Menzies College Newsletter

Kia ora koutou katoa

Today there is a great deal of interest and excitement as the Kapa Haka group prepares a huge hāngī as a fundraiser for their uniforms. This is an ambitious undertaking with around 300 meals ordered, but one that organiser Samantha Johnstone has well in hand from her bedroom as she recovers from a mild dose of covid. She has been well supported by Lachie Hayes and Bailey Soper. Simon Pearce along with Bailey had an early morning start driving around to pick up students to arrive at school by 6am. Mahi tahi (working as one) was obvious with vegetables and stuffing ready well ahead of time. This experience and learning is one way to bring the curriculum to life and give effect to mana oritī (valuing Māori culture/working in partnership). Rodney Trainor’s and Bex Brown's expertise and help is hugely appreciated.

Still on the topic of food, thank you for your feedback about the provision of school lunches. There were 130 responses to the recent survey. The data shows us that:

· 72% eat the lunch either all the time or most of the time

· 4% never eat the lunch

There were some very affirming comments about the wonderful job the people who prepare the lunches are doing and some helpful suggestions for the future. The canteen had its food safety inspection last week. They gained a Level 5 verification, the highest possible level, with an 18 month review period. Congratulations to Rachel Durry and her team for this outstanding result.

School lunches do have to meet nutritional criteria so cream buns and meat pies will never be on the healthy lunch list. The menu is published for the week so students can bring lunch from home if there is a meal they don’t eat. The items at the snack shop are ‘sometimes’ foods and not suitable as a nutritious lunch. If whanau teachers suspect that students are relying on the snack shop for lunch, the students will not be served.

Next week the snack shop will only be open on Monday and Friday due to senior students away on outdoor camp.

There is a risk that it may not be possible to provide lunches if the canteen staff are effected by having to isolate at home. If this were to happen a notification would be sent directly to parents and limited food would be made available for those who missed the message or were unable to sort lunch.

This week has been more settled with less staff and students effected by covid. Currently there are four teachers and around 60 students away. We are very grateful to our wonderful relief teachers Jan Stirling, Pam Strang, Beth Campbell and Chris Garthwaite for helping out under such difficult conditions. Rostering home is still a possibility if we are not able to staff the school. A limited supply of RAT tests has arrived at school. Any student who is sent home because they appear sick will be given a test to do at home.

Finally, congratulations to:

·Joshua Leitch, Ben McLellan, Oliver McKelvie, Ben Muir, William Leitch and Jesse Cowan Our Eastern Southland representative cricketers

· Maddison Elliot who placed third in The Southland Secondary Schools Bowls champions competing against all age groups.

· Hunter Richards and Kody Crump for being selected for the Rugby Southland Pre Academy team.

Nga mihi nui

Kath Luoni

Principal

The 102 and 103 Science classes have been trapping and marking possums at the Wyndham reserve. When the possum is caught they are spray painted and released. Using data from this exercise will help us monitor numbers in the local area to forward onto The Department of Conservation.

Pictured below, L to R

Left Photo.. Alex Burgess and Kody Crump

Right Photo.. Bending over is Ben Guthrie, Alex Burgess, Kody Crump, Paige Loveridge and Ethan Stewart.

Investigating the properties of solids, liquids and gases in year 7 science.

Picture below, L to R...

Top Photo .. Isabella Mainland and Ella-Jay Davey

Bottom Photo .. Carter Dudley and Lincoln Haenga

Mrs M Dale

Dept of Science

Hāngī and steamed puddings will be ready for collection today, 1st April, from Menzies College.

Thank you so much for your orders and support!

Orders can be collected between 5:30pm and 7:15pm outside the school office. Please bring a bag that we can put your steamed puddings and hāngī in.

Ngā mihi

Menzies College Kapa Haka rōpu and Mana Māori Committee

This year, the Wellbeing Committee have decided to run an Easter Raffle Fundraiser, in honour of Ethan Kitto-Smith. A champion runner and a proud member of Totara house. Ethan came to Menzies College as a year 7, leaving in 2015 to continue his studies at Otago Polytechnic. In 2017, he was unfortunately diagnosed with leukemia, a cancer of the blood. At the time, the school rallied around him and his family, quiz nights were held, crazy hair days were had, and heads were shaved, all in support of Ethan. In 2020, Ethan went into remission and the road ahead looked clear. At the start of 2021, he moved to Dunedin to continue school and the rest of his life. He had faced leukemia and he had come out on top. However, after a casual check-up in early June of 2021, it was confirmed the cancer had returned. He was flown out to Christchurch and underwent intense chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant. But alas, nothing has worked. Ethan now only has a few months left to live.

