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

associate principal

Mr Dermot English

"Connected Community"

On Monday I was walking back from front gate duty when a Year 7 boy greeted me and shook my hand. I asked how he was going and he said ‘I really like this school’. I asked him why and he said

‘I like that I’m meeting new people and learning new things, but what I really like are the values’

It says something that after only three weeks at the College this boy is very aware of the values and is already connected to this community, and I would say will remain that way for the next seven years.

In Week 2 we had Academic Counselling Day with a turn-out of over 90%. This was a valuable opportunity, which we missed last year because of the cyclone. We can feel the difference amongst the boys because families have already been involved in setting their goals and communicating with teachers.

Last night at the Year 10 Partnership meeting the parents were addressed by the Dean, but also by two parents, a student Academic Portfolio leader Juan Koti, and a recent old boy and ex-head boy Charm Tuala. There was also a group of boys who conducted a debate, so on this evening parents, teachers, boys and old boys were all contributing. This again is Connected Community in action.

Thank you to everyone who has made this effort to be connected as community for the benefit of our boys.

curriculum

Deputy Principal Curriculum- Mr Phil Doyle

Scholar’s Assembly

Our Academic Portfolio student leaders celebrated our student’s success at Wednesday’s assembly. The boys appreciated the encouragement and challenge from our guest speaker oldboy Pulotu Selio Solomon [Class of 1990]. Mr Solomon is a key manager in the Ministry of Education and member of Eke Panuku. He is seen here with the Academic Portfolio. Alista Mafile’o, Sofara Feo, Mr Pulotu Selio Solomon, Juan Koti, Mr Hogarty and Prix Ete Ah Ken.

The boys presented a short video. Who do you dedicate your endorsement to?

Senior students and Assessment Calendars

All Year 11 – 13 students have received an Assessment Handbook. The handbook lists all the assessments your son will complete across the year. Most homerooms have gone through the exercise of listing out assessments and planning the timetable for the term or the year. Ask your son when his first assessment is this term. You can also access the Assessment Handbooks on the school website in the academic area. Parents will have also received a personalised list of Course Statements for their son’s classes.

NCEA Level 1 at De La Salle

Over the next few years, NCEA will transition from its current form into a new qualification. In 2024 the new NCEA Level 1 achievement standards are fully implemented. The Ministry of Education asked schools decide if they wanted to assess NCEA Level 1 or not. At De La Salle we decided yes. Year 11 Students at De La Salle will be assessed using the new NCEA Level 1 standards in 2024.

While NCEA Level 1 is not the highest qualification for more than 99% of our students we felt it was important to assess NCEA Level 1 to give our students the chance for success at NCEA Level 2 and above. We will be preparing them for exams and other external assessment, learning how to manage workload and meeting deadlines and planning for success.

In the coming years NCEA Levels 1, 2 and 3 will each become 60-credit qualifications. However, in 2024 all other levels continue as normal. New NCEA Level 2 assessments are planned for 2026 and NCEA Level 3 in 2027.

Changes are happening to the way NCEA recognises literacy and numeracy. From 2024, students will need to achieve new co-requisite standards to the qualification. In 2024, the literacy and numeracy co-requisites, which sits outside of the new NCEA qualification, will also become mandatory. These are online digital assessments. Learners will only be awarded an NCEA qualification once they have met the 20-credit co-requisite. Learners need to complete the co-requisite once only. Students who are currently studying NCEA Level 2 and 3 do not need to worry about the literacy and numeracy co-requisites.

Students will be assisted through the transition during 2024 and 2025 through achieving either the new standards in Literacy-Writing, Literacy-Reading, Numeracy, or gaining 20 credits from a small list of literacy and numeracy-rich standards.

Students in Year 10 will also have the opportunity to sit the digital co-requisite standards in either May or September. The college will only enrol students for the assessment when they are ready.

If you would like to find more information on how NCEA is changing you can go to https://ncea.education.govt.nz/

Sticking with sport during school years linked to academic success

At this time of Year students are starting training and trialling for different sports and teams. Every year I hear some students say that they are not playing sport this year as they want to concentrate on their studies. Students need to have a balance and leave time for all their responsibilities. However, we know that a student who keeps involved in school activities tends to do better in all areas of school. We encourage students to learn to balance the demands of being a team as well as managing school work. That is why we give students De La Salle Certificate points for extracurricular activities and that is whywe encourage all those students interested in sport, or any other activity, to get involved. This has been confirmed by an Australian study that has found that for young people a “continued sports participation during school years was linked to lower absenteeism, better attention and memory, …, and higher odds of studying at university.” You can read about the study here https://www.sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2024/02/05/sticking-with-sport-during-school-years-linked-to-academic-succe.html

Academic Year 7/8

Assistant Principal- Mr Herbert Tanuvasa

This week the boys are settling in nicely and getting used to the routines, but what is so good to see is the attendance! It great having so many boys excited about coming to school every day (even with a 5th wave of Covid trying to dampen the start of the year). Our afterschool programmes are alive with our homework club, basketball and softball programmes, and over 60 boys doing preseason rugby training. Finally, it seems the disruptions of the previous 3 years have come to an end (God willing).

Earlier this week Mr Wendt’s Year 11 English class spoke to our Year 7 cohort giving them advice from their 4 years experience in De La Salle College. At the end of the session Mr Wendt invited the Year 7 boys to give the Year 11 class some advice. It was a great experience for the Year 7 boys to give advice to their Year 11 brothers who took the advice very well 😊

Finally, we acknowledge the sad passing of Fa’anana Efeso Collins, a great advocate for the South Auckland community and with so much more to give. We offer our condolences to his partner Fia and his two daughters during this difficult time and stand with Father Martin and the Otahuhu Catholic parish in support.

In Christ

careers & gateway

by Mr G Hobbs- Gateway & Trades Teacher

We are well underway in our first term now and the Careers Office is working hard to ensure that all of our students get really good opportunities now and then for their future.

The Career department is well underway with our Drivers Licences and also First Foundation have already begun working with some of our students.

We have also had visits from Ministry of Social development, The NZ Defence Force, Strife Mentoring and AUT. There are a number of students who are getting a benefit from these organisations.

Scholarship proposals are about to get started as well. Last year we had a record number of students who got scholarships last year, and this year we are aiming for more.

The Trades class has completed their Health and safety Course as well as half of the students completing their Forklift Licence. The first group were all successful and we are looking also for the next group to pass as well.

This week we had 30 year 12 students taking part in the Gateway and Warehouse courses. There was full attendance at all of the stores which was fantastic. Feedback from the stores was also excellent.

We have a list of over 20 students looking to do McDonalds Gateway. This is a very popular course as for many it is the first time they have done work experience, and the skills they learn on the job are really important for their future as well.

The Gateway programme is designed to strengthen the pathway for Senior students to progress from school to the workplace or Tertiary study. It provides students with structured workplace learning, across a range of industries and businesses, while they continue to study at school.

Students are given the opportunity to ‘test drive’ their career choices, while gaining real-world experience. Gateway gives the students confidence to make smooth transition from school to work. The Gateway programme requires that students complete a minimum of 20 industry based credits.