Term 2 - Week 3

Tēnā koutou,

Excitingly, the opening night for our school production, Mamma Mia, is next Tuesday 20 May.  Tickets are inevitably going to sell out, so please ensure you get in quick to secure your tickets here.  The school hall is currently being transformed for the production and we are all very excited.  The stage set is coming together and it looks fantastic.

Today, we celebrated Pink Shirt Day.  Pink Shirt Day is about working together to stop bullying by celebrating diversity and promoting kindness and inclusiveness.  We supported Pink Shirt Day by encouraging the students to wear something pink as part of today’s non-uniform day.  There were also activities taking place around the school today in support of the meaning behind Pink Shirt day.  At Taupo-nui-a-College, we are a big village and it is important that every one of our students knows that they belong here.

In week five will be holding the first round of the common assessment activities (CAAS) for reading, writing, and numeracy.  Students deemed ready to assess have been entered for these exams.  Students and teachers have been working hard across the school to prepare for this first round of CAAs.  For some students, it will be their first formal examination so we will do our best to prepare the students for the experience.

We welcome three new staff to Taupo-nui-a-College this term.  Brighton Mavesere and Nozuko Dlamini, both having taught in South Africa, join our Maths faculty. Michelle McNulty, who has previously worked with us, returns as our new SENCo and Learning Support Leader.  We look forward to the contribution these three teachers can make to our school.

Lastly, I would like to introduce an initial teacher education program for members of our community who may be looking at a career change.  The onsITE programme, offered by the University of Waikato, allows students to work as teaching interns in a local school (January–November) while completing an online teaching qualification such as the Graduate or Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching. This unique model supports students to gain hands-on experience in their home school while studying, with a strong pathway into employment. If you or someone you know is interested, please contact us at [email protected] for more information. The full flyer is attached to this newsletter.

Have a great weekend!

Ngā mihi

Ben Claxton
PRINCIPAL