De La Salle College Newsletter

“A Catholic School for Boys in the Lasallian Tradition”

in this issue

TERM 1 WEEK 8 - COLLEGE NEWSLETTER

College Principal - “Just do it now, Not later"

Associate Principal - "Tell Me Your Story"

Special Character - Ministry & Mission

Deputy of Curriculum - Curriculum

Deputy of Pastoral - Pastoral

Academic Year 7/8

Literacy Centre

Spark Tank - Young Enterprise

Year 10 Camp Adair

Recycle A Device (RAD) Workshop

AHS201 Farm Trip to Whitford

Premier Junior Debating

Fonterra Science Roadshow -Year 9 Science

Gateway & Careers

Notices

Enrol Now

Contact Us

image- Year 10 Technology students with their cyber safety certificates pictured with head of ICT, Mr Singh

“Just do it now, not later”

Mr Myles Hogarty

College Principal

Greetings,

At recent College Assemblies and in our daily Home Room classes, staff have stressed to the young men of De La Salle, the importance of being present at school everyday and being exactly where they should be at exactly the right time. This was prompted by me standing at the end of the College driveway and witnessing a trail of boys wandering down into school after the 8.35am start of the school bell. These late-comers were challenged by me and the array of excuses that they offered were not greeted with any sympathy, consequently Lunch time detentions were issued Research and many years of experience in Boy’s education has taught me that young men need structure and routine in their lives, hence our daily starting time hasn’t changed in 14 years and we expect that our students meet this starting time. There is a popular perception that teenage boys have poor time management skills. I am not happy to accept this generalization as being typical of all teenage boys and the young men at De La Salle are constantly reminded of the high expectation we have of them to display independence and manage their time to meet the College’s high standards. Independence and self-management are two very key skills we have identified that our young men need to develop and strengthen. Daily attendance at school and being on time for every class, sports practice, rehearsal or meeting is one way students can gauge their progress and achievement towards this goal. Parents, the Weekly Note you receive every Friday is also a way for you and your son to assess his progress in attitude, effort and attendance over each week of the year. Being on time, every time, teaches a young man that he is the master of his own life and he should not leave it in the hands of anyone else.

Young men are the masters of minimalism and use the “Just in time,” approach. If a young man is expected to write a 200 word essay, he will count the words and if he writes 201 he will think that he has overdone it.

Too often you hear the phrase

“I’ll do it later”

used by young men in response to a request by a teacher or parent. As teachers and parents how do we educate our young men to self-manage and “Do it now and not later?” Some simple suggestions to build independence and time management in our young men.

Make your son pack his school bag and sports bag the night before school with everything he needs for school the next day. Don’t rush items into school for him if he forgets to pack them for himself the night before, hunger is a particularly good teacher.
Make your son plan and arrange his daily travel arrangements to and from school so that he meets all College and family timeline expectations. Heavy traffic is not an excuse for being late to school, just start your travel to school earlier, 8.30am is the target.
Make your son have his full, clean uniform ready for school before he goes to bed. This includes clean shoes.
At every opportunity get your son to reduce his dependence on you for simple time-management skills that he should be completing himself.

As our young men’s teachers and parents, we have to model to our young men the “Now” and not the “Later”. We owe it to them, so that they have the opportunity to grow their own time management skills and self- management behaviours. Let’s start by making sure they get themselves to school every day on time, fully equipped to learn, with no excuses. I thank the vast majority of our young men who display outstanding independence and self- management by having a high attendance rate and are on time every day, well prepared for their learning, because, at De La Salle this is the norm.

God Bless

associate principal

Mr Dermot English

Tell Me Your Story

I am often asking students why they are late or why they have the incorrect uniform or why they haven’t finished their work. I now ask them, ‘tell me the story’. Like many of us they sometimes mix fiction and fact in varying percentages, but what nearly always is revealed by the story is a reason for the behaviour, for example, a solo mother with a number of children needing to drop several of them in the morning, a boy looking after his grandmother, long church practices in the evening or serious family illnesses. Often also when asked this question the boy then admits that he’s late because he was on his device till one am, or he didn’t shave just because he likes having a goatee. Asking for the story creates an honesty that doesn’t always happen with an opening accusation. It also often engenders compassion for what a student is having to cope with. The same goes for adults. Once the story has been told and people trust that they are known, then we work together to move beyond the story to what unites us, which is our mission to be more fully human and therefore Christlike.

special character

Assistant Principal Mission- Mrs Teuila Vaotuua

One of my favourite meditations of St John Baptist de La Salle is this:

“Union in a community is a precious gem, which is why the Lord so often recommended it to His apostles before He died. If we lose this, we lose everything. Preserve it with care, therefore, if you want your community to survive.”

