Term 2, Week 2, 2024

From the Principal Tēnā  koutou, e te whānau o Howick College, One of my favourite Māori proverbs is: Whaia te iti kahurangi ki te tuohu koe me he maunga teitei. Aim for the highest cloud, so that if you miss, you will hit a lofty mountain. This proverb is relevant for any individual, group, or organisation seeking to improve their performance. At Howick College, we have established a new strategic plan that builds on the great progress of the past while  quite clearly setting new goals for the future. The theme of the plan is to "expect more." By raising our expectations, both collectively and individually, we can greatly improve our performance. I witness examples of this in action every day at our college as our students and staff embrace the notion of striving to be the best possible version of themselves. We see it in the effort made to adhere to the new uniform regulations and the new expectations regarding mobile phone use and behaviour. The staff also contribute by setting high expectations and expecting more. Last Saturday, our 1st XV rugby team played a promotion/relegation match with entry into the 1A division of the Auckland Secondary Schools Rugby Competition at stake. In previous years, we have opted not to participate in this match as the team felt unprepared for the top division. However, this year was different. The boys set their sights high, put in tremendous effort, and were determined to win. Even though they lost, they can still take pride in the significant improvement achieved by setting the bar high. While they may not have reached the highest cloud, they certainly hit a lofty mountain, thereby laying a solid foundation for the rest of the season. Have a great weekend. Dale Burden Principal/Tumuaki

Key Dates Monday 13 May Paid Union Meeting. School will close at 12:00pm.  Wednesday 15 May Parent Interviews (4:00 - 7:00pm) School will close at 1:40pm Friday 17 May Pink Shirt Day Saturday 18 May Senior School Ball Friday 31 May Teacher Only Day Uxbridge Fridays@12 Concert Monday 3 June Kings Birthday Observed (Public Holiday)   Wednesday 5 June School Board Meeting   Friday 21 June Howick College Food Festival   Friday 28 June Matariki Observed (Public Holiday)

Paid Union Meeting - Early Closure

We would like to remind parents and caregivers that there will be a regional PPTA paid union meeting on Monday 13 May from 1:00pm - 3:00pm. All PPTA staff members are required to attend. Therefore, due to the resulting shortage of teaching staff, the school will close early at 12:00 noon.

The morning timetable will be amended as follows:
8:45am – 9:25am Period 1 (40 mins)
9:25am – 10:05am Period 2 (40 mins)
10:05am – 10:35am Interval (30 mins)
10:35am - 11:15am Period 3 (40 mins)
11:15am - 11:55pm Period 4 (40 mins)

Buses will run at 12:00pm
Please note: This excludes the Maraetai overflow bus which will run at the normal time.

Parent/Caregiver Interviews 

The second evening of interviews will be held on Wednesday 15 May, from 4:00pm to 7:00pm. Bookings can be made via the Portal on our website or by clicking here. When booking multiple interviews, please remember to allow time to get from one interview to the next.  Our campus map with highlighted interview rooms can be viewed here.

Please note: To accommodate preparation for the interviews, the school will close early at 1:40pm on both dates. Please see the ammended timetable below:

9:10am – 10:10am Period 1
10:10am – 11:10am Period 2 
11:10am – 11:40am Interval
11:40am - 12:40am Period 3 
12:40am - 1:40pm Period 4 

Buses will run from 1:40pm.  
This excludes the Maraetai overflow bus which will run at the normal time.

Literacy & Numeracy NCEA Co-requisites Timetable

All students in Year 10 and seniors without the Literacy and Numeracy NCEA Co-requisites will be sitting the new tests in Weeks 4 and 5 of this term. All students have been informed. Please support your child by ensuring they know where and when to attend. The Year 10 assessment timetable can be found here.
Senior students who have yet to attempt or achieve the co-requisites, will receive a personalised timetable detailing the sessions they must attend.

If you would like more information regarding the new tests, please see our website.

Sisters United - Young Queen's Scholarship Programme

Young Queen's Scholarship recipients make the most this year's camp.

Young Pasifika "Sisters" celebrate their cultural heritage.

The Sisters United Young Queen's Scholarship programme is a prestigious initiative designed to empower young Pacific women like Year 13 students Maia Anitele'a and Valentine Lemafa in their pursuit of academic and personal excellence. Grounded in sisterhood, leadership, and cultural pride, this scholarship provides financial support, mentorship, skill development, and a supportive community. Through partnerships with educational institutions and community leaders, Sisters United aims to nurture the next generation of Pacific leaders, instilling in them a sense of identity, purpose, and the tools needed to succeed.

