Postal: PO Box 24, Te Kauwhata 3741 Email: admin@tkcoll.school.nz Phone: 07 826 3715 Fax: 07 826 3714 1 Web: www.tkcoll.school.nz

TE KAUWHATA COLLEGE

TE PANUI: NEWSLETTER Term 3, Issue 2, September 2017

KEY DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

Tue 5 Sep to Wed 6 Sep First Aid Course

Wed 6 Sep (1.15pm to 3.00pm) NCEA Music Performance Assessment Afternoon

Tue 12 Sep Sports/Group/Cultural Photos

Wed 13 Sep and Thu 14 Sep Enrolment Evenings in School Library

Thu 14 Sep to Wed 20 Sep Practice Exams

Tue 19 Sep Level 1 MCAT Exam

Tue 19 Sep to Sat 23 Sep Level 3 PE trip to Far North

Wed 20 Sep Board of Trustees Meeting

Mon 25 Sep to Wed 27 Sep Level 1 PE Camp to Motutapu Island

Fri 29 Sep Last day of Term 3

Mon 16 Oct First day of Term 4

Wed 25 Oct Arts Awards

Thu 26 Oct Sports Awards

Thu 2 Nov Last day of school for Year 11-13 students

Thu 2 Nov Valedictory

Thu 9 Nov to Fri 1 Dec NCEA Examinations

Wed 13 Dec Junior Prizegiving

Wed 13 Dec Last day of school for Year 7-10 students

Student Trustee Election 18 Aug Nominations open 1 Sep Nominations close 18 Sep Voting day 29 Sep New student trustee takes office

Kia ora koutou

WORKING TOGETHER

Our students tell us how important it is that we talk to them before judging them. We have been focusing our teachers professional learning on this, and on building productive relationships with our students to support learning. This is just as important for the adults in the school community.

The old saying that “it takes a village to raise a child” is as true now as it ever was. In this day and age though, it really is more important than ever. While technology has made us all constantly available, our devices have also stopped many of us from communicating in a real and meaningful way – kanohi te kanohi, face to face. There is no digital equivalent to sitting together to nut out a problem. Txt, email and phone calls are all quick and immediate but can never allow us to explore issues and gauge each other's feelings and reactions in order to negotiate effective solutions as well as human contact can. Instead, sometimes they leave us angry, confused, misled. Worse, increasing dependence on digital, media and devices is meaning that many of our children are not developing the conversation or negotiation skills needed for good quality social interactions. This, to some degree, may explain the proliferation of bullying in the

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE

ENROLMENTS FOR 2018 Enrolment evenings are on

Wednesday 13 September and

Thursday 14 September

between 3.30pm and 6.30pm in the school library (no appointment necessary).

Please bring your child with you.

Enrolment packs can be picked up from the school office before these dates, or will be available on the night.

everyday world that our young millennials move in. We need to be thinking about this when we think about pro-social and anti-social behaviours.

Our schools are an important part of our community and we need to work together, as schools and other community organisations, to grow the citizens we can trust to care for our world for generations ahead. In that spirit, Te Kauwhata College is engaging in a Community of Learning/Kahuki Ako To Tere Ako, collaborating with local primary schools and ECEs. Additionally, we are working together with our other local service providers including Aparangi and St John’s ambulance.

AMBULANCE SERVICES

Occasionally we have accidents occur within the school. We have trained first aid staff on site who can give immediate assistance but, at times, we feel there is a need for additional urgent attention and we ring for an ambulance. Clearly we prefer to err on the side of caution but when we ring for an ambulance we can often wait for a while. This is no fault of ours, nor of St John’s who provide an excellent service. The reality is that Te Kauwhata is a long way from any hospitals and there is often a need to divert

Continued on Page 2

Postal: PO Box 24, Te Kauwhata 3741 Email: admin@tkcoll.school.nz Phone: 07 826 3715 Fax: 07 826 3714 2 Web: www.tkcoll.school.nz

SPORTS – TERM 3 CALENDAR

13 Sep Thames Valley Year 7 & 8 Cross Country

(14 Sep Thames Valley Year 7 & 8 Cross Country back-up date)

Wed 27 Sep Thames Valley Year 7 & 8 Touch Rugby

(Thu 28 Sep Thames Valley Year 7 & 8 Touch Rugby back-up date)

Thu 28 Sep Thames Valley Senior Volleyball

** NB: Dates and events may be subject to change.**

~ IMPORTANT NOTICE ~ Leave Passes: New Process

To ensure we are meeting our obligations under Health & Safety legislation, we have introduced a new system for students who need to leave school during the day.

