Kia ora koutou, 

Thank you for supporting the college on Friday as we dealt with an unfortunate situation concerning a threat, which required a strong response based on ensuring the health and safety of all.  This is a timely reminder of the importance of having your own family emergency place in place if such a situation arises as it did on Friday.

It is pleasing to see that a new Government has now been officially formed after a period of some uncertainty.  At this stage it is too early to clarify what exactly this will mean with regards to the education sector but undoubtedly there will be changes and you will be kept fully updated.

Year 8 students finally had the opportunity to attend camp last week after this was unfortunately postponed in Term 2 due to the unprecedented weather event that occurred.  Motutapu Island is a fantastic locality for an outdoor education based camp, as it is set in a wonderful natural environment with sufficient infrastructure.  From all accounts, staff, students and parent helpers collectively had a very enjoyable, challenging but tiring experience!

We are in the final week of NCEA examinations which continue to run smoothly overall.  Students in Years 7-10 are now in the final two weeks of their 2023 school year and accordingly will experience an appropriate range of activities which should maintain engagement levels and motivation levels.  These include ‘Activity Days’, Prizegiving and Graduation ceremonies, which start with the Year 8 cohort today.

Thank you to the sponsors of Orewa College who are confirmed for the 2024 school year ie. Coordinate, DrumEx Earthmoving and Cartage, Beejays Flooring, Electric City, Pohutukawa Cleaning and Stannard Plumbing.  It is re-affirming that several more sponsors are pending and will build on this base and support the extra-curricular life of the college.

Have a great week.

Ngā mihi

Greg Pierce
Principal

Events / Information

November

Monday 27 November - Year 8 Celebration Dance
Monday 27 November to Thursday 30 November - NCEA Exams
Monday 27 November to Friday 1 December - Year 7 & 8 Dental Van Visit
Wednesday 29 November - Middle School Performing Arts Awards
Wednesday 29 November - Year 7 Disco

December

Friday 1 December - Year 9-10, Activities Day
Monday 4 December - Year 9-10, Amazing Manaaki Form Class Challenge Day
Tuesday 5 December - Year 10 Graduation
Thursday 7 December - Years 7,8,9 Prizegiving

January 2024

Wednesday 31 January - Students new to Orewa College start today
Thursday 1 February - Returning students start today

Gumboot Day

On Friday, 3 November, our school embraced the spirit of solidarity and resilience as we celebrated Gumboot Day for mental health awareness. The downpour of rain that Friday made it perfect weather for gumboots.  The initiative aimed to raise awareness about mental health issues and break down the stigma surrounding them.

It was heartening to see our school community come together, symbolically stepping into the shoes of those who may be struggling with mental health challenges.

We held a Gumboot Throwing Competition, initially scheduled for the rainy Friday but postponed to the following week. The competition added an element of fun and camaraderie, with Brook Bannan year 10 winning the title of the ‘Ultimate Gumboot Throwing Champion 2023’

The school community was encouraged to bring a gold coin donation to support the cause. The funds raised went to the charity I Am Hope, an organisation dedicated to providing free counselling for young people. 

Adding to the charitable efforts, our STAR taster barista course took the opportunity to contribute by crafting delicious coffees for a gold coin donation. 

Gumboot Day served as a reminder that sometimes, a small gesture, like wearing gumboots or participating in a friendly competition, can make a significant difference in raising awareness and fostering a supportive community where everyone feels heard and supported.

Year 10 Graduation and Year 7, 8 and 9 Prizegivings

Year 10 Graduation - Tuesday 5 December 7.00pm
Held in the Orewa College Arts and Events Centre.  Students are to wear their school uniform.

Year 7, 8 and 9 Prizegivings - Thursday 7 December 
Year 7 at 9.30am, Year 8 at 11.30am and Year 9 at 1.00pm.

Prizegivings are approximately 1 -1 1⁄2 hours and parents/caregivers are welcome to attend.
Students finish for the school year immediately after their prizegiving/graduation ceremonies.

Year 8 Camp

Over the week, 260 year 8 students travelled by bus then ferried their way across to Motutapu Island for the experience of a lifetime!

Campers completed a mixture of high ropes, snorkeling, kayaking, orienteering, confidence course, archery, survivor challenge and the evening burma trail.

We took advantage of Motutapu's rich history with a night walk up and through the old war tunnels, taking in the spectacular night view back to Auckland from the top of the island.

Thanks to our 50 amazing parents, student teachers and teachers that gave up their time to attend camp, we couldn’t do it without all of you.

Careers Hub

As we approach the Summer holidays, some students may be considering finding some holiday work. Generally speaking, most young people will find their first part-time job or work experience through friends and family. These can be good not only to earn money but also to begin the process of understanding the Employability Skills alongside conversations with employers which assist in building towards students having a better understanding of the world of work.  MoneyHub also has a good list of places for student jobs.

