academic achievements over the past 12 months. If we compare ourselves to similar type schools, we do very well. However, the teachers at De La Salle College do not want to use socio-economic factors as an excuse as to why we are not overtaking the very top schools in NZ. Over 300 years ago, if St Jean Baptiste De La Salle believed his students (who were from poor families) could get the best possible education in France, then we can too.     Do we need the best funding and resources to provide the best education? These things certainly help, but the short answer is, no. In fact, it has often been proven that having less can bring out the best in people. Mangere has always been since Hape arrived, an area that overachieves expectations.   With high expectations in our school if you ask me how your son is doing, I point to outside factors. It is easy to do well in classes where the teachers are highly motivated. The real measure would be: what happens if the teachers are not good, or are away a lot, or if the school shuts down for Covid version 26? Is your son driven to succeed academically when there are obstacles? Or do they simply stagnate, waiting for someone to come along to motivate them?   Our Year 7/8 students have 3 homework programmes which gives rewards, but not consequences. Therefore it is these homework programmes that are the best indicators for parents to measure their son’s drive to succeed academically. Do they arrive home and log into Lexile, Mathletics or Writers toolbox? Or are they doing something else? Matthew 6:21 says regarding motivation,

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also

There is no big stage when your son does the homework programmes. No one can see him work hard; there is no applause, no bright lights, trophies or accolades. Ultimately, if you want to know how your son is doing at school, the best indicator is - what does he do when he is away from school?   DISCLAIMER: Even though I am writing about academic engagement I want to uphold other things our students engage in outside of school hours. Your son might be spending all evening learning an instrument, or training at a boxing club, or building a website online. These things are just as valuable as any learning ultimately is learning, particularly if the learning is moving towards mastery. It is better to be engaged in something than nothing, as life isn’t all about academics. I tell students that whatever they choose to do, aim to be the best in world at it. By achieving that world class level of excellence, we give glory to God - being good stewards or our gifts.

So, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God

1 Corinthians 10:31

A final statistic that Mr English shared at assembly was that 100% of our students when they leave De La Salle College will go into some sort of training or workplace employment. Our students when they leave school are indeed, very engaged with their future! If we have to measure ourselves by societal involvement after leaving school, we can count ourselves as having one of the highest success rates in NZ.

In Christ