A letter has been sent home with all students which gives parents and caregivers instructions on how to notify the school that a student will require a leave pass. There are four ways to contact the school to request a leave pass:

1. By going online to our web site – www.tkcoll.school.nz. Go to Contact Us and scroll down to Absence Form.

2. You can text us on 027 960 1750.

3. You can phone the school on 07 826 3715.

4. You can send a note to school with your child.

It is very important that the new process is followed as students will not be permitted to leave the school grounds without a leave pass.

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE continued

ambulances to the life and death cases. We are counselled about our accident cases via phone and ambulance staff then make decisions about the urgency of the case.

CORE VALUES

We have been working with our staff and students on renewing and redefining our core values. We have settled on the acronym GROW. This

captures the idea of us all working together to nurture our students to gain knowledge, build respect and resiliency, as well as taking advantage of opportunities and ownership.

CONTROLLED AND ILLEGAL DRUGS

Te Kauwhata College does not tolerate the use or possession of controlled or illegal drugs of any kind by any student. This is always dealt with by suspension to the Board of Trustees. If the student is returned to school a comprehensive set of consequences and supports are wrapped around them as they are, quite often, a victim of outside influences. This is a community issue and parents and caregivers need to know that we are working closely with New Zealand Police on this issue in order to keep our school drug-free. We have agreed to have a drug dog visit our school in the near future.

SENIOR PRACTICE EXAMS 14-20 September

Practice Exams are just around the corner for our students in Years 11 to 13. These need to be taken very seriously because the results of these can be used to justify an appeal if a student under-performs in their external exam. The practice exam results can also be used for a deferred grade if a student is not able to attend their external exam, e.g. due to illness (which will only be considered in special circumstances and must be covered by a medical certificate).

It is also important to remember though that Internal Assessments for NCEA will continue throughout the year - even after the External exams at the end of the year.

Remember NZQA fees are due now in order for students to be able to access their results.

NEW ELECTRONIC SIGN

Many of you will have seen the new electronic sign outside the front of the school. We are grateful to EnviroWaste who have very generously sponsored the installation of this sign. The display will enable us to keep everyone informed of daily events and achievements.

This sign can manage a lot of input, and we are happy to post appropriate community news or charity events so please contact the school if you have something you would like included (please note, we are not able to include adverts from businesses).

Ngā mihi nui

Deborah Hohneck Principal

Introducing Our New Staff At the beginning of this term we were delighted to welcome two new

members of staff to our school: Ellimay Hendricks is the new Learning Area Leader for Science and Donna Jensen is our new Academic

Secretary.

ELLIMAY HENDRICKS

Kia ora koutou. It has been fantastic to be welcomed back into the community that I grew up in, albeit with a new last name!

A little about me… I enjoy soccer, hockey, mountain biking (downhill) and appreciate a good book.

The Sciences are well connected, but if I had to pick my specialties they would be Chemistry and Earth Sciences.

Having explored my interests in Science through both an academic and practical fashion, I have had the opportunity to develop secondary programmes in both Health Sciences and Engineering prior to joining the team here. I look forward to sharing my passion about letting Science become ‘real’ for students here at Te Kauwhata College.

DONNA JENSEN

Hi all. I’m Donna Jensen, originally from Plimmerton – just north of Wellington. My husband and I moved into Te Kauwhata two years ago as my husband found the golf course was too difficult to stay away from.

I have had a complete change of career after working in law for the past 25 years and have been appointed as Academic Secretary for Te Kauwhata College. This is a great opportunity which enables me to be involved in the education sector and also work so close to home. I look forward to meeting as many of our students as possible.