As a mentor in the Sisters United programme, Maia Anitele'a reflects on how, in just two months, the scholarship programme has transformed her outlook and ignited aspirations she once deemed unattainable. Describing it as opening her eyes to a greater future, she is grateful for the hope instilled by the programme and the sisterhood it fosters. Feeling more confident in her skills and networking abilities, she now approaches her future goals with excitement and a sense of peace.

Maia values the supportive culture of the programme, saying, "The sisters I've met have become dear to my heart, uplifting me to strive for personal excellence as a leader and an individual." She recommends the scholarship to young Pacific women, highlighting its promotion of authentic Pacific excellence and pride in their heritage. Inspired by her elder "sister's" advice - "The world is my oyster" - Maia is determined to seize opportunities and become the "boss" leader she aspires to be.

NZ World Vision Youth Conference

Earlier his week, Kate Donnell (Y12), Harnain Dhaliwai, (Y11) and  Evie Hollyman (Y11), attended the World Vision Youth Conference at The Trusts Arena in Henderson. The conference aims to equip senior students on their journey to becoming the leaders and global citizens the world needs. Our students heard from inspiring leaders about topics ranging from the environment and climate change, to mental health. They were able to network with like-minded students from around Auckland and discuss important issues that face our world today. With the 40 Hour Challenge taking place on June 21st, this was a fantastic experience for our students as they prepare to organise the Howick College challenge.

Flash Fiction Writing Competition 

Once again, our Y9 -13 English students had the chance to show off their creative writing skills in the termly Flash Fiction Writing Competition. Each term, students are challenged to to produce a creative and interesting piece of writing based on a specific set of criteria. In term 1, students had just 50 words to tell the reader  "What happened next?"

Congratulations to the following year level winners:
Year 9 - Cindy Hua
Year 10 - Libby Morgan
Year 11 - Michael Frase
Year 12 - Zaira Lopez
Year 13 - Meara Carlson

From left: Principal Dale Burden, Libby Morgan, Cindy Hu, Michael  Fraser, Zaira Lopez and Meara Carlson

Fridays@Twelve Concerts

The popular Fridays@Twelve concerts are back for 2024! Where: UXBRIDGE Arts & Culture Centre When: Friday, 31 May at 12:00 noon. Admission: Just $5:00 at the door. Our talented musicians are practicing hard and looking forward to entertaining you with a variety of styles and musical genres. This year, alongside our  fabulous Howick College Jazz Band, String Orchestra and Choir, there will also be solo and duet vocal performances as well as a rock band! See you there!

Pink Shirt Day 2024

All staff and students are encouraged to wear pink on Friday 17 May in support of “Pink Shirt Day”. Pink Shirt Day aims to raise awareness and help create a positive school environment free from bullying where everyone feels safe and valued and diversity is celebrated. By taking part in Pink Shirt Day 2024, you will be doing your part to eliminate bullying by celebrating diversity and promoting kindness and inclusion

Please note: Pink shirt day is a non-uniform day for those wearing major items of clothing (i.e. hoodies, sweatshirts, jackets, skirts, trousers etc.) that are pink.  If you are not supporting Pink Shirt Day, then you must come to school in your normal school uniform. No donation is required however, the normal rules surrounding appropriate non-uniform clothing apply.

Uniform Reminder As the days shorten and become a little chillier, we would like to remind students and caregivers that there are a number of warmer uniform options that students can choose from if they are feeling the cold. These include the following Howick College regulation items: Black waterproof jacket with crest Black V-necked jersey with crest Charcoal/white pinstripe ankle-length skirt Charcoal/white pinstripe trousers  Black/red Howick College scarf  Those wearing the knee-length skirt may also choose to wear black opaque stockings Singlets ONLY may be worn under the uniform shirt but must not be visible

PLEASE NOTE: Beanies, tee-shirts and thermals (short or long sleeved), hoodies, sweatshirts and any other non-regulation items are NOT permitted and will be confiscated as outlined in our Uniform Process.

