St Thomas of Canterbury College

All the best to our Choir as they represent us at The Big Sing at the Town Hall!

They will perform in Session 3, which begins at 1:30pm, with their performance scheduled for 2:15pm. This daytime session is where they will present their full competition programme to the judges. Tickets are available at the door for $10 (cash or EFTPOS).

The Evening Gala Concert begins at 7:30pm, with tickets available via Ticketmaster using the link below:

https://www.ticketmaster.co.nz/the-big-sing-regional-gala-concert-canterbury-west-coast-christchurch-05-06-2026/event/240064AEC01A5344

If you're looking to support our singers and enjoy their full set, the daytime session is by far the more affordable option!

We wish our choir every success and look forward to seeing them shine on stage.

The theme for Samoan Language Week (Vaiaso o le Gagana Sāmoa) 2026 is "E afua mai i mauga tetele manuia o le nu'u". In English, this translates to "From the high mountains are the blessings of the village."
Last night at St Thomas of Canterbury, we held the celebration of Samoan language week combined with Villa Maria. Myself and Armani were MCs for the night of fiafia, connection, food and our expression of our culture.
Both schools were awarded prizes during the evening from the Tangata Atumotu Trust and Chemist Warehouse for the well-being videos submitted.
Thank you to all who helped behind the scenes.
Fa'afetai Lava, Daniel Logopati ( Pasifika Leader 2026)

Our Y12 today attending the RYDA (Rotary Youth Driver Awareness) course. This course gives them a great understanding of road safety so that they can stay safe as both a passenger and a driver. Some of the key workshops focus on the incredibly important topics of stopping distances, decision making and how your mood can affect your driving.

CONSTRUCTION ACADEMY - watch this space!
This year marks the exciting launch of our Construction Academy, designed to give students valuable hands-on experience and a real insight into potential career pathways within the building and construction industry.
Our Year 12 cohort is currently working on constructing a deck between two onsite containers. This project allows students to develop practical skills in measuring, framing, and decking, while also learning about teamwork and safe work practices.
Meanwhile, our Year 13 students have taken on the challenge of building a perimeter fence around the site. Through this project, they are gaining experience in layout planning, post setting, and structural assembly, further preparing them for industry expectations.
The long-term vision is to transform this space into a dedicated base and working area for the Construction Academy. Through their efforts, the boys are not only developing practical skills but also leaving a lasting legacy within our school, creating a space that future students will continue to learn and build in.
Both projects provide authentic, real-world learning opportunities and helping students build confidence, independence, and a strong foundation for future trades or construction-related careers.

Josh Winsloe
Hard Materials and Construction Teacher

A look ahead to weeks 8 and 9 of this term.

On Saturday 30th May, 4 St Thomas students participated in the annual Chinese Bridge Speech competition held at the University of Canterbury. Students from all over the South Island competed against each other to speak for 3 minutes in Chinese on the topic of - living the Chinese language. Students also had to showcase a cultural talent, like taichi, singing or poetry reading. After many hours of hard work and preparation they achieved some amazing results!!

Well done to Jack Kime (year 9) - 1st equal in junior secondary; Neil Moon (year 12) - 3rd equal in senior secondary; Neil Menezes (year 12) - 1st equal in senior secondary and Yuan Prosia (year 13) - 3rd equal in senior secondary.

Many thanks to Fan laoshi (our Chinese language assistant) for his time spent preparing the students for the competition, and a huge congratulations to George Baggott (year 13 in 2025) for receiving the overall grand prize in the tertiary section!!

Our Choir have been working so hard and we wish them all the best for the Big Sing happening tomorrow, Friday 5th June at Christchurch Town Hall. We can't wait to hear them and see them perform. Day performance-ticket sales on the door. Evening Gala Performance--ticket sales through Ticketek.

2 big events to have on your calendar this week. Get on down to the Town Hall on Friday and Ngaiao Marsh Theatre on Saturday.
The choir performed in a special assembly today and they were sounding fantastic.