Kia ora koutou,

Welcome to the start of Term 2 which again promises to be an engaging, busy and constructive term.  I hope you have managed to enjoy some quality family time, over the term break.

Orewa College finished Term 1 in a very strong position, particularly given the disruptions to the term.  Attendance on average across all year groups remained consistently at 90% throughout the whole term.  Academic Conferences were held for the first time, as you are aware, and initial feedback and participation rates have been very positive.  You will receive further details of this feedback in the coming weeks.

Winter sports are now in full preparation mode and I look forward to seeing you on the sidelines at the various sporting venues.

There will be some disruptions this term unfortunately due to the ongoing PPTA industrial action and specific details of this will be communicated to you, by the end of this week.

A reminder that Orewa College is very grateful for those who have already paid the 'School Donation'.  This is crucial in order for the current range of curriculum choices and extra-curricular activities to be continued in future years.  Please consider this if you have not already done so.  Thank you.


Ngā mihi

Greg Pierce
Principal

ANZAC Remembrance Assembly

On the last day of Term 1, we held our traditional Anzac Assembly, attended by guests from Hibiscus Coast RSA and King's Empire Veterans, and our Year 7&8 classes.

This annual event encourages our students to recognise the sacrifice of those men and women who have served in New Zealand's armed forces and those of other countries around the world. While our assembly focused on Gallipoli, it also acknowledged those who fought in other wars before and since.

The assembly included traditional parts of Anzac services such as bagpipes, the reading of the Anzac Dedication and The Ode, one minute silence, and the playing of 'The Last Post' and 'Reveille/Rouse'.

The assembly finished with the laying of a wreath in our school's Memorial Garden. Special thanks to the students involved in making this such a special event: Maria Walker-Kinnell, Brooklyn Hope-Jensen, Moana Wilson, Marnie Ursem, Anika Pihema, Sam Currin, Jack Connell, Rachel Slacke and the tech team, and students from 8BSH.

Principals Meeting in Osaka, Japan

During the school break, our Principal Greg Pierce attended the Principal's meeting in Osaka, Japan as part of the International Students Programme. 
This was held at Kun-ei High School in Osaka, further cementing the ties between our school communities.

Academic Conference Feedback

Thank you to those that attended Academic Conferences last term.
Overall attendance was pleasing, with 70% of students and families attending (versus 30% attendance at traditional parent-teacher interviews). 
Thank you to those that have already provided some feedback. If you have not done so yet, your feedback is welcome HERE

College Edible Forest Garden Jane Robertson who works in Learning Support, has designed an edible garden that our Food Technology and Hospitality students can use.  It consists of dwarf fruit trees (lemon, lime, orange, mandarin, tree tomatoes (tamarillos) and blueberry bushes and is located in our new entranceway.    There is an existing grape vine and coming later on will be in-season strawberries.

Winner - North Island Schools MTB Championships

The North Island Schools MTB Cross Country Championships were held in Rotorua recently.  Levi Gear rode strongly, leading from start to finish in the U15s Boys 21km race, winning by 3 minutes. At the weekend, in what were tough conditions in the mud and rain, he competed in his first 3 hour race at Totara Park, completing 7 laps of a 7km course, winning the Men’s Open by 13 seconds.

Bus News - New Sticker System - Term 2 2023

Instead of separate Bus Pass Photo ID cards (which were costing $9 each) we will be use BUS STICKER PASSES (that only cost $2) that can be stuck onto your current STUDENT ID CARDS from the beginning of this Term.

All students that catch any bus will need to show a Bus Code Of Conduct sticker on their Student ID card while boarding any bus. There will also be a priority boarding system to ensure that students that are using the bus to get HOME are allowed to board first.

If you have your Student ID card and have filled out the Bus Code Of Conduct and Bus Registration forms, then please come to collect your Bus Pass Sticker from Mr Little in room S10 during interval or lunchtime.
There is a $2 fee that bus users must agree to pay for their first Bus Pass Sticker, however if a sticker is lost there is a $5 replacement fee.

If you have any questions please see Mr Little in Room S10 or email [email protected]

Careers Expo

This term students will have the opportunity to engage with a variety of people regarding their future pathway. 

Year 12 & 13 students are invited across the first 4 weeks to come along to hear from 7 of the 8 universities in NZ, regarding opportunities, study, accommodation and scholarships.
These universities are speaking in the OAEC or D17 in the ILT slots and students can find the information on the daily notices, the Careers Google Classroom and various posters around the school.
All of NZ's universities are in the top 3% of the world's universities. and it is important for students to hear what opportunities are out there, as well as working out how they best learn, before deciding on where they should study.

Also in Week 3 of this term, as per the advertisement, the North Shore Career Expo is on at the North Harbour Stadium.
This is free and open to all students and whanau.  With many exhibitors, both tertiary providers and workplaces looking to present to students what is available and in some cases, looking to recruit. They are open in the afternoon and early evening from 4.00pm - 7.30pm.

Web Portal Security

During the school break, the web portal has been updated. Parents/caregivers will need to reset their passwords for the web portal which will need to meet more detailed security requirements.

• Passwords must be at least eight characters long,
• not contain personal details (eg, first or last name, date of birth).
  

Passwords that are less than 16 characters must meet 3 of these 4 requirements:

• A number,
• an upper-case letter,
  
• a lower-case letter,
  
• a symbol.
  

Co-Curricular Hoodie Order Orders are now open.  Hoodies cost $75 each and are available to students who qualify.  To order CLICK HERE. The criteria information is at the bottom of the form. This order closes Wednesday 10th May at 9am.

Delivery times can be up to 6 - 8  weeks from us placing the order, to it arriving here at school. This order should arrive for the start of Term 3.

Dental Planet Visit - 22 May to 23 June

Dental Planet van is here providing dental care for Year 9-13 students.
Letter to Parents / Caregivers CLICK HERE.

Enviro-Group News - Waste Audit

In the final week of Term 1, two classes conducted a full school waste audit; sorting and weighing the waste our kura produces in one single day in our outside bins.
As you can see from the image below, some interesting data was produced. Our Enviro-group are now looking at ways (through better systems and education) to lower the waste that goes into our landfill, particularly food waste.
A huge thank you goes out to the students in 8PDR and 8ODL for their mahi that day.

Canteen

Our school canteen will be open with a reduced menu over the next two weeks as we make some exciting changes. (The small canteen will be closed during this time).
We have engaged Libelle and their Eat Smart menu to provide our Canteen Services going forward. 
Libelle are NZ's leading school food service supported by the Heart Foundation.
More information on this change will follow shortly.

Manaaki Values - Award Nominations

Orewa College seeks to acknowledge students, staff and volunteers for their outstanding contribution to making our place of learning a great place to be, demonstrating our Manaaki Values in action.
CLICK HERE for worthy nominees.
For Awards Criteria please CLICK HERE.
The nomination process will close on the Friday 28th April, with the ten most worthy recipients published in week four.

Respect for One Self            Respecting the Environment               Respect for others

Year 8 Camp - Outdoor Gear Required

We have a number of students in Year 8 that require gear for the Year 8 camp. Donations of the following would be greatly appreciated:

• Raincoat - waterproof
• Polypropylene tops
  
• Wet weather tracksuit pants
  

Please email [email protected] or send gear to room 3. 

Important Dates:

Tuesday 25 April:  ANZAC Day Public Holiday
Wednesday 26 April: Term 2 Begins
Wednesday 26 April: Year 8 HPV1 Vaccination Catch Up
For students who missed these. Parents/caregivers of these students have been contacted by email.