Kia ora koutou,

The term continues to be very productive, despite the ongoing PPTA strike action and yet another Auckland Weather Event (both of which are completely beyond the college's control!)

Attendance is very consistent among all year groups as is the completion rate of NCEA internal assessments by students in Years 11-13.

You may have noticed significant recent media coverage on how NCEA Level 1 is being viewed by a number of Auckland Secondary Schools.  From my perspective our students need to be given a range of options pertaining to this which suits their particular learning pathways.  More details will follow in due course regarding this range of options.

A comprehensive survey has occurred since the inaugural 'Academic Conferences' which occurred at the end of Term 1.  As with any new initiative there is going to be a time lag for maximum effectiveness to occur.  These survey findings from students, staff and yourselves are very positive overall and are as follows;

- 100% increase of parental turnout compared to recent Teacher/Parent Evenings
- Of the staff who completed the survey, 85% rated the effectiveness of the conferences, 7 or more out of 10.
- Of the parents/caregivers who completed the survey 72% rated the effectiveness of the conferences 5 or more out of 10 and 52% rated effectiveness 7/10 or higher.
- Of the students who completed the survey 55% rated the effectiveness of the conferences 5 or more out of 10.
- Students rated their Kaiarahi highly for knowing more about their overall progress than before i.e. 81%.
- More than 50% of students confirmed an increased of academic talk at home.

It is disappointing that the Achievement Evening and the School Production have had to be postponed due to repairs to the Arts and Events Centre.  New dates will be confirmed in the near future.


Ngā mihi

Greg Pierce
Principal

House Mud Run

The house system is all about involvement, friendly competition and having fun.
This is why we have the Mud Run! 
Walk it, run it, swim through it, it doesn’t matter, just get out there and have some fun with your friends and teachers. 

Last Monday (before the rain) the school came out in their numbers to get a little dirty and compete in the mud run. The course is relatively simple. Head out the gates into the estuary, around crocodile island and through a few streams of shallow water.
There are some areas of intense mud, where many shoes got stuck and a few unfortunate runners fell over. To finish the race in style we had the slip-n-slide over the finish line. 
We had plenty of competing staff and students which is awesome to see. 

Congratulations Sheppard the winners of the 2023 House Mud Run.

The house competition is extremely close, any house can take it!

Sports Sponsorship

Please find the link to information about Sports Sponsorship.   This is an exciting opportunity to participate in supporting sports at Orewa College.  Please let us know if you have any questions. CLICK HERE

PPTA Teacher Strike Action

Due to ongoing PPTA industrial action by secondary school teachers, year groups as detailed below will be unable to attend school on these dates:
Please note Tuesday 16 May for Year 9 and Wednesday 17 May for Year 10 students.

Pink Shirt Day - Friday 19 May

This Friday 19th May we will be celebrating our school's diversity and making a stand against bullying. 
Pink Shirt Day is about working together to stop bullying by celebrating diversity and promoting kindness and inclusiveness.
It's about creating a community where all people feel safe, valued and respected, regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, religion or cultural background.
Lunchtime Bake Sale: All funds raised will be donated to the Mental Health Foundation. Please bring cash.
Pink Shirts: Students can wear an appropriate pink shirt on the day with the rest of their usual school uniform. No pink shirt? Students can wear an additional pink accessory to their uniform like a hat, scarf or sock. No face paint or make up or hoodies. 

Careers Hub

MoneyHub has a must-read guide that explains apprenticeships. If you're interested in learning a trade, this page is for you. 
https://www.moneyhub.co.nz/apprenticeships.html
Is your student a Prefect | Peer Leader | Community Leader | another type of leader... or aspiring to be?
The Pacific Students Leaders Programme provides advanced leadership development for Y12 and Y13 high school leaders.  
You will develop advanced leadership skills through decision-making, planning, and goal-setting as you practice leading a diverse team. Enhance your communication abilities and improve your career prospects while taking action on real issues.
Demonstrate your resilience as you join our vibrant leader's community, and embrace the rich Pasifika culture in a truly immersive and empowering experience.
Courses are being held in Tonga (23-30 September) and Samoa (1-8 October).
You can find out more information at https://www.flacademy.com/tonga- 
and https://www.flacademy.com/samoa-pslp or pop into the Careers Hub.

Students Against Drunk Driving (SADD)

Last Monday, Rachel Slacke had the privilege of representing Ōrewa College and Students Against Dangerous Driving (SADD) at Kingsway High School.
Rachel was invited to raise awareness for a group of year 11 students who are in the process of getting their learner driver's licences.
The purpose of this course is to show the dangers of driving and how to prevent accidents among teenagers.

Family Emergency Plan

At enrolment, we ask for every family to have a family emergency plan should the school need to close suddenly.  
Can you please discuss your family emergency plan with your children to remind them of what they must do if the school needs to close suddenly. 
If your child catches a bus, you need to have an alternative plan, in case we are not able to arrange for buses to come early. 

Dental Planet Visit - 15 May to 23 June The Dental Planet van is here providing dental care for Year 9-13 students. Letter to Parents / Caregivers CLICK HERE.

Request for Student Information from an Outside Agency

If you are dealing with an outside organisation regarding your child's learning and they wish to contact the school for further educational  information, please click here for the process.

Important Dates

Ōrewa Kāhui Ako Conference
Friday 02 June all students will finish at 12 noon, as our teachers attend the Ōrewa Kāhui Ako Conference.
School Ball
The Year 12 & 13 school ball to be held on Saturday 17 June.  Full information in next week's High Tide newsletter.