From the Acting Principal
Kia ora e te whānau,
On Tuesday, we were delighted to hold our Age Quod Agis Awards, celebrating ākonga from every year level who showed real diligence, effort, and commitment to excellence throughout Term 1. Age Quod Agis – Pay Attention - speaks to the very spirit of Sacred Heart, and it is a privilege to pause and honour those who embody it. Ngā mihi nui to all our recipients!
Last Friday delivered a beautiful autumn afternoon – and a colourful one! Our students headed home for the weekend resplendent in every shade of pink imaginable. The variety of pink pyjama models on display was truly impressive! It was wonderful to see our ākonga raising awareness for the Speak Up and Stand Together to Stop Bullying programme. While no school will ever completely eradicate bullying behaviours, we are proud to celebrate individual differences and uphold our gospel values of dignity and respect for all.
You may also be aware that the government, through the Ministry of Education, has been placing a strong emphasis on increasing student attendance. Data for our kura shows that regular attendance (over 90%) has improved significantly over the past few years – something we are really proud of. To further support this, from this term, all students wishing to participate in extra-curricular activities will need to maintain at least 90% attendance. This applies to all activities not directly related to learning. Where a student does not meet this expectation, an exemption process is available; details are on our website. We are well on track to surpass our 2026 regular attendance goal, and we hope this new approach will reinforce just how much every day at school counts!
Kia pai te raa okioki – have a restful weekend.
Dean
Father x Daughter Breakfast
We warmly invite you to our very first Father x Daughter Breakfast.
Friday, 26 June, 7.00am – 8.15am, proudly hosted by the SHGC PTFA. Whether that’s dad, grandad, uncle, or any significant male in your daughter’s life, all are welcome. A wonderful opportunity for some quality time together before the school day begins.
Enjoy a delicious breakfast before hearing from our Guest Speaker, Jamie McKean.
What does it take to be present – not just busy?
Jamie McKean has advised businesses worldwide, counted Tony Robbins and the Kardashians among his clients, and built a successful digital agency operating across three countries. He’s also a solo dad of three teenage daughters who will be the first to tell you he didn’t always get the balance right.
Jamie brings warmth, humour, and hard-won honesty to the conversation about what it really means to show up – not just at work, but at home.
Don’t miss it.
Register Here!
Year 13 Ball
The Golden Soirée
Last Saturday evening, our Year 13 students celebrated in style at The Golden Soirée – a magical night marking the end of their Sacred Heart journey. Staff joined students to celebrate our departing class, with special acknowledgement to Miss O'Toole and the student Ball Committee, whose many hours of dedication brought the evening to life.
The night’s award winners were:
Queen & King: Teyani Fairgray & Cooper Smith
Life of the Party: Ruby Cathro
Best Dressed: Summer-Rae Aupouri
Belle of the Ball: Elizabeth Bayer
Retreats
Year 11 Retreat: Seen, Known, Sent
Retreats are an essential part of our students’ personal faith journeys and are a high priority for our Kura. A wonderful Year 11 Retreat took place on Friday, 8th May, facilitated by our Director of Catholic Character and Mission Charism, Mrs Soagia.
This year’s theme was “Seen, Known, and Sent”
Living the RNDM charism through self-worth, relationships, and mission
The day aimed to give students the opportunity and the experience to understand that;
- I am deeply loved by God
- I am called into relationship
- I am sent to serve and bring justice
There was time for reflection and contemplation, whanaungatanga with their House Leaders and peers, and an opportunity to affirm themselves and each other by exploring the value of Whakamana.
We look forward to seeing the spirit of Euphrasie growing in each and every student as they continue their journey through this Year of Justice!
Call our Mother – May the month of Mary
Kate Hoang, our Catholic Character Leader and Deputy Head Girl has extended the invitation to our students to Call our Mother. In the month of May, we pay special homage to Mary, the mother of our Lord. Each week, Kate has led the Rosary for students in our Te Puna Wai Ora. The rosary is a special way to pray, with traditional prayers, focus on the mysteries and in communion with one another, we are able to grow our relationship with God.
