Tauranga boys' newsletter july 2014

Tauranga Boys’ College International Newsletter Term 2, 2014 Dear Parents, Agents, Homestay Parents and Students, Well once again we are ending an extremely busy term. Our International students have been involved in numerous activities in and out of the classroom. It is always so pleasing to witness our young men becoming more immersed into our school culture and community. We encourage our students to participate in either sports or cultural activities and I must say it has been most pleasing this term to see that more of our students have taken up this challenge of becoming more involved.

Recently our senior students completed their NCEA exams and also received their reports. I would like to encourage you as parents and homestay parents to help our boys establish a regular study programme as some of them require some guidance around this. I have suggested what they must now do to ensure success with their studies at the end of the academic year but your support with this would be much appreciated. We have also established a study support programme for any international student that requires extra assistance.

This will take place every Wednesday at lunchtime and we are fortunate enough to have a numerous number of year 13 mainstream students available to support our young men. I would also like to give a special mention to the following boys for achieving outstanding reports for this term:- Piyawat Singhsaneh (Boss), Simon Keller, Daniel Hwang, Peter Zhu, and Nuttawat Mareongsit (Pond).

It is always a sad time at the end of Term 2 as we farewell some of our current students. They have been an amazing group of young men who have been an absolute delight to have at our school. I along with the other International Staff wish them all the best as they return to their families. It just seems like yesterday they arrived all shy and nervous about what lay ahead.

I am confident that they have now LFarewell to all our Leavers, and best wishes for the future fulfilled their dream and made the most of every opportunity given to them. I always take the time at the beginning to reassure new students and parents about how well they will be looked after. I also talk to the boys about when they arrive at this school as a boy, hopefully by the time they leave Tauranga Boys’ College they will be leaving as a better man.

I feel immensely proud of the achievements and obstacles that our international students face on a daily basis. I along with other people are in constant awe of the challenges that our boys are faced with. However, as time passes these challenges turn into accomplishments for them and to witness this change is indeed one of the many rewards of being involved with various cultures from around the world.

Next term we will welcome another 15 students to our school and of course you as homestay families will no doubt welcome them into your homes. We as a school appreciate the ongoing care and support you give our young men. It is always reassuring to know that we have some of the best homestay families in Tauranga caring for our boys.

Finally, I would like to personally thank both Mrs Adams and Mrs Mason for all their hard work this term. We wish all our boys a safe holiday and look forward to welcoming them all back again next term.

Warmest Regards Annette Roff Director of International Students

International Trip to Blo Cart - Papamoa On Friday 16th May, we had our Term 2 International Trip to Papamoa to take part in Blocarting.

Type to enter text The boys had a great time, with blocarting, driftbikes and a sausage sizzle kindly cooked by Mrs Adams and Mr Ingoe.

Recount of a day in Town

by Keita Yamamoto Last holiday I went to Auckland with my family. We met friends and stayed one night. We watched the Blues vs Reds game. It was fun. I took pictures of many rugby players. I met an old friend with my family which we all really enjoyed and went back to their house after the game.

The next day my father’s friend gave me a Warriors jersey. After we went to eat lunch with friends, it was nice. After lunch we watched another rugby game. Ponsonby is a good team. We watched the first half then we went back to Tauranga. It was a very good holiday. I like Auckland. I want to live in auckland with my family. I want to go again.

Keita plays at number 9 for Tauranga Boys’ U15 Rugby team and is very good with the boot!

Keita Yamamoto pictured with the ball

ESOL

By Damon Ingoe Although Term 2 is shorter than 1, it has nonetheless been as busy. With students from both the EAP 1&2 class and our Foundation class actually putting into practice what they learnt in term 1 for NCEA Unit Standards for ESOL. There has been a lot of hard work done by our students to earn credits from Reading and Writing Unit Standards, such as “Filling in Forms” and “Write Recounts on Familiar Topics”. It has given the students an opportunity to prove that their English skills are getting better and better.

Not only is success being achieved in the ESOL National curriculum, but also our boys should be proud of their achievements across the wider curriculum. With the recent initiative of hosting Science and Math exams and assessments for International students in the ESOL classroom, students have had the opportunity to have the often lengthy and complicated English within the questions explained to them. Naturally enough, knowing exactly what is required of them by fully understanding the actual questions, they have produced a series of Merit and Excellence results from assessments…well-done boys!!!

Mr Ingoe presenting Lee Zhou with ESOL student of the term. Well done Lee!!

A special congratulations, to Simon Keller, a phenomenal achievement given the amazing fact that he started wrestling when he arrived. Simon was selected for the New Zealand under 68 kg class…our first International student to reach national standing in a sport. Good on ya mate!!

Finally, congratulations to our boys leaving us this term, Sebastian, Felix, Jean-Francois, Lovis, Malte, Marvin, Rasmus, Julian, and Max; without exception all students increased their scores on the Oxford University Test. A real credit to their efforts and they should all be proud of their achievements. I wish them all the very best of luck with their future endeavors and have a safe trip home.

Warm regards

Mr Ingoe

Mrs Roff, pictured on her recent visit to Hong Kong and China with some of our boys parents.

