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A happy item at our Final Assembly last week.
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Thursday's Final Assembly
 We give thanks to God for a great year and a happy and blessed time together at Thursday's Final Assembly. We enjoyed the various items from children and it was encouraging to see so many students receive certificates and awards: they all are to be commended. This year a new category of award was established for students successfully completing a year of the secondary Global Studies programme and there were four recipients of the Global Studies Award.
The Premier Award for Service, Academic Achievement and Character for 2014 was presented to Kevin Jung (seen left with his award).
 The Hon. Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga spoke, encouraging staff, pupils and parents to uphold the school's commitment to Christ. He announced that Sue Ahn had been awarded the Lotu-Iiga Cup for Christian Character (Sue Ahn was at home in Korea so was unable to be present).
The Minister (pictured left) later reported: I enjoyed the night at Carey College prizegiving where the students performed some fascinating skits and where Kevin Jung performed an exceptional piece of self composed music on the keyboard. He also won the Premier Award and is destined for big things in the coming years.
There was sadness too as we said "Farewell" to three stellar teachers: Mr Pope, Mrs Heeney and Mrs Goedhart (Pictured below.) We pray God will continue to bless them in the years ahead.
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Uniforms Announced
 For some time there has been desire expressed by many parents and pupils for a school uniform. In his report at the Final Assembly Mr Drake announced that the Trust Board had agreed to replace our out-dated dress code with a uniform. Recently, without knowing what the Board was considering, secondary students had given voice to one of the key reasons we have taken this step: a uniform, students said, would help them "identify with the school with pride and a sense of belonging, and be able to represent the school in public." The Board is in the process of finalising a uniform that will do just that: samples (see above) were shown.
We have been working with the Warehouse because of the accessibility to products (they will create a Carey College page on their website where orders can be placed, and will have our uniform in local branches for sizing and ordering). We have selected items that balance a smart look with hard-wearing quality and very good value for money. There will be a range of options to suit different ages and style preferences within the set uniform. When items are ordered they will have the school crest embroidered on them, and be supplied within a few days.
We received a great deal of positive feed-back on Thursday night, but we do want to hear from parents about the concept: this is a big change for Carey College so it does need your support. With that support, we plan to begin introducing the uniform in Term 2, with the aim of all students being in uniform by mid-year.
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 Ambassadors Return
Nathan and Mika Hendry recently returned to Carey College having spent nearly a term attending school in Japan. And the best part of their time away? They were able to bring back their grandparents, Mr and Mrs Suyama, to New Zealand.
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Thinking About Christmas
 Avoiding Christmas Pitfalls
"No child deserves presents. While Santa Claus may make a 'naughty or nice' list, Jesus doesn’t. He gave his life for those already deep in sin. He didn’t dangle his redemption over our heads as a behavior modification tactic. God gave us the gift of Christ—his birth, his death, and his resurrection—by grace. All gifts we place under the tree should be given in the same manner we’ve received Christ: freely." This advice is one of three great points made here.
200 Years of the Christmas Story
This Christmas we celebrate the 200th anniversary of the gospel first being preached in New Zealand. You can get a sense of this momentous event, and review the transforming message about Jesus, by reading this and by watching this video:
 Give a Different Gift
We are so proud of our year 1 student Priscilla John who has been Auckland Regional Ambassador for the Child Cancer Fund this year. If you are looking for a less indulgent way of celebrating Christmas, you might like to donate to Child Cancer which makes a positive difference in the lives of children with cancer and their families. You can read her story here, and go here to make a donation to the Christmas Courage appeal.
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Holiday Activity & Party
Dare to Explore at Auckland Council Libraries is about reading every day (even if it's just a little bit) and completing some fun challenges. Pupils can sign up using the online registration form, then visit their local library to pick up a passport to use to collect stamps for each challenge completed and to keep track of the books read. When pupils finish at least four challenges, they will be invited to a party.
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Have a Blessed Christmas
We pray you will enjoy a very blessed Christmas, and a safe and happy holiday season.
The first day of school next year is Monday 2 February 2015.
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