ISSU E
108
FEBR UAR Y
Aorere College Newsletter
2021
this issue
Contact Information
Principal’s Message P.1 & 2
School Website: www.aorere.ac.nz School Email: office@aorere.ac.nz Facebook: Aorere College
This is my first newletter as Principal of Aorere College. I have been at Aorere for the past 6 years as Associate Principal and I am proud to step up into the Principal role and continue important work on raising student achievement and developing well-rounded citizens. There are important challenges ahead with the planned changes to NCEA and a greater emphasis on literacy and numeracy skills, however, yet again we are having to deal with the immediate issue of another lockdown.
Online learning It was a surprise for all of us to be thrown into another lockdown at such short notice. We were well underway with plans to issue chrome books to students who need access to a device for learning last week. Last year we issued nearly 1000 chrome books to students, and we anticipate that a similar number will need to borrow one again this year.
We will start to issue these tomorrow [Wed 17/2] to Year 12 and 13 students and work will be placed in Google Classroom from tomorrow [17/2]. Chrome books will be issued to Year 11 on Thursday 18/2. Paper based work for Year 9 and 10 students will be placed on the website tomorrow. We will issue junior students with chrome books next week. Parents of Year 9 and 10 students will need to pick up and sign for chrome books. Roll growth We have had a positive start to the year with our junior school, in particular, well turned out in immaculate school uniform. We are very full. Our roll has grown to about 1650 students which is a pleasing reflection of the support our local community has for Aorere College. Our junior school alone numbers 800 students. As a result of roll growth, we are unable to take out of zone students in Years 10-13. Currently, we have a lot of pressure on classroom space. We cannot keep making more classes as we don’t have sufficient rooms or teachers to offer them. We are aiming to keep classes in the junior school to a reasonable level to create optimum conditions for learning. Core Values and Principles More than ever, it is really important that our students have a good understanding of the core school values represented in the AO Way [Attitude and Organisation] so that our school is able to function harmoniously and so that school is a place where our students thrive. Last week students were reminded of this in assembly, where I spoke of key principles that underpin our school: Whanaungatanga: Building respectful relationships amongst ourselves and the wider community, which celebrate our lives and cultures
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Manaakitanga: Demonstrating inclusive actions and attitudes towards each other, through supporting others with friendship and care Tikanga: Knowing what is right and appropriate to say and do in a variety of contexts and representing the school in a way which enhances our mana Rangatiratanga: Developing chiefly qualities of leadership when we take repsonsibility for the well-being of each other so that all can thrive and be successful
Year 13 Timetable This year, we have a new timetable for Year 13 students. Year 13 students are expected to take their study line at home. Students cannot come to school to study as we do not have the classroom space or teachers to accomodate them. This is, however, a really good way for students to prepare themselves for the reality of tertiary study. We intend to continue our approach of blended learning across the school, where lessons and resources are available online. Year 13 students also have 3 hour teaching blocks on some lines. This is to enable a deeper level of concentration and also to allow students to work two days a week if necessary. This option requires parent and employer agreement, and a strong commitment by the student to attend school regularly on the scheduled days. It is really important that Year 13 students attend school regularly. Missed days will result in students missing significant chunks of Page 1 learning.
ISSU E
108
FEBR UAR Y
Aorere College Newsletter
2021
With the greater emphasis being placed on Literacy and Numeracy in the NCEA qualification, we have allocated more time to literacy and numeracy learning in the junior school. We introduced the Reciprocal Teaching strategy 5 years ago and we have seen good improvement in reading achievement. For the last few years we have also been working at improving student writing. This will continue and be scaled up this year, in preparation for the new NCEA literacy standards. Likewise, there will be increased focus on numeracy skills in preparation for the new NCEA numeracy standard.
NCEA Results We are enormously proud of the achievements of our students last year. Despite the fact that 8 weeks of school based learning were lost to Covid lockdowns, our students performed beyond expectation, particularly at Level 1. 72% of Yr 11 students gained Level 1, 66% of Yr 12 students gained Level 2 and 70% of Yr 13 students gained Level 3. In addition to this, over 50% of eligible students gained University Entrance. This is a credit to all of our students who pushed on determinedly to gain qualifications and whānau who supported their efforts. It is also a credit to our teachers who worked with a similar level of determination to ensure student success.
Electronic Gate We have recently installed an electronic gate. The gate requires visitors to be buzzed in. If you are visiting the school you will need to stop at the yellow bollard and push the button to alert reception, who will open the gate for you. The gate is electronically controlled on the drive and the pedestrian footpath. The gate will be opened at 7am and will close at 9am. Please ensure your children get to school on time. Between 9 and 10am the gate will be opened every 20 minutes for latecomers. After this, stduents will need to push the button to be let in. Normal late processes will apply. Late students must go to Student Services to get a pass to enter class. Much valuable learning time is lost each week when students are late to school. It is important for students to be on time to make the most of their learning opportunities. Late students disrupt the learning for other students and the teacher.
Scholarships Four Year 13 students are to be particularly congratulated for their results in the 2020 Scholarship exams. These students all gained an Outstanding Scholarship in Photography: • Metuisela Ngata - Top scholar in New Zealand • Aigagalefili Fepulea’i Tapua’i • Reece Valamaka • Kevin Vi
Free Lunches Aorere College is excited to be part of a new government initiative where a free lunch will be provided for each student each day. We are currently in the process of selecting a supplier of lunches and we anticipate that we will start offering them mid-March. We will advise you of the date as soon as it is confirmed. This will be a big help for families in our community and we welcome this as an opportuntiy for students to sit down and share lunch together. The lunches provided will meet healthy eating guidelines set down by the Ministry of Education. Halal and vegetarian options will be available.
Also to be congratulated is their teacher, Mr Limi Manu. Limi worked tirelessly last year to ensure that his students were not disadvantaged by the lockdowns and he took extensive efforts to prepare them well for assessment. Fighting: Aorere College has approximately 1650 students on the roll, and with a roll this size there will be conflict between students from time to time. Already this year, students have been instructed at assemblies as to who they can turn to should any type of conflict occur. We are also placing significant emphasis on whanaungatanga within the Aorere community, which includes students, parents and our staff.
Resorting to physical violence is never an acceptable solution to conflict, however, it does occur sometimes in the heat of the moment. These situations will be dealt with according to the clear disciplinary systems available to us. In contrast, pre-planned fights, either inside the school grounds or in public, will be referred to the Aorere College Board of Trustees for further disciplinary action. This could potentially include the exclusion of the students from this school.
Any person recording a fight and posting it to social media will be treated in the same way as a student fighting. The health and safety of our community is foremost in our procedures, and if a student has the ability and time to pre-plan a fight for a future time, then they also have the ability and time to follow correct procedures and involve the Deans, Counsellors, or SLT, or indeed ask their parents to contact us if they feel unsafe.
School Support Dog: Aorere College has added a new member to our whānau. Late last year the Aorere College Board of Trustees permitted us to have a school dog which will, in time, support students in various ways during the school day. The puppy is a female golden retriever and was born on Wednesday 3rd February. It will join us at school after Easter. For her first 6 months she will mainly be getting to know our school, and becoming familiar with the noise and numbers of students. Training, both on and off site, will take place so that the dog is confident in her role in the Guidance and Supported Learning programmes in our school. This is an exciting initiative aimed at further supporting all of the members in our school whānau. Students are encouraged to take part in a competition to name our dog. All students were sent a Google form last week and within the first 24 hours 171 students had entered with their choice of name. Please email Mr Boyd at sboyd@aorere.ac.nz if you have any questions regarding this initiative.
Nga Mihi Leanne Webb Principal
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