The last rosary sessions for this month are on Monday, 25th May, 8am and Friday, 29th May, 8am in Te Puna Wai Ora.
NEW SchoolBridge App
We’re excited to let you know that we are now using SchoolBridge to communicate with our school community. SchoolBridge provides a comprehensive, accurate, and efficient experience for you, with greater functionality and mobile access to key services – making it easier than ever to stay connected on the go.
Getting started takes just two minutes. Download the app and sign in using the email address we have on file for you – that’s it.
App: https://shgcham.bridge.school.nz/app
Web: https://shgcham.bridge.school.nz/
What you can do in SchoolBridge:
- Book Parent-Teacher Conferences
- Sign permission slips digitally – camps, sports, excursions
- Access the Parent Portal
- View the school calendar and upcoming events
- Receive push notifications direct to your phone
- Select your daughter’s subjects each year
- Access KINDO – and much more
Please don’t delay - download the app today so you don’t miss a thing!
Music News
A Visit from the World Stage
Last week, some of our music students had a very special visitor – Katherine Wiles, Sacred Heart alumna and permanent member of the Opera Australia Chorus since 2007.
Katherine last visited us in 2020, and we were thrilled to welcome her back while she was home on a break from Opera Australia. Her career reads like something out of a dream – performing at the Edinburgh Festival, singing as guest soloist aboard the Royal Yacht Britannia, touring Australia in a Dame Julie Andrews-directed production of My Fair Lady, and gracing the Concert Hall stage at the Sydney Opera House. She holds a Master of Music in Advanced Opera from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, among other impressive credentials.
Our students were treated to Katherine’s candid and inspiring stories – life before opera, the auditions, the grind, and the extraordinary world she now calls her day job. The highlight? Senior students Kate Hoang and Celeste Tane had the incredible opportunity to perform for Katherine, a moment neither of them will forget in a hurry.
We are so grateful to Katherine for giving her time so generously. She is a wonderful example of where talent, hard work, and a Sacred Heart education can take you.
PE News
Level 3 PE Takes on Tongariro
Level 3 PE students recently headed to the stunning Tongariro region for their risk management assessment – and what an office it made for a classroom!
The journey kicked off with a stop at Huka Falls, where student tour guides took the reins and showed their classmates around. From there, the group made their way into Tongariro National Park to walk the Taranaki Falls Track, chasing down one of the region’s most beautiful waterfalls. A venture up to Whakapapa rounded out the afternoon, snow-spotting hopes in tow – before the group settled in for the night and the undeniable highlight of any school trip: the talent quest.
Day two started early and ramped up fast. Suited up and river-ready, students met their guides and took on the mighty Tongariro River, navigating Grade 3 rapids in what was, for many, a first white water rafting experience. The river delivered more than just thrills – when a raft got well and truly stuck, students had a front-row seat to real-time risk analysis, watching their expert guides work together to sort it out safely.
Challenge, teamwork, adventure, and learning beyond the classroom – this was PE at its very best.
Level 2 Childcare
As part of their Play Experiences standard, our Level 2 Child Development and Education students have been getting creative – making high-contrast resources designed for tamariki aged 0 to 3 months.
Using only black and white, they crafted striking images and mounted them on heavy card to create sturdy stand-up toys – simple, but perfect for little developing eyes.
They’ve had a wonderful time bringing these to life, and now comes the fun part – deciding who gets to take one home!
International News
Last week, Collette Tuioti (Director) and Lisa Cowen (Homestay Coordinator) attended the Schools International Education Business Association (SIEBA) Hui in Christchurch. Both found the conference experience invaluable. Collette had the opportunity to connect with education agents and colleagues from across New Zealand, while Lisa took part in a panel discussion focused on preparing families for the rewards and responsibilities of hosting international students.
This week, two of our international students, Benny and May, displayed some hidden talents at a lunchtime Karaoke session!
Our Vision
Ignite the Passion: inspiring young women to change the world – me aro ki te hā o Hineahuone!