Otumoetai College newsletter - Reflections Issue 1

Issue 1 - July 2020

Kia mÄ ramahia te ora e te akoranga

PURPOSE Let Learning Enlighten Life Ōtūmoetai College is an inclusive learning community where identity, optimism and challenge form the foundation for all learners to flourish in a dynamic world. The learning environment will enable students to achieve their personal best in their academic studies, the arts, sporting and cultural pursuits.

During their journey, our students will grow into powerful learners who embrace diversity, resilience and develop meaningful relationships with others.

This is our purpose and our commitment.

VALUES

Strive for excellence Kimihia tōu ake maungaga teitei Working together Whakakotahitanga Respect one and all Whakakoha tētahi ki tētahi Standing strong Tū pakari i te ao

Ōtūmoetai College Contacts Enrolments Greg Burnard (Deputy Principal) gburnard@otc.school.nz Office Gwen Livingston 576 2316 glivingston@otc.school.nz Friends of Ōtūmoetai College Emma Copeman pta@otc.school.nz Extra Curricular Contacts Sport Paul Braddock (Director) pbraddock@otc.school.nz Music Matt Bodman (HOD) mbodman@otc.school.nz Performing Arts Mandy Rowe (HOD) mrowe@otc.school.nz Māori Performing Arts Bobby Ketu (HOD) bketu@otc.school.nz

Features 03 08 12 13 14 19 20 21

Alert Level 4 Lockdown School Branding Our New Website An Interview with Year 13 Deans Student School Leaders 2020 Our Year 9 School Curriculum An Interview with our Head Counsellor Advice for Students Post Lockdown

Regulars 04 06 07 18 22 23 26 27 28 30 31

From the Principal Editorial Board of Trustees Chair School Achievement Sport New Staff New Students Impression of Ōtūmoetai College Celebrations and Tributes Where are they now?

From the Archives Calendar

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Alert Level 4 Lockdown Dear Parents / Family / Whanau Welcome to “Reflections”.

our

first

ever

issue

of

This is a termly publication where we can share with our community interesting aspects about our school life. We had anticipated this issue being sent out in late March, but as this picture aptly illustrates, Covid-19 had other ideas.

I would like to begin this issue by acknowledging the professionalism of our staff during this unprecedented period. I was extremely thankful for, and immensely proud of their amazing professionalism and resilience during this time. Teaching during lockdown meant staff had to face

challenges they normally would not face.

My advice to staff during this time was that they cannot expect the same of themselves or their students as they would in their physical classroom.

We have all experienced an extraordinary period of history. I wish to acknowledge the economic turmoil created by COVID-19 and the impact on a number of school families, along with the consequent stresses and strains of being housebound for significant periods of time. These impacts cannot be overstated. We have by and large navigated our way successfully through alert level 4 and we are enjoying being back together as a school community. Thank you for taking the time to read Issue 1 of “Reflections” and we hope to bring you Issue 2 later in Term 3.

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Right Mr Russell Gordon, Principal

Message from the Principal The role of principal is an absolute

experience equity in order that they

engaged

privilege and a deep responsibility.

can achieve their personal best. As

students, staff and the community in

The privilege is in being able to

such, it is my job to develop a

2019.

contribute or make a difference to

shared understanding around the

consultation

student learning and to improve their

direction of our school, which can be

College

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clearly understood and articulated by

captures our shared understanding

responsibility is to ensure that every

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as to why we exist as a school.

student receives quality learning

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Ōtūmoetai

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LET LEARNING ENLIGHTEN LIFE Ōtūmoetai College is an inclusive learning community where identity, optimism and challenge form the foundation for all learners to flourish in a dynamic world. The learning environment will enable students to achieve their personal best in their academic studies, the arts, sporting and cultural pursuits.

During their journey, our students will grow into powerful learners who embrace diversity, resilience and develop meaningful relationships with others.

This is our purpose and our commitment.

In order to give expression to our

future-oriented learners to look like at

life contexts beyond school.

purpose statement we must have a

the

at

We are therefore creating deliberate

clear understanding of what this looks

Ōtūmoetai College. This graduate

opportunities to incorporate these

like when it is applied to the learning

profile captures the skills, knowledge,

valued outcomes as part of the every-

journey of our students. Our college

and attitudes that our students, staff

day process of teaching and learning

Graduate Profile, which we shared in

and community fed back to us as

at this college in order to create

Term 1, is our way of communicating

being

powerful learners. Our definition of

this understanding of what we want

students to participate in a range of

end

of

their

important

five

to

years

enable

our

powerful learning is as follows:

.

