Tēnā koutou e te whānau o Orewa,

Last week we had the pleasure of acknowledging students for their achievements in their Year Level Assemblies. I am always amazed and inspired by the incredible success our youth attain, especially to those students who have had to overcome adversity, demonstrating true grit and determination. 

In addition to this, much of the focus in these assemblies centred around the continuation of laying the foundations of success for the year ahead. Supporting our students with getting the basics right. This term, we will continue to communicate high standards with uniform, punctuality and attendance. We will continue to ‘sweat the small stuff’, to ensure that a culture of positive behaviour and learning is evident in classes.

We have received our attendance data from the Ministry of Education for Term 1. It is great to see our attendance rates have increased in comparison to the termly data from 2023. However, it is important to note, that term 2 has historically shown irregular attendance, and this is mainly due to medical reasons. This is in many cases unavoidable during the winter season. Subsequently, during these months, we have also noticed that 15-20% of unjustified absences are for ‘unknown reasons’, which are coded as (?). We really encourage whānau to maintain strong connections with the school, especially in regard to attendance, so please continue to contact your child’s form teacher or reception if you know your child will be absent from school. 

Lastly, I want to thank all our students who are exhibiting the manaaki values every day at Orewa College, who continue to prioritise ‘the basics’, and consistently demonstrate high standards for uniform, punctuality and attendance.  

Nāku noa, nā,

Wiri Warriner
Tumuaki | Principal
Orewa College

Events / Information

May 2024

Monday 27 May to Friday 31 May - Auckland Regional Dental Van Years 7-8

Monday 27 May to Friday 7 June - Year 7 Bike Safety
Friday 31 May - Kahui Ako Conference - Students finish school at 12.20pm

June 2024

Monday 3 June - Kings Birthday (no students attend school)
Wednesday 26 June - Year 7 Boostrix Vaccinations
Friday 28 June - Matariki (no students attend school)

Year 8 Camp

Over the last two weeks, three hundred Year 8 students ferried their way across to Motutapu Island for the experience of a lifetime!

Campers completed a mixture of high ropes, Survivor and Motutapu Challenges through the pond and mud, kayaking, orienteering 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 forty amazing parents, student teachers and teachers that gave up their time to attend camp, we couldn’t do it without all of you.

Year 10 Commerce - BP Business Challenge

Our Year 10 Commerce students experienced the BP Business Challenge last week. 

Over the course of three days, eighty of our Year 10 Commerce students worked in groups to come up with an innovative business idea and then develop a business pitch, which they presented to a panel of judges from the local business community.

The students received positive feedback about their experience, enjoying the element of competitiveness, team building, and applying their knowledge to real world contexts.

Team 'Vita Bomb' took out the overall top business award and they all received special badges (Eva Walters, Ryley Thomas, Jamie Watson, Lachy Docherty, Nina Rice, Isabella Pickering, Isabella Le Mouton, Lily Haswell).

Chloe Goodall received the Hero award in recognition of her leadership skills.

We would like to give a special thanks to our community judges:

• Kevin Browne (Procam CCTV - Drainage Inspection)
• Becky Duncan (Duncan Building Services)
  
• Jess Millar (Accountable Bookkeeping)
  
• Asher Winning (Winning Window Washing)
  
• Daniel Lucas (Mahi 3D) - and current Orewa College student
  

Phones and Parent Communications

We appreciate that there are times when parents need to contact their child during school hours and the no phone policy has impacted this.  All students have a school email account (student ID [email protected] - e.g. [email protected]) which is a good avenue of communication.

Please discuss communication means with your student and in cases of emergency, please contact the school for assistance.

Kings Birthday - Monday 3 June

No students to attend school on this public holiday.  We wish students, staff and whānau an enjoyable long weekend.

Year 13 Physics Trip - Rainbows End

On Friday 24 May the Year 13 Physics students went on a field trip to Rainbows End. This trip gave us important insight into the physics of bumper boats which we are currently writing a report on for the Physics 3.2 internal.

We were actively able to learn from observing and riding the bumper boats key mechanical physics concepts like; rotational motion, collisions, and forces. This learning and our collected data will significantly help with the writing of our reports. We also had time to enjoy other rides, with the Stratosfear being the general favourite. On these other rides, we were able to see examples of the different physics concepts we have been studying in class working in the real world.

We thank Mr Shafie and Miss Elcombe for making this awesome trip possible.
Article by: Nathan Norrie (Year 13)

Case Space School

Important Update: CASE Junior Space School Information Evening Extended Payment Schedule.

Your child is invited to join our esteemed CASE Space School International Study Program and embark on an unforgettable journey to NASA in the USA! This program promises to be an immersive STEAM learning experience, ideal for students of all academic interests.

NEW! Second Information Evening

• Date: Thursday, 20 June 2024
• Time: 6:00pm
• Platform: Zoom
  
• Website
  

For full information and enrolment - please click on the following links:

Health Notice - Sickness and Measles

Sickness

As per Ministry guidelines, if your child has a cough or flu symptoms and is unwell, please keep them at home to help prevent the spread of illness at school during the winter season.

Guidelines for parents HERE.

Measles

With active measles cases increasing around the world, and falling vaccination rates, Aotearoa New Zealand is at very high risk of a measles outbreak.  

Information for parents on measles may be found HERE.

Senior Chinese Trip

Last Thursday 23 May, students in Level 1-3 Chinese classes went on a trip to the Auckland Museum.