HOMESTAY CORNER .We are nearing the end of Term Two and it has been a very busy term, with new students to place and organisation while Mrs Roff was in China.

I’m sorry that we have not managed to have an official homestay function there just has not been time but I would like to take this opportunity to thank those homestays who took their students over to Hobbiton, unfortunately I was unable to attend as my 101 year old grandmother passed away and we farewelled her on the same day, but from what I have heard you all enjoyed your visit.

It is also that time of the year that we say farewell to a number of students and I would like to take this opportunity to wish them well for the future and to thank their homestay families for the wonderful care you have taken of them.

House Keeping: With the holidays upon us just a reminder of the process around approval to leave Tauranga. We require the completed ‘Permission to Leave Tauranga’ form in no later than one week prior to your trip. Students are required to contact their natural family for their permission in writing. This will speed up the process of approval for every one concerned.

The permission letters from home can be either attached to the form before handing it in or you can have the parents email it directly to me l.adams@taurangaboyscollege.school.nz Failure to follow these instructions will result in students not being allowed to go, so please don’t book any travel until you have approval. The leave forms are available in the International section on the school website, or your student can pick one up from our office.

Just a Reminder: If your student is staying with another homestay family for a night or two you must text message me to let me know. It is important that we know where our students are at all times. Please note students may only stay with an approved homestay family. It is very important that you contact the other homestay and make sure that your student is staying with them and that they will be home and are happy with the arrangement. Always know where your student is and what they are doing!!

We must get natural parents permission if students want to participate in any dangerous sports eg shooting, diving, jet boating, white water rafting, bungee jumping etc. If you are not sure if a sport is considered dangerous or not please contact myself or Mrs Roff before booking.

If you are having a new student next term (long stay or short) you should have received confirmation details by now via email. If you haven’t please give me a call ASAP. My Hours: I’m available in the office from 9.30am until 1.30pm Monday - Friday but if you need me for an emergency I can be contacted on my mobile any time My mobile number is (021) 946 374 please try to keep after office hours calls to urgent matters only as with 40+ boys you can imagine that if everyone calls me for minor things I get very little private time with my family. Thank you for your understanding with this.

I will be available on mobile only over the school holidays!!!!!!!!

The school office will be shut for the holidays from Monday 7th July and will reopen on the first day of term Monday 21st July.

DATES For Your DIARY First day of Term 3, Monday 21st July International Ski Trip , 18th, 19th & 20th August (details to come next term).

Homestay Social Get together, (date to be confirmed next term) Tauranga International Boys’ and Girl’s social get together, (date to be confirmed next term) Last day of Term 3, Friday 26th September

OUT and ABOUT Girls College Get Together Even though it has been a short 9 week term, we still managed to squeeze in a social get together with Tauranga Girl’s College International Department after school on Thursday, 19th June at 10 Pin Bowling. The boys enjoyed the bowling and playing snooker with the girls. Next term it is our turn to arrange an outing.

Lee Zhou, Leo Feng & Jim Chang

Jean Francois Matter and Sebastian Prieler

HOBBITON MOVIE SET VISIT

Justin Chen, Aaron Ko, Shawn Liu & Peter Zhu

Earlier in the term, Homestays took the opportunity to visit Hobbiton with their homestay sons and families.

This is proving to be a very informative and interesting outing for students interested in the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movies.

Sebastian Prieler, Simon Keller and Lino Zimmerman

Thoughts from a Leaver

by Felix Engelhard New Zealand, the first country that came up in my mind, when I started thinking about a student exchange abroad.

Tauranga Boys’ the first college I was thinking about spending a year of study.

These two choices are probably the most important and the best choices I ever made.

My first couple of weeks of living here felt really different to my life in Germany. Living together with people I have never met before, and of course visiting a new school, Tauranga Boys’ College gave me a lot of opportunities.

For example I met so many awesome people throughout the year including my lovely host family.

While living in this new environment I learned a lot of things about people and about myself. Being able to be in the nice position of visiting such a great school gave me ideas how to improve life skills like ‘managing yourself’ and of course other important things in life.

If I would need to describe my year in New Zealand with one word I would use the word ‘fun’. My year was stacked full of action.

Getting in touch with new sports like Rugby was a lot of excitement and action, together with the easy way of life people have everywhere. Things like the Outdoor Education camps (Mountain Biking, Kayaking, Surfing etc), became awesome things to experience.

I really enjoyed being in the TBC Mountain Bike team, because of having regular trainings it was a good way for me to get in track with Kiwis.

To conclude I can say that Tauranga Boys’ College really was a great way for me to be ‘Better than Before’, achieve new goals and have a lot of fun.

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS Justin Chen has been selected by Education New Zealand to represent the thousands of International students that study here in New Zealand. This is a real honour as Justin will have the opportunity along with some other successful candidates to share his own experiences about education and lifestyle in New Zealand. He will also be able to recommend to Education New Zealand changes that may need to be made to ensure that we as a country are providing a quality service. Therefore, we are extremely proud of Justin and wish him all the best in Wellington.

Justin Chen pictured with Mr Mangan (Principal)

Congratulations to Simon Keller Student of the year for Year 12.

Simon was also a recipient of ‘Good Report Morning Tea’ given by Mr Mangan.

Simon with Mrs Roff