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LEARNING AT ŌTŪMOETAI COLLEGE Powerful learning occurs through real world experiences and new situations which challenge what we think and know, inspiring us to want to learn more. Whatever the context, learners critique and construct new ways of knowing and being, thinking and doing, alone and with others, in school and out

Powerful learning is:

Connected: Knowing who we are and how we connect.

Expectations: Having a clearly communicated purpose for learning.

Focusing on the value of thinking and learning as outcomes, alongside the completion of work.

Contextualised: Learning builds on and challenges what is known, leading to the unknown.

Feedback/forward: Learners evaluating work to determine next, or new learning steps.

Environment: A space where learning is valued, nurtured, and celebrated, where learners feel safe to fail and succeed. A space where learning processes are visible through different modes of communication.

Framework: Enabling self-regulation, self- belief, and taking responsibility for learning outcomes. Learners see that outcomes depend on their efforts to generate, relate and / or extend ideas.

Ako: Where we learn from each other.

Language: Using a common language of learning to communicate and critique thinking. Thinking about thinking: Selfawareness of knowing how, and when, to use strategies for learning.

Teaching at Ōtūmoetai College is seen less as the process of delivering the

same curriculum to all students in the same year of school and more as the process of establishing where students are in their learning and providing appropriately targeted teaching and learning opportunities to allow all students to learn, grow and excel.

We are embarking on an exciting learning journey and I am so pleased that your children are a part of this.

Russell Gordon Principal

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Editorial Teenagers – The Trials and Tribulations Being a teenager today is hard work. Schools are currently preparing students for jobs that do not yet exist. These same jobs will be using technologies that are waiting to be invented, and will be used to solve problems that do not yet exist.

The role of education today is to produce students who know how to respond when faced with situations for which they were not specifically prepared. To prepare teenagers to thrive in a world of constant change requires schools to focus not only on content but also on character.

Schools should be committed to increasing student's resourcefulness and resilience, while, at the same time, developing their ability to be more reflective and reciprocal in their dealings with others.

It is true that life does not always play by the rules, but it was not all that long ago when we could be reasonably expected to plan the direction our lives

would take us. This is no longer true for teenagers today. It is hard to plan for change other than to be responsive to it. I sometimes wonder if the overrepresentation of teenagers in our negative statistics is a result of the high levels of stress they find themselves under due to the increasing responsibilities and complexities of life. If we as a society are not broadening the resources that young people have at their disposal to meet the demands they are experiencing, it seems logical that their attempts to cope may become increasingly desperate and dysfunctional.

Investing in the content of a student's character is a positive way to create some form of surety in their lives. This is not just the role of educators, but society in general. If you and I struggle with that idea, consider how we might fare if we were to start all over again and were confronted with the same trials and tribulations that our teenagers currently face.

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Right Mr Russ Browne – Board of Trustees Chairperson

Board of Trustees CHAIRPERSON Dear parents / family / whanau, it is my pleasure to be able to introduce myself as the Board Chair of Ōtūmoetai College.

My wife and I reside in Matua, and our two children have been educated at Ōtūmoetai College. I am the Managing Partner in a local accounting firm, Manning Warner Browne and am committed to good governance as a member of the Institute of Directors, and a director and chairman in several private businesses.

The last three years have seen a significant amount of change at Ōtūmoetai College with the retirement of a long serving principal, the appointment of a new Principal, ongoing recruitment within the senior leadership team, and success in sourcing funding from the government to rebuild a significant component of the school’s infrastructure.

The Board of Trustees is in the very fortunate position to see what all of this means to our teachers, and I can assure our parent community and our students that the improvement in our academic performance means a huge amount. It cannot, and does not however, come without enormous effort on the part of our teaching staff. I am continually amazed at the efforts of our teachers in supporting our students to achieve their potential, efforts which include, for many, a very significant number of hours after school and during weekends. On behalf of the Board I would like to take this opportunity to thank our teachers for their enormous contribution

Ōtūmoetai College is continuing to lift its academic performance and is outperforming many other schools within the region. This is something which we should be very proud of. However, there is still work to be done. The need to improve the academic performance of our Maori students towards the continuing increase of the reputation of the college within our community and within educational circles generally.