The day began with a guided tour conducted entirely in Chinese, providing students with an opportunity to practice their listening and speaking skills in a real-world setting. The tour covered a range of fascinating exhibits, all explained in Chinese. This helped students immerse themselves in the language, gaining new vocabulary and improving their listening skills.

After the Museum tour, students had lunch at Bai Jia Le, a Chinese hot pot buffet restaurant. This was a highlight of the trip, especially since many students had never tried hot pot before. The meal involved cooking a variety of fresh ingredients in a simmering pot of broth right at the table. Students really enjoyed the interactive and communal nature of the meal. The hot pot experience was not only delicious but also allowed students to learn more about Chinese dining in a relaxed and enjoyable setting.

Overall, the trip was a success, and all of the students had a great experience. 
Article by: Tobey Huang (Year 12)

Reminder: School Closure

School will be closing on Friday 31 May at 12.20pm as teachers attend the Kahui Ako Conference (start of King's birthday weekend).

Bus Information

The following buses will be at school at 12.20pm:  005,006,007,205,207,208 and 209.

Students who catch the 040 and 050 may catch the general public bus from Centreway Road / Orewa New World for the same cost.

The 216 (Puhoi) and 204 (Waitoki) buses will leave at the normal school time, parents of under 14 year olds have been emailed regarding supervision.

Level 2 Physics Trip - Game Over Auckland

Three Level 2 Physics classes had a field trip to Game Over Auckland (Albany) on Wednesday 22 May.

The seventy three students had the opportunity to speak to the resident mechanic about go-karting, collecting key information of safety features of the kart and its structure, as well as a guided walk on the track. This trip focused on mechanics, allowing them to gain understanding of relevant ideas and data for an on-going internal.

Game Over provided an ideal setting for students to see their knowledge in practical use, with each student completing a race, consisting of 15 laps. This experience was definitely the highlight of the Level 2 Mechanics topic so far.

Overall the trip was very successful and helped highlight the value of hands-on practicals. This trip not only gave the students insight into the key concepts of their internal, such as centripetal acceleration, momentum and friction being seen in a practical way; but was also a great day out with all the other physics students from the other classes.
Article by:  Alexys Bielby (Year 12)

Sports News - "Off the Bench"

Please CLICK HERE for all upcoming sports events, registrations, draws, results and zone day information.

International Students - CUE Haven Trip

Since 2015, international students from Orewa College have gone to CUE Haven to help out and also learn a little about New Zealand plants and animals. 

Today we were very happy to have another group of students from Argentina, Germany, Italy, Japan & Switzerland.  

The students were accompanied by Adrienne Croad (Director of International Students), Cecilia Tyne (NZ Experience Teacher) and Mark McCarthy (Former Orewa College teacher).

We spent some time getting acquainted over morning tea and then Mahrukh gave an overview of the CUE Haven project.  Thomas gave a description of the activities planned for the day and a safety briefing.

The plan for the day was to break into three groups and do some autumn maintenance work. 

One group worked on clearing the drains along the tracks so they are ready to handle winter rains and the other two groups worked on trimming back vegetation that had grown over tracks during the summer.

Huarahi Kowhai has a system of drains and pipes to channel water away from the road surface.  In order for the system to work, we have to keep the drains and pipes clear and Mark’s team helped out with that job.

At the end of the day, all of the teams packed up the gear and brought it back down and had a well-deserved and relaxing lunch.

Second Hand Uniforms

The school is in need of good condition pre-worn uniform, particularly skirts (both Middle and Senior school) and jumpers.  Please drop off to the Deans' Hub,  Kia ora rawa atu!

Year 10 Japanese Trip

Last week, the Year 10 semester class visited a ramen restaurant in Orewa as a cultural experience.

They practiced the phrases they might use there, before their visit. They greeted the owner chef well in a Japanese manner.  All of them enjoyed their meal and said "Oishii!!" (delicious). 

Careers Hub

Across the remainder of the term there are a variety of opportunities for senior students to engage with the universities at their individual information evenings throughout Auckland.

Students and parents are encouraged to look at the Calendar and/or the individual university websites for dates and times. Often the universities will have academic staff available to speak with regarding the various courses. 

There is also the opportunity for all students to go to the North Shore Career Expo on 12 and 13 June at Albany Stadium. This is the fourth year that the Careers Advisors from across the North Shore have worked together to provide this event for their secondary school students.

We encourage students and parents to head along, this will assist conversations regarding what pathways are available to individual students.  There will be tertiary providers as well as various businesses, the Defence Force and overseas universities.

Community Notices

Iron Up Sport - School Holiday Programme

Four day sports camp - Silverdale Rugby Club - 8-11 July 2024 For children 9-15 years old. To register, click HERE.

AIMES Awards Gala Dinner

The AIMES Awards, taking place on Friday 7 June 2024, at the Bruce Mason Centre in Takapuna, celebrate excellence in various fields including Arts, Innovation (Science & Technology), Music, Education, Sports, and Service to the Community. Come along and be inspired by the incredible achievements of the award recipients.

Full information HERE.

SUSO Electronic - Welcome to Stand Up Stand Out Electronic 2024! 

Calling all beatmakers, songwriters and electronic music producers from Auckland secondary schools, charter schools and alternative education institutions. We invite you to enter Stand Up Stand Out Electronic, a platform to support and showcase talent from across Auckland.

Applications close Saturday 31 August 2024.  Outstanding opportunities and prizes to be won.  Click HERE for full details.

Our Sponsors - Proud Supporters of Orewa College