A Message of Welcome from our Principal

Kia ora e te whānau,

We are officially back in action! While the break before school starts is always a good opportunity to get planning, programmes and documentation in order, it was a joy to see our campus come alive yesterday morning. There was a true sense of energy and purpose, and excited students catching up with each other again after the long summer break. This follows a fantastic start on Wednesday, which saw our 200 newcomers enjoy a calm, settled, and well-organized introduction to college life.

Yesterday morning, we gathered together for our mihi whakatau, formally weaving our new students and their families into the fabric of our college. My sincere thanks go to our Kaumatua, Justin Hanning, for speaking on behalf of the tangata whenua, and to our new Te Reo teacher, Alex Martyn, for speaking on behalf of our new people, the manuhiri. Thanks also to Moananu Pesamino Tili who organised this moving event, and to the many parents and Board members who joined us. It was a very meaningful way to begin our school year. I also want to acknowledge our returning students. Their singing and spirited haka during the ceremony set a standard of excellence and truly welcomed our new arrivals into the Trinity family.

To remind our Trinity family of the purpose of our foundations as a Catholic school, we came together in the Opening Mass this morning. Today marks a significant milestone for some of our senior students as we presented the prefect badges during our Mass. This tradition allows our entire community to reflect on the mission of Trinity and for our students to set their personal intentions for the year. To those stepping into leadership roles: congratulations. It is a significant responsibility, and we have every confidence in your ability to serve.

Earlier this week, our staff gathered for our own ‘opening Mass’ celebrated by Fr Vaughan Hook, College Chaplain, at the Cathedral.  This was a time of celebration of exciting happenings for staff over the holidays, as well as a time of reflection and prayers for those who have had sad events occur in their families during this time. We also welcomed our new staff – six new teachers and six support staff - with a formal blessing. You can look forward to meeting them through personal introductions in our upcoming newsletters.

We were very pleased with our preliminary NCEA results, particularly from our Year 11 group who, despite our deliberate reduction of the NCEA standards and credits on offer, gained the best result in the past nine years (as far back as I went!) excluding 2020 when extra credits were ‘gifted’ due to the lockdowns. Our boys and girls were equal in their results which doesn’t often happen at this early NCEA stage. Well done year 11s! We are proud of you. NCEA and UE results will be confirmed in early March after which I will share our successes with you.

The "teacher-parent-learner" triangle remains the cornerstone of our success. We value open communication, so please never hesitate to reach out with any thoughts or concerns regarding your child’s journey here.

We look forward to a rewarding and collaborative 2026.

Mā te atua e manaaki – God Bless,

Kate Nicholson