We are currently in the planning stages of a $47 million school redevelopment project. This building programme affords the school an exciting opportunity to develop our pedagogical approach alongside the development of a new school environment. We recognise that the buildings we are designing for today are intended to be there for perhaps fifty to sixty years before replacement. Our goal as a board is to ensure that the learning and the soon to be constructed learning spaces will remain relevant, engaging and challenging for the students of today, and, just as importantly, for the students of tomorrow.

In keeping with the proposed new building design, the Board has approached Woods Agency to create a new branding story that reflects a more contemporary design and feel for our school. The express intent has been to develop a “brand” that makes our students proud.

The following pages highlight some of this journey.

This is just the beginning of a journey our school is on to establish Ōtūmoetai College as a leading centre of learning for the children in our community. The school board and staff are focused on providing a safe environment for all students in which they are challenged to improve their academic performance, encouraged to engage develop and extend themselves, and valued as part of a diverse community of capabilities, backgrounds, and cultures.

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Our new School BRANDING In 2018, PISA testing data highlighted the fact that New Zealand students didn’t seem to have a particular sense of belonging or ownership of their school. Our school data also supported this view.

Armed with this data, and the recently announced building redevelopment project, the college Board saw this as an opportunity to improve some aspects of our branding in order to improve our student’s sense of belonging.

Woods Agency were contracted to create a coherent pathway to link our proud history to the future. Their brief was to make this story meaningful and relevant for our students and to create a sense of pride for the whole school community.

Woods Agency began their consultancy with six workshop groups of students, staff, and the board, as well as a parent / community survey.

The feedback that Woods stakeholders are as follows:

received

from

these

School Strengths: Being inclusive and accepting of diversity – preparing for the real world Co-ed - cross section of all society Size – allows us to offer more opportunities Strong in special education, music, drama and dance Teachers genuinely care about students and helping them There is a unique and beautiful story about the origins of the site which aligns with the concept of community, and working together to bear fruit

• • • • •

School Challenges: Large size – students can get lost, feel overwhelmed or isolated Te reo isn’t normalised here – culture shouldn’t be an afterthought Not everyone is aware of the opportunities here – we need to promote these better Lacking a strong brand identity Lack of consistency across our communication The school community struggles at times to cope with change and uncertainty Woods Agency summary of this process was: “We have found that students are conflicted around the issue of change as they don’t like too many things changing, but also complain that the school brand doesn’t reflect them.

They want their school to be relatable to them. It is a confusing time as they are unsure of their identity – so we need to help create a brand that communicates what the future looks like and what it means to them. The college can anticipate that there will be some pushback from parts of the school community with any changes to the identity.

Given this lack of surety, we had to be sure of our Why, How and What: We agreed on the following: Our…Why is to prepare students for life.

Our… How is to create opportunities for them to grow and develop in a safe, inclusive learning environment that reflects the diversity found in the real world.

Our… What is that Ōtūmoetai College provides a complete and enriching education that encompasses students’ academic, social and emotional development needs.

What Woods learnt about our crest and motto (DOCTRINA VITAM ILLUMINET): The crest seems very formal and foreign to their world. The language doesn’t connect with the student base. However, the essence/meaning behind the motto that school prepares students for the rest of their life is still very relevant. Latin? should be a te reo translation.

The logo and identity: Woods Agency explored three options for evolving the school’s identity and considered refining and improving the logo through to a modern reimagining of the logo. Their consultation process indicated a modern reimagining was the best way forward.

Through this reimagining process Woods were careful to retain the heritage and tradition of the current brand, showing that the school has solid foundations, while being deliberate about defining a clear new focus. By reimagining the logo Woods were able to craft our identity in order to tell the story we need to. They saw the opportunity to create a modern aesthetic that will enhance the design of the new buildings and set the school up well into the future.

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The Logo Iterations from 1 – 7 were as follows:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Let Leaning Enlighten Life

7.

Kia mÄ ramahia te ora e te akoranga

Consensus was reached as to the two final options for our new school logo, options 6 and 7: Students had the opportunity to vote on their preferred option and the outcome was as follows: Students voted 85% for Option 2 and 15% opted for Option 1.

Option 2 was then sent to the Board as the preferred option for a new logo for the college.

The Board decided to adopt Option 7 as our official logo on 1st April 2020. It was decided that our motto, Let Learning Enlighten Life, be retained from the previous crest.

In total, this consultation process has taken just over 16 months.

