Stratford High Times

https://youtu.be/hrevK9HiH5M

Cam Stone

Principal

Deans:

Year 9 - Kelly Rawcliffe

Year 10 - Jeff Walker

Year 11 - Bill McGeoch

Year 12 - Lucy Gibbon

Year 13 - Heidi Seales

New Staff

Joe Burke - Commerce, Social Science

Georgia Whitehead - Physical Education, Health
Kathy Gracia - English

Alison Wright - English

Whaea Melissa Henare - Alternative Education

Tracey Reynolds - Arts Coordinator

Sharon Swainson - Teacher Aide

Lisa Newsome - Teacher Aide

Gianni Pedemonte - Teacher Aide

Sandy Rawles - Teacher Aide

Graeme Woller - Itinerant Music Teacher

Jane Skittrup - Lunch Coordinator

Head boy - Bryan Adams

Head Girl - Mackenzie Caskey

Cultural Leader - Ephraim Ingram

Sports Captains - Ellie Brady & Ryan Nickel

Arts Captain - Ciara Staines-Hurley

Student Council Chair - Maia Hussey

Board of Trustees Rep - Matthew McCallum

Cultural Leader - Ephraim Ingram

Community Leader - Lara Abraham

Amess House Leaders - Leah Phipps & Lara Abraham

Trimble House Leaders - Madi Mattock & Bailee Robertson

McAllister House Leaders - Cady Webb & Keira Whitehead

Tyrer House Leaders - Ellie Brady & Ephraim Ingram

School Day

Stratford High School operates a 10 day timetable. There are 5 one-hour periods per day. Each Wednesday period 1 is a Utility period. This is used for Assembly and House activities.

We are eligible for Ka Ora, Ka Ako, the healthy school lunches programme delivered by the Ministry of Education. Lunches will be supplied from the canteen and served daily during Interval.

Bell Times

Regular timetable

• Form time: 8.45 – 9.00am
• Period 1: 9.00 – 10.00am
• Period 2:10.00 – 11.00am
• Interval: 11.00 – 11.30am
• Period 3: 11.30 – 12.30pm
• Period 4: 12.30 – 1.30pm
• Lunch: 1.30 – 2.05pm
• Period 5: 2.05 – 3.05pm

Wednesday only

• Utility: 9.00 – 10.00am
• Period 2: 10.00 – 11.00am
• Interval: 11.00 to 11.30am
• Period 3: 11.30 am to 12.30pm
• Period 4: 12.30 – 1.30pm
• Lunch: 1.30 – 2.05pm
• Period 5: 2.05 – 3.05pm

Assemblies

School assemblies will be held during the designated utility periods each week. Parents are welcome to attend these but please ring the school or check daily notices as this time will also be used for year level and house meetings.

For special Assemblies, these times and dates will be communicated to the community.

The annual Senior Ball is an exciting and much anticipated event on the Stratford High School calendar, one that is open to all our Year 12 and 13 students to attend. Our aim is to create a memorable and enjoyable experience, while also encouraging and acknowledging our students’ commitment to their academic responsibilities. Therefore, we would like to inform you of the following criteria for student attendance at the Senior Ball for 2024.

In order to attend the Senior Ball, Year 12 and 13 students must meet the following criteria:

1. Attendance Rate Above 80%: Students must have an overall attendance rate of at least 80% for the academic year. We believe that regular attendance is crucial for academic success, and we want to reward and encourage consistent participation at school.

1. 100% Hand-in Rate: Students must have a 100% hand-in rate for all homework and assessments. It is important that students are prioritising their achievement at school and completing all assigned work in a timely manner. We want to celebrate and recognise the dedication of students who consistently complete and submit their work.

These criteria are in place to ensure that the Senior Ball is a reward for hardworking and diligent Year 12 and 13 students. As a school, we are committed to developing well-rounded young people, ready to excel in the world, and we believe that maintaining high expectations for our students’ participation at school contributes to their success. Attending the school ball should not be the sole purpose for a students’ attendance at school.

Our primary goal is to support every student in their academic journey while providing them with the chance to enjoy memorable school events. We understand that each student’s situation may be unique and are therefore open to considering exceptional cases on an individual basis. If a student has faced unforeseen circumstances that have affected their attendance or hand-in rate, we encourage you to reach out to us. We will assess each case thoughtfully, ensuring that deserving students have the opportunity to attend the school ball. Please contact the Year 12 Dean, Lucy Gibbon, or the Year 13 Dean, Heidi Seales, to discuss further.

We appreciate your cooperation and support in reinforcing these values at home. Should you have any concerns or questions, please feel free to contact the school office.

Our senior gateway students were very privileged in 2023 to be hosted by some of our amazing local businesses.

