Term 4 - Week 1

Tēnā koutou,

Welcome back to term four!

The beginning of term four marked our official ‘hard’ launch of positive culture for learning (PC4L) in our school.  We have been on the planning journey since the second half of 2022 and lots of work has gone on behind the scenes.  We now have in place our school-wide expectations - The Nui Way, our values poster, new praise postcards, and new stamp cards for the students.  The Nui Way will be unpacked with your child in the days, weeks, and months to come.  The Nui Way clearly outlines what our expectations are of students in and around the school in relation to our values of Whakapono, Wero, and Manaakitanga.  To help reinforce this learning, it would be great if you could ask your child about it at home.

The first of our subject/teacher interviews were held this Wednesday.  There is another opportunity next Wednesday, 23 October from 1:30pm - 6pm. To enable us to conduct subject/teacher interviews, classes will finish at 12:50pm next Wednesday. To book an interview, simply log into the school website - www.taupocollege.ac.nz, and click login at the top of the homepage. Then click on the ‘Subject teacher interview’ icon. Please be aware you may be asked by "Magic Link" to re-enter a new verification logon to access your booking and continue. 

Our annual Sport Awards evening will take place from 5:30pm next Tuesday, 22 October in our school hall.  The Sports Awards offer us the opportunity to acknowledge students who have performed outstandingly in their chosen sport during 2024.  This year our guest speaker is Steph Dickins, Black Stick Hockey representative.  Steph is also the sister of our sports coordinator, Nicole Dickins.

Next Friday at 2pm we will be holding our senior assembly for 2nd and 3rd academic prize winners in 2024.  If your child is receiving an award you are warmly invited to join us in our school hall to celebrate our students’ academic success.

Check our other upcoming events for term four on the front page of our website https://www.taupocollege.ac.nz/.  The first half of term four includes a number of celebration events, so please mark these in your diary.

This term’s school policies are now available for review.  To view and review the policies use this link. 

Ngā mihi

Ben Claxton
PRINCIPAL

                                                       Sporting News

SPORTS AWARDS
When: Tuesday 22nd October
Where: School hall
Time: 5:30pm sharp until 7:00pm.
All recipients and nominees of major awards have been sent an email, an invitation and names are on the notice boards at school.
There will be a run through period 3 on Monday for all students attending.
Whanau and students are welcome to attend.
 
If you have any questions please contact Nicole on [email protected]

                                                     Careers Information

American Summers Opportunity 2025
Applications for the 2025 American Summers IENA camp program are open. As young people throughout New Zealand are weighing up their options for their future endeavours, we think an American Summer is such a fantastic opportunity for them. If you want to know more about what an American Summer Camp looks like? Check out my video here, showcasing the camp I’ve spent the last 3 years at. American Summers IENA has been around since 1996, we know the camp game better than anyone else! Below is a rundown of the perks we offer.
AMERICAN SUMMERS PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS:

• You get paid! Minimum of $2,250 USD. This is the highest earning regardless of age, skills or experience (approx. $3700 NZD)
• Program price: $525 NZD broken into 2 simple fees.
  
• What else do you get:
  - Free food and accommodation while at camp;
  - 4 months (123 days) medical insurance;
  - 30 days prior to camp and 30 days after camp to travel and sightsee America;
  - Visa sponsorship. IENA – American Summers is your visa sponsor (not a 3rd party). We have been a Visa sponsor since 1996;
  - 30 year’s experience. Our staff have years of experience in the American camping industry;
  - Top-level customer service and support from today till you return from camp in September 2025!
  
• 3rd Party costs:
  - Visa fees – $185 USD paid to the US Consulate (don’t need to pay for this till you are placed and when visa appointments start in early 2025) – plus costs to get to the US Consulate in Auckland;
  - Flights to the USA, your camp and home or out of the USA (don’t need to pay for these till your placement and visa is approved. You have plenty of time to save)
  - Police check - just wait for us to send you the instructions.
  

Learn more on our website: https://americansummers.com/
 
University of Otago Māori Health summer school scholarships
The University of Otago have two summer school scholarships they are offering to tauira Māori who are interested in pursuing health careers and may need some extra help with physics or chemistry before starting university: 

• The WHAI Physics scholarship supports Māori students interested in a career in health to prepare for the PHSI 191 ‘Biological Physics’ paper, as part of Health Sciences First Year. It covers tuition fees and residential college accommodation for the duration of the JumpSTART Physics programme, as well as continuous support through the PHSI 191 paper and HSFY. For further information about the WHAI Physics Scholarship and application process, visit https://www.otago.ac.nz/mhwdu/kahikatea/whai-physics-scholarship-support-through-jumpstart-and-phsi-191
• The WHAI Chemistry scholarship supports Māori students interested in a career in health to prepare for the CHEM 191 ‘Chemical Basis of Biology and Human Health’ paper, as part of Health Sciences First Year. The WHAI Chemistry Scholarship covers tuition fees for CHEM 150 as well as residential college accommodation for the 2 week on-campus component of the programme. Recipients will also receive continuous support through the CHEM 191 paper and HSFY. For further information about the scholarship application process, visit https://www.otago.ac.nz/mhwdu/kahikatea/whai-chemistry-scholarship
  

Applications are open now until November 15^th, 5:00pm. There will be multiple recipients for each scholarship.
  