Postal: PO Box 24, Te Kauwhata 3741 Email: admin@tkcoll.school.nz Phone: 07 826 3715 Fax: 07 826 3714 3 Web: www.tkcoll.school.nz

Wild time on the whitewater On Wednesday 23 August our NCEA Level 1 PE students

visited the Vector Wero Whitewater Park in South Auckland. The trip gave students the opportunity to gain credits from two assessment standards as they learnt how to row the rafts and work together in teams.

Music Department News – August/September It has been a busy couple of months for the Music

Department.

The end of Term 2 saw our talented Level 1-3 students perform pieces towards their NCEA accreditation.

Following this, and during the holidays, several students diligently came along to school to the band practices for the school production – Aotearoa. Some were here for four days in a row! Thanks to our band’s whanau for helping to making these practices happen.

And thank you to the band and singers for their massive contribution in helping to make the production a musical success as well as a dramatic one – well done everyone.

The rebuilding Stage Band had their first official performance for the year at Waerenga School in Week 3 of this term. After having six Year 13 students leave the band at the end of 2016, the remaining and new band members have been steadily working together to reach performance level. They played very well and the audience appreciated the effort.

Friday 18 August was our Guitar Ensemble’s first ever performance at the annual Itinerant Music Band and Orchestra Festival which was held in the Gallagher Performing Arts Centre, University of Waikato. Bands and Orchestras – including jazz bands, stage bands, guitar ensembles and percussion groups – came from all over Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Taranaki to be part of this. There were over 60 groups performing. Our Guitar Ensemble, comprising Todd Foster, Nganehu Falwasser, Jarrod Shirtcliffe and Theron Fitness-Paki, performed two pieces: Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven and Metallica’s Orion.

They performed very well and received a Silver Award as well as the ‘Best Newcomer’ award and a $50 Shearer’s

Musicworks voucher for the Music Department. Well done to them!

Week 7 of this term will see our second NCEA performance assessments. These will be held on Wednesday 6 September during our Activities Day slot, 1.15pm – 3.00pm, rather than that evening as has been in the past. Friends and families of the performers are more than welcome to come along and enjoy the entertainment.

Neill Grant, HOD Music

Postal: PO Box 24, Te Kauwhata 3741 Email: admin@tkcoll.school.nz Phone: 07 826 3715 Fax: 07 826 3714 4 Web: www.tkcoll.school.nz

Tuakau Junior Cricket Club Registration Day

9 September 2017 10.00am-12.00pm

New players welcome.

All ages, boys and girls

Tuakau Sports Trust, Escott’s Road, Tuakau

Contact Roydon for more details: 0211 656 227

~ Wheelie Bins ~ Front Load Bins ~

~ Gantry Skips ~ Huka Bins ~ Yellow Bags ~

~ Recycling ~ Enviro Solutions ~

~ Te Kauwhata College is grateful to EnviroWaste for their support ~

Freephone: 0800 240 120 Tel: 07 850 2110

Fast Five Mixed

Social Netball

Competition

~ It’s fun and fast. ~

~ No previous experience needed. ~

Team registrations are open now. Please pick your entry form up from the Fitness Centre or email tkfitness@clear.net.nz to request one.

Maximum of 10 players per team; two females on court at all times. All players must be over

15 years old. Minimum of 12 games.

Competition starts on Wednesday 18 October.

First round is at 6.00pm, second round is at 7.00pm.

If you would like to play but don’t have a team; just call Kerry at the Fitness Centre and she

will sort one for you. It’s a great way to meet the community.

Contact Kerry on 07 826 4090 for more info.

Waikaretu School

FARM FUN RUN

Sunday 29 October 2017 @ 9.00am

Registration: www.simpletiming.co.nz/waikaretu-school-farm-fun-run/

This exciting new Fun Run takes participants over scenic farmland in Waikaretu, with views down a picturesque valley and out to the west coast.

It is an all off-road run over an up and down course with a beautiful back drop. It’s a perfect opportunity to get out with friends and family with a range of distances to choose from.

10 km Run/Walk $25.00

5 km Run/Walk $15.00 3 km Kids Course (12 and under) $10.00

~ Spot prizes on the day. ~

Waikaretu School is a small rural school and this Fun Run is our major fundraising event for the year.