This infrastructure allows staff to focus on their core responsibilities as we look to the future. A special thanks to Mac and the Board for their foresight in initiating and supporting these important developments.
Visits to NPBHS This year we welcomed 10 Thailand headmasters from Srinagarinda (The Princess Mother Group of schools) to our school as part of our Memorandum of Understanding agreement, linked with an agency in Thailand and aimed at recruiting students here. The headmasters were impressed with what we can offer and we are therefore, hopeful that this new relationship will see a regular intake of Thai students to our school in the future.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS Back Row: Jenrick Bagayas, Harald Movick, Gilmour Kaltongga, Sebastien Reul, Peter Huang, Exequiel Bahamonde Carcamo, Koki Sakaguchi
We also had a visit from Study NZ (a Tauranga-based agency
Second Row: Mr K. Gledhill, Tony Kalorib, Roberto Sanchez-Gutierrez, Nico Skelton, Joseph Lee, Roger Ting, Chaitanya Bansal, Jyoti Prasad, Mrs C. Campbell-Smart (Homestay Co-ordinator)
equally impressed with our school’s facilities, and opportunities
Front Row: Wilson Liang, Mike Koesomboon, Daniel Choi, Viren Manglani, Kai Nakamura, Matai Kaltabang, Jack Tan, Jemin Lee Absent: Mrs S. Rowe (ESOL), Meli Naholo, Vince Kalsakau, Dilpreet Singh
specialising in recruiting from Germany and Chile) who were available for overseas students. This relationship has already borne fruit with a commitment for two new students to enrol in 2015. We also had a fleeting visit from Losa and Chris Kaltabang, as
At the end of the year we had a major farewell to our five year 13 students who have each made a huge contribution to this school, with a morning tea, speeches, and presentation of their leaving
representative’s from the IFIRA trust in Vanuatu to check on their Nie Vanuatu boys. This is an important and long-standing relationship with regular students enrolling each year.
certificates.
Marketing
Mac spoke of the boys’ achievements as we celebrated their final
This year as Director, I travelled to the ICEF-organised Japan- Korea
days before going on exam leave.These boys were: Viren Manglani, Kai Nakmaura, Vince Kalsakau, Matai Kaltabang and Jack Tan.
workshop held in Tokyo and Seoul in February for 2 days apiece, where agents meet with school representatives and promote their
At this time also, Sebastien Reul who was not sitting NCEA exams
school.
began his two week programme of community service work, also
I also visited Ikubunkan High School (an established recruitment
linking up with Spotswood College students in aspects of their programme.
source) and met up again, with Ryutaro Kawata, an International student here in 2013.
Staffing
I also attended the NZ schools’ workshop in Auckland in August,
This year saw the introduction of a new infrastructure for the International Department. Mr Gledhill as Director became full
which is another agent-meeting place for agencies who only focus on the NZ market, to meet school representatives.
time in this role: Mrs Shirley Rowe relinquished her homestay
I also attended the two day annual Education NZ workshop and
role and took up a new position as Dean of International students
conference in Wellington in August, which is a valuable networking
alongside the all-important ESOL specialist teaching role.
exercise, where vital contacts are made and to gain a greater
We welcomed Mrs Cathy Campbell-Smart to the Department, who has responsibility in a part-time capacity for the Homestay needs of our students and some office management tasks. The Homestay role is an important one for it involves not just the selecting, vetting and correspondence with homestay host families (day boy students as well as all Hostel International students for the two week holiday breaks) but also the necessary monitoring and visits as required by the NZ education Code of Conduct for the Pastoral Care of International students, with which all schools must comply.
understanding of the role of Education NZ in this process. This year has also seen a new initiative being established with both PIHMS and WITT, as we look to promote a pathway from secondary school to a tertiary education. Brochures have been prepared to promote this initiative. Mac, in his role with World School, visited Vladivostok in Russia and met with various people who are keen to look at Russian enrolments. PHIMS also has a hotel management training facility set up in that city. This initiative is in its early stage, but in this business one must seek out all possible avenues for future recruitment. Venture Taranaki have also been instrumental in establishing Education Taranaki as an entity to promote the Taranaki Region and its schools, and I have been involved in this project. There are many regional educational entities in NZ including Study Southland, Bay of Plenty, Hawkes Bay, Wellington, Auckland
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