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

in this issue

TERM 3 WEEK 8- COLLEGE NEWSLETTER

College Principal - “Winning and Losing"

Associate Principal - "Addiction"

Special Character - Ministry & Mission

Deputy of Curriculum - Curriculum

Academic Year 7/8

Literacy Centre

Intermediate School

Electronics and Robotics

Pasifika in Health Science - Sign Up Today!

Mr Hawkins- Recipient of the Joyce Fisher Trust Scholarship

De La Salle Youth Week- 3v3 Basketball Competition

Sport Notices

Notices

Enrol Now

Contact Us

“Winning and Losing”

Mr Myles Hogarty

College Principal

Malo e Lelei

“Take care not to be discouraged by failings and disappointments, life is full of them”

Letter 102: John Baptist De La Salle

This quote comes from Letter 102 that our Founder wrote to his Lasallian Teaching Brothers in 1680.

France at the time was plagued by poor hygiene, food was scarce, living conditions were crowded and sadly education was reserved only for the noble and rich, the young Catholic children of this period were denied any form of education.

It was De La Salle’s vision and mission to provide an education for these young Catholic students as this would lift them out of the cycle of poverty and hopelessness that sadly many of them were destined for.

De La Salle’s teachers often despaired at the enormity of the task they faced in educating their students and often felt like giving up and walking away from this mission, hence the encouraging letters of support he sent them.

At our College Assembly I speak to our young men about Resilience, Perseverance and “bouncing back”, using our Founders example.

Young men today will face failings and disappointments as a normal part of their teenage life and how they deal with these adds to their resilience and character.

While our priority as a College is to acknowledge and congratulate our students for achieving notable success, it is also our role as educators to help them deal with failure, losses and disappointment which are part of life.

So how can we approach this as examples to our young men:

School Assesments - What if my Assessment mark is not as good as I expected?

Solution: Talk with my Teacher about where I went wrong. Study more. Attend a Tuition class after school. Have a study schedule for Homework

Sports Team - What if I am not picked in the A side?

Solution: Get myself fit, Train harder in the pre-season. Practice my skills in the backyard. Play even harder for the “B” team.

Music - What if I am having difficulty learning my instrument?

Solution: Practise for 30 minutes each night. Get some help from the College Music teacher

Home Life - What if I am not getting my own way at home?

Solution: Assist more at home to make my parents lives easier. Help more with my brothers and sisters. Accept the decisions of my parents. Be responsible for getting myself to school every day

While many at these solutions don’t always fit into a young man’s desire for instant gratification, and a quick-fix solution, it is very important that they understand that difficulties are not always re-solved instantly and the benefits of delayed gratification, due to their own hard work, perseverance and determination will benefit their resilience in the long term.

The senior students and staff have just completed a full week of Assessments, shortly the boys will be receiving their results and feedback from their teachers as further preparation for their end of year NCEA exams.

Many boys will be pleased that their results are the reflection of the preparation and perseverance that they have produced, others may be disappointed with their results.

To those boys who have done well, we congratulate you, this is a good time for all of our students to reflect on the value of hard work, focussed discipline, and perseverance, as our College theme reminds us.

To those students who are disappointed in their results, there will be feedback and suggestions for how they can improve on their achievements. This feedback from the staff is crucial in a young man’s learning journey and I encourage every one of our young men to read the feedback and ask questions of his teachers as to how that he can improve even further in his work.

Congratulations:

To the 1st XIII League team who placed third at the New Zealand Secondary Schools National tournament, another outstanding effort from a team that has persevered over the whole season.

To the Debating students who were ranked in the Top 10 Speakers in the Auckland Competition.

associate principal

Mr Dermot English

"Addiction"

In the last two weeks I have had about 20 enrolment interviews of boys hoping to come to De La Salle. I have also spoken to a range of boys here at school who have learning and attendance issues. Almost every one of them also has a problem with the amount of time they spend on devices. It is the world we live in but there is one area where parents can have a very significant impact, and that is around bedtimes. If a boy has a device in his room at night, either a phone or a game console, he is very likely not to get enough sleep. Boys who go to bed at 10 or 11pm or later are not able to learn as effectively the next day because they don’t get enough sleep.

It is difficult as boys can be very upset when their phones or other devices are removed, but if they get to make the rules they will lose out in the end. I always suggest that if there is a curfew or the phone is removed replace it with a book. 15 minutes reading will put a boy to sleep, which will be of great benefit to him. If he reads every night for 15 minutes he will end up achieving more highly at school.

