Wairoa College

Tēnā Koutou Katoa

It is nice to see all our students back at school. We have quite a few new families that have joined us this year. I would like to especially welcome them to Wairoa College. We have had significant roll growth in particular in Years 7-9. Our current roll sits at 522 students.

This year we have some new staff:

Paul Westwood - One of our Deputy Principals with a focus on pastoral care

Priyanka Sharma - Mathematics teacher

Joe McGregor - Physical Education and Health

Raiha Smith - Year 7 teacher

Sarah Martin - Year 7 and 8 teacher release

Ms Kirby - Year 8 teacher

We are very lucky to have such experienced and enthusiastic staff. I am looking forward to seeing what our students can accomplish this year.

I would like to thank our students, staff and families who adapted so quickly to the Alert Level 2 Covid-19 Health and Safety requirements. Fortunately we have now returned to Level 1. However, it is important to be prepared. I want you to know that this is at the top of our minds to ensure that we have the systems in place ready to support our students if we were to ever return to a Level 3 or 4 Lockdown.

Ngā mihi nui

Mrs Jo-Anne Vennell

Attendance is a major focus for Term One. ‘Regular’ attendance is defined for statistical purposes as 90% or higher. However, Ministry of Education analysis shows every day has a cumulative impact on a child’s learning and there is no ‘safe’ level of non-attendance. Every day matters. In the first instance your child's whanau teacher will follow up on unexplained absences. If your child is sick please notify the school by phone, text, or email by 8.30 am. Try to arrange appointments etc. outside school hours or in the holidays.

Students may not leave the school during school hours except by special arrangement – for example, a parent request (verbal or written) for the student to attend a medical appointment. The student must sign out at the office.

Exceptions are:

• Lunch passes: Permanent, for students who travel to their own home for lunch each day, and one-off, for students who need to be out of school at lunch time on a particular day. Issuing of this pass is managed by the office manager, and requires a note from the student's parent/caregiver.

• Year 13 passes: Year 13 students who meet the criteria can be issued a pass to leave the school during lunch times. The pass can be withdrawn if the student abuses this privilege or their attendance doesn't meet 85%.

Recently the Ministry of Education announced National Education and Learning Priorities (NELPS) in schools and kura. Objective 5 states Quality Teaching and Leadership. Under this objective are two actions

1. Meaningfully incorporate te reo Maori and tikanga Maori into the everyday life of the place of learning

2. Develop staff to strengthen teaching, leadership and learner support capability across the education workforce.

As a school in the last three years we have made significant progress with building our tikanga across the school.

Every fortnight students attend rotations where they learn about local tikanga, the history of our whare, school haka and waita. In 2019 we also introduced teaching of Te Reo Maori by specialist teachers to all of Year 7-9 which fitted into our compulsory module rotation. As a result of this we have increased our numbers of students choosing Te Reo Maori as a subject in Year 10 and the senior school.

Previously only the students who chose to be in the bilingual class carried on to Year 10-13 in this subject. Over the years numbers in this class dropped significantly so as a school we decided to focus on a broader approach so as to upskill all our students and staff in the use of Te Reo and knowledge of ti kanga. This has been very rewarding.

As a staff we have professional development with staff experts regarding tikanga and this year all staff will be involved in upskilling their Te Reo in designated staff development time. Some staff will also be involved in off-site professional development with community and external experts.

2021 PREFECTS

Sports Prefect - Ishmael Kirwan

Manu - Sam Skudder

Te Toki - Tamara Stewart

Patu - Alexis McIntyre

Deputy Head and Nga Taiaha - Tiana Douglas

Head Girl - Ruby Mildon

Principal - Jo Vennell

Head Boy - Teancum Scotson

Deputy Head and Music - Aaron Stafford

Academic/Learning support - Riley Stanaway

Community and Student volunteer - Riverlee Vanpraseuth

Community and Student volunteer - Monica Stewart

The Ministry of Education require every school in New Zealand to file a return. The school must record and report on a number of items for the Ministry, one of which is attendance.