We plan on holding an Easter Raffle Fundraiser, donating all proceeds to Ethan’s family. Throughout next week, we ask students to bring in non perishable grocery items (pretty much anything but dairy products and fresh produce) and we have asked staff to bring Easter chocolate/goodies. Collections for these items will be held through period one, all of next week, or you could drop your grocery item off at the office. Raffle tickets are two dollars each, and there is no limit to how many you can purchase. They will be sent home early next week. We ask that they be returned to the school office, with the money, as soon as possible. Winners will be announced on Wednesday the 13th of April. Thank you for your support.

Deniz te Lindert

Student Head of Wellbeing

Congratulations to the following students and staff members:

Week ending 25 March

Senior: Brenton Maxwell, Logan van der Straaten, Emma McEwan, Kody Crump and

Ms L Youngson

Week ending 1 April

Junior: Lucas Dobbin, Brock Kelly, Kalem Ryan, Lucy Smyth and Mrs J Stirling

Your Canteen vouchers are waiting at the office.

Massive congratulations to Joshua Leitch and Ben McLellan (Year 10), Oliver McKelvie and Ben Muir (Year 9) and William Leitch and Jesse Cowan (Year 7) who have all been for selected for Eastern Southland Cricket teams this season.

Well done boys! All those hours at the nets have certainly paid off!

Mrs Lucy McKelvie (TIC Cricket)

Pictured below L to R

Oliver McKelvie, William Leitch, Jesse Cowan and Joshua Leitch

Absent from photo Ben McLellan and Ben Muir

The Clay Bird shooting team will be starting up Wednesday 30th March from 3.30pm at the Mataura Gun club. New shooters most welcome, please bring $12 cash to cover ammo and targets. First competition shoot will be 15th May.

See Mr Landreth for more information

Tim Landreth

Menzies College Outdoor Education

Menzies Bowhunting Team

Menzies College Fly Fishing Team

Maddison Elliott competed in the Southland Secondary Schools Lawn Bowls Champs on Monday. She took part in the Mixed Singles and competed against boys from Southland Boys, Verdon College and Wakatipu High. Maddi accorded herself well, winning two out of three round robin games but unfortunately was tipped over in the semi final. She then had a convincing win in the playoff for third. This result follows on from her third placing in the Open Southland Champion of Champion Pairs event earlier in the bowl season. Congratulations Maddison, well done.

On the 27th of March we had two students go away to Coronet Peak to compete in the secondary school mountain bike championship. Both boys Ethan Stewart and Ben Guthrie both entered in the Cross country event which was held on Sunday. Ethan and Ben did an amazing job and should be very proud of themselves as it was an incredibly hard track. We look forward to seeing you both compete again throughout the season.

Menzies Rugby is under way for the year! It looks like we will have an A-Grade, U14, U16 and an U18 Combined Team in the Southland competition this year. If you haven’t already, please register your child on the Menzies Rugby Sports page. Teams are welcome to attend a run around on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 3.30pm – please meet at the dogbox. Please ‘like’ the Menzies Rugby Facebook page to keep up-to-date with training information and news throughout the season.

Louise Bryson

Menzies Rugby

Congratulations to Kody Crump and Hunter Richards who have been selected for the pre academy team as per photo below... having been identified by Rugby Southland with the potential to develop and progress into a high performance rugby environment in the future. It is important to note that you don't need to go to a large town school to be recognised by the selectors. These boys are doing Menzies proud and can share what they learn with others.

April

• 5-8 Wanaka camp, Outdoor class
  
• 13 - Menzies Cross Country
• 14 - Last day of Term 1
• 15 - Good Friday (school closed)

May

• 2 - First day Term 2
• 13-16 Group 1 Deep Cove Camp -Year 8
• 16-19 Group 2 Deep Cove Camp -Year 8

Due to a lot of the year seven students being absent this week, the vision testing lady postponed her appointment. She will get back to us with a new date in the future.

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