Waiopehu College

Term 2 2022, Week 10

Principal Message

Kia ora Koutou,

I am writing this newsletter update on Friday 8th July, the very last day of Term 2, and what a term it has been! I know all the staff and students are looking forward to a break after a long term in which many have had to cope with COVID, flu, sickness and more. I would like to start by acknowledging the disruption this has caused to our normal routines, as well as to you all as parents, caregivers and whānau. Now is the time to stop, rest, recover and prepare for the challenges ahead as we begin Term 3 on Monday 25 July.

Despite the challenges mentioned above, many school activities and events have managed to go ahead. We held our Open Evening on Wednesday 6 July and were thrilled to welcome close to 300 people who enjoyed a sample of healthy lunches and were able to look around the school. It is exciting to see so many young people considering Waiopehu College for their secondary education from 2023. In addition, this has been a very busy time for a number of our Pasifika students as they participated in Pasifika Fusion at the Regent Theatre last night, Thursday 7 July. Congratulations to our Fa’atasi group who put on a fabulous cultural performance and in particular I would like to congratulate Saga Iakopo who placed 1st in Junior Poetry and our Quiz team who came 3rd in their competition. The cultural performances were all of an incredibly high standard this year and I don’t think there were too many surprises when Palmy Boys took out first place.

As the year ticks by I want to take this opportunity to encourage all students to return to school on Monday 25 July, ready to get stuck into the second half of 2022. Sometimes the bumps in the road caused by unavoidable COVID and flu absences can seem insurmountable, but my message is that every single teacher at Waiopehu is here to help. Every student matters and we want to make sure that all those working towards NCEA know that any support required to succeed will be in place and, by working together we will get you there. Now is not the time to give up or to feel like there is too much to do. There are still a good 18 school weeks of the year left in which quality teaching and learning can occur, but to make the most of this time being present at school is essential. As always, I would encourage whānau to let us know if there are any barriers to attendance that we can help with, especially if your child is not currently attending regularly.

Do enjoy a great break and we look forward to seeing everyone back at the start of Term 3.

Ngā mihi

Mark Robinson

Principal | Tumuaki

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Work Day, Thursday 4th August

On Thursday of the second week of next term we'll be holding our annual Work Day. Work Day is a valuable opportunity for students to be able to raise money for projects of their choice that otherwise could not be funded by the Ministry of Education. Examples of the projects that have been previously funded are the television in the Cafe, and seating both outside the Cafe and picnic tables.

This year the Student Council would like to use the funds raised to improve the quality of the seating along the edge of the field. The expectation is that students will work and raise $20 towards this project. Each student who contributes will additionally be in the draw to win one of several $50 vouchers.

School will be closed for normal instruction on that day, although some students will be at school helping with our Year 8 Open Day which is also happening on this day.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact me.

Guy Reichenbach.

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Massey University STEM and Health Experience Day

On Wednesday 1st June 30 senior students went to Massey University STEM and Health Experience Day.

The day started with an accommodation tour of the Massey Halls then students assembled into their groups for workshops that they had previously enrolled in.

Some of the workshops on offer were Nursing, Animal Science , Food Technology, Chemistry, Game Development and Mathematics. Students spent 2 hours in their chosen workshop and were able to get a hands on experience of what studying at Massey University would be like.

Please click here for the 2022 U-Skills Prospectus.

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Life Education Trust NZ

Life Education is a charity that works in schools to educate and inspire young people to make positive choices. On Tuesday 21st June we welcomed Life Education Trust who presented Smashed to our Year 9 students, Life Ed uses powerful live theatre and interactive workshops to engage students on the dangers of underage drinking. Year 10 presented as live theatre and interactive workshops to engage students on the dangers of underage drinking.

Year 10 students were presented with SMART$ a Theatre-in-Education interactive performance designed to provoke thinking and conversation around every day financial decisions and opportunities impacting young people. Our Year 11 students were presented with Behind the Scenes another theatre-in-education programme that explores the health risks of vaping and the influence of social media.

New Zealand Army and Police Visit

On the 8th of June the Year 13 Hauora cohort had a visit from Oriana Enoka and Te Hau Nuku, from the New Zealand Army and two police officers Lawerance Finau and a female colleague.

Oriana spoke clearly and confidently about her time in basic training and was looking forward to starting her paramedic studies. She pulled no punches and told students that basic training was hard but well worth it. Oriana talked about how important it was to be able to rely on your mates especially when the training got really tough.

We were fortunate enough to hear from a couple of police officers, one who was local and one female officer. They were interesting and gave students a different perspective on potential career paths.

Mr Pritchard proved his bivvy building skills were still top notch. He was delighted it didn’t fall over. Students and teachers spent some time talking to our visitors

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Junior L.I.F.E Course

As a part of our Junior L.I.F.E course, we undertook an inquiry about how to become more active members of our community. The students looked into several charities within the Horowhenua community. The students were impressed with one in particular, "Te Awahou Kai", which is a food donation bank where families can go if they are in need of food assistance. The students loved the idea that this organisation does not require any sort of "pre application" process, instead it allows genuine members of the community to seek assistance when needed, no questions asked.

The students willingly donated their time to create food parcels that were donated to Te Awahou Kai.

Amber

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Nominations for the 2022 board elections are open

Nominations for the 2022 Waiopehu College board elections are now open .Keep an eye out for a nomination form in your mailbox. You can nominate yourself or someone you know. If you would like any information about what becoming a board member click this link. https://www.nzsta.org.nz/advice-and-support/information-for-parents/

For any further enquiries or information please contact secretary@waiopehu.ac.nz or call the school office 3688303 during office hours.

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Waiopehu College Jackets

Jackets are available for ordering through the school office and cost $84.90. A reminder that only plain black jackets can be worn during the winter months. Plain black beanies may be worn outside but must be removed in class.