This is a simple strategy which can help in one area to reduce the effects of the addiction which some of our young (and older!) have fallen into.

special character

Assistant Principal - Mission- Mrs Teuila Vaotuua

Vocations Awareness Week

In week 7 we had a series of activities with our De La Salle brothers to highlight vocations and religious life. A resounding welcome was felt amongst junior classes when visited by Br Amir and Br Naqash from Pakistan. In a true spirit of faith, they shared about their own calling to religious life and invited students to open their hearts and minds to the call from God for vocations.

The week involved time with the brothers for staff morning tea, a special liturgy led by the brother’s community and the week concluded with a luncheon at the brothers’ house for the Senior students Special Character team.

Thank you to our De La Salle brothers who have been serving in the Mangere and South Auckland community for 70 years. The week was a great opportunity to remember how the brothers’ personal commitment to religious life has impacted our lives. Let us continue to pray for vocations in our community, so that the generations to come may be blessed with the De La Salle brothers and all other religious communities amongst them and serving within them.

There is a focus to increase prayers on Social Justice during week 8 within the Diocese. Aligned to this theme, Campus Minister Niko visited the Junior school, to highlight the work done in the worldwide Lasallian community for vulnerable communities. This includes the work Niko was involved in last year in Western Australia. If you want to know more about this special opportunity “Share the Mission” available to your son for the future, please send an expression of interest to LomanoN@delasalle.school.nz for more information.

Lastly, please keep in your prayers the family of our dear Whaea Michelle who lost her beloved husband and her beautiful children who lost their beloved Dad Michael Timoti–Hohaia. Thank you to our representatives from staff and students, who represented our school with reverence at the celebration with schools at St Joseph’s/Joachim in Otahuhu with the Timoti-Hohaia family.

Timoti-Hohaia family

Eternal rest grant unto him O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him, may he rest in peace.

curriculum

Deputy Principal Curriculum- Mr Phil Doyle

EXAMS

Congratulations to the Year 11- 13 students who completed their Practice NCEA Exams and workshops this week. Good to see the young men of the college giving it their best in the classroom. There are two months and just five full school weeks before the real exams start 7 November. You can get a copy of the exam timetable here

2023 NCEA Exam Timetable

End of Year Senior Reports will be coming out at the start of Term 4.
There are some other important dates coming up for Year 11 – 13 in the next few weeks.
Next Thursday 14 September, Year 11 students will be completing the Mathematics [MCAT] and Computer Science or Digital [DCAT] Common Assessment tasks. These are important assessments and count as External Assessment. Success in these External Assessments is a good way to gain Merit and Excellence Endorsements in these two subjects.
Visual Arts and Technology will also be collecting evidence for portfolio assessments due early in Term 4.

2024 COURSE SELECTION AND OPTIONS ARE ALMOST CLOSED

All Year 8 – 12 students need to have selected their options for 2024 by the end of next week. Great job making tough choices. We are already at 85% completed.

Student Option Selection is accessed through the KAMAR Portal http://parent.delasalle.school.nz Once you have logged in you should select the Option Selection 2024 link. You can make changes and save as many times as you like on the KAMAR Portal up to September 22. There are copies of the Options Booklets saved on the school website under the Academic section – Subject Selection.

For Year 8 students moving into Year 9 students are asked to select whether they want to study an additional language option for one term. At Year 9 all students complete Modules in:

- Art, Drama, Music and - Te Reo Māori

Students can also select one additional language. This will mean that they will study the language instead of one from Art, Drama, or Music. If your son wishes to study an additional language he needs to select via the parent portal.If you do not wish to study an additional language, please select NO.

If you would like to see De La Salle College offer different languages to the ones listed on the KAMAR portal . Please select OTHER. We will make contact to find out what you would like to see us offer.

COMMON ASSESSMENT ACTIVITIES FOR LITERACY READING, LITERACY WRITING AND NUMERACY

Year 10 students will be getting additional information in the next two weeks to help them prepare for the Common Assessment Activities for Literacy Reading, Literacy Writing and Numeracy at the end of October. These assessments are all digital. Students and families can have a look at the types of assessments that your son will be sitting and what digital assessment looks like at https://www2.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/external-assessment/digital/preparation-for-students/ and https://ncea.education.govt.nz/ncea-literacy-and-numeracy-students-and-whanau

TIMSS - TRENDS IN INTERNATIONAL MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE STUDY

Students in 9Hautus and 9Turon will be completing the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) assessment 20 October, early next term, TIMSS is an educational research study on student achievement in mathematics and science around the world. The International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) is an independent international cooperative of national research institutions and government agencies that has been conducting studies of cross-national achievement since 1959. More than 65 countries are participating in TIMSS 2023. New Zealand has been participating in TIMSS since 1994, most recently in 2018. Students are randomly selected from across New Zealand to participate.

