Term 4 - Week 4

Tēnā koutou,

The atmosphere around school has felt a little different this week.  NCEA exams have begun for our senior students, which means many have started their study leave. There are noticeably fewer senior students around the campus.  All the best to all our students who are sitting exams - there is an enormous amount of work completed by teachers and students to prepare for these exams.  Kia kaha and good luck!

We held an assembly on Tuesday this week to remind our junior students about our expectations for the remainder of the year.  From now on, it will mainly be Year 9 and Year 10 students who are onsite.  We reminded the Year 9 and Year 10 students that term four is an opportunity for junior students to step up and become more of a leadership presence around the school.  We also discussed our expectations related to whakapono - honesty and integrity, wero - courage and bravery, and manaakitanga - respect, support, and care. The main theme was keeping standards high right up until the end of the year.

All Year 9 students have received a Student Information sheet regarding activities in Week 8. Each morning and afternoon, students have the opportunity to choose a paid activity or participate in free activities. An online form has been emailed to all Year 9 students, asking them to indicate which activities they would like to participate in. Money is not paid to the school, but directly at the event they have chosen.

Due to the nature of literacy and numeracy requirements changing, we are currently running a program for those Year 11 students who have not yet met their literacy and numeracy requirements.  It has been heartening to see how much these students, and the staff co-ordinating the program, have been buying into doing something different.  A massive thank you to all the staff involved who are creating these opportunities for the students.  Results so far have been fantastic!

A reminder that we will be holding an Accord Staff Only Day on Tuesday 12 November.  The focus for our staff on the day will be continuing to build our capacity in the area of teaching literacy skills to our students.  The day also allows for a large number of Year 11 students, who need special assessment conditions for the NCEA Level 1 English exam, to be accommodated in different rooms around the school.

We have been notified by The Executive of the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) that members will have a paid union meeting on Thursday 21 November at 1 p.m.  Period 1 and 2 classes will run as normal and school will finish for the students at 12:50 p.m.  Bus students can remain onsite and will be supervised by non-union members.

This term’s school policies are now available for review.  To view and review the policies use this link. 

Ngā mihi

Ben Claxton
PRINCIPAL

                                                       Sporting News

Upcoming events:
BOPSS Junior Volleyball Champs- Saturday 9th & 10th November- Rotorua 

BOPSS Junior Tennis Champs- Tuesday 12th November- Rotorua 
BOPSS Year 9 Beach Volleyball- Wednesday 13th November- Tauranga
BOPSS Year 10 Beach Volleyball- Thursday 14th November- Tauranga 

                                                     Careers Information

Leaving School Magazine
The next issue of the Leaving School Magazine is available. This issue contains information on CV’s, exam advice, articles on the following careers: vehicle sales, environmental consultant, fisherman, accounting technician, forestry machine operator, production supervisor and meat industry careers. To find out more you can access it online at: www.oliverlee.co.nz/leavingschool-issue31

American Summers Opportunity 2025
Applications for the 2025 American Summers IENA camp program are open. As young people throughout New Zealand are weighing up their options for their future endeavours, we think an American Summer is such a fantastic opportunity for them. If you want to know more about what an American Summer Camp looks like? Check out my video here, showcasing the camp I’ve spent the last 3 years at. American Summers IENA has been around since 1996, we know the camp game better than anyone else! Below is a rundown of the perks we offer.
AMERICAN SUMMERS PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS:

• You get paid! Minimum of $2,250 USD. This is the highest earning regardless of age, skills or experience (approx. $3700 NZD)
• Program price: $525 NZD broken into 2 simple fees.
  
• What else do you get:
  - Free food and accommodation while at camp;
  - 4 months (123 days) medical insurance;
  - 30 days prior to camp and 30 days after camp to travel and sightsee America;
  - Visa sponsorship. IENA – American Summers is your visa sponsor (not a 3rd party). We have been a Visa sponsor since 1996;
  - 30 year’s experience. Our staff have years of experience in the American camping industry;
  - Top-level customer service and support from today till you return from camp in September 2025!
  
