Onslow College Newsletter
Issue 1, March 2015
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Ko Tarikākā te maunga Ko Waipāhīhī te awa Ko Onslow College te kura Tarikākā is the mountain Waipāhīhī is the river Onslow College is the school
From the Principal Dear Parents and Caregivers We have had a very demanding but also very positive first term and everyone deserves a lot of credit for the way we have got into routines and worked together to ensure progress. The building of our new Student Centre has created a lot of disruption but will be worth it once completed. The biggest issue was around access with the old link foyer doors blocked off and all student traffic having to go along the main corridor. We also had a temporary canteen in the quad and minimal covered areas. Thankfully the weather was kind to us and we have managed. The Student Centre will be a great facility for all students and will be in action next term. At the same time we have had four of our Maths rooms completely refurbished with another four to be done next term. This project is long overdue and will provide new and modern learning environments for our students and teachers. We also started the year on the back of pleasing NCEA results especially at Level One where we had a 92% pass rate - 7% above the 2013 result. Our Level Two results were comparative to similar decile schools and our University Entrance success rate was above. The only area for us to work on is our general Level Three where the results were down. Analysis shows that for a number of our students Level Three may not be their goal for the year however we would still like to see them have full choice for their future by achieving to potential. We have also seen some superb student leadership from our Year 13 Peer Support Leaders who have made the Year 9 transition to Secondary School a very easy one. To see these seniors in action made me very proud of them and they certainly provide role models for our juniors. There has been a number of very meritorious achievements during the term notably Tamara Anderson (Year 10) winning the Wellington Schools Tennis Champs, Noah Billingsley being selected in the NZ under 20 football team, Year 9 Student Hui Ling Vong has been selected to represent New Zealand to compete in the Oceania Junior Championships & Cadet Challenge (Table Tennis). Alex Rivett (Year 12) has been selected as part of the New Zealand Judo Team to compete at the Oceania Judo Championships, and Lennex Drummond (Year 13) has just returned to College having spent a week on the Gold Coast for Karate. Our 1st XI Cricket Team are co-leader of the College premier grade and our large rowing crew performed well at Maadi Cup, with the highlight being Hayden Roberson’s
Silver Medal in the U18 Boys single sculls. In other areas our Physics team easily won the National Young Physicists competition with two members now trialling for the national team. We have had the successful music camp and our groups are looking as talented as ever. Finally I will be away from school on sabbatical for Term Two. In this time I intend to research latest trends and innovations in schools, attend a superb conference in Brisbane and enjoy some time to travel through Europe including a ‘bucket list’ trip to Gallipoli. I am grateful to Penny Kinsella who will be Acting Principal in that time and Rachel Parsons who will be Acting Deputy Principal. Best wishes
Peter Leggat
principal@onslow.school.nz
2014 Scholarship Results Congratulations to the following students who gained Scholarships in the 2014 exams.
Rashaad Azam Callum Bedford Nicholas Bell Josh Blackmore Fergus Bramley Nikhil Chand Janice Chin Sophia Dempsey David Duggan Joshua Ho
Hamish Hunn Alex Ker Anna Lin Samantha McGough Emily McKane Connor Moody Luke O'Donovan Ryan Palmer Charlotte Patterson Annabelle Wride
You can find this newsletter and other information, including a calendar of school events, at: www.onslow.school.nz Please e-mail any success stories for students of Onslow College to: success@onslow.school.nz
NCEA Update Assessment Dates The end of year 2015 NCEA and Scholarship external examination timetable is available on the college website and the NZQA website. Internal Assessment Dates Information of the internal assessment dates can be found using the Calendar Preview control on the Onslow College Spider. The view is customised to the student's timetabled classes. At school this can be accessed via the IESpider icon and at home on the Onslow College website through the parent portal. This information will Indicate the date/week of the assessment. Some courses have flexible assessment throughout the year so it is not possible to identify specific weeks. The actual days for the assessments are provided by classroom teachers. Occasionally finalised assessment weeks do have to change. Departments will provide this information at least two weeks before the due date. Course information booklets Detailed course information has been given to students in subject course information booklets. These will also be posted on the college website in the next few weeks so parents and students can download a replacement copy. Paper copies of the 2014 NCEA Certificates and Records of Achievement NZQA no longer posts this material to students automatically. Students must order the paper copies they require using the Learner Login section of the NZQA website. The National Student Number (NSN) is needed and it can be found on the students’ January School Results Summary. Student National Qualifications Handbooks All year 11s and senior students new to the college have received a green Student Assessment Handbook describing NCEA, outlining responsibilities and explaining the support we give students. It is crucial that parents read this booklet so that penalties for late work or cheating are understood by everybody. The booklet also explains the appeals process should a student want to challenge an assessment grade or some other decision. Please ensure the 'Onslow College Senior School Requirements' form is signed and returned to form teachers. Years 12 and 13 will be given a handout reminding them about all the NCEA processes. It also includes important university entrance information. All this material will be put on the college website in the Curriculum section but if you have any queries the Deans and Esme Danielsen are happy to help. Staff News Last month we welcomed Miriama Pere to the College as our Kaiako Te Reo Māori and Jo Claridge as our new Guidance Counsellor. English Learning Area For 10 weeks in Term Two, Marilyn Wild Learning Area Leader (LAL), English will be on sabbatical. In that time, Steve Mitchell will step up to be Acting LAL and Donna Wheeler will be Acting Assistant LAL.
