Term 2 - Week 2

Tēnā koutou,

At times, we may seem like a broken record when it comes to promoting attendance at school.  However, it is too important not to continue our focus on having students attend at 90% or better. We realise that many of our students are already maintaining an attendance rate of 90% or better, and we will continue to develop ways of acknowledging these students.  A key message  - every absence counts towards the overall attendance percentage, whether it is justified or not.  We do not have any control over that.  Also, every period counts towards the overall attendance percentage as well.  The link below is the latest update from the Ministry of Education regarding attendance.
Student attendance: A guide for parents and caregivers – Ministry of Education

On Friday 17 May we will be supporting Pink Shirt Day.  The kaupapa (purpose) of the day is to reinforce the importance of eliminating bullying, celebrating diversity, and promoting kindness and inclusion - all important ways to keep improving our school culture.  Friday 17 May will be a non-uniform day for students who choose to wear an obvious pink item e.g. an official pink shirt day t-shirt (available from Cotton On), another pink shirt, a pink hoodie, a pink tutu etc. (get creative!).  Other items of non-uniform should only be worn if students have an obvious pink piece of clothing - it is not a usual non-uniform day.  Gold coin donations will be collected at our school gates in the morning to go towards supporting the mental health foundation.

Our School X country was held on Wednesday afternoon.  Pleasingly, we had over 300 students take part this year.  It was a fantastic event that was superbly set up by our sports and Physical Education staff.  The results for each age group winner can be found below:                                                                                              

Earlier this week our parents/caregivers of Year 12 students will have received communication about Loves Me Not, an all day programme to support preventing abusive behaviour in relationships.  Loves Me Not will be held on Tuesday of next week (14 May).  We are working with the local community sector specialists and the Police to make the day as successful as possible.  The messages delivered throughout Loves Me Not will be useful for our Year 12's as they navigate their way through relationships both now and in the future.

On Thursday next week (16 May) school will finish at 12:30 p.m. for the students to allow for a Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Paid Union Meeting.  The school day will be adjusted to allow for the usual three lessons of learning but with shorter periods.

Again, I have inserted the blurb about our new straight skirt into the main body of the newsletter this week.  This blurb has been in our newsletter for a while now, but it is important information to reinforce.  Starting from Term 2, 2024, we are excited to announce the addition of a straight-style skirt, alongside our current skirt, which is available for purchase via our website, as part of our school uniform options. With the introduction of this new skirt, the older style straight skirt, which has not been available for over six years, will no longer be a part of our uniform. From Term 3, 2024, it will be considered a non-uniform item.  The new straight-style skirt is now currently listed on the Argyle website which can be viewed here.    

We want to highlight that Year 12 students who currently own the older style straight skirt will be exempt from this change. We understand that requiring them to purchase a new skirt for just two terms would be unfair. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation as we strive to enhance and update our uniform options to better suit the preferences and needs of our students.

Other important panui below:

Family Holidays taken during term time:                                                                                       
We have noticed a trend of parent condoned holidays taken during the school term. Please consider the effect this has on your child’s learning by taking holidays at this time.                
In general terms the Ministry of Education expects families to schedule holidays during the approved school holiday breaks.                                                                                                       
We have approximately 12 weeks of school holidays available each year to do so. Events like a Birthday are also not considered a valid reason for your child/ren being away from school.               
We do appreciate there may be some circumstances beyond the control of families whereby children will need to be away during term time, in this instance our school procedure is to email the Principal with the dates your child/ren will be absent from school and the reason why.                                                                                                                                                        
The Attendance Register will be coded as a “G” during their absence from school.  This code is one of the codes classified by the Ministry of Education as an ‘unjustified absence’.  We regularly monitor student absence and report to the Ministry of Education weekly and at the end of each term.                                                                                                                             
Email address for our Principal, Ben Claxton, is: [email protected]
                                                                                   

Ngā mihi

Ben Claxton
PRINCIPAL

                                               Careers Information

Upcoming career presentations for students
University of Waikato Scholarship Presentation Monday 20 May at 12.50pm in D16.

UCAT
The University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT ANZ) is an admissions test used by the UCAT ANZ Consortium of universities in Australia and New Zealand for their medical, dental and clinical science degree programmes. The test helps universities to select applicants with the most appropriate abilities and professional behaviours required for new doctors and dentists to be successful in their clinical careers. It is used in collaboration with other admissions processes such as interviews and academic qualifications. 
Here is the link to the UCAT information: https://www.ucat.edu.au/
If you are intending to sit the exam this year you must register by 17 May.
 
Overseas High School Exchange
If you want to know more about overseas High School Exchanges from Your Education, register your interest for one of their Online Information Sessions on Wednesday, 15th May 2024 at 6.00pm or 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 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
 
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
 
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!
 
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.
 
Mobile Health Group | Hauora Taiwhenua Rural New Zealand Health Scholarships are now open!
Four scholarships (with at least one targeted at Māori/Pasifika students), each valued at $5,000, will be offered to any rural secondary student entering their first year of full-time undergraduate study in Nursing, Medicine, or allied health related courses at any New Zealand Universities, Polytechnics, or PTEs. The closing date for applications is 5pm, 30th September 2024. For more information on how to apply and the eligibility criteria, see https://htrhn.org.nz/news-media/scholarship/ 

Pathways Connect 
The Pathways Connect Programme connects secondary school students with employers in the Taupo District in one of the 6 vocational pathways industries. The first group of our Year 11 students will be starting their workplace visits next week.

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]

                                      Sporting News
   
Winter Sports Fixtures 

                                                Cactus programme
 
Prize winners:
Tori Barrett - Top Girl
Kieran Hutchinson - Top Boy
Shana Watkins - Wairua Prize - provided by The Kai Waho Experience
Samara Thatcher - Area Commanders Prize 

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”.