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OUR LOGO STORY Our logo is a visual representation of ahi ka (home fires). Ōtūmoetai College is ahi ka for our students - a beacon that will always draw them home to the place where the roots of their future were first planted.

Ahi ka is made up of three parts:: - Nohu - Mahinga Kai - Tipuna.

Noho - a connection to the land and sense of belonging The confidence to explore, knowing we will always have a home to return to.

Mahinga Kai - the ability to grow our own food Carrying knowledge that will help us be selfsustainable throughout life.

Tipuna - our ancestry or whakapapa Understanding ourselves, where we have come from and where we are going.

Calm waters The bottom of our logo is made up of curved lines that represent our region's calm waters and the safety of our learning environment.

Future Potential The top of our logo takes the form of radiating curves – symbolising Inner growth as we strive to reach our potential

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Our logo can be used as a horizontal lock up as well as a badge. .

Horizontal

Badge

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Right Mrs Ros Lee – Head of IT

Head of IT Ros Lee joined the Ōtūmoetai College ICT team in 2009 in a part- time capacity.

Previously a software application developer, she had decided that there was more to life than looking at a computer screen all day writing lines of code, with minimal person to person contact.

Before starting a family in the 1990’s, Ros had worked at Nayland College in Nelson, and so she knew what a stimulating and satisfying workplace a school could be, and set her sights on getting back into that kind of environment once her two children had flown the nest.

In the 11 years that Ros has been at the college, she has witnessed the huge challenges that schools have had to face in adopting digital technologies, both in the

administration of the school and in the classroom.

The processing power of computers has exploded exponentially, meaning that the rate at which they become more capable is increasing at break- neck speed. The demand for devices and the cost of resourcing that demand is barely sustainable, and the challenges of working with systems that can’t talk to each other are ongoing.

Not to mention the steep learning curve that everyone at the school has had to face, getting to grips with how best to use digital devices to enhance teaching and learning. Staff are mindful that technology needs to be used purposefully, as an educational tool to support educational outcomes, and not used just because it’s there, a shiny object.

In other words, the

technology must be the servant in the classroom, not the master.

Since becoming Head of ICT Services in 2012, Ros has made it a priority to develop a team who see themselves as enablers of teaching and learning, and who aim to provide to staff and students the best digital equipment and support services that they can with the resources available to them. Not always an easy task!

The school will see a lot of positive change in the next few years with the new building programme that is in its design phase. Part of that change is the development of a new website and associated social media channels, which Ros is overseeing.

The website will not only make more visible to the wider community the rich variety of activities that go

on at the school and beyond but will also to be a useful information resource for the currently-attending students and their parents caregivers and whanau.

Ros considers herself fortunate to be working with highly committed colleagues in an inspiring workplace at a very exciting time in education, when so many conversations are being held about what the future of work will be and how best to prepare young people for succeeding in an ever-changing world.

Our New Website We are in the design stage of developing a new website .… so watch this space ……

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An interview with Year 13 Deans at Ōtūmoetai College Josh Buxton Q. What do you enjoy most about being a Dean at Ōtūmoetai College?

A. You get to try and help people which is why most people become a teacher.

Q. What are some of the things you have learnt about our students in your deaning role?

A. Most kids are lovely people.

Most just need reminding to get out of their own way.

Q. What is your best experience as a Dean to date?

Q. If you could pass on one piece of advice to Year 13 students, what would that advice be?

A. Take yourself seriously. You are better and more capable that you think! Do not take yourself too seriously. No-one likes a kid who thinks they know it all!

Q What is a little known fact about you?

A. I used to be a Paparazzi.

A. Seeing a couple of boys off into apprenticeships when they were up to all sorts of mischief in junior school. Awesome when we manage to see change and weather the storms of adolescence.

Kim Whyte Q. What do you enjoy most about being a Dean at Ōtūmoetai College?

Q. What is your best experience as a Dean to date?

A. Getting to know such a diverse group of kids.

Q. If you could pass on one piece of advice to Year 13 students, what would that advice be?

Q. What are some of the things you have learnt about our students in your deaning role?

A. Be kind, always.

A. Their ideas are always interesting and usually excellent!

A. Pictionary in Poutama.

Q. What is a little known fact about you?

A.

I love flags and Queen Elizabeth II

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Right Head Students - Jaylon Paki, Rose Akkerman, Amber Harrison and Logan Blair

Senior School Leaders 2020 Baylee Dyer is a co-leader of the Special Events committee. Baylee has taken advantage of the various opportunities that are made available in each of the year groups in all facets of school, academics, sport and culture.

