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Kia Ora Tatou
This week has been very busy and there have been a lot of positives to report on this week.
Pacific Voices
On Tuesday morning I had the pleasure of attending the Pacific Voices speech competition being held in Dunedin where a large number of our students were in attendance as either speakers or supporters. Whilst I was not able to stay for the whole competition I saw enough to know that the standard of speeches was extremely high. A more detailed report on the event is included elsewhere in this newsletter. However, I would like to acknowledge that a number of our students left having either won or being placed in the top three. This significant achievement was possible due to the work of Salu who has supported the students and also Miss Tuhega. South Otago High School will be hosting this event in 2026 and I hope that we can continue the great success.
Pathways Breakfast
On Wednesday I attended the Pathways Breakfast, held in Balclutha, along with a number of other schools and ten businesses. For the school it was an opportunity to develop links with local employers to provide a pathway from school to employment. The event was attended by the Ministry of Education, Clutha Business Development and the Ministry of Social Development to name a few. Also attending were three former students who spoke to all of the participants. These included, Lucy Greer who left at the end of Year 12 having attended a hair and beauty course on a Friday at Otago Polytechnic as well as completing a Gateway work placement. Not only did she speak about how the school has supported her to employment but also the innovative way that she sought her employment and subsequent apprenticeship. Lucy was named as Apprentice of the Year last year. Also speaking was George Rutter who preparing to leave at the end of Year 13 to go to university opted at the last minute to take a cadetship with Clutha district Council and earn his qualifications whilst being paid. George has now set up as a business owner at age 25 and seven staff. Also speaking was Lilly Paterson who started her tertiary studies in nursing but chose a different direction and is working with the local council with a focus still on ‘helping people’. All three students have found great success beyond South Otago High School and are now making a significant contribution to our community. As a school we are very proud of them and their achievements.
Their achievements also reflect the diverse and successful paths that our students take upon completing their secondary school education at South Otago High School.
TVNZ Breakfast
On Tuesday I also made a brief appearance on the TVNZ morning Breakfast programme to talk about the challenges of recruiting teachers nationally but specifically in Otago. At South Otago High School we have a focus in ensuring that we appoint high quality teachers to positions within the school. As you can see from the achievements of the Lucy, George and Lilly (see above) Our graduates move on from school to follow varied pathways and achieve to a very high standard in their individual fields. These students are not isolated cases. But they have been successful as a result of the excellent teaching and support from our teachers. Not only do we have great teachers but they also provide great opportunities for students beyond the classroom.
Recruiting teachers is becoming increasingly difficult. We do need more people to acknowledge that a career in education is worthwhile and rewarding. The teaching profession should be respected and valued.
Students (or parents looking for a career change) who may be interested in going into education should talk to staff about a career in teaching. New Zealand needs to be training more teachers and students unsure of a career should seriously consider a career in education.
Attendance
This morning some interesting information has been shared by the Secondary Principal Association of New Zealand (SPANZ) The data below was gather and presented by the Education Review Office (ERO) and is worth sharing with whanau:
Chronic absenteeism (attend for less that 70% of the time)
- Doubled in recent years, pattern starting earlier in primary school
- Chronic truants are half as likely to attain NCEA Level 2.
- Projected earnings for students who are chronic absentees at school (ie 70% or less)
-- $16,000/year by age 25 for chronic truants.
-- $65,000/year by age 25 for those without attendance issues.
This shows that attending regularly from an early age and maintaining a routine of regular attendance is so important for young people and will have a significant impact on their financial future. Once again South Otago High School has so many options for students BUT they do need to prove that they are worth investing in by attending regularly and attempting their work to the best of their ability.
Finally
This weekend marks the end of Daylight Saving with clocks going back one hour early on Sunday morning. It will be an extra hour in bed!
Have a good weekend.
Ka kite ano
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Recent News
NCEA Updates
Miss Tuhega and I are the Principal's nominees and we are responsible to NZQA for ensuring assessment is carried out in a valid way at SOHS. | |  |
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Pacific Voices
Pacific Voices is the Otago Secondary School Pacific Island Speech Competitions. Our Pacific Island students went to King’s High School to compete in the Pacific Voices Speech Competition. | |  |
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Save The Date
South Otago High School is turning 100. Come and celebrate the centenary on EASTER April 3-5th 2026 | |  |
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Year 13 Chemistry
Year 13 chemists analysed their samples for the chemistry investigation standard. | |  |
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Hot Air Balloons
9T made hot air balloons in Science with Mrs Devanaboina to learn about density. | |  |
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