Academic Year 7/8

Assistant Principal- Mr Herbert Tanuvasa

The Year 8 boys went to a Sports Camp this week at Camp Adair where 7 other schools also were participating. The camp is sponsored by the Find your Field of Dreams trust and run by YMCA. Our boys experienced 18 different sports over the week competing against the other schools. We shared our camp facilities with Manurewa Intermediate just as we had done the previous year and enjoyed dining with them and hanging out in our enclave.

The sports camp not only challenged our boys to try different sports, but it also challenged them to perform in a different discipline. Every night 2 schools were chosen to perform a song and dance item and we were chosen for the 2nd evening. The same team bonding the boys had experienced when under pressure on the sports field was now being utilised to bring the group together for something most of them were not too confident about. Ms Felise encouraged them to dig deeper and push through their doubt, very much like how they would have to do so when things did not go well in a game.

How did it go? Watch the video below:

In Christ

literacy centre

intermediate school

UP THE WAHS!

After weeks of anticipation, our class were finally going to watch the Warriors against Manly Sea Eagles. On Friday 18 August, the day was spent doing our normal class learning and routines, but there was anticipation and excitement in the air, which meant we were not our normal focused class. We couldn’t wait for the bell to ring at 3.10 p.m. so we could start getting ready for our Warriors programme to begin. Some boys went home to get changed, some stayed but we all met at 5.00 p.m. to enjoy a light dinner together before going to Mt Smart Stadium which was called Daniel Anderson Stadium that night to honour the past coach of the Warriors who has suffered a severe injury that has left him paralysed. After eating, we filled up three school vans and made our way to the stadium. Traffic around the stadium was busy as expected so finding a car park was difficult. We eventually found a car park inside the stadium. For some of the boys it was their first time attending a Warriors game, so it was a very exciting moment for them. It was even exciting for the boys who had already been to a Warriors or a Super 15 game, as this was a unique experience to go together with all your classmates.

Once inside, we saw the crowds of people, so many people. We made our way to our seats which were behind the Southern end of the field. A few boys were allowed to buy food and that was only if Mr Brown went with them, so he was busy throughout the first half walking boys to get food. This was part of the evening some boys said they enjoyed the most; eating hot dogs and hot chips and being amongst the crowd.

The game was a harder than expected game for the Warriors, but they scored some spectacular tries that night. The supporters around us were loud, cheering their lungs out and some were even trying to start a ‘wave’, but it didn’t happen. The Warriors won and that was the main thing we wanted to see. We all enjoyed watching the game together and were lucky enough to get some photos with some players after the game.

We would like to thank Mr Brown, Mr Stowers–Tualega, Mr Alataua and Mr Va (parent helper) for supervising and looking after us. A huge thank you to the sponsors of the tickets, the Warriors Community Foundation, for providing our class with an opportunity we will remember for a very long time.

electronics and robotics

by Kisi Pulu- 12CIT

This year was the first year the subject- Electronics and Robotics was offered here at De La Salle College, at NCEA level two. I started off the year with a brief that I developed for a “presentation” for a technology expo- to be held at the end of term 3. We were all asked to develop an electronic outcome that included some level of automation for an audience of our peers. I designed an “automated greenhouse monitoring” system. The outcome included a range of sensors from temperature, light, and moisture, which were used to control mechanisms that allowed continuous heathy growing conditions inside the model. I had a ton of fun with the project, especially learning to code and understanding the Electronics theory. I also learnt a lot about microcontroller technology and its application in modern electronics.

I’m now looking forward to what level 3 electronics has to offer.

fou health science academy (hsa)

by Mr A Kumar- Director of FOU Health Science Academy, De La Salle College

email KumarA@delasalle.school.nz

2024 Year 11 FOU Health Science Academy Applications are now Open

FOU (Futures are Open to Us) Health Science Academy is a visionary initiative aimed at fostering Pasifika student excellence in the field of Science and Medicine. At FOU Health Science Academy, we are committed to nurturing talent, enhancing academic achievements, providing career insights, offering essential support through tertiary education, and nurturing vital leadership skills. Our goal is to amplify the presence of Pasifika individuals in the medical profession, encompassing roles such as Doctors, Nurses, Physiotherapists, Optometrists, Pharmacists, and Dentists within our vibrant community.

