Dear Students and Staff

This term we welcome a number of new staff to St Paul's Collegiate School:

• Dr Mike Simmonds (Physics Teacher) comes to us from Hamiltons' Fraser High School where he was HOD Physics.  Dr Simmonds has previously taught in Matamata and prior to his emigration to New Zealand, in tertiary institutions in the United Kingdom and Switzerland.
• Mrs Tina Bowler (Director of Marketing) replaces Mrs Glenys Parton.  Mrs Bowler has had an extensive background in marketing and building community relationships at the Hamilton City Council, Red Cross and more recently, Westfield Chartwell.
• Mrs Helen Richardson (Director of International Students) - Mrs Richardson has had extensive experience in the pastoral care of International students at WINTEC.
• Mrs Lee Elliott (ESOL teacher) - Mrs Elliott returns to St Paul's having had a term previously covering Mrs Margie Smith's classes in 2011 and having taught in the LRU and Maori language classes at our School in the past.

We have returned in Term Two to a nicely refurbished Dining Room and I want to thank you all for your patience as we get used to the new set-up, particularly for lunch meals.  The new facility is aesthetically more pleasing with its carpet, the Rimu wood panelling and new tables and chairs (arriving in late May).  It is certainly warmer and quieter than the old facility.

This term we hope to be able to install new fencing between St Paul's and Fairfield Intermediate; on our rear entrance/boundary to St Paul's Road; and around the perimeter of the School, but it is crucial that students don't, at any time, leave bags unattended in the School grounds - particularly after School outside the Music Suite, Chapel and Students Centre.

This term is an exciting one, with the start of the Winter sports season.  Our senior Basketball, Netball, Hockey, Football and Rugby sides look quite strong this year - many have enjoyed pre-season/early season success.  One of the highlights of the next eight weeks will be the School musical production for 2012 - 'Les Miserables'.  The 2000 tickets for performances in the final week of term are expected to sell out.  'Les Miserables' will be the most challenging musical our School has put on, but with the talent within the cast, I believe it may be our most successful yet.

We started the year most positively and have enjoyed many successes and highlights in Term One.  Thank you for your support and commitment as we build on these achievements as the year progresses.

Dear St Paul's Community

We have started the term on a very positive note, with a record School roll of 675 students of whom 254 are boarders.

In 2012 we welcome eight new teachers:

Mr C Lewis (English), Mr C Neethling (Mathematics), Mr H Wilson (Technology), Mr J Rapana (Te Reo Maori), Mrs T Harfoot (Spanish), Mrs H Munn (Science), Mrs A Reid (Digital Technology) and Mrs B Hansen (English).

Construction work will continue on the Dining Room over the term and we can already see the improvements in the time it takes to serve the meals, the accoustics and the benefits of an enlarged space. Later this term, there will be disruption to lunches as the kitchen wash-up area is renovated to make way for two new dishwashers.

Our athletes enjoyed fantastic success over the Christmas holiday period, gaining two Golds, two Silvers and two Bronze medals in the NZSS Championships and we hope this is a sign to come for all of our summer codes in Term One.

Our results in Cambridge and NCEA were excellent. Encouragingly, ten Level One, 11 Level Two and 11 Level Three candidates gained Excellence endorsements. Our overall pass rates of 92% (Level One), 89% (Level Two) and 83% (Level Three) positively reflect the efforts and hard work of both staff and students.

It has been great to introduce Spanish at Year 9 and Ag. Hort Science at Year 11 and to reintroduce Art History, Classics and the Construction Class at Year 13.

The introduction of the new Mentoring classes is an exciting initiative that we hope will give Year 12 students greater opportunities to show their leadership ability and create a close bond between students of different age groups and House staff.

The installation of wireless for the academic centre of the School has been well received and continues the significant strides we have made in our ICT infrastructure over the past year and a half.

I hope that 2012 is an enjoyable, stimulating and rewarding one for all associated with our School.

Welcome back to all staff and students

I wish you all an enjoyable and successful 2012!

Chris Luman
Deputy Headmaster