Baylee’s best experience at Ōtūmoetai College to date was her involvement in the China exchange trip in 2019. Baylee’s extra-curricular involvement at Ōtūmoetai College includes the 1st XI girls’ football, Senior A girls’ volleyball as well as completing the Bronze and Silver Duke of Edinburgh award. She is currently working towards her Gold!

Baylee’s favourite subjects are Business and English and she plans to study Business next year and put her entrepreneurial skills to good use by starting up her own business in the future. Baylee’s goal for 2020 is to combine the different skills of her committee members in order to create memorable events for the rest of the student body.

Jane Tingey is the co-leader of the Sports committee. Since joining Ōtūmoetai College in Year 9, Jane has been involved with numerous sports such as indoor volleyball, beach volleyball, hockey as well as the school equestrian and skiing team. Outside of school Jane loves anything to do with water, including surfing, water skiing, wake boarding and snow skiing. Jane loves that our school has a huge variety of sports teams, bands/ music groups and academic clubs that allow students to interact with different people and broaden their interests as well as pursuing their own personal commitments. Jane lists winter tournament week, playing in the 1st X1 Hockey girls’ team in Auckland at the Marie Fry tournament, as one of her best experiences to date.

The week consisted of wins and losses, gratification for our hard work and disappointment at missed opportunities, laughs, pains and aches, cold swims at Bucklands Beach, and home baking. Through the ups and downs, strong friendships were made within our team and countless laughs carried us through the week. Jane’s goal for 2020 is to make a difference and give back to the school as it has done so much for her over the years. She wants to raise school spirit by getting more students interested and involved with sports in a fun and interactive way.

Jaylon Paki is our Head Boy for 2020 and is the coleader of the Sports committee. He is passionate about sport and is a member of the 1st XI boys football team as well as playing volleyball for the school during the summer terms. Jaylon also plays for the Ōtūmoetai Football Club Men’s Federation Team and enjoys skateboarding in his spare time. Jaylon counts his best experience at school to date as the advanced Learners Camp in Year 9, as it allowed him to meet many likeminded students that are still some of his closest friends.

Having just moved to the school from Auckland, this camp made him feel as though he fitted in. What he loves about Ōtūmoetai College is the diversity in opportunities, through sport, performing arts, academics, and cultural pursuits. He believes that staff push you to do more for yourself than just getting by. Having a large number of students means everyone can find someone they can relate to. During this year Jaylon wants to exceed what is expected of him and enjoy every moment of his final year at college

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Rose Akkerman is our Head Girl for 2020 and is a co-leader of the Special Events committee.

Her favourite subjects at school are Chemistry and Biology. Her goals for the year are to endorse Level 3 with excellence, to make a positive impact on student life by being an approachable and kind school leader and seizing all opportunities and make the most out of them. Roses name has become synonymous with volleyball. She has been a member of the Senior A Girls Volleyball team from 2017 to present, vice captaining her team in 2019 and is the 2020 captain. Rose was the Junior A volleyball assistant coach for 2018 and 2019. She is a nationally certified Indoor Volleyball referee, a national representative for Under 19 Beach Volleyball, Beach Volleyball Secondary School Champion as well as an interprovincial champs player (U15A 2017, U17A 2017/18, U19A 2019). Her goal for volleyball this year is to captain her volleyball team to a medal at the NZ Secondary School Volleyball Championships. A highlight of her time at Ōtūmoetai College was her Year 10 trip to Great Barrier Island. Rose would like to pursue a career in Chemistry, or potentially medicinal chemistry or biochemistry, and in doing so make a positive impact on the world - small or large.

Jarrod Ong is our 2020 Board of Trustees Student representative as well as a co-leader of the Special Events committee.

Jarrod appreciates the Ōtūmoetai College ethos of excelling in your chosen endeavours as well as the support he receives from teachers and staff as well as the broad range of extracurricular opportunities provided to students. One of his best experiences at Ōtūmoetai College was the school's annual trip to Nagisa High School in Hiroshima, Japan. Jarrod plays for the Ōtūmoetai College 1st XI Football team and is a member of the Tauranga City Council Youth Advisory Group as well as the Tauranga Model United Nations. Some of his goals for 2020 are to get to know and form better connections with as many students as possible from Year 9 through to Year 13; to give back to the school that has provided him with numerous opportunities; and to be a kind and gracious individual to hopefully make a positive impact on his peers around him. Jarrod wants to pursue postgraduate study in a reputable University in the United States, to work in Finance / Economics in New York City and to one day be employed by Elon Musk.

