School linked to Australia's first saint set to close doors
From reporter Hamish McNeilly:
A small Dunedin school with links to a saint is set to close amid falling student numbers.
Bishop of Dunedin Michael Dooley confirmed St Joseph’s School, in Port Chalmers, would close on January 27 next year.
The school, which began in 1882, had a roll of seven children in 2021, down from 16 in 2017.
The closure comes after a consultation process, which was initiated last year and approved by the associate minister of education.
“I acknowledge that the uncertainty around closure has been challenging for the pupils, staff, board, families, parish and wider community of St Joseph’s Port Chalmers,” Dooley said in a statement to the school community.
“I thank you for your patience and understanding as we have worked through the process with the added complication of the Covid crisis adding to the extended time frame.”
Dooley acknowledged the staff who had worked at the school over its 140 years, including Mother Mary MacKillop, who “left a lasting contribution to the charisma of the school when she was head teacher in the early years”.
MacKillop was recognised as a saint – Australia’s first – by Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican in 2010, and is known as Saint Mary MacKillop, or St Mary of the Cross.
MacKillop arrived in Dunedin in 1898 and was the first head of the refurbished St Joseph’s, which was previously called St Mary’s School.
With the impending closure, Dooley said: “It is important that we document and celebrate the many achievements of the school as the final chapter in its history draws to an end.
“I am committed to supporting the community at this challenging time and working with them to explore options for the future use of the facilities.
In 2019 the property had a capital valuation of $905,000.
Poll: Would you rather: Christmas in summer forever or winter forever?
Just a bit of a fun poll to get you thinking.
If you had to live out your Christmas days, would you prefer it was a summer Christmas or a winter Christmas?
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60.6% Summer
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37.1% Winter
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2.3% Other - I'll share below
⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️
Who’s the Smarty-Pants in the Neighbourhood? Let’s Find Out!
I’m not alive, yet I grow with care.
I wear ornaments, lights, and sometimes a star to bear.
My evergreen presence fills the air, bringing joy to the hearts of those who prepare.
What am I?
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