EDMUND RICE NETWORK

The word Edmund Rice provokes thoughts of compassion, the need to serve, giving of oneself, humility, being a good Christian and most of all becoming a better human which is an integral part of one's society. The Edmund Rice groups at the college started this year with these values in mind.

There are a couple of groups within the college that have set about improving the state of our society. The Environmental Team led by Mr. Kennedy and a group of able and willing students have set about solving or addressing different issues within the school community. Recycling and disposing of rubbish in a thoughtful way has been on the top of the agenda and we look forward to the modifications starting in the New Year. Mr. Kennedy is hoping that the boys involved will help the school gain the bronze, silver and gold awards within the Enviro-schools organisation.The teaching staff are using recycled paper in the office and reuse paper that has been copied but is of no further use the same goes for the classroom.

We are looking towards improving the future rather than living with past mistakes. The Social Justice Group has also been a great asset to the school. This is a group of boys from years 10 to 13 who meet on wednesday at lunchtime and discuss different issues in the world and in our own community. So far the group has had a few incentives take off. A mufti day was held in term 3 instead of money the students were asked to provide books. Although the group was very apprehensive the response was amazing. The college community responded in a very positive manner. Students, parents, teachers, uncles, aunties and grandparents all contributed to the drive and over 600 books were collected. The books have been presented to Addington Primary, St Bernadette's Hornby and Sacred Heart in Addington. They have been presented as pre-loved books and have been received very well by the school communities. The next step is to plan some in service time at these schools as well.

The group is looking in to travelling to the West Coast twice next year to help the Christian Brother's community with their service work. We will be working with Brother Len Hamlin and Mrs. Cath Ford on these projects. In 2010 our aim is to visit the community once a term and take a different group of students who are interested in helping the community.

In the fourth term a mufti day was held to raise money for the Bhutan refugees who have 20 families within the Canterbury region and will be presenting the community with a gift that will help them feel as they are an integral part of the wider Canterbury community.

Edmund Rice Conference - Oamaru - Once again teachers and students from school travelled down to St Kevin's in Oamaru for the annual Edmund Rice Conference. This year the workshops were exceptional and the attendance of students from around New Zealand, Australia and Nukutere College in the Pacific Islands were major contributors to the input and outcomes of the conference.

It was the largest attended conference since it began and ran like clockwork with speakers attending from around the world. The Brothers are looking into sharing it around the different regions each year. This will be a good chance to be a part of different communities whilst at the conference.

The Edmund Rice Cell Group also started this year and includes many staff members from the college, ex pupils, current students, Christian Brothers from Christchurch and the West Coast and parents of ex-pupils. The group has been set up and meets once a month to discuss issues within our local and wider communities. Community incentives as discussed above are then put in place and carried out by the people involved and the students at the college. Although still in its infancy the cell group has already made steady progress and in the next two years is looking to move and expand its range in the community.

The Oceania Network is now very strong and the local community groups are also growing in strength. We welcome all new members who are willing to help others around us. It costs nothing in monetary terms, just a willingness to help others and be a more involved member of the community.

If you would like more information please contact me at school or via email.

Paddy Dowling

Edmund Rice Cell group coordinator

pdowling@stc.school.nz