A huge thank you to:

Beaufort Farm - Lisa & Marcus Smith

Kitchen Draw Inglewood

Central Taranaki Automotive

Koru Kindergarten

Central Taranaki Electrical

Nature's Wonder Daycare Centre Eltham

Citycare Water

The Nest Child Care Centre Stratford

Courtney Smith Builders

On the Spot Gas and Plumbing

Downer Stratford

Stratford Engineering

Energy Vets Inglewood

Stratford Primary School

Field Torque Taranaki

The Other Barber

Findlays Flower Studio

The Scratching Post

Thank you to Cleanline Tasmin in New Plymouth, Farm Source, Mitre 10 and ITM in Stratford, all who helped out some of our students with their safety gear and equipment.

Please support these local businesses wherever possible!

Last year Ethan Perrett competed at various Powerlifting competitions with great success.

Ethan was in the Sub Junior Category (Under 18) in the Under 83kg weight class at the North Island Powerlifting Championships, WBOP Classic Cup and the NZ Secondary School Championships.

Ethan has finished in first place for all 3 events. Well done Ethan, your hard work and dedication have paid off with this incredible achievement. Congratulations on your well-deserved success!

Due to a recent update to the Android system, the KAMAR app can no longer be downloaded to android devices. KAMAR at this time are working on a resolution to this by migrating to a mobile friendly website. Due to the complexity of resolving this issue however KAMAR do not expect the resolution to be available soon.

You can still access the parent portal via our school website.

Whilst we provide paracetamol to students in extreme cases, we are seeing quite a few students regularly coming straight from home asking for pain relief before the bell rings. We don't provide paracetamol before the first bell. If your child/ren are sick, please keep them at home. We are monitoring students who often come asking for pain relief.

With the weather warming up please ensure all students carry a drink bottle on them at all times as we've noticed students getting dehydrated and presenting with headaches.

If any students have medication stored at school, can you please make sure the school is up to date with current medicines. If you need to check please get in touch with Emma Bolger emma.bolger@stratfordhigh.school.nz

Please inform the school office of any student achievements so that we can join in celebrating with them.

There are a variety of ways that you can make payments to cover school costs. The main office receives cash and EFTPOS payments and you can also pay online via direct credit. Parents can also set up an automatic payment to cover schooling costs. When setting up the automatic payment, consider a minimum payment of $15.00 per week, which is sufficient to pay for all school, curriculum and sport costs for a student during the year.

Payments will be automatically applied to “required payments”. Subsequent payments will sit as a credit on the student’s account. If you would like to have payments allocated to the “voluntary payments”, please email ts@stratfordhigh.school.nz with the details.

You can set this up by either using your bank’s online banking services or downloading the Automatic Payment Authority form and taking this to your bank. Please remember to use the students’ name for any payments.

Have you moved recently? Have you changed your phone number or email address recently? Please fill out the following form to advise us of your new details. Also fill out this form if you have not been receiving emails from the school. There are a number of families who we don't currently have an email address for.

It is very important we have the correct information for your child in case there is an emergency and we need to contact you immediately. If any contact details change throughout the year please let the school office know.

As we progress through the year, remember to check your son's or daughter's results on the Kamar app or portal: https://stratfordhigh.school.kiwi/ If you have any questions, please contact the subject teacher in the first instance.

- Dr. Michael Taylor

Deputy Principal (Curriculum)

Our Charter is now available to view on our website. The charter sets the direction for our school and identifies our priorities as a school community.

The Stratford High School Policies and Procedures are managed online, through School Docs. To visit our School Docs, click here.

Our school username is: stratfordhigh

Our parent password is: swansearoad4332

You will find policies for review and more information about the review process under the "Current Review" tab. We welcome your feedback via this review process.

Rummage around for those unwanted mobile phones to donate!

We have a Mobile Phone Collection Box in our office.

The Mobile Phone Recycling Scheme has raised over $3 million for NZ charities thanks to the support of Businesses, Government Departments, Organisations and many thousands of individuals from all over NZ.

Phones received are graded, data wiped and sim/memory cards removed and destroyed. Phones that can still be used are sold by tender to off-shore businesses that specialise in the resale of second-hand mobile phones. They are refurbished and sold as low-cost handsets to places like Africa and Asia. Phones that have reached their end of life are broken down and recycled in an environmentally friendly way with up-to 95% of their materials being recycled into other products. Regardless of condition, working or non-working, make or model all mobile phones are accepted by the Mobile Phone Recycling Scheme.

The Public Health Nurse will be at school one day every week for any health needs. Clinic is confidential and free.

• Health and hauora (wellbeing checks)
• General health concerns
• Contraception
• Condoms and pregnancy tests
• STI checks and the morning after pill

To book an appointment, see the school office reception or contact the Public Health Nurse, Steph Bakker on 027 406 4822 or email stephanie.bakker@tdhb.org.nz.

Please see the office staff if a hearing or vision test is required.

Please find below key contacts for staff at school.

