Term 1 - Week 7
Tēnā koutou
It was great to see so many families engaging in our Whānau Day on Wednesday of this week. You have probably heard me say this before, but a high functioning school is only possible if we have strong triangular relationships between the school, students, and their whānau. I know the teachers really enjoyed meeting with you all on Wednesday. As much as possible, we really need all the students to attend these hui in the future as well. It is a great opportunity to set goals for the year which the student, whānau, and teachers are all aware of.
Our school ball for students in Year 12 and Year 13 will take place on Saturday 8th June. During the senior students’ assemblies this week, we introduced some expectations regarding attendance which these students need to meet in order to attend the ball this year. The key message for students is to ensure their unjustified attendance rate is as low as possible. Unjustified absences are considered truancy and include skipping a class, a half day or full day of classes for reasons our school deems are unjustified. Examples of unjustified absence include staying home to study for a test, or to complete an assignment, or being ‘too tired to come to school’ etc.
Prior permission may be granted by the Principal for any special activity requiring an absence from school. The College prefers that family trips overseas are taken during the holiday breaks. Requests for absence for these should be made in writing directly to the Principal well in advance informing him of your intentions. Ministry of Education definitions for justified or explainable absences are listed below.
- Cultural or sporting representations at regional or higher level
- Illness (including hospitalisation)
- Medical/dental appointments
- Bereavement
- Exceptional Family circumstances which may include travel for special occasions or may be sensitive and involve other agencies (application should be made to the Principal)
- Vehicle breakdown / train / bus delay / car accident / natural disaster
- Citizenship Ceremony
- Ballet / music / speech exam
- Drivers Licence
- Accident before school which may include injury to an animal
Next week our teachers will be involved in our, Watching Others Work (WOW) week. Throughout the week, teachers will be encouraged to get out and observe at least one other teacher (not in their faculty) who they are keen to see in action. Teachers will be given a hotel door sign which either says, come on in, or not right now thanks (if they are completing an assessment etc.). In my opinion, teachers observing other teachers is the best form of professional development.
Other important panui are below:
Bring Your Own Device
We are a bring your own device (laptop) school. We encourage each student to bring their laptop to school with them every day, charged, and with their charger. We have begun the process of collecting information about which students will be eligible for a long-term loan laptop. These laptops will be distributed within the next week.
New skirt
Starting from Term 2, 2024, we are excited to announce the addition of a straight-style skirt, alongside our current skirt, which is available for purchase via our website, as part of our school uniform options. With the introduction of this new skirt, the older style straight skirt, which has not been available for over six years, will no longer be a part of our uniform. From Term 3, 2024, it will be considered a non-uniform item. The new straight-style skirt is not currently listed on the Argyle website.
We want to highlight that Year 12 students who currently own the older style straight skirt will be exempt from this change. We understand that requiring them to purchase a new skirt for just two terms would be unfair. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation as we strive to enhance and update our uniform options to better suit the preferences and needs of our students.
Ngā mihi
Ben Claxton
PRINCIPAL
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