Kia ora katoa

Last night I had the pleasure of presenting Brianna Ferguson and Dean Stewart at the Southland YouthMark Awards Ceremony. It was an inspirational evening listening to the citations for the 50 highest achieving Year 13 students from throughout Southland. Brianna and Dean will have their photos and citations proudly displayed in the school foyer along with those of previous recipients.

There has been some confusion over the need to wear face masks on school buses. This is compulsory for students aged 12 years and above. Students under 12 are encouraged to wear them. The confusion arose when the Ministry of Education made the announcement before the Public Health Orders were passed. These have now passed into law, therefore we must follow them.

As we approach the end of the year still in Level Two Covid restrictions, we have had to make some decisions about what events can and can’t run and make alterations that are required.

• Yesterday Whanau Conferences were via Zoom or phone calls.
• The Discovery Day for new entrants cannot be run as planned. This is in line with Ministry of Education recommendations. There will still be some form of transitioning for these students.
• Camps and MAD activities are still being planned for the end of the year.
• The Year 13 dinner in the school hall on Thursday 18th November will go ahead.
• Prize Giving ceremonies will go ahead during the day on Friday 10th December. Unfortunately, we cannot have outside guests or parents/caregivers present. The ceremony will be recorded and all prize winners will have their photos taken. A Year 13 Prize Giving and Graduation ceremony will be held in the evening at the Town Hall to allow parents to be present.

We welcome Lordgie Bartir a Bilingual Support worker for the Filipino Community who has been employed by the Kahui Ako. Lordgie will be working at Menzies College every Monday and Tuesday this term. She will be making contact with parents/caregivers in the near future to let them know she is available to help with any school related issues.

Finally, congratulations to Alyssa Gauldie and Oliver McKelvie who have been chosen as this year’s recipients of the Rotary Young Achievers Award.

Nga mihi nui

Kath Luoni

Principal

Menzies College is having its 50th Reunion from the 4th-6th February, 2022. We would like to invite any former students, staff and friends of the school to return to Southland and see how much their school has grown over the past 50 years. You can email your interest to menzreunion22@gmail.com or click on the link below.

Congratulations to the following students and staff members:

Week ending 22 October:

Seniors: Paige Richards, Abby van der Straaten, Max Bryson, Zavana Davey and Mr Dean Ritani

Week ending 29 October:

Junior: Cooper Kennedy, Hailey Dinnan, Chloe Edwards, Bre Isaacs and Mrs Hayley Adam

Your canteen vouchers can be collected from the office.

Menzies College has vacancies for two cleaners. Three hours daily after school, plus some holiday work. Please apply via email with work experience and referees to judy.gould@menzies.school.nz or phone the school on 2064979.

• 10 November - Junior Sports Forum
• 19 November - Last day for senior students
• 22 November-10 December - NZQA Exams
• 23-24 November - Year 7 & 8 Conferences
• 29 November-2 December - Year 10 Mavora Camp

• 6-7 December - MAD Days
• 10 December - Last day of school
• 10 December - Whole school Prize Giving - Wyndham Memorial Hall 7pm

Just in time for study and exam break!

Getting enough quality sleep helps support healthy brain function and maintain your physical health. In teenagers, sleep is important for growth and development. Good sleep can help with memory, focus, concentration, physical health, decision making and a healthy mood.

Ways to improve your sleep

Bedtime routine

• Wind down at bedtime: this might include having a shower, brushing your teeth, then heading to bed. Quiet activities, like reading, are good before bed.
• Consider learning a relaxation technique to help you wind down in readiness for sleep.
• Have a regular bedtime and wake up time, including on the weekends (+/- 2 hours). This will make it easier to get up for school on Monday mornings!
• If you are going to bed too late, gradually change this by going to bed 30 minutes earlier and getting up 30 minutes earlier.
• Try to do your study earlier in the afternoon/evening.
• Avoid active games, playing outside and screen use (eg, TV, internet, cell phone use, electronic games, etc) in the hour before bedtime. Try dimming the lights earlier.

Sleeping environment

• Arrange a comfortable sleeping environment. The place where you sleep should be quiet, warm and dark. For example, factors that may be interfering with your quality of sleep include a noisy bedroom, a lumpy mattress, or the habit of lying awake and worrying.
• Don’t have any distractions within sight or sound of the area where you sleep, including TV or any kind of computer screen. Turn off your phone before you go to bed so you are not tempted to keep checking it.

Food

• Try to avoid eating meals within 1 to 2 hours of going to bed.
• Avoid caffeinated drinks like energy drinks, coffee, and tea – especially in the afternoon/evening – as they can affect your sleep.
• Avoid recreational drugs (including alcohol, tobacco and cannabis) as they can cause you to have broken and poor quality sleep.

Keeping active

• Being active throughout the day can help you sleep. Time spent in bright sunlight, such as being active outside, can also help, but don’t forget to be SunSmart!

(From https://www.health.govt.nz/your-health/healthy-living/food-activity-and-sleep/sleeping/helping-teenagers-sleep-better and https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/teenagers-and-sleep )

These can now be ordered on Geoff Horrell's website using the link below. Scroll down on the home page until you find 'Menzies Sports and Cultural' and use the following code: mzcsc21

Coming to the Mavora Lakes soon - Year 10 camp

The Year 10 camp this year, will once again be held at the Mavora Lakes from 29 November to 2 December. There will be kayaking, mountain biking, rafting and lots of other fun outdoor activities. The cost will be confirmed early next term but we envisage it will be approximately $170. We have included the link to the permission form. If you have any questions please feel free to contact the school and talk with either Matt Cook or Bianca Gibbs, Year 9 and 10 Deans or flick us an email mcook@menzies.school.nz or bianca.gibbs@menzies.school.nz

Mr Matt Cook & Mrs Bianca Gibbs

Year 9 & 10 Deans

It's getting close to that time of the year! It would be appreciated if recipients of trophies and cups from previous prizegiving's could return these to the office as soon as possible. Your assistance is appreciated.

Donald Engineering Ltd is a small engineering company based in Edendale. We work on a variety of engineering projects around the South Island. Due to an increasing workload we need a labourer to join our team. You must have:

• Good communication skills
• A strong work ethic
• Be a Team player
• Have a current NZ Drivers licence

Please apply via email with your CV to office@donaldengineering.co.nz

This Youth Education Fund has a proud tradition of supporting families in need of financial assistance with the purchasing of a school uniform. Grant application forms from suitable candidates are now available from the school office or can be downloaded by using the link below. Applications are invited from students entering high school, college and intermediate for the first time. The closing date for applications is Friday 10 December 2021.

These grants must be used for the purchase of basic school clothing and footwear only [excluding roadshoes/runners/stationery/school bags]. Applications for uniform for 2022 will not be considered until after 10 December and purchase orders will be posted to successful applicants before Christmas. Parents/caregivers of any unsuccessful applications will also be advised in writing.

A reminder to parents/caregivers that if your child is leaving for any reason during school hours, you are required to notify the office. This can be done by phone call, text via the app or email. This will save you having to come to the office to sign them out. Also, if they are going to be late due to an appointment etc please let us know this as well.

Your help with this would be appreciated.

Email: admin@menzies.school.nz
Website: https://www.menzies.school.nz
Location: Alma Street, Wyndham 9831, Southland, New Zealand
Phone: 03 206 4979