Kia ōrāna kōtou, meitaki mā’ata kōtou e tauturu ‘Epetoma o te reo Māori Kūki ‘Airani.  (Greetings everyone, and thank you all for supporting Cook Island Language Week). It was great to see various teachers and students embracing the Cook Island Language last week at Orewa College. It’s been inspiring to see our people come together to celebrate and promote the different cultures and languages within our community.

We look forward to further celebrations this term during Tongan Language week and Te Wiki o te reo Māori.

If you are anything like me, you’ve been glued to the Olympic Games, captivated by the incredible talent, grit, and determination of our athletes in Paris.  Each morning, I have been going against our families’ ‘no-television in the morning’ policy, and have been strategically showing the Olympic Games to my two daughters, with the hopes that it plants the seed for them to chase the Olympic dream.  My daughter asked me recently “Dad, have you been to the Olympics?”, which I regrettably responded with “no honey, unfortunately I haven’t”. However, with a little research, we found that the oldest olympian at the 2024 Games is a 65 year old equestrian rider - there is still hope!

I am pleased to report that recent AsTTle maths results in our middle school show that just over 63% of our Year 7 students are performing at or above their expected curriculum level, demonstrating solid progress.  This positive outcome contrasts with recent media reports discussing a shift in curriculum benchmarks, as highlighted by the Government's use of a 2023 Curriculum and Progress Insights Study.  While we unequivocally support efforts to raise achievement in maths, it is important to note that this study was measured against a draft curriculum, which only involved a small number of students across New Zealand.  More importantly, it does not reflect the incredible work our teachers are already doing at Orewa College.

We welcome changes that aim to improve educational outcomes, but emphasise that the reforms suggested for the start of 2025, should be implemented thoughtfully and with adequate support to avoid adding undue pressure on our teachers.  I look forward to seeing what further support from the government will be provided for our school and teachers, to help lift educational outcomes for all students at Orewa College. 

Finally, we are excited to be hosting a Open Evening on Tuesday 20 August, which is designed specifically for students enrolling in 2025.  This will be a wonderful opportunity to meet with key staff at Orewa College.  You will discover more about our curriculum pathways, leadership and sporting opportunities, and the diverse range of cultural arts activities available.  We look forward to welcoming prospective students and their whānau (families) to explore everything our school has to offer.

Nāku noa, nā,


Wiri Warriner
Tumuaki | Principal
Orewa College

Events / Information

August 2024

Tuesday 13 August - Careers Expo Evening 5.30pm OAEC
Tuesday 13 August - Course Information Evening 6.30pm OAEC
Monday 19 August - Friday 23 August - Course Selection Week
Tuesday 20 August - Enrolment Open Evening
Wednesday 21 August - Academic Conference Day
Tuesday 27 August - Blood Donor Day
Tuesday 27 August - Achievers Celebration
Tuesday 27 August - Wednesday 28 August - Enrolment Tour Days

Course Information and Careers Expo - Join us for an exciting evening!

We invite you to our Course Information Evening and Careers Expo on Tuesday 13 August.

Discover a world of possibilities starting with our Careers Expo at 5:30pm, followed by our informative Course Selection Evening at 6:30pm.

Whether you're exploring future career paths or planning your academic journey, this event is designed to guide and inspire you. Don't miss out on this opportunity to shape your future!

Location: Orewa Arts and Events Centre, Orewa College
Who can attend: Years 10-13 

Content:

• SchoolBridge
  
• Courses
• Year 9-13 selections
• Learning Pathways
• Questions & Answers
  

We look forward to seeing you there!

Course Information Week (Monday 12 August to Friday 16 August), students are encouraged to discuss their proposed options with their teachers and have any questions or concerns answered.

Course Selection Week (Monday 19 August to Friday 23 August) is when students select their options for 2025.

Academic Conferences - Wednesday 21 August

Bookings are now open.  Appointments are available for booking between 9.00am and 6.45pm. 

Students attend only their conference on this day, there are no timetabled classes.  Students attend the conference in school uniform.

Details on how to book your conference HERE.

Progress Reports

Progress Reports for students will be available to view via the web portal on the afternoon of Friday 16 August.

ShadowTech 2024

It was the 8 August, 2024 when a group of girls from Orewa College who radiated excitement at having found themselves on this thrilling field trip to Plexure – the leading tech company in Auckland City. This trip was part of a larger effort to inspire girls into Tech careers.

Upon arrival the students were greeted by Plexure staff and given a taste of working in an innovative company. The girls were taken on a tour of the site, learning about different areas and functions that are integral to the success of the company.

A highlight of the visit was the chance to meet professionals from Plexure in different field areas. Software developers, who work on creating and maintaining the organisation's digital products, talked to the girls. They talked with the marketing team and learned about Plexure's app development and client engagement, specifically with McDonalds.