— Meditations of Meditations of St. John Baptist de La Salle (Med 91.2)

Our community extends beyond the brotherhood of the boys within the gates of 81 Gray Ave. It reaches into our homes, parishes, and schools, where the values of faith, fraternity, and service continue to shape who we are. Last week, our Year 13 prefects spent an afternoon at Carmel College in fellowship with prefects from Auckland Catholic schools. This was an opportunity to engage with one another, strengthen relationships, and reflect on their shared identity as young leaders within Catholic education. This week, a delegation of Year 12 students travelled to Rotorua to join students from John Paul College and Francis Douglas Memorial College. It was another valuable opportunity for deep Lasallian formation — helping our young men to strengthen their understanding of heritage, identity, and what it means to live as Lasallians in the world today . These moments remind us that community is not simply where we gather, but how we remain connected through shared faith, common purpose, and mutual encouragement. May we continue to protect the unity we share within our community. We need only look at the world around us to recognise that unity is precious and worth safeguarding — not simply so that we may survive, but so that we may flourish together in faith, purpose, and hope.

Live Jesus in our Hearts forever

curriculum

Deputy Principal Curriculum- Mr Phil Doyle

Welcome to new teacher Mr Nikola Tupou

Mr Nikola Tupou

University of Auckland Graduate, Mr Tupou joins us in the Health and Physical Education faculty. Mr Tupou is a health specialist. Some students might remember Mr Tupou from last year when he was here on practicum. Welcome to our trainees from the Teacher’s Institute – Ms Alex Rikys [Art Design] Mr Aneel Patel [Mathematics] and Mr Flynn Cook [Health and Physical Education]. Welcome also to Mr Mijo Pitesa [Social Sciences], University of Auckland and old boy – Class of 2019. We know these teachers are in the right place given our Saint John Baptist de La Salle (1651–1719) is the Catholic patron saint of teachers, educators, and school principals. He recognized the need for trained, professional educators, founding the first training colleges for teacher.

pastoral

Deputy Principal- Mr Elton Charles

Attendance Matters

At De La Salle College, we continue to place a strong focus on student attendance because we know that being present at school is one of the biggest factors influencing learning, achievement, and wellbeing. Last week our attendance data showed that a number of our students attended school regularly (90% or more). While this means many of our young men are consistently showing up and engaging in their learning, we also saw a noticeable number of students falling into the moderate and chronic absence categories. One of the factors affecting attendance last week was a sports gathering that some students chose to attend during school time. While sport and community activities are important for our boys, this particular event was not sanctioned by the school, and attendance at such events during school hours unfortunately results in students missing valuable learning time. Every lesson matters. Missing even one day of school can mean students fall behind in classwork, miss key explanations from teachers, and lose momentum in their learning. When absences become frequent, it becomes much harder for students to keep up with assessments, assignments, and academic expectations. That said, we also want to acknowledge the many families who continue to support the school by ensuring their sons arrive on time each day and ready to learn. Your support makes a real difference. As we move through the term, we encourage parents and caregivers to:

As we move through the term, we encourage parents and caregivers to:

Ensure students attend school every day unless they are genuinely unwell.
Discuss with your son the importance of prioritising school commitments during the school week.
Communicate with the school if there are barriers affecting attendance, so we can work together to support your child.

Our goal is simple: every student, every class, every day. When students are present, engaged, and supported both at school and at home, they give themselves the best opportunity to succeed. Thank you for your continued partnership in supporting the education and future of our young men at De La Salle College.

Academic Year 7/8

Assistant Principal- Mr Herbert Tanuvasa

It has been a great week on the top floor as our Year 7 students engaged in their spiritual retreats, overnight stay and swimming pool trip. Our Year 8 Tag Team went to Auckland Tag (finishing 3rd) and with the completion of Term 1 Tag we now move into Term 2 rugby union at lunchtime which will start in week 9. Both year groups have been involved in Mr Anderton’s Moth Plant competition which is still going. Our homework centre, choir, mathex groups are getting into their groove and our recorder group is about to start. A lot of this mahi from the team makes me proud as a leader and I confess I take a lot of pride from it…but regarding motivation I have to say I overheard someone last week quote a scripture

“…So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

1 Corinthians 10: 23-33

How do we overcome our push for personal excellence in ourselves and our young men while at the same time doing everything for the glory of God? This is a difficult dynamic because we inherently live our lives from a self-centred perspective. We want to live a fulfilling life, and we pretty much spend our entire life constantly looking for fulfilment. As educators at De La Salle we see acutely this dynamic amongst our young men; impressionable teenagers with the world before them. They have not made their mark on the world and are anxious to do so…such is the nature of young people. If we are being totally honest, doing things for the glory of God may not necessarily be at the top of the list for our young men, who are often influenced by the worldly perspectives surrounding them, as well as the changes they are going through during puberty. This is where we push the true answer to finding fulfilment.