Josh Peacocke is a co-leader for the Mentoring committee.

In his leadership role, Josh wants to get as many students as possible to be studying regularly. His personal subject passions are Science and Mathematics and ultimately Joshua would like to be a Professor in either civil engineering or nuclear physics or alternatively be a software engineer.

His highlights at school to date are being a mentor for a year 9 camp in 2019 and helping with Food bank preparation. Josh is involved in Stars Peer Mentoring and gained a Stars Peer Mentor Excellence award in 2019.

He lists the Japanese Media Appreciation Club as well as the supportive staff as aspects that he likes about our college. His goals for 2020 include increasing the size of the Japanese Media Appreciation Club as well as extending his scientific knowledge. A little known fact about Josh is that he is fascinated by efficiency, so he likes to make the things he does as efficient as possible.

Sophia Cerdeira is a co-leader for the Mentoring committee.

Her highlights at our school so far have been participating in the school production of High School Musical and the 2019 Drama Los Angeles trip.

What she likes most about our school is the excellent staff who always try their hardest to help every student succeed; the range of activities available that allow each student to pursue their interests and passions; and the top of the line school facilities. Herfavourite subjects are English, Classical Studies and Drama. Sophia would like to pursue a PhD in Classical Literature or in acting post college life. As a leader, Sophia hopes to put in place a support system for year 10’s and 11’s who are struggling with their studies. Even though the STARS programme is used to support and integrate our Year 9 students, Sophia still wants them to feel as though her committee can provide these students with that same level of support should they need it as they go through school.

Logan Blair is our 2020 Head Boy and is the co-leader of the Ruamano (Cultural) committee. Logan lists Sports Science, Te Ao Māori, Mathematics and Statistics as his favourite subjects and he is looking forward to learning Early Childhood and Metal Tech in 2020. Logan has been fully involved in the life of our school being a member of the 1st XV for the past two seasons, a Stars peer mentor, a Year level council member, an assembly committee member in Year 11 and 12 as well as a Ruamano committee member last year.

Logan enjoys the sporting environment that is pushed throughout the school as well as the cultural diversity that allows him to express his Māori culture. He also enjoys the productive and supportive teacher student relationships. His goals for 2020 are to increase the publicity around the head student role and encourage others to stand up and become leaders. He aspires to becoming a teacher and then later in life through that career path, a principal. A little known fact about Logan is that he hates capsicum.

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Amber Harrison is our 2020 Head Girl and a co-leader for the Creative Arts committee.

During her time at Ōtūmoetai College Amber has been involved in Football, Futsal and Tennis and has also been a part of the environment committee, Model United Nations and has completed her silver Duke of Edinburgh award. Outside of school she plays Football and Futsal while also coaching and refereeing in both codes as well as being a member of the Tauranga Council Youth Advisory Group. Amber loves the fact that our school provides every single student with the opportunity to thrive and grow as a person. Whether students are academic, musicians or athletic, there is a place for them to feel like they belong and are helped to reach their potential in any given area. As a leader, Amber wants to be the best possible version of herself in order to do the best for the school.

She wants to use her leadership opportunity to improve her life skills and to learn and grow as a person. She wants to ensure that the events run by the creative arts committee are fun and memorable and well organised so that every student gets the most out of them.

Hani Rakaupai is the co-leader of the Ruamano (Cultural) committee.

Hani started Ōtūmoetai College in Term 2 of Year 12 and quickly found college life to be very welcoming to new students of all year groups. Hani was grateful for the opportunity to MC for the Maori & Pacifika Awards at the end of last year and has been involved in the school Kapa Haka and the making of TREK 2019 magazine. Her goal as a leader is to work to ensure that her committee is more involved with the entirety of the school community rather than just one small portion. Hani does not have a definitive career in mind; however, her desire is to fulfil a role that allows her to impart her knowledge to others in order to allow them to fulfil their own aspirations/education. A little known fact about Hani is that while most people know her as ‘Hani’, this is only her nickname. Her full name is Kaahukurauenuku Tirahuirua Te Mau Pakanga Mary Te Rakaupai.