The 2024 Māori Education Trust Scholarship round is now open!  Students (tauira) can apply online on their website or email them at [email protected] for a physical application. These numerous scholarships are for students who are currently in school, as well as those pursuing tertiary education. Applications close next year.

A reminder to Year 13 students who are studying next year, that if they wish to apply for a student loan and/or a student allowance, they should complete the application for Studylink in the next couple of weeks.

December Activities Days - Years 9 & 10

• Friday 1st December - Activities Day - Students select two activities for the day and spend half a day in each activity. Students may wear appropriate clothing for their chosen activities. 

• Monday 4th December - Amazing Manaaki Form Class Challenge - Students will visit each department with their form class and complete a range of challenges. Students should wear school uniform on this day but are also invited to wear an accessory to reflect their house colours.
  

The usual school day hours apply on both days.

Dancesport Zone Day On Friday 17 November myself (Elise) and my partner (Aurora) competed in the dance sport zone-day. We got to the stadium early to fix some small details in our dances and shake off some of the nerves.  Slowly the schools arrived and everyone poured into the big room that we were competing in. The male part was given to Aurora so she had to have a number pinned to her back. We were number 87.

We were competing in all 4 dances: foxtrot, cha-cha, jive and the samba. The competition started with the cha-cha we took the floor and found out that the other two schools had learned the same dance so me and Aurora stood out.

After all of the dances were over they got all the couples to stand out on the floor and they called out the numbers to who was going onto the next round. We crossed our fingers eagerly awaiting them to call out our number and just when we thought we were out for the cha-cha we heard it “87!” 

We were in the next round. In fact we got into all of the 2nd rounds. We made it in two of the 4, quarter finals and 1 semi final. After a great day where we got to watch one of New Zealand's best ballroom dancers, we went back to school to tell everyone about the dance sport zone-day.
By Elise Chapman 7ACR

McKinnon Shield Athletics Competition

On 28 October Brian Wilson participated in the McKinnon Shield Athletics Competition held at the Go Media Stadium. 

During the competition he took part in two events - discus and shot put and, remarkably, he set the New Zealand Men’s U17 record in both events in the Para F20 division.

Brian achieved a distance of 19.13m in discus using a 1.5kg weight and achieved a 6.35m throw using a 5kg weight in shot put.

Congratulations Brian, an outstanding achievement.  Brian will compete at the NZ Secondary Schools Track and Field Championships in Christchurch in December in Para Class F20 - Shot Put and Discus.

Youth Volunteers Needed

Learn hospitality skills and have a fun time!  The annual Greek Extravaganza is a Rotary organised fundraiser for our local Coast Hospice and we need youth volunteers to help serve food and clear tables at this fun night at Orewa College Event Centre on Saturday 2 December 2023, 6pm-10pm – 14+ years. 

Great opportunity to learn new skills and serve your community and there is no dishwashing! Text or email Gwenda if interested 021 084 73120 or sign up HERE.

Sustainability Challenge

Last Friday, four Year 7 students drove to Long Bay Regional Park to compete in this year's Sustainability Challenge. The Sustainability Challenge is an event where Year 5 to 8 students compete in teams of four, and participate in a two-hour event, which includes a mix of running/walking, navigation and sustainability activities.

In these two hours, teams visit checkpoints and do sustainability activities to earn points. Simply it is orienteering with a sustainability twist! At the end of the two hours, all of the teams will meet back at the start and have lunch while the points are collected.

Once every team comes back, the winners of each year group (year 5/6 and year 7/8) are announced then some spot prizes are drawn. My team finished with 2300 points. A big thank you to Mr Sehawat for being our shadowing parent-helper on the day.
Written by Sofia Brown

Co-curricular Hoodie Changes for 2024

The current black co-curricular OC hoodie is being phased out and we are looking at replacing this with another garment in 2024. 

There will be NO hoodie orders in Term 1 and any new garment and guidelines to ordering will be announced at a later date.  Students who currently have an OC hoodie can continue to wear this until the end of the 2025 school year.

Please note, the current hoodies are not to be worn by siblings (handed down). 

On Wednesday 22 November, seventeen Year 7 girls went to a Beach Volleyball Zone Day at Mairangi Bay Volleyball Centre.  It was a beautiful hot day with no clouds in the sky. When we arrived the place was buzzing and there was lots of excited chatter, with balls flying everywhere as people were warming up. 

Orewa College had entered four teams and we all played five games throughout the whole day. There were a mixture of wins and losses throughout the day for each team, and while we didn’t place we all enjoyed ourselves and developed our volleyball skills! 

All the teams did very well and played the best they possibly could! By the end of the scorching day there were still no clouds in the sky, and we were all absolutely shattered after such an eventful day.
By Emily Blanchard, 7HRG

Welcome to our new OC Sponsors

Orewa College is delighted to announce the following organisations who have joined in supporting the College:

• DrumEx Earthmoving and Cartage
• Beejays Flooring 
  
• Electric City
  
• Pohutukawa Cleaning
  
• Stannard Plumbing
  

Our Sponsors - Proud Supporters of Orewa College