Careers Department Up-Coming Careers Events Future Intention Workshops for Year 13 All workshops will be held in H3 at 10:00am Arts - Monday 13 May  Science - Tuesday 14 May Law - Wednesday 15 May  Apprenticeships - Thursday 16th May  All workshops will be held in H3 at 10:00am School Holiday Short Courses Sign ups are open for any year 12-13 student looking to attend a short course during the next school holidays. Please come to the careers department to find out more about what is available.   Howick College Book of the Week Katipo Joe by Brian Falkner "I have been accused of whitewashing the Nazi leadership in my memoirs. Some people say I make them seem human. But therein lies the problem. I saw these men up close. They were human. If we think of them only as monsters and demons we may lose sight of the fact that they were very much like you and I. They had the same number of eyes, ears and limbs. If we forget what humans are capable of, we risk it happening all over again." In Spycraft, Falkner's telling of the astonishing journey of Joseph St George (Katipo Joe) continues. A teenage boy recruited by MI5, Joe is this time on a mission to infiltrate an elite group of Hitler Youth. Joe travels to Germany, to the very heart of the Nazi spider web, where Adolf Hitler is making plans that will change the course of the war, and the course of Joe's life. In a world where one wrong word could bring catastrophe, he must compete with the other young people for a prize beyond his wildest dreams. But the consequences of failure are torture and death. From the war-torn skies over Germany, to the heights of the Eagle's Nest, this is Joe's story. Set amidst actual events, Joe's story is once again a tale of incredible heroism, unlikely romance and unbearable tragedy.   Suitable for all readers interested in war and adventure stories that are set against actual events from world history. Sports News Howick College Rugby  Boys 1st XV:  Our 1st XV faced off against Dilworth College last Saturday, vying for a promotion to the 1A 1st XV grade. Despite a valiant effort throughout the game, during which they scored two impressive tries, our team unfortunately fell to a strong and well-coordinated Dilworth squad, with a final score of 35-10. While the loss may sting, our spirits remain high as we look forward to continuing the season in the 1B 1st XV grade for 2024. Our next challenge awaits us this Saturday as we take on Onehunga College's 1st XV, in an away game at 12:00pm. See you there! Girls 7s On Tuesday 7 May, our girls' 7s team faced off against the Japanese powerhouse Kanto Gakuin Mutsuura, fresh from their impressive 4th place finish in the 2024 Sunnix World School 7s tournament in Japan. During the tournament, Kanto Gakuin Mutsuura delivered an impressive 20-0 victory over the 2023 NZ Condors Champions, Manukura School. Kanto Gakuin Mutsuura were in New Zealand for a six-day trip training camp, starting with sessions at the NZR High-Performance 7s rugby base in Tauranga. Comingdon't use teh word  from a win against Mt Albert Grammar on Monday, they faced Howick College in what proved to be a an exciting match on a very warm afternoon. Congratulations to our girls, who took the win with a score of 27-12. As they now transition back into 15s mode, the team is preparing up for their inaugural 15s competition against Rosehill College at home on Monday, May 13th.  Black Belt for Conrad Hynes Conrad with Howick College Judo coach, Mr Ben Uy.   Last weekend, Year 13 student Conrad Hynes, reached a significant milestone in his judo career. Over the past year, Conrad has represented New Zealand in various judo competitions in Hong Kong, Macau, Perth, and Canberra, consistently achieving top-five finishes or medalling in each event. At a recent Judo New Zealand event, Conrad accomplished a long-awaited goal by earning his black belt. This achievement requires not only rigorous training but also accumulating points through successful competition performances. After a successful tour in Australia where he secured the necessary points, Conrad passed his black belt test over the weekend with ease. Conrad's journey towards obtaining his black belt is a testament to his dedication to the sport and his ability to perform under pressure. His accomplishment demonstrates what can be achieved through hard work and perseverance. Congratulations, Conrad! You are a wonderful role model for our aspiring young athletes. Sports Notices Premier Weekend Games  NETBALL Date: Saturday 11 May Venue: Auckland Netball Centre, Indoor Courts 11:30am - Premier 1 vs McAuley High School 10:30am - Premier 2 vs Pakuranga College   RUGBY  Date: Saturday 11 May Venue: Onehunga College Kick-Off: 12:00pm Howick College 1st XV vs Onehunga College 1st XV Auckland Gymsports Championships The College Sport Auckland Gymsports Championships for Artistic, Rhythmic, Trampoline & Tumbling will be held on Thursday 13 June 2024 at Pulman Recreation Centre, Takanini. If you would like to be entered into an event please contact Mrs Tanya Parsons, in the Sports Department, [email protected]. Follow Sport @ Howick College For sports draws, results and the latest sports news, follow Howick College Sports on Facebook and Instagram or visit the Sports page on the Howick College website by clicking on the icons below.        Community News Howick Rotary - Blankets 4 Kids 4 Winter Winter is on its way and the unfortunate truth is that many families in the community will not have enough blankets to keep their kids warm on winter nights. If you have spare blankets that you would like to donate, please see the flyer below for community drop of points. If you would like to make a monetary donation instead, please go to https://howickrotary.org.nz/ Thank You for Your Support!