Service

Yes, it does seem counterintuitive to say that serving others is the way to find true fulfilment However if you take a step back and look at the most fulfilled people in the world, you can see that at the heart of what they are doing, there is service for other people. This still holds true of people we might identify as being “selfish”. In our classes, if one of our students said a typically self-indulging statement such as “When I grow up I want to be the richest man in the world!”; bar winning multiple Powerball multiple times in multiple countries over multiple decades, it is impossible to become the richest man in the world without creating a service for others. Despite some psychologists trying to push the argument that humans are hedonistic, the true reality is fulfilment is inescapably tied with how we make others happy and consequently how they see us, specifically if they see us from a positive perspective. Service is the foundation of fulfilment. As Jesus said.

“It is more blessed to give than to receive”

Acts 20:25

So, when our young men talk about their aspirations make sure to congratulate them about the “service” aspect of that aspiration. For instance, “Sir, I want to play for the 1st XV” should be applauded with “Great stuff that you want repay your parents love by making them proud”. If a student says, “Sir I want to be the best lawyer in NZ!” reply with “Amazing that you want to be the best at helping people who don’t understand law!” If we are to be the best, to be excellent, it is to bring joy to others.

I want to end this by saying I am always touched by the love and service parents in our Lasallian community have for the young men in this school. Without the incredible support of Lasallian parents our role as educators would be much more difficult.

In Christ

literacy centre

spark tank

Young Enterprise – Spark Tank Event

Mr A Lin - Commerce teacher

Last Thursday 12th March, our Year 12 and new Year 13 Business Studies students attended the Young Enterprise Scheme (YES) Spark Tank event at the Māngere Arts Centre. The event provided an exciting opportunity for students to take part in speed mentoring sessions, where they pitched their business ideas to experienced mentors and received valuable feedback. Students also shared their ideas with students from other schools, gaining different perspectives and further refining their thinking. Our Year 12 students are in the early stages of developing innovative and culturally inspired products, including:

A manta ray puzzle to promote awareness of endangered species
Pacific-styled earrings and studs
Belts featuring Pacific-designed buckles
Pacific-designed wallets
Pasifika-designed calf sleeves
A children’s Samoan picture book promoting anti-bullying through the story of David and Goliath

Our Year 13 students are building on ideas from previous years, continuing to develop and refine their ventures:

K-Tape with a pacific design.
A Pacific Island-themed board game
Pacific-designed grip socks
‘Otai ice cream
A fish and chip condiment
Laser-cut accessories

Students represented the college well, engaging positively with mentors and peers while building confidence in presenting their ideas. It is shaping up to be an exciting year for YES. Keep an eye on this space.

year 10 camp adair

Last week, from Monday 9 to Wednesday 11 March, our Year 10 students had the opportunity to attend their camp at Camp Adair. The three-day experience provided a valuable chance for the boys to step outside the classroom and challenge themselves in an outdoor environment. Throughout the camp, the boys participated in a range of activities that encouraged them to try new things, support one another, and step outside their comfort zones. It was great to see them giving everything a go, whether it was during the activities, helping around camp, or encouraging their peers. These shared experiences helped strengthen the sense of brotherhood within the Year 10 cohort and built stronger connections between the students.

We would like to extend a sincere thank you to the wonderful staff at Camp Adair for their hospitality and for providing such a well-run programme. Their instructors and support staff made our stay enjoyable and ensured the boys had a memorable experience. A special thank you goes to Mr Hakeagatoa and his Year 12 student leaders, who played a key role in supporting the camp. Their leadership, encouragement, and willingness to help made a positive impact on the boys throughout the three days. I would also like to acknowledge our dedicated Year 10 homeroom teachers and staff members who supported and supervised the camp, ensuring everything ran smoothly and that our students were well looked after. Finally, a special thank you to our families for allowing your sons to attend camp and take part in this experience. Opportunities like this are an important part of building character, resilience, and the strong sense of brotherhood that we value at De La Salle College. Live Jesus in our Hearts!