Initiated in 2015 at De La Salle College, the FOU Health Science Academy has grown into a collaborative endeavour involving 13 esteemed schools across Auckland. This program is proudly supported by Whatu Ora. The endeavour was born from a realisation that our Pasifika community's representation within the Health and Medical field did not mirror the vibrant diversity that characterises our population. In 2015, while the Pasifika community accounted for 21% of the population, only 11% of the medical workforce hailed from this community. With the 2018 census reflecting a remarkable 47% Pasifika presence, the importance of fostering Pasifika representation in the Medical sector has grown even more pronounced.

Identified barriers to Pasifika representation in the Medical field have paved the way for the FOU Health Science Academy's holistic approach. We recognise the need to address the scarcity of Pasifika individuals pursuing Medical Health Careers due to a lack of academic achievement and career exposure. Equally important is providing unwavering support during tertiary education, including academic and leadership mentoring.

Application to the Year 11 FOU Science Academy cohort is now open for 2024, with space for 25 students. The selection criteria, thoughtfully curated by Counties Manukau DHB, are as follows:

Year 11 students must take Level 1 Science in 2024
Mandatory attendance to 7.30 am – 8.30 am Science Tutorials on Wednesdays
Mandatory attendance at all FOU Science Academy Events, including Whanau Family Fono Meetings, Career Exposure, Leadership and Mentoring Sessions, and Tertiary Course Exposure

Due to evolving academic and career goals, the FOU Science Academy application process is an annual commitment.

APPLICATION MUST BE COMPLETED BY THE STUDENT USING THE FOLLOWING LINK: https://forms.office.com/r/b3iMdbY0Pb

Applications close Monday 18 September

As we embark on this journey of academic excellence, personal growth, and community empowerment, we look forward to welcoming aspiring Pasifika medical professionals into the FOU Health Science Academy

discipline games event

by Coach Mark Skipps

PARTNERS LEAGUE DIVISION

Saturday 26 August, JP Schmidt (12GTS) and Phillip Si’i (13WAU) competed at the Discipline Games Partners League event, representing Brown Pride (gym owned by old boys Johnnie Timu and Peter Tee Fa’alili). It is a CrossFit event where you compete with a partner of the opposite gender- special mention to Nau & Ina from McAuley High School for partnering up with the boys.

Coming off their 1st XV season and in good physical condition, the boys displayed great effort in the WODs (workout of the day) with a never-give-up attitude. Although there were times the body fatigued, the mindset of 'never give up' and 'finish what you started' regardless of the result was showcased by both our teams. Big shoutout to Zion Te’o (11KUM) for also competing and placing 2nd in his division. I hope to see more La Salle students getting into CrossFit or staying active in general. CrossFit is a good sport to get into especially before/after the winter season because it allows the boys to work on their conditioning as well as stay active after/before their season. Also free CrossFit classes run by Brown Pride is still on, Monday to Thursday 4.00-5.00pm open to all students, come try it out! Good vibes, run by a good coach as well!

“While preparing for the upcoming CrossFit comp I felt a lot of things. I was feeling nervous, happy, anxious, scared, worried and excited. But no matter how I felt there is way to express how I was feeling walking into my second CrossFit comp. You finally realize that all those troubles you had before were pretty irrelevant because it was all about giving it your all and leaving everything you had on the comp grounds. I would encourage boys to come along and do CrossFit because this sport basically only requires you to do three things. You must be keen to learn, give it your all and most important have fun all the time. This is a great sport for you to socialize with new people and express your talents from the man above. As a wise person once said “If a window of opportunity appears, don’t pull down the blinds” -JP Schmidt

John Paul Schmidt

“The experience I had throughout my preparation for the comp was somewhat memorable, although my time spent there with the others was short, I was able to meet new people and learn new skills through the sport of CrossFit. I believe that the boys should do CrossFit cause why not! Our poly boys shouldn’t be limited to only rugby but to show people otherwise.” – Phillip Si'i

Phillip Si’i

Mr Hawkins- recipient of the Joyce Fisher Trust Scholarship

In 2020 two teachers from De La Salle College, Mr Denis Tutaka and Mr Anthony Hawkins received Joyce Fisher Charitable Trust scholarships. These scholarships allow aspiring principals to study towards a Masters of Secondary School Leadership (MSSL) with Victoria University of Wellington.