During the visit, the students got to understand the importance of all the positions for the smooth running of Plexure - the teamwork process as well as the roles and functions that different skills play in the company’s progress.  
By Kailyn Erasmus (Year 10)

Tough Guy and Gal Challenge 2024

On Thursday 8 August, the Kumeu Showgrounds were buzzing as students from secondary schools across Auckland assembled to take on the Tough Guy and Gal Challenge. Students in our Level 3 Physical Education, together with our Level 2 and 3 Sport Leaderships took on the challenge. The event featured a 6km course with obstacles to challenge the students as they ran around it. Our students prepared well and were excited to take on the course. The weather held off during the run, which helped out the event. The Tough Guy and Gal Challenge provided our students with an opportunity to work towards their practical standard.  A number of our students finished strong and completed the course with some good finishing times.

Ellie Harrison finished 13th in the girl's field and Ryder Donovan finished 21st in the boy's field.
It was a successful day where everyone had fun getting muddy, zapped and wet.

2025 Enrolments

Information Evening - Tuesday 20 August OAEC 6.00-7.30pm
School Tours - Tuesday 27 August and Wednesday 28 August 
Out of Zone Applications Close - Wednesday 4 September 11.59pm
Ballot Date Out of Zone - Wednesday 11 September
Enrolment Interviews - Tuesday 17 September
Click on the link for more information or to book tours.

Amnesty International - Thank You

This collection is just the beginning; our Amnesty group is committed to continuing these efforts to make a difference for those in need.

NCEA - Students Sitting Level 1, 2 or 3

Year 10 to Year 13 students sitting NCEA Level 1, 2 or 3. 

Please ensure you have created an account / are able to login with NZQA using your NSN by Friday 16 August 2024.

If you require assistance, follow the instructions from NZQA - MyNZQA Learner Account.
If you are unsure of your NSN, this can be found on the web portal under Details.

Sports News - "Off the Bench"

Please CLICK HERE for all upcoming sports events, registrations, draws, results and zone day information.

Year 11 Japanese Trip

On Tuesday the 6 August, Year 11 Japanese classes participated in an interschool Japanese language and cultural event called Kakehashi at Takapuna Methodist Church in Auckland.

Senior Japanese learning students from Takapuna Grammar School, Mt Albert Grammar School, Lynfield College, Albany Senior High School, and Orewa College experienced various cultural activities including Kimono dress-up, Kujibiki(Japanese lottery), QR code game, and a trivia quiz about Japan.

Students enjoyed interacting with other Japanese learners and had an authentic Japanese bento for lunch. Some students received a big prize for winning the trivia quiz, and all the participants received a gift pack to take home.  It was a successful big day out.

Year 9 Sexuality Education Notification

Please click on this LINK for a letter regarding Sexuality education in Year 9.

Student Absences and Leave

Student Absence (e.g. sickness)
Please advise us any time your child is going to be absent from school via the School Bridge app.  To download the Schoolbridge app - please follow the instructions HERE.

Planned Absences (e.g family holidays)
If a student is absent from school during term time, please click HERE for the procedures.

Appointments Leave (Doctor, Dentist, Physio etc.)
If your child has an arranged appointment, please order an 'exit pass' via the School Bridge app in advance. A pass will be emailed to the student so they can show their teacher if they need to leave during class time.
Year 7 and 8 students leaving during the school day must be collected by a listed caregiver (or pre-arranged authorised adult) from the Deans' Hub.

Careers Hub

This is the last week before the Allan William Shaw scholarship closes on Monday 19 August for school leavers and university scholarships are also closing this week. All Year 13 students should be getting these sorted as soon as possible. 

Any student that is needing some guidance in regards to subject selection for next year can come to the Careers Hub during morning tea to have a conversation, however, generally speaking keeping a broad range of subjects will allow a variety of pathways open for the future.

All Year 10-13 students are invited along with their parents to the Career Exploration Evening that is happening in the OAEC from 5.30pm on Tuesday evening, just prior to the NCEA Information session.

There are numerous open days coming up and we suggest students look at the Open Days Calendar on the Careers Google Classroom.  Locally, there are two events in the next fortnight.

Massey University Open Day on Friday 16 August in Albany.
AUT & UoA Open Days are on Saturday 24 August across all their campuses.

Study and Gap Year in Canada webinar.
Register for this free webinar HERE.  Date: Wednesday, 14 August Time: 8.00pm NZST

University of Auckland - Science Opportunities for Students

For further information on both these programmes, please click HERE or scan the QR codes.

Community Notices

Our Sponsors - Proud Supporters of Orewa College