Term two 2015 – important dates April Monday 20 Wednesday 22 Monday 27
Term two starts Senior Parent Teacher Conferences ANZAC day observed
May Wednesday 13 Thursday 21 Tuesday 26 Friday 29
Half Day Form Class Photos Stage Challenge Teacher only day
June Monday 1
Queen’s Birthday holiday
Thursday 11
Inter College debate vs Newlands
Thursday 18
Open Evening
July Friday 3
End of Term two Parent Portal
When you are next in the Parent Portal, please check your contact details and if there are any details that need updating please email changes through to info@onslow.school.nz. This includes telephone numbers and addresses. Parent Teacher Association (PTA The PTA were pleased to once again assist with the Year 9 Tea in February. It was wonderful to see many new faces and we know you will enjoy your time at Onslow College. Congratulation to Lois Hart who won our raffle at the year 9 tea. Other events for us this term, were the Parent Conferences (where we re-hydrate the teaching staff) and serving supper at the Love Bites Parent Information Evening. We will be selling raffle tickets at both the Junior and Senior Report Evenings, so please remember our wallets. Proceeds from raffle sales go directly back to the College via items purchased and donated by the PTA. There are opportunities to assist with PTA events both during the day and in the evening. If you are interested in helping, but are not sure what is involved - please feel free to contact us to discuss options. Our Annual General Meeting was held in March and all positions have been filled for the year. Our willing helpers list continues to grow and we thank the people who give of their time to assist the PTA in this way. If you would like to find out more about being part of the parent team at Onslow College, we warmly welcome you to attend a meeting. Our meeting schedule is on the school website (under the Community drop down box). Meetings start at 7.30pm and are held in the school library. Contact the PTA via email - pta@onslow.school.nz
Help in the Library We have a group of parents who volunteer in the Onslow College Library for 20 minutes during the morning tea break to allow the library staff to go to morning tea with the rest of the staff. We have 2 people rostered on each weekday who usually alternate which week they do their duty. We are currently looking for people for Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays and backups for all days. If you would like to help in the Library (please let me know which days of the week you are available) or you have any questions I would love to hear from you. Please email dinesh.chand@xtra.co.nz or phone me on 4770769 or 021 572468. Thanks very much Jo Ager Onslow College PTA Library Co-ordinator
The year 10 Textiles class have taken on the 2015 NICU quilt challenge. They are currently making the cot quilts they have designed for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Wellington hospital. The quilts are given as gifts to the families of babies in the unit on Mother’s day. We would love any fabric donations - so that we can turn our ideas into wonderful gifts. The hospital specifies: COTTON OR COTTON FLANNELETTE fabrics. A great excuse for a fabric stash spring clean! Deliveries can be made either to Ms Hannaway in T1 or to the school office next term Take a look at the 2014 class as they get their quilts ready for the Mother’s day quilt hand over: http://whf.org.nz/mothers-day-a-big-hit-in-wellington-childrens-hospital-neonatal-unit-and-delivery-suits/ Here are some of the 2014 quilts (finished and work in progress shots)
Around the School Japan Trip 2015 This annual or bi-ennial trip is scheduled to take place during the September/ October school holidays (departing Thursday 24 September and returning on either Saturday 10 or Sunday 11 October. This year the trip will be lead by Ms Harumi Hasegawa, our Japanese teacher. It includes four to five days sightseeing around Kyoto, Hiroshima, Himeji, Nara and Osaka followed by ten days at our sister school, Yamamura Gakuen, in Kawagoe, Saitama prefecture, Tokyo. The trip is a cultural exchange open to all Onslow students year 10 and above who are either learning Japanese or interested in experiencing another culture. Students will be living in homestays whilst based at Yamamura. We need a minimum number of students to proceed. A meeting will be arranged next term.
