17 March, 2023 Newsletter

Kia Ora Tatou
 
Thank you to the community with regards to the cooperation with regards to the industrial action by the teaching staff. I would hope that a mutually agreeable solution the to pay and conditions issue can be found. It is important that the teaching profession is seen as attractive to graduates from university in order to recruit new teachers into the profession who are able to cope with the increasing numbers of school age children and also cover those teachers who are finishing their teaching career after many years of service to their communities.
 
If there is further industrial action we will communicate this to our community as soon as we are able to confirm the details.
 
Learning recognition Credits
Over the last 2-3 years senior students sitting NCEA have been compensated for the disruption to learning with Learning Recognition credits. This week NZQA have confirmed that Learning Recognition Credits will not be available to students.
 
COVID-19-related Learning Recognition Credits are not expected to be required for ākonga in 2023 because it is anticipated you will be able to address the ongoing impacts of COVID-19 through flexibility built into NCEA and your usual processes for managing disruption.
 
This is important for senior students to know and understand. It does mean that they must earn all of their credits and understand that they will not be given additional credits.
 
School attendance
As regular readers will be aware, we are having a focus on school attendance and aiming to have students above the 90% threshold for regular attendance. Once again I would like to remind whanau that students who feel unwell do need to report to the office and parents must also go to the office prior to picking up students.
 
The school will text parents when a student does not arrive at their timetabled class. I would also ask that parents are respectful when providing responses to these messages
 
SNOB
This week I have met with all of the Year 12 and 13 students who will be considering attending the Senior Night of the Ball (SNOB). I have been explicit to student about the expectation in order to be able to purchase a ticket and attend the event. Students must have an attendance rate of no less than 80%. All financial debts to the school for co-curricular activities must be cleared before a ticket can be purchased. We also expect that students who attend will have demonstrated the school values of:

• Respect
• Excellence
  
• Perseverance
  

Letters regarding student attendance have already been sent home and this week a letter to whanau of Y12+13 students has also been sent home explaining these expectations for the SNOB.
 
Finally
This is a long weekend with Otago Anniversary Weekend meaning Monday is a public holiday. I expect that students who may have missed work will spend some time catching up to ensure that the start the final weeks of the term feeling organized and prepared for assessments. I would also expect that students will enjoy some of the final days of longer daylight hours. Above all, have a good weekend!
 
Ka kite ano

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