Waitakere College News

Newsletter Issue 30

Completion and Celebration in Term 4

The first two weeks of Term 4 are all about completion and celebration.
We begin with the celebrations that started last term, including the Sports Awards and the Arts and Culture Awards. Next, we will have the Mana Māori and Pasifika Awards, and we will conclude our senior celebrations with the Senior Prizegiving, just after Labour Weekend.

Completion is about finishing the academic year's Achievement Standards, both Internal and then the External Exams starting on November 5.
Students and staff have had this as a focus throughout the year with many students attending the Subway for Success Tutorial day and other workshops in the 1st week of the study break. Action on these standards is continuing over the next two weeks.
Year 12 and 13 students will in most cases be signed out from the College on Thursday 31/10/24 with some Year 11 students being signed out on Friday 1/11/24.

For the Year 11 students the clearance to sign out in preparation for External Exams will occur if they have completed enough Internal Achievement Standards to ensure success for the year. For many others the focus will be on completing work or a further assessment opportunity to achieve enough credits to reach success.
We have done this 'summer school' model in the past with great positive impact for student success and it is relevant this year with the new NCEA Level 1 programme.
We want our students to Be Better Than Before (BTB) and this model helps ensure that they are given every opportunity.

Let's ensure we all complete our tasks so that we can celebrate success.

Ngā mihi
Mark P Shanahan