Principal`s Message WANTED!

RESPECT
- SERVICE
340 Rattray Street
Dunedin
New Zealand
Telephone (03) 477 3408
JUSTICE
-
TRUTH
Fax (03) 479 0468
email: [email protected]
Issue 4/14
Thursday 27 February 2014
Principal’s Message
Ka mihi nui ki a koutou te whanau o Kawana.
Greetings to the Kavanagh family.
25th Jubilee-Labour Weekend 2014
On the school's website the link to the Kavanagh College Jubilee
page has just gone live. This includes program and registration
information. Thanks to the committee for their sterling workparticularly Kerry Buchan for the great leadership in this area.
Measles Alert
The Director of Public Health has released a warning about a
current outbreak of measles in NZ. Please see the information
in this newsletter regarding symptoms and preventative
measures. Measles can be a very serious condition and a threat to
public health and well-being.
Full Assembly this week
Yesterday we had our first full school assembly since our beginning
Mass in week 1. Presentations were given on a range of topics
including: The Duke of Edinburgh awards (Mr Bishop and Mrs
Vincent), Sea Cadets (Simon Easton—Dunedin Naval unit), Year 7
update (Eva Blucher and Gabe Gallagher) and Board of Trustees
update (Lily Whitworth). House prefects received their badges and
our top athletes were awarded certificates for their outstanding
performances on athletics day-well done! Thanks to the head
prefects and sports prefects for their great leadership in running the
assembly.
Buildings Update
The girls changing rooms in the Gym area have been fully refurbished / modernised and look great. The boys' rooms are scheduled
for the April term holidays. We also have outside maintenance/
painting beginning on the Dominican Block- much of the scaffolding
is in now place. Please take care when moving about this area.
Caritas Challenge
On 4/5 April Kavanagh College will support the national Caritas 24
hour challenge to raise awareness for poverty and injustice. More
information will follow soon. Let's continue to pray for those less
fortunate than ourselves and may our prayer lead to tangible
actions to support those in need. Amen.
Meet Our Head Students—
Head Boy Matt Kelly
My name is Matt Kelly, I went to
Waitati Primary School and moved to
Kavanagh as a Year 8 student.
I have played many sports for
Kavanagh including rugby, rowing and soccer but am now
focusing on soccer.
I study Chemistry, Stats, Biology, Physical Education,
Economics and Religious Education. I intend to go on a
soccer scholarship to the United States when I leave
school.
My favourite activities at school are Athletics Day and
Kavanagh Day because of the school spirit displayed. I
am a proud member of Bodkin House.
My goals as head boy are
►
To be approachable and honest
►
To promote participation in sports within the
College
►
To help Kavanaghs 25th year be its best yet.
Pacifica Vibes Tutor
Kavanagh College is looking for a
keen person to tutor our Pacifica
Vibes group.
Please let our office know if you
would like to be part of this exciting position at
our College.
S. Jackson (HOD Pacific Island Students)
Tracy O'Brien
WANTED!
6 March—Academic Blues Evening
24 March—Anniversary Day (no school)
10 April—Parent Interviews 2.30-7.30 for
surnames A-L
SPORTS AWARDS BOOKLETS FOR
2006 AND 2007
This information is desperately needed for the
Jubilee Magazine, celebrating our 25 years.
16 April—Parent Interviews 2.30-7.30 for
surnames M-Z
Please contact Mrs Ireland-Kelly
([email protected]) before the end of
Term 1.
17 April—End of Term 1
Thank you.
Parent Nominations of Gifted
and Talented Students
We are currently updating our list of Gifted and Talented
students so that we can better cater for this special group.
If your child has been identified in a previous school, or if
you consider your child to have exceptional abilities in any
area, please contact me to discuss criteria.
If you would like to receive emails of any events that you or
your gifted child may wish to be involved with please let me
know and I will add you to the database.
Instrumental timetables are
now up on the door of the
Band Room in the Music
House and on the noticeboard in the courtyard by the Music House steps. If you
would like a copy at home for the fridge, please email Miss
Watts [email protected] or leave a message
on extension 211.
Also, if a student knows in advance that they are unable to
make a lesson, then please let Miss Watts know.
Kerron Thomson, Dean of Gifted and Talented Students
[email protected]
The Vision Hearing Technicians from
Public Health South will be visiting
Kavanagh to screen all Year Seven
students for distance vision and colour
vision (boys only).

Distance Vision (Amblyopia & Hyperopia)
This determines how well your child is able to see at a
distance. It involves reading an eye chart. (Not required if
child wears glasses).

Colour Vision (Boys only)
This is to detect children with the most common inherited
colour vision defects. (Using the Ishihara colour vision
book). (Still available to those wearing glasses).
Study Tip 1
Using Colour in your note taking and study
will increase your ability to remember and
recall your information. Colour is processed
right next to the part of the brain that stores
long term memory. Information in colour is
more likely therefore to be remembered. Use
your favourite colours, highlight key information, use felt pens of different thicknesses
to make note taking more fun.
If you do not wish your child to be screened please fill
out an opt-out slip, which are available at the school
office before our visit.
Orders are now being taken at the Bursar’s Office
for School ID Cards. The cost is $9.00. Payment at
the time of order.
Kavanagh Uniform Shop
Kavanagh Cricket Fundraiser

Toilet rolls. $20.00 for a pack of 45 rolls.