Market Day Year 11 Business and Economics (11BEC) will be holding a market day on Thursday the 7th of May and Monday the 11th of May in the school hall. This is part of assessment towards 6 level 1 NCEA credits in Business Studies and allows students to build on skills gained from the Business Challenge earlier in the year.
For further information please contact harumi.hasegawa@onslow.school.nz
Each market day will involve approximately 50 students selling a wide variety of products and 25% of any profits gained will be donated to the Onslow College Community Garden project. All staff and students are encouraged to start saving up any extra cash and come along on both days to support the 11BEC students. We will also aim to have pre sales for family and members of the wider Onslow College community so they too can show their support.
Summer Tournament Week CONGRATULATIONS! Onslow College sportspeople once again represented themselves and the school with pride over Summer Tournament Week (23—29 March). We had teams competing across the country in a number of different codes. Three Futsal teams competed at the National Champs here in Wellington, whilst not the results we were hoping for the teams all played with great heart.
Coming on the back of his results from the Maadi Cup, Hayden Roberston has been selected to attend the NZ Junior trial to be held at Lake Karapiro 12-18 April. The NZ Junior team will attend the 2015 World Junior Rowing Championships to be held on the Olympic course in Rio de Janiero in August.
Fundraising
At the Maadi Cup (rowing) we had 4 'A' finalists, 7 'B' finalists, 3 'C' finalists and 3 'D' finalists. The best result was the silver medal to Hayden Robertson in the U18 Boys single sculls. Onslow College also won a silver medal in the coxswains race. The Coxswains Race is a Maadi tradition which is chaotic and fiercely contested. Twenty or more fours and quads line up on Lake Karapiro for a 500m sprint to the finish. Of note is the two U15 Girls teams (coxed four and coxed octuplet) these are the first girls teams to reach finals in at least 12 years. Our Ultimate team came third and also took out the ‘spirit’ award at the 2015 NZSS Ultimate Champs held in Taupo. Bronze medalists and ‘spirit’ award recipients at the 2015 NZSS Ultimate Champs
Earlier in the month a team of 3 went to the NZ Secondary Schools Mountain Biking champs in South Auckland. Aidan Roberts, Finn Tse and Taylor Burling Claridge entered all three events starting with the downhill on Saturday 14th. Cross Country and Super sprint events were held on Sunday. The team finished a creditable 13th out of 30 teams nationwide. Our Canoe Polo team travelled up to Feilding, and had pleasing results over the weekend. More details to come. The Croquet national champs were held in Palmerston North—the Onslow College teams placed 14th and 15th respectively out of a field of 24. We had two athletes attend the North Island Secondary School Athletics Championships. Both our athletes received bronze medals at this event. Seamus Kane placed 3rd in the Intermediate Boys 3000m in a time of 9:15.92. Verona Conroy placed 3rd in the senior Girls 800m (2:21.91) and 9th in the Senior Girls 1500m in a time of 15:01.54. What a fantastic result – we look forward to their achievements at the National event later in the year. Also played over the latter half of summer tournament week was the Regional Gillette Cup Cricket competition. The 1st XI started the competition well with a convincing win over Scots College, but drawn in a pool with Wellington College and HIBS it was always going to be a challenge. The team went down to both Coll and HIBS, with HIBS progressing to the regional final. In the local Premier Grade, the team is currently first equal.
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Order either Membership before 20 April 2015, and you'll receive over $150 worth of Early Bird Offers which you can use straight away! Further information available from: Kathie.stobbs@onslow.school.nz