Liam Turner is the co-leader of the Hauora committee. His personal goal in 2020 is to learn more. Whether that is to learn more about culture or learning more about prioritising things in life, the end goal is the same, to help him become a better leader and person. Liam’s leadership goal is to encourage others to lead. As such he will role model leadership and encourage students to further themselves and try their best. Liam has enjoyed athletics, tramping, orienteering and learning to do a kayak roll during his time at college.

He also loves the fact that Ōtūmoetai College is a big school with so many different opportunities to hang with different people and learn new things. A little known fact about Liam is that he is a triplet.

Shayla Komene is the co-leader of the Creative Arts committee. Shayla’s favourite subject is Performing Arts Technology as she loves getting to apply her creativity into practical skills. She counts herself as fortunate to have been able to apply her skills in many areas of the school and in such a welcoming and motivating environment. Shayla loves the fact that students are presented with so many cool opportunities to allow them to excel in their work. She counts being a part of the school’s production team of High School Musical as a real highlight, making costumes and working backstage alongside lots of new people. Out of school Shayla runs a small clothing business as well as engaging in her passion for sewing, painting and creating. As a leader Shayla wants to encourage more students to be involved within the creative area of the school and be active in events even if it’s not their ‘best’ area. Post college Shayla wants to work towards upcycling apparel in order to create a more sustainable environment.

Charlotte Cameron is the co-leader of the Environment committee.

Charlottes’ goal for 2020 is to inspire others, particularly those who are new to the school, to speak up and help protect the environment here at Ōtūmoetai College. She wants to get as many students as possible involved with the Environment Committee this year. During her time at Ōtūmoetai college, Charlotte has been involved with the Environment committee, tramping and gymnastics.

She like how Ōtūmoetai College offers a range of opportunities both in and out of class, including various sports, academic opportunities and field trips which have allowed her to try new and exciting experiences with her classmates. Her best experience at Ōtūmoetai College to date was Outward Bound which she attended in 2019.

Emily Ardern is the co-leader of the Publicity committee. Emily’s favourite experiences at Ōtūmoetai College include music camp and the first media studies related awards ‘The Rombies’ introduced in 2019. She has a passion for music and has been involved in various groups since Year 9 such as Smokefree Rockquest, Jazz Band, a Capella group, and the school choir. She also teaches piano after school and runs her own photography business She has been involved in multiple school committees including the Leavers Shirt Design committee, the Creative Arts committee, TREK committee, SADD committee, and the World Vision 40hr famine group.

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Emily loves the way all areas of passion are supported and facilitated and that we are working hard to promote a culture or respect and collaboration. Her goals for 2020 are to be kind and patient and spend time investing in relationships with others in our school and she hopes to reflect these qualities in her leadership role. Emily’s dream job is being a music video director and content creator for businesses/advertising agencies.

Lilly Muspratt is the co-leader of the Hauora committee.

What she appreciates about Ōtūmoetai College are the countless amount of opportunities that we are given to try such as sports and classes. Lilly particularly enjoys Colours day, seeing everyone dressed up having a good time. She belongs to the 1st X1 Football team, plays futsal for the school and is also involved in coaching. Her goal for 2020 are to create a safe and happy school environment catering to all students to improve their hauora (wellbeing). Her favourite subjects are Outdoor Education, Heath, Sports Science, and Drama and Lilly aspires to be an outdoor educator and work with youth development, possibly through coaching. A little known fact about Lilly is that her favorite word is camaraderie.

Anya Hawkins is the co-leader of the Publicity committee. Anya’s main leadership goal for 2020 is to encourage and support other students as a mentor. What she likes most about Ōtūmoetai College is the school's sense of community Even a friendly “Hello.

How's your day going?” by a teacher can make anyone feel welcomed at this school. Ōtūmoetai College offers a lot of incredible opportunities for students, such as providing the opportunity to attend the Summerhill Youth Academy Camp, one of the many examples of the opportunities and experiences available at our school. One of the best Anya has had was having her Level 2 Photography board displayed at the Tauranga Art Gallery and being invited to see her display on the opening day. Ōtūmoetai college helped me achieve this success. Being part of the Rombies awards was also another highlight shared with family and friends.