Survey & Spatial NZ Scholarship
Survey & Spatial NZ offers an annual scholarship of $1500 for school leavers intending to enrol in a tertiary surveying or spatial qualification. Students within the Tauranga, Rotorua, Whakatane and Taupo region can apply, with a 31/12/24 closing date for applications. See the notices in Career Central for more information and an application form.
 
Advance Education Medical Industry Pathway Summit
Considering a career in the Medical Industry? Want to get first hand insights about the workplace reality and income potential from different roles from those who are working within it? The Medical Industry Pathway Summit is FREE for students and has just gone live. It involves interviews with active medical professionals who share their journey, industry insights, day to day realities, income expectations at the various stages, and insight into the roles they serve. Link: https://www.advanceeducation.nz/medical-industry-pathway-summit
 
Upcoming Course Planning Sessions
University of Otago – 23 October
Please register with Mrs Trent in the Careers Office
 
University of Auckland Course Planning
To assist prospective students in preparing for their first year with us, we have recorded comprehensive course planning advice for all our 2025 undergraduate programmes, except for Law. Information regarding the Law programme will be finalized in the coming weeks, with the planning video expected to be completed by the end of August. We aim for this resource to be invaluable for students in planning their first year, selecting courses, and staying informed about all enrolment details. Go to: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/study/study-options/undergraduate-study-options/information-for-parents/course-advice-2023.html
 
Studying Health Science or Biomedical Science next year?
MoneyHub has published a detailed guide for Year 13 students planning to study Health Science or Biomedical Science at Otago or Auckland University. Our detailed guide has been prepared by two top-performing 4th year Auckland Medical School students and is the first of its kind in New Zealand:
https://www.moneyhub.co.nz/tips-for-studying-biomed-and-health-science.html
 
Must-Know NCEA Resources for Year 11-13
Looking for quality NCEA preparation resources? MoneyHub offers over ten invaluable tools to guide students towards achieving merits and excellence. Perfect for gearing up for internals and externals. Explore now: https://www.moneyhub.co.nz/resources-for-ncea-students.html
 
Scholarships
MoneyHub has compiled a comprehensive guide to scholarships for students planning to start university in 2025. Available at MoneyHub Scholarship Guide, this resource lists scholarships from all universities, along with exclusive opportunities for Maori, Pacific, and International students. The guide, updated regularly, includes application tips and deadlines, helping students easily navigate the scholarship process.
 
Looking to learn a trade or explore apprenticeships? 
Check out MoneyHub's comprehensive guide, a must-read for anyone considering an apprenticeship. Visit MoneyHub's Apprenticeship Guide to learn more:
https://www.moneyhub.co.nz/apprenticeships.html
 
Looking for a part-time job? 
Check out MoneyHub's newly updated Student Jobs guide! With over 60 employers and valuable job application tips, find your next opportunity here: https://www.moneyhub.co.nz/student-jobs.html
  
CV Writing and Interview Preparation
Discover MoneyHub's invaluable resources for CV writing (https://www.moneyhub.co.nz/cv-template-students.html) and interview preparation (https://www.moneyhub.co.nz/common-job-interview-questions-students.html). These tools are designed to empower students in their job application journey. Explore and step into the job market with confidence!
 
Money Guide
MoneyHub has crafted a comprehensive guide for students, designed to provide essential tools and knowledge for building a healthy relationship with money. Explore it here: 
https://www.moneyhub.co.nz/money-in-a-nutshell.html
 
Any business wanting to host a student for work experience?
Every year we are funded to put out 70 of our senior students on voluntary work experiences. From these work experiences come some amazing things….... confidence, a sense of belonging, the knowledge that they can add some value, learning about industries that they know very little about and sometimes the opportunity of potential employment. Everything that is learned on a work experience contributes to a future decision and learning work ready skills are vital for life beyond school. Do you know a business that would like to host a Taupo-nui-a-Tia College student for a 10-day work experience? If this is something that you would like to know more about, please contact Nicola Thomsen, Gateway Coordinator, e-mail: [email protected]