We ask that for Friday 28th of February, Monday 2nd of March and Tuesday 3rd of March, you write and send in explanation note of absence for your child/ren if they were absent.

Please feel free to email these letters to info@wairoacollege.school.nz. For those students who do not bring in notes there will be letters posted out asking that you explain the absence of your child/ren, please check, date, comment and sign these and return them to the College Office as soon as possible.

(The Ministry will not accept acknowledgement of phone messages for those days. It must be in writing).

Your assistance in this matter would be greatly appreciated

On the 4th and 5th of February the Wairoa College 2021 Prefects attended the Guthrie Smith Leadership Camp. Over the two days we participated in teambuilding activities such as high ropes and canoeing. These activities helped the prefects become closer as a team. The prefects also planned what their goals and aspirations were for this year both as individuals and as a prefect group. We all very much enjoyed the experience and cannot wait to organise activities and improve the school throughout the year.

Acadamic/Learning Support Prefect

Riley Stanaway

The Wairoa College Services Academy students were privileged and thankful to receive training by Philip Moon from Life 101 Programme. Life101 are passionate about people and strive to deliver comprehensive life and financial skills education through their one-day, four-day and eight day programmes. Since 2013, they have worked with school students, people in prisons and on probation.

Our students were taught the importance of budgeting, knowing where your money is going and how to focus on goals. Knowing what debt is and how to avoid it. Life 101 also focused on CV's, interviews and how to apply for jobs.

On behalf of the Wairoa College Services Academy, we would like to thank JN Williams Memorial Trust and HB Williams Turanga Trust for sponsoring this educational programme. We are so lucky to have their support and being given the power of knowledge.

On Friday 19 February the Year 11 Employment Skills class enjoyed a Workplace Health and Safety presentation. Vaughan McNabb the WorkForce Development Officer and Gerrard Jull the Health and Safety Manager from Affco spoke to the students and shared a variety of safety equipment used at Affco. A powerpoint narrated by Mike King endorsed key points and students gained a clear understanding of the importance of safety in the workplace and how they can participate in keeping themselves and others safe.

A special thanks to Vaughan and Gerrard for their interesting presentation and the resources they left for the students.

Ngā mihi

Paddy Owen

NCEA LEVEL 1 ENDORSED WITH MERIT

Bethany Kerley

Trinity Nicholas

Araley Rudd

Mahinarangi Hume

Customlee Rigby-Grace

NCEA Level 2 endorsed with Merit

Riley Stannaway

NCEA Level 3 endorsed with Merit

Gemma Mapstone

Hannah Simmonds

Bailee Carr

NCEA Level 3 endorsed with Excellence

Natalia Pere

Level 1 Subject Endorsements

Ngamihi McIlroy Merit - HIS101

Timara Eriha Merit - HIS101

Bethany Kerley Merit - ART101

Jonelle Amato Merit - ART101

Araley Rudd Merit - AEN121, MAC101, ART101, SPS101

Mahinarangi Hume Excellence - MAC101, Merit - ART101, SCI111

Level 2 Subject Endorsements

Riley Stannaway Merit - MAC201, AEN201, BIO201

June Doyle Merit - AEN201

Shechinah Brown Merit - ART201

Laudina Wild Merit - ART201

Tiana Douglas Merit - ART201

Tiana Runga Merit - ART201

Ruby Mildon Merit - ART201

Sam Skudder Merit - ART201

Naleeah Blake Merit - WKIM02

Hunte Storey Merit - ART201

Coral Nepia Merit -WKIM02

Amelia Pasikala Excellence - SPS201

Sharon Maru Excellence - ART201

Level 3 Subject Endorsements

Merit endorsed in SPS301

Alyssa Deam

Caroline Kyle

Te Mahia Keil

Gabrielle Doull

Excellence endorsed in SPS301

Gemma Mapstone

Hannah Simmonds

Cameron Spence

Bailee Carr

Monique Kirwan

Following on from 2019 we have recognised students who have achieved a high number of Level 1 credits while studying as a Year 10 student in 2020. Each student received a $50 Warehouse voucher. To all Year 10 students this is something for you to aim for this year.

