Term 2 - Week 4

Tēnā koutou,

It has been Youth Week at school this week.  Lunchtimes have included various activities to support and engage our students.  We have had bands performing in the hall, sausage sizzle, cup flipping, community agencies out in force, the Canine Dog visit, Jumpjam, and Capture the Flag.  Thank you to all the students, staff and community agencies who have supported Youth Week.

Next week, we have the first round of our NZQA Numeracy and Literacy exams. If your child is sitting these exams, you would have received an email earlier in the term to indicate which exams they are involved in. All Year 11 students, who are yet to achieve their Level 1 Literacy or Numeracy, will sit these exams. If Year 10 students are ready to assess, they also have an early opportunity to attain these credits. It is a busy week ahead for students and we wish them all the best for their assessments.

We will be having a Teacher-only day on  Friday 31st May.  This means that the school will be closed to our students next Friday.  This teacher-only day is shared with most of the schools in our community.  We have been provided time to understand, prepare and engage with changes across The New Zealand Curriculum refresh, the redesign of Te Marautanga o Aotearoa, and shifts to strengthen NCEA - in particular the implementation of level 1. Thank you for your understanding.

Our term two SchoolDocs policies are up for community review.  You can view and comment on these policies by following this link on our website.  Please use the community username and password listed on the website.
 
On 10th May 4 bands and 1 soloist competed in Rotorua at the regional heats in SmokefreeRockquest. The students represented the school with pride and energy and we are all very proud of them. Delightfully, all our bands made it through the regional finals and Greer Dixon placed second in the solo duo section meaning she heads directly to the finals and has to submit three new songs by video. Regional finals are in Rotorua on 21 June at the Sir Howard Morrison Centre at 7pm. Parrot Eater, Blue Murder, Minimum Wage and Revamp are all looking forward to performing and would love people to come along. Tickets will be available from Ticketmaster for $25 (adults) and $15 (students).  Thank you to all our music staff for supporting the students with their preparation and performances.

Winter illnesses are taking hold across the motu, with ‘flu season’ arriving earlier than normal. Aotearoa is also at a high risk of a measles outbreak with immunisation rates dropping off since COVID-19. We encourage you to follow Te Whatu Ora advice, particularly that the best protection against an outbreak of measles is the MMR vaccine.
Measles – Te Whatu Ora 

Other important panui are below:

Attendance guidelines for sport and cultural activities
Taupo-nui-a-Tia College follows the guidelines outlined by New Zealand Secondary School Sport which state that students attendance needs to be at a satisfactory level and be studying at least 80% of a programme.  This implies that a student's attendance needs to be above 80%. As you know, our goal is 90% or higher. However, attendance must be maintained at least 80% to guarantee the opportunity to participate in sports and cultural activities for our kura.

Ngā mihi

Ben Claxton
PRINCIPAL

                                               Sporting News

Upcoming Winter Sports Fixtures:

Upcoming Sporting Events: 
BOPMCC Interschools Motocross Championships- Friday 31st May, Awakaponga Motorcross Track 

                                               Careers Information

Upcoming career presentations for students
University of Waikato Scholarship Presentation is now scheduled for Friday 14 June at 12.50pm in D16.
 
Thinking about University
Universities New Zealand—Te Pōkai Tara’s 2025 Thinking about university? resources are now live at www.thinkingaboutuni.nz. This has information on all the undergraduate degrees and majors New Zealand’s eight universities are offering for 2025.  
 
Scholarships
MoneyHub has compiled a comprehensive guide to scholarships for students planning to start university in 2025. Available at MoneyHub Scholarship Guide, this resource lists scholarships from all universities, along with exclusive opportunities for Maori, Pacific, and International students. The guide, updated regularly, includes application tips and deadlines, helping students easily navigate the scholarship process.
 
Overseas High School Exchange
If you want to know more about overseas High School Exchanges from Your Education, register your interest for their Online Information Session on Tuesday 28th May at 7.00pm. All interested students Y10–Y13 and their parents welcome. An experienced staff member and returnees will share information about the destinations they are offering in 2024. RSVP on their website www.youreducation.co.nz/next-steps
 
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!
 
Any business wanting to host a student for work experience?
Every year we are funded to put out 70 of our senior students on voluntary work experiences. From these work experiences come some amazing things….... confidence, a sense of belonging, the knowledge that they can add some value, learning about industries that they know very little about and sometimes the opportunity of potential employment. Everything that is learned on a work experience contributes to a future decision and learning work ready skills are vital for life beyond school. Do you know a business that would like to host a Taupo-nui-a-Tia College student for a 10-day work experience? If this is something that you would like to know more about, please contact Nicola Thomsen, Gateway Coordinator, e-mail: [email protected]

Cyber Bullying Tips for Parents 
Radio interview with John Parsons

https://youtu.be/Zv3FoXpmiT0

   Upcoming Road Safety Event
Sunday 26th May, 9am - 1pm, 72 Lake Terrace

Are you looking for a rewarding opportunity to open your home to international guests and create meaningful connections across cultures? Look no further!
We are seeking warm, welcoming families to join our homestay program and become ambassadors of hospitality in our community.
Hosting international guests can be financially rewarding (our allowance is $300 per week, to cover food and transport costs). Earn supplemental income while enjoying the enriching experience of hosting and building relationships with people from diverse backgrounds.
In term 3, we are welcoming our new international students.  Some are staying for two term, others for a year.
We are looking for families who like to host:
Y12 female student  who has a passion for mountains, plays football and does athletics.
Y12 Boy  who is very active and likes to participate in sports and outdoor/cultural activities. Triathlon, mtb, football, rugby
Y12 girl who likes to experience the outdoors and is looking for a warm welcoming family.
Y12 girl who likes to cook and bake who descroibes herself as a friendl, happy and reliable person.
Y12 girl, active christian, she loves playing and listening to music, board games and spending time with friends. 
If you have a spare room and a passion for hospitality, we invite you to become part of our homestay family. Whether you're a single individual, a couple, or a family with children, your warmth and openness are what matter most.
We will allow families to host up to 2 students ( from a different nationality).
You can rely on full (24/7) support from the college in this exciting journey.
To learn more about becoming a host family, please contact [email protected]. We love to have you on board to support our school’s biggest “fundraiser”.