• 3rd Party costs:
  - Visa fees – $185 USD paid to the US Consulate (don’t need to pay for this till you are placed and when visa appointments start in early 2025) – plus costs to get to the US Consulate in Auckland;
  - Flights to the USA, your camp and home or out of the USA (don’t need to pay for these till your placement and visa is approved. You have plenty of time to save)
  - Police check - just wait for us to send you the instructions.
  

Learn more on our website: https://americansummers.com/
 
University of Otago Māori Health summer school scholarships
The University of Otago have two summer school scholarships they are offering to tauira Māori who are interested in pursuing health careers and may need some extra help with physics or chemistry before starting university: 

• The WHAI Physics scholarship supports Māori students interested in a career in health to prepare for the PHSI 191 ‘Biological Physics’ paper, as part of Health Sciences First Year. It covers tuition fees and residential college accommodation for the duration of the Jump Start Physics programme, as well as continuous support through the PHSI 191 paper and HSFY. For further information about the WHAI Physics Scholarship and application process, visit https://www.otago.ac.nz/mhwdu/kahikatea/whai-physics-scholarship-support-through-jumpstart-and-phsi-191
• The WHAI Chemistry scholarship supports Māori students interested in a career in health to prepare for the CHEM 191 ‘Chemical Basis of Biology and Human Health’ paper, as part of Health Sciences First Year. The WHAI Chemistry Scholarship covers tuition fees for CHEM 150 as well as residential college accommodation for the 2 week on-campus component of the programme. Recipients will also receive continuous support through the CHEM 191 paper and HSFY. For further information about the scholarship application process, visit https://www.otago.ac.nz/mhwdu/kahikatea/whai-chemistry-scholarship
  

Applications are open now until November 15^th, 5:00pm. There will be multiple recipients for each scholarship.
 
Survey & Spatial NZ Scholarship
Survey & Spatial NZ offers an annual scholarship of $1500 for school leavers intending to enrol in a tertiary surveying or spatial qualification. Students within the Tauranga, Rotorua, Whakatane and Taupo region can apply, with a 31/12/24 closing date for applications. See the notices in Career Central for more information and an application form.
 
Advance Education Medical Industry Pathway Summit
Considering a career in the Medical Industry? Want to get first hand insights about the workplace reality and income potential from different roles from those who are working within it? The Medical Industry Pathway Summit is FREE for students and has just gone live. It involves interviews with active medical professionals who share their journey, industry insights, day to day realities, income expectations at the various stages, and insight into the roles they serve. Link: https://www.advanceeducation.nz/medical-industry-pathway-summit
 
Studying Health Science or Biomedical Science next year?
MoneyHub has published a detailed guide for Year 13 students planning to study Health Science or Biomedical Science at Otago or Auckland University. Our detailed guide has been prepared by two top-performing 4th year Auckland Medical School students and is the first of its kind in New Zealand:
https://www.moneyhub.co.nz/tips-for-studying-biomed-and-health-science.html
 
Must-Know NCEA Resources for Year 11-13
Looking for quality NCEA preparation resources? MoneyHub offers over ten invaluable tools to guide students towards achieving merits and excellence. Perfect for gearing up for internals and externals. Explore now: https://www.moneyhub.co.nz/resources-for-ncea-students.html
 
Looking to learn a trade or explore apprenticeships? 
Check out MoneyHub's comprehensive guide, a must-read for anyone considering an apprenticeship. Visit MoneyHub's Apprenticeship Guide to learn more:
https://www.moneyhub.co.nz/apprenticeships.html
 
Looking for a part-time job? 
Check out MoneyHub's newly updated Student Jobs guide! With over 60 employers and valuable job application tips, find your next opportunity here: https://www.moneyhub.co.nz/student-jobs.html
  
CV Writing and Interview Preparation
Discover MoneyHub's invaluable resources for CV writing (https://www.moneyhub.co.nz/cv-template-students.html) and interview preparation (https://www.moneyhub.co.nz/common-job-interview-questions-students.html). These tools are designed to empower students in their job application journey. Explore and step into the job market with confidence!
 
Money Guide
MoneyHub has crafted a comprehensive guide for students, designed to provide essential tools and knowledge for building a healthy relationship with money. Explore it here: 
https://www.moneyhub.co.nz/money-in-a-nutshell.html