Principal's Message

After three years of managing and leading a school through a pandemic, they are now faced with supporting a community to get back on its feet, planning for working with ongoing trauma and wellbeing worries, as well as shift silt, replant slip areas and get buildings back to pre-cyclone state. Thank you for your generosity as a college last Friday when we held a mufti day to raise funds. This money will go directly to Catholic schools in affected areas to support where there are immediate needs.

We are very fortunate to have had a smooth start to the year so far where our young people can play uninterrupted sport, get underway for a musical that is finally destined to be on stage, and look ahead to retreats, camps, and field trips. We are grateful.

I enjoyed catching up with teams at volleyball and cricket last weekend. Our Trinity sports are going from strength to strength and volleyball teams heading away to tournament soon are in promising form with a number of very good wins so far. After a practice run at the 3x3 basketball tournament in Auckland last year, our girls’ team now know what they are up against and they are returning north to stamp their mark.

This year we are very pleased to field a cricket team under our own name after quite a few years without representation. This team has had a great start with convincing wins against JMC and OBHS so far. We look forward to seeing how the rest of their season pans out. Similarly, boys’ rugby is back on and it was great to see our first team in a few years wearing our rugby strip on the field in 2022. Our Head of Sport and our Sports Coordinator have worked hard to bring these codes back to life at Trinity. Of course, this progress means we are now needing competent coaches and managers across a wide range of sports. Our teaching staff cannot do it all and many do not feel qualified to take on coaching positions. Please do not be shy in coming forward. If you have the gifts to work with our teams, or you know someone who would like to add this experience to their kete, please get in touch with Michael Mackenzie at school or leave contact details at the office. We want to provide the highest level of participation and competition for your children, but we can’t do that on our own – we need community help.

During the first week of Lent, the Catholic Social Teaching focus has been Solidarity - recognising others as our brothers and sisters and actively working for their good. For our students, it was good to be able to relate this to their collective donation of over $2000 last Friday. A big part of our journey during Lent is looking for ways to help others; to be light in the darkness.

Jesus said “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”

Pope Francis said “Love is the only light which can constantly illuminate a world grown dim.”

E te Ariki, Lord,

Strengthen us as we begin our Lenten journey.

May your grace give us the courage to face the

many challenges and temptations that life presents us.

Teach us to know right from wrong so that we can

be a light in the darkness, a symbol of hope to

others and an instrument of peace in your world.

Help us to pray, fast and give alms this Lent so

that we can walk in your footsteps and bring love to our neighbours.

We make this prayer through Christ our Lord.

Āmene.

Have a wonderful weekend.