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.
Live Q&A: Garden maintenance with Crewcut
This Wednesday, we're having another Neighbourly Q&A session. This time with John Bracewell from Crewcut.
John Bracewell, former Black Caps coach turned Franchisee Development Manager and currently the face of Crewcut’s #Movember campaign, knows a thing or two about keeping the grass looking sharp—whether it’s on a cricket pitch or in your backyard!
As a seasoned Crewcut franchisee, John is excited to answer your lawn and gardening questions. After years of perfecting the greens on the field, he's ready to share tips on how to knock your garden out of the park. Let's just say he’s as passionate about lush lawns as he is about a good game of cricket!
John is happy to answer questions about lawn mowing, tree/hedge trimming, tidying your garden, ride on mowing, you name it! He'll be online on Wednesday, 27th of November to answer them all.
Share your question below now ⬇️
Poll: When should the tree go up? 🎄
From what we've heard, some Christmas trees are already being assembled and decorated.
What are your thoughts on the best time to get your Christmas tree up?
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4.7% Second half of November
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43.6% 1st December
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17.4% A week before Christmas
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33.2% Whenever you wish
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1.1% Other - I'll share below
What's your favourite tomato recipe?
Kia ora neighbours. We know your tomato plants are still growing, but we're looking ahead to the harvest already! If you've got a family recipe for tomatoes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine to share with our readers. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our February 2025 issue.
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