To order please contact Dave Eathorne or Ant
Harris through the school office.
Absences
Please phone the school 477 - 3408. Follow the voicemail
directions to leave a message
The uniform
shop is open
each Tuesday
3pm to 4pm
during Term
time.
C
ongratulations to Paige Newman and Tadhg Kelly
who both attended the Southern Regional Surf
Lifesaving Championships last weekend in Christchurch
with outstanding results.
Triathlon News
Otago Secondary Schools Triathlon
Five students travelled to Cromwell last week to
compete in the Otago Secondary School’s Triathlon
and achieved great results.
Paige won:
Silver in the U19 Women’s Ski
Silver in the U19 Women’s Double Ski
Bronze in the U19 Women’s Ski relay
Bronze in the Open Women’s Ski Relay
Tadgh won:
Gold in the Under 16 men’s board
Gold in the Under 16 beach relay
Bronze in the Under 16 men’s ski race
It was a very hot day with temperatures reaching 35
degrees making for very challenging racing conditions.
Ben O’Farrell came 5th, and Tadgh Kelly came 11th, in
the Senior Boys Individual race.
Our Senior Girls Team of Eilish Doyle,
Rebekah
Pitcaithly
and
Jessie
Murphy
came 6th out of 24 teams in the Senior
Girls Teams race.
Bronze in Under 16 beach flags
Taieri Plains Tryathlon
Madison Sutherland, Year 7, convincingly won the Gold
medal in the Taieri Plains Tryathlon in the Girls aged 11 14yrs section last Friday, 21 February. She was the
youngest competitor in her age group.
New Zealand Rowing Champs
Congratulations to Anna and Jack O’Leary who won
medals at the New Zealand Rowing Championships held SBS Corporate Triathlon
at Lake Karapiro last weekend.
Three Year 9 boys, Will Christophers, Sean Stewart and
Anna won two silver medals in the doubles sculls in
Andrew Cromb competed as a Kavanagh team in the SBS
both the Club and U19 events and Jack won a silver
corporate Triathlon at Macandrew Bay last Tuesday. Will
medal in the men’s senior single sculls and a bronze swam 400m, Sean biked 20km and Andrew ran 5km. They
medal in the senior double sculls.
were the youngest team by at least 10 years and definitely
held their own!
Well done!
From left, Will, Sean and Andrew
STRENGTH DOESN’T COME FROM WHAT YOU CAN DO.
IT COMES FROM OVERCOMING THE THINGS YOU ONCE THOUGHT YOU COULDN’T.
Letter to all school principals
26 February 2014
We understand that this is a busy time of year for schools. We appreciate your support in helping to inform your staff, parents and caregivers about
measles, and the steps they can take to protect themselves, their children and their community from this preventable disease.
Between late December 2013 and 24 February 2014 there have been 47 confirmed measles cases reported in New Zealand: 29 in Auckland, 15 in
Bay of Plenty/ Lakes, and three in Wellington. Some of these cases have been in pre-school aged children. A total of eight cases have required
hospitalisation to date.
Most cases have occurred in unimmunised people, and immunisation remains the best way to prevent infection and spread within the community.
There are on-going measles outbreaks in places like the Philippines, Australia, Europe, UK, Africa, Asia, India and North America. So international
students, families travelling to these areas over the holidays, or with visitors from these countries should be aware of the symptoms.
Measles symptoms:
Measles is a highly infectious disease that affects both adults and children. Measles is more serious than many people realise. Symptoms include
fever, cough, red eyes and a runny nose, followed by a rash which tends to start on the face, before moving over the head and down the body. The
rash develops about 3 days after the other symptoms start.
Complications can include middle ear infections, pneumonia and more rarely, encephalitis or brain inflammation.
The best protection against measles is the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine which is free for all children. MMR vaccinations are scheduled
at 15 months and 4 years.
MMR vaccination is also free for susceptible adults born after 1 January 1969 who have not received two doses of a measles containing vaccine.
What schools can do:
Prevent measles from spreading by:
1. Telling staff, parents and caregivers about the current measles cases.
2. Asking staff, parents and caregivers to make sure that their immunisations and their children’s immunisations are up-to-date.
Anyone born after 1 January 1969 should ensure they are fully immunised against measles. If they are unsure, they can check with their family
doctor.
Pregnant women can't be vaccinated against measles while they are pregnant and are at greater risk of measles complications if they get sick.
People who are in close contact with pregnant women, or those with reduced immunity (such as people receiving chemotherapy) can help
protect them by being immunised against measles.
3. Updating your immunisation register. All primary schools must keep an immunisation register under the Health (Immunisation) Regulations 1995. This means you can quickly identify unimmunised children who have been in contact with someone with measles and help reduce the
risk of measles spreading.
Measles at your school:
Separate unwell children
If a child becomes unwell with possible measles, separate any unwell child from other children while waiting to be taken home. This helps minimise
the risk of measles spreading.
People with measles must stay home
Students and teachers with measles are infectious from five days before to five days after the onset of rash and must stay away from school and
follow the advice of the local medical officer of health. Those students that have not been fully immunised (two doses of MMR) or those with no
immunity to measles, who have been in close contact with a measles case during the infectious stages must stay away from school for 14 days from
their last contact. It is recommended that teachers should also follow this practice. These requirements are under the Health (Infectious and Notifiable
Diseases) Regulations 1966 (Regulation 14). These exclusions also apply to staff and students taking part in interschool sporting and other events.
More information:
For further health information on measles and measles immunisation please visit the Ministry of Health websitehttp://www.moh.govt.nz/measles or the
Immunisation Advisory Centre website http://www.immune.org.nz. You can also call the Immunisation Advisory Centre toll-free on
0800 IMMUNE (0800 466 863) for advice.
If you would like to discuss any of the issues in this letter, please contact your local public health service. You can find more information
at http://www.health.govt.nz/new-zealand-health-system/key-health-sector-organisations-and-people/public-health-units/public-health-unit-contacts
Thank you again for your support in helping to inform your staff and your community about measles and its prevention.
Yours sincerely
Dr Darren Hunt
Director of Public Health
Ministry of Health