Waitakere College News

Newsletter Issue 4

Celebrating Success

We are approximately halfway through this term and at this point it is the opportunity to celebrate success from last year and successful starts to 2024.
The teenage brain thrives on risk and reward and we look for and take the opportunity to acknowledge our teenagers, rewarding them for their effort and manawanui they are putting in. Our thinking is that rewarding and acknowledging our students for positive achievements and behaviour will reduce the desire to take on negative risks.

Over the last few weeks we have been able to celebrate and acknowledge our students with activities and events such as;

Achievers Celebrations - Run over two nights for our year 12 and 13 Achievers. Level 1 at 71%, 58 at Merit Endorsement and 20 at Excellence Endorsement. Level 2 at 78%, 41 at Merit Endorsement and 14 at Excellence Endorsement.
Services Academies Camps - Our year 12 and 13 Services Academies have and continue to experience the challenges of team building, structured discipline, skill and confidence building at camps this week run by the Youth Development Unit of the Armed Services and our key outside providers.
Year 9 BBQ Evening - Parents and whānau of our new year 9 students were able to meet and begin links with the Deans and Tutor Teachers who will be caring for their children, tamariki and mokopuna over the next 5 years.
Weekly Report Cards - Have started to give quick feedback on student work attitudes so feedforward can occur to make positive changes in direction now rather than later.
Prefects Announcements - Confirmation of our Prefects and Head Prefects. This recognition is a result of their dedicated efforts over the last four years and is a reflection of the high level of mana they possess among their peers and staff.

Success comes from mahi and hard work, with us learning from our mistakes and trying again and again to be Better Than Before (BTB).

Keep this manawanui up and positive rewards will flow.

Ngā mihi
Mark P Shanahan