Top Year 10 girls - first equal: Grace Whaanga and Ashley Atkinson

Top Year 10 boys - first equal: Kefir Kirwan and Tom Kerley

Year 10 students this is something for you to aim for this year.

Our student leaders are involved in the student volunteer army which saw them last year involved in a river clean up, helping out at report evening, the ball and mentoring students. Rankin has reached his Bronze award which is a total of 35 hours at the end of 2020.

Rankin was also our top volunteer for 2020

• Year 11 Agriculture - Thursday 25th February
• Year 7 & 8 Swimming Sports - Friday 26th February
• Learners License Course - Friday 26th February
• Mates & Dates - Tuesday 2nd, 9th, 16th & 23rd March
• Restricted Drivers - Wednesday 3rd March
• Swimming Sports - Wednesday 3rd March
• Year 7 & 8 Cross-curricular Trip to Gisborne - Thursday 4th March
• Wintech Recruitment Presentation - Friday 5th March
• Hawkes Bay Secondary Swimming Champs - Tuesday 9th March
• Services Induction Camp - Monday 15th March to Friday 26th March
• East Coast North Island Athletics Champs - Wednesday 17th March
• X Country - Wednesday 24th March
• 10R Cross Curricular Trip - Friday 26th March
• EPro8 - Friday 26th March
• Board of Trustees Meeting - Tuesday 30th March
• Interschool Athletics - Wednesday 14th April
• Last Day of Term 1 - Friday 16th April

Email: info@wairoacollege.school.nz
Website: https://www.wairoacollege.school.nz/
Location: Wairoa College Lucknow Street, Wairoa 4108, New Zealand
Phone: +64 06 838 8303
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wairoacollege

Public Health Panui Feb 2021

Tena Koutou Whanau,

I hope that everyone has had a lovely summer and managed to get some time with whanau and friends.

I have two public health messages for our community at the start of the school year. The first is around the ongoing vigilance we need around Covid, which still poses an enormous threat to our personal health, public health and our country.

Key messages for us all are:

HANDWASHING is still the number one thing you can do to prevent spread.

SCAN using the Covid app, wherever you go.

Turn on BLUETOOTH function.

Cough etiquette.

Stay at home if you are sick and swab on advice from G.P or healthline.

Role model this behaviour at home and when you are out.

With this new strain of Covid around, it is important to remember that everyone has different symptoms. So if in doubt, STAY HOME AND GET TESTED.

The second message is for our Rangitahi and young adults, so please pass this message on to those in your whanau between the ages of 15-30. We have seen a spike in measles cases on and off over the last few years. Measles is highly infectious (more so than Covid) and can have lasting and life changing effects. People aged between 15-30yrs, may have missed out on the second MMR vaccine due to a change in the schedule. Phone your G.P or check your Plunket/Tamariki Ora book to see if you have had two doses. If you have only had one dose, or no doses, or are unsure, then you are eligible for a free MMR vaccine, in the first instance go to your G.P and if that is not possible Wairoa Pharmacy can provide this service for those aged 16-30yrs and the G.P can provide for those aged 15-30yrs. Free of charge. The last thing we need on top of Covid is a preventable outbreak of measles.

Nga Mihi

Anne Hurley Public Health Nurse
Wairoa Health Services| Hawke's Bay District Health Board
Private Bag 84, Wairoa 4160
T: ++64 6 838 7099 ext 4832 | F: ++ 64 6 838 9712 | M: 027 2704907
W: www.hawkesbaydhb.govt.nz