Our Leaders

Kia ora, ko Pyper Murphy toku ingoa I am the Mercy Leader for 2025. Being Mercy Leader has always been a goal of mine and I feel very privileged to be able to represent John Paul II in this role. I cannot wait to bring more of my contributions and ideas into this school during my last year at High School. There are six foundation values for the Mercy Leader. They are the qualities that the Mercy Leader have and will strive to implement throughout the year. These values are, Excellence, Hospitality, Respect, Service, Social Justice and Compassion. I try to live by these values and aim to implement them through initiatives throughout the year and, further enlighten others with the knowledge of these values. I have many ideas that I cannot wait to share with students and implement them into our school life. One of my larger plans revolves around helping all students’ voices be heard. I know how hard it can be when you have ideas for the school, to be able to come forward and mention them to people. Sometimes it can just be easier to stay quiet than to speak up. This is the reasoning behind my initiative called ‘Voices Heard’. I will be creating an easy accessible way for students to be able to voice their opinions. My role as Mercy Leader, and with the help of the Marist Leader and student council, will be to bring as many ideas to life as possible! Everyone deserves to be heard and everyone deserves a chance. I want to make this happen for as many people as possible. I am excited to work with the whole Student Leadership team to help bring their ideas and initiatives to life, by supporting and always being on hand whenever and wherever needed. Leadership isn’t just about working as one but working together in order to help everyone succeed. I would lastly like all of the students to know that I am always around to talk. If you have any questions, want to get to know the Leadership team more or just want to have a chat, I am always around and always willing to support. A last word of advice from me, don’t be afraid! There is no use in holding yourself back. The only person you have to compete with is yourself so take every opportunity you get and don’t be afraid to make your mark at John Paul II. Our head students act as the ambassadors for Catholic character at JPII, supporting the formation of Eucharistic Ministers and encouraging students to explore their faith in a positive and inclusive way. Work with school leaders and the student body to support school events Contribute to the planning and organisation of cultural initiatives within the school, including cultural week, cultural evening, Kapa haka group, the school pōwhiri or mihi whakatau Represent the school at formal occasions as required Works with house leaders to promote student participation in key school sporting events e.g. athletics day, swimming sports, cross country, and house competitions/activities Works with other school leaders to promote the improvement of the school environment e.g. recycling, rubbish duty, murals, and the beautification of JPII site Work with other school leaders and local environmental organisations to promote ‘act local, think global’ causes e.g. beach clean-up, community service, environmental innovation awareness at JPII Works with the Pastoral Care Team and Whānau teachers to promote wellbeing initiatives in the school, including Te Whare Tapa Whā Collaborates with other student leaders to achieve positive outcomes for the school and students Shares progress and achievements termly through an article in the newsletter, and a final report for the school yearbook.