RECYCLE A DEVICE (RAD) WORKSHOP

Mr A. Lin

Last week, Friday 13th March, 20 Year 9 and Year 11 students took part in a RAD Workshop, focused on building practical tech skills while supporting digital equity in our school. Students learned how to test, troubleshoot, and replace laptop components, gaining hands-on experience with computer hardware. Working in teams, they developed confidence and problem-solving skills throughout the session. By the end of the day, students had successfully set up 18 laptops, which will now be used across the school to support learning. To top it off, students were treated to a well-earned Subway lunch in recognition of their efforts. The RAD workshop is a great example of students learning practical skills while making a real impact in the school community. http://recycleadevice.nz/

Before I say anything about the RAD workshop I would like to thank Riley, Peter, and Lachlan for being our trainers for the day. In the RAD workshop, we learned how to check a computer to see what might be wrong. I learned how to take apart a computer and then put it back together. I learned many skills most in safety around electronics and how to fix them. We learned about many different parts of computers. Some people might think this kind of work is just for “nerds,” but I think it’s actually a really important life skill. It’s something we can use in everyday life, especially when technology is such a big part of everything we do. The biggest lesson I took away from this event is that when we work together as a team and have the right mindset, we can achieve difficult tasks. I would like to thank Riley, Peter, and Lachlan again.

Peter Mose 9KEA

AHS201 Farm trip to whitford

On Friday, the class AHS201 travelled to Whitford and studied a farm environment. Purpose of the trip: To investigate how a primary product (milk) is produced on a dairy farm and to examine the environmental impacts of dairy farming on soil, water, air and living organisms. Students found the trip onto a fully functional dairy farm was worthwhile and exposure to farm life an interesting lifestyle that isn’t easily accessible. They gained valuable information, data and evidence that they will use in their writing report.

Photo 1: Students fed the cows after an early morning milking. Photo 2: Herding 124 cows onto pasture fields to enjoy sunshine and clover rich grass. Photo 3: A workshop gathering facts, information and a presentation by a local farmer.

PREMIER JUNIOR DEBATING

Round 1 of the Premier Junior Debating competition was held at Marcellin College. Motion: This House Would Ban Single Gender Youth Organisations (e.g. Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts). Affirmative – De La Salle College 1st Speaker: Jireh Pita 2nd Speaker: Fagamanu Aoelua 3rd Speaker: Joseph Malele Reply: Fagamanu Aoelua Negative – Kristin School Well, done to both teams for a robust and engaging debate.

Congratulations to Fagamanu, Joseph, and Jireh for representing the College with great mana and securing the win. A strong start to the season.

Fonterra Science Roadshow - Year 9 Science

Faculty of Science

A group of 53 Year 9 Students participated in a Science Presentation and hands on exhibition at Aorere College on 17th March. This was an engaging, informative and interesting experience for all students who got a taste of wide range of science knowledge and application in real life context. There were about 60 different exhibits for students to experience. Thanks to Mr Fernando and Mr Kumar for supervising students on the trip. A few Year 9 students shared their experiences below:

The Science Roadshow was super fascinating. It was satisfying and exotic, I had to blow through a tube in an experiment. When the first science show concluded, they had exhibits all around the hall. Some were cool, some were weird, and some were satisfying. The exhibits also included a missile station, where you shoot paper missiles at a target. When observing ended, we had another science show about kitchen chemistry and chemicals. In the end my time at Aorere College was one to remember.

By Antonio Lakisa – 9H

The Science Roadshow was really interesting and hands-on, making science feel more real and exciting. We explored different exhibits, including scent testing where we had to guess smells, and one that showed how much waste a human produce, which was surprising. I also found it cool how they explained how a flush toilet works in a simple way. Later, we watched a kitchen chemistry show with interesting reactions. Overall, it was a fun and memorable experience that made learning science more enjoyable.

By Andrew Kalu – 9H

The Science Roadshow was a great experience for new learners. It had many activities where we explored different variations of science projects .One of my favorite experiments was the human gyro. It spins you around and is like a fun mini theme park ride. The gun station where we used air blowers to shoot pieces of paper onto the target was interesting too. Later during the main show we learnt about kitchen chemistry and the biology of the human body. We learned about acids and base. and also, about the triceps and the bicep muscles. The fun experiments done during the show made learning memorable and Science more fun. This experience was truly great for my learning.

By Gideon Kenese - 9D

gateway & careers

senior students with class of 2025 student, Maulalo Akila at MSL Training

Careers Faculty hosted a joint Parent Partnership evening for senior students this month . The focus of the evening was for students to explore opportunities with providers in industries, apprenticeship opportunities, Trades and Vocational programs at Polytech. Programs and information gathering and career conversations. Overall it was a wonderful night of parents, students, teachers and providers sharing insights to be better informed for career choices.

notices

School bus update

School Bus Update Auckland Transport has updated school bus arrangements to better serve the community. Your routes are not affected — only the route numbers and the operator have changed. The new operator is Ritchies. For any delays, please contact Ritchies Takanini Depot at (027) 247 7976.

Starting from the first day of term 2 the below route numbers have changed.

059 (Morning – Papakura to De La Salle College) The new route number is 459. This morning service will no longer travel along Rosebank Rd or Milton Rd, as there are no designated bus stops in this area and the streets are not suitable for bus access.