Senior Leadership Team

Principal: Mr Cameron Stone

Deputy Principal Curriculum: Dr Michael Taylor

Deputy Principal Pastoral and School Organisation: Ms Kelly Jennings

Assistant Principal/Academic achievement: Ms Allana George

Principal's PA: Miss Diane Lithgow

School Board Secretary: Mrs Amanda Hill

Principal's Nominee

For all enquiries regarding NZQA or Te Kura

Mr Dirk Vermeulen: extension 707 or email

Deans for 2024

Year 9: Ms Kelly Rawcliffe

Year 10: Mr Jeff Walker

Year 11: Mr Bill McGeoch

Year 12: Mrs Lucy Gibbon

Year 13: Miss Heidi Seales

Guidance Counsellor: Ms. Liza Albers

Learning Support Coordinator: Mrs. Lisa Dent

For all other enquires please contact the school office 06 765 6039

Email: mail@stratfordhigh.school.nz
Website: www.stratfordhigh.school.nz
Location: Stratford High School Swansea Road, Stratford, New Zealand
Phone: 06-7656039
Facebook: facebook.com/SHSTaranaki

Instagram: @shstaranaki @heart_SHS @shs_SADD_team

Thursday 15th February - Swimming Sports (back up day Friday 16th February)

Thursday 22nd February - Parents Information Evening - NCEA Junior Curriculum, New Parents Information 4.30-6pm

Monday 26th February - Athletics Day (back up day Tuesday 27th February)

Thursday 7th March - Whanau Hui 6pm

Friday 8th March - Teacher Only Day

Monday 11th March - Taranaki Anniversary

Tuesday 19th March - Triathlon

Friday 29th March - Good Friday

Monday 1st April - Easter Monday

Tuesday 2nd April - Easter Tuesday

Thursday 4th April - Parent Teacher Interviews

Friday 12th April - Last day of school

Rubbish and recycling collection has changed across the country. What does it mean for Stratford district?

The government has standardised kerbside recycling across Aotearoa. From Kaitaia to Bluff and everywhere in between, only these items will now be accepted in recycling bins:

· Plastic bottles with lids removed, and containers and trays larger than 10cm x 10cm. All plastic must be numbered 1, 2 or 5 and rinsed clean.

· Food and drink tins and cans (rinsed and with lids inside the can)

· Paper and cardboard, including pizza boxes with food scraps removed

Clean glass jars and bottles without lids will continue to be the only glass recycling accepted.

So, what’s new for Stratford district? The main change is that aerosol cans need to go into your red-lid bin for general waste as they’re no longer recyclable.

Find out more about what can and can’t be recycled at https://www.stratford.govt.nz/Recycle

Quick recycling tips

· Batteries can’t go in your rubbish and recycling bins. Drop them off at the Transfer Station or a local organisation with a battery recycling service.

· Make sure you put all your small container lids in your rubbish bin as they can’t go through our sorting machine for recycling, or better yet, be creative and repurpose them.

· Please give your plastic and glass recycling a good wash.

If you've got any questions, please email WasteMinimisation@Stratford.govt.nz or call 06 765 6099.

For more information regarding Free Home Internet, please click on the link https://edos.kiwi/

Does your child require further support, over and above what can be offered at school?

Would your child benefit from bespoke and nurturing learning sessions from a highly experienced teacher designed to accelerate learning and boost confidence? We would love to help. We are a team of dedicated teachers, specialising in English and Maths support, for primary, intermediate and college students. Visit www.boostyourlearning.co.nz for more information or contact Jenny 021 223 3349 to book a free consultation.

We are delighted to advise Stratford High School are on the way to reaching the $1,000 threshold for redemption.

The current total is $912.34.

We are super excited to introduce our newest addition to the program: Vegepod's. At Fern, we believe in the power of connecting kids with nature. Hands-on gardening experiences not only teach crucial life skills but also creates social bonds and boosts well-being.

Once we have reached the $1,000 target we can redeem from a range of sports, technology, literacy, and music packages which will be hand delivered by your local Rural Sales Manager.

The Fuel for Schools sponsorship programme has helped put over $1.7 million dollars of resources into more than 600 rural schools in the last fifteen years.

Just a reminder of how SHS has received this donation...

SHS has been nominated by a local business/farm that receives bulk fuel deliveries from Fern, meaning that for every 100 litres of bulk fuel they purchase, 50 cents is donated to SHS. We would like to take the time to mention who those members of the community are that have contributed to SHS. They are listed as follows:

• Amberhay Limited - Finnerty Road
• Cornwall Park Farms Limited - AGO
  
• G & M Collins Family Trust
• Makino Deer Limited
• Palmerdell Trust 91 Only
  
• Palmerdell Trust AGO only
• Palmerdell Trust
• Cornwall Park Farms Limited
• WE & JJ Craig
• GN & RL Smith Trusts Partnership

Rural communities and schools everywhere can enjoy the benefits of the Fuel for Schools programme. For more information about the programme, call 0800 99 99 89 or visit their website fernenergy.co.nz/community/fuel-for-schools