An article written by Victoria University of Wellington in 2020 shows teachers from James Cook High School and Manurewa High School, as well as Mr Hawkins and Mr Tutaka of De La Salle College, who were all at the beginning of their journey towards completing the MSSL.

Mr Hawkins and Mr Tutaka pictured with teachers from James Cook High School and Manurewa High School

Mr Hawkins writes:

In August 2023, along with other recipients of a Joyce Fisher Trust Scholarship, I attended a formal dinner held at Fisher House in Highbrook, Auckland. The purpose of the occasion from my own perspective was to greet, pay tribute to acknowledge and thank the number of people who have shown faith in believing that I could step forward and take up the challenge to become a secondary school leader. It was heartening to see other aspiring principals from several South Auckland schools who are at various stages of their MSSL journey. We are MSSL friends who are bonded by a greater service than our own and the sacrifices made just to consider becoming a leader. I was very pleased to receive a certificate from the Joyce Fisher Trust acknowledging my completion of the MSSL qualification.

A photo showing Mr Anthony Hawkins receiving a Joyce Fisher Charitable Trust certificate from Chris Paykel who is the chair of the Trust and Kate Thornton who is the MSSL programme director

I’d like to express my sincere gratitude to the staff at De La Salle College, especially Principal Myles Hogarty and the senior leadership team of Dermot English, Elton Charles, John Singh, Phil Doyle and others. Thank you to the staff in the Technology Faculty who have shown leadership and vision to ensure our students receive the best teaching and learning. Also, to John Dobson who was acting Head of Faculty during my study award he demonstrates values of leadership every day. Nga mihi rangitira mo to tautoko.

In 2022 I received PPTA study award to complete my MSSL research dissertation and this was possible due to the generosity of the De La Salle Board and school community.

I am also grateful to the Trustees of the Joyce Fisher Charitable Trust, Chris Paykel and John McFetridge, and Trust Board members Dame Lesley Max, Byron Bentley, Geoff Burgess and Fuimaono Tuiasau. It is an honour and privilege to have Fuimaono is a mentor providing guidance from De La Salle College.

Ngā mihi nui to the staff from the Faculty of Education at Victoria University of Wellington, including Professor Carmen Dalli who is currently Acting Dean of Faculty and Associate Professor Kate Thorton, the MSSL programme director., Senior Development Manager Corinne Barnard, and the number of lecturers from different papers of the MSSL course. A special mention to Dr Liana MacDonald who was my supervisor for my dissertation. Liana showed great endurance to persevere with my conceptual ideas. Liana has inspired me to consider further academic study sometime into the distant future.

De La Salle College has a motto for the year: Let perseverance finish its work, James 1:2-4

Upon reflection the school motto has provided intrinsic motivation.

I will finish this article with a whakatauki which has also provided me strength.

The whakatauki: Popoia te kakano, kia puawai ai. Nuture the seed so it will blossom.

I believe that. Education is the seed. The blossoming means leadership in action.

Mr Hawkins will officially graduate in December at Victoria University of Wellington Te Herenga Waka with Masters in Secondary School Leadership with Merit.

De La Salle Youth Week

3v3 Basketball Competition

De La Salle Youth Week, 3v3 Basketball Competition we hosted last Thursday and Friday and extend our gratitude for the cooperation and participation in making the event a success- especially the P.E department) 😊

Not only was the energy and enthusiasm on court buzzing, but that vibe extended to the students who came to support as well! 16 teams participated on the day, from a range of year levels 7–13. The aim was to help boost the school moral or spirit, provide opportunities for boys to interact and engage with different year levels, and also provide an opportunity for those that might be a little shy or reserved to showcase their, skill, sportsmanship and teamwork throughout the competition. From dunks to stepback 3s, the games were enjoyed by all. It was awesome to witness some of our basketballers in action, as some of them really do have potential to go on and pursue the sport further and to provide a platform for them to showcase those skills.

The Winning team ‘Dawn Raiders’ Tyson Isaako, Pio Jireh Mose and Samisoni Fatu.

Runners up ‘Matrix’- Simote Lokotui, Soane Lokotui and Bruno Ta’ale

We also got a shield made with the winners named engraved, so in the future when we do have these events the boys have an insentive and something to play for.

None of this would have been possible without the support and participation of everyone. Your presence and encouragement undoubtedly played a significant role in creating a positive and memorable experience for our students.

Here's to more successful events in the future, and to nurturing the holistic development of our students together. Thank you once again for your time, effort, and commitment.