Anya is training to become a Volunteer Medical First Responder in her local area. She also enjoys her photography and visual art and listening to music in her spare time

Back Row - Left to Right Emily Arden, Lilly Muspratt, Liam Turner, Charlotte Cameron, Sophia Cerdeira Middle Row – Left to Right Mrs Whyte (Year 13 Dean), Baylee Dyer, Jaylon Paki, Jarrod Ong, Rose Akkerman, Josh Peacock, Logan Blair, Mr Buxton (Year 13 Dean) Front Row - Left to Right – Amber Harrison, Jane Tingey, Anya Hawkins, Hani Rakaupai, Shayla Komene 17

Right Mr Stephen Tisch– Deputy Principal

Deputy Principal of ACHIEVEMENT Ōtūmoetai College students continue to achieve NCEA results that are close to or well above the national averages.

Provisional results for 2019 have seen our students comfortably achieving above the national averages in both Literacy and Numeracy.

The Year 11 students achieved exceptional results in NCEA Level 1, with their pass rate of 78.1% being 10 percentage points more than the national average. The NCEA Level 2 pass rate of our Year 12 students was also above the national average.

Our academic focus for 2020 will include increasing our success rate in NCEA Level 3 and University Entrance which were both just below the National Averages by about two percentage points.

An Academic Achievement Group of staff has been tasked with the role of identifying students that are achieving below expectations and implementing strategies to give them the best opportunity of academic success in NCEA. Some tools they can use include a student Achievement Tracker, workshops, mentoring and partnering with home.

In the Junior school, a writing framework for students has been developed by staff who are part of our local Kāhui Ako

(Community of Learning).

This tool includes planning, sentence and paragraph structures, writing under pressure, editing and publishing.

Students in Years 9 and 10 are being taught how to use the writing tool with the Social Science Department taking the lead.

SOLO (Structure of Observed Learning Outcomes) provides a simple, reliable and robust model for us to gauge understanding. This will become the main way in which we classify learning to enable students to move from surface to deep learning.

As Assessment Capable Teachers, we want to be able to respond to our junior assessment data to allow us to understand where students are at in their learning, to guide future interventions and evaluate the effectiveness of those interventions. This year, we will be further developing the capability of teachers in analysing assessment data with the goal of improving student achievement outcomes.

We look forward to working with you in achieving this goal.

Mr Stephen Tisch DP Achievement 18

Right Ms Pip Woodward – Deputy Principal

Deputy Principal of CURRICULUM Our Year 9 Curriculum In partnership with our students, staff and community we have created a Graduate Profile (hyperlink) that articulates the collective aspirations for students learning at Ōtūmoetai College. This outlines the capabilities and skills we believe create a powerful learner and citizen within Aotearoa and universally. It is this Graduate Profile that guiding our junior curriculum review.

Currently underway is the review of our Year 9 curriculum design and implementation. This review is taking place across all curriculum areas and providing us with the opportunity to explore learning opportunities that are responsive to our learners needs, considers our unique local community and ensures a coherent pathway towards fulfilling the aspirations of our Graduate Profile.

This review and curriculum design process began last year with the aim to complete the review by 2022. The purpose is to identify what deliberate teaching needs to take place to ensure our learners have opportunities to develop and build on the skills and capabilities outlined in the Graduate Profile. As well as a common theme, or concept that would link learning areas together, enabling students to connect their learning and to experience a common language of learning.

As a result of this initial review process the Option Learning Areas identified ‘Collaboration’ (hyperlink the booklet) as being an important focus for them and the Core Learning Areas identified the theme of ‘Identity’. It is within these learning areas they have designed contexts relevant to their curriculum area and aligned deliberate teaching experiences for students to develop specific skills. So, within their teaching of ‘Collaboration’ students will be introduced to specific skills at the different stages of the collaborative model, for example; Establish – how to identify their strengths, be an active listener and support others

Evaluate – critical thinking conclusions, being reflective.

skills,

developing

To support this powerful learning, we are working to develop and embed the SOLO taxonomy into all areas of our school. SOLO Taxonomy provides a simple, reliable and robust model for three levels of understanding – surface deep and conceptual as well as fostering critical thinking and encourages greater ownership of learning.

The SOLO framework makes successful learning more visible to students. SOLO provides clarity around what deep learning looks like and allows students to confidently evaluate their learning success. SOLO also teaches students how to be better learners. Through the use of a common learning language throughout all areas of the school., including greater clarity around learning intentions and criteria for success, we will use the SOLO taxonomy to develop a common understanding of learning at Ōtūmoetai College. The three levels of ‘Know it’, ‘Link it’ and ‘Extend it’, that have been created for Ōtūmoetai College, will encourage students to progress from surface to deep learning, and allow our students to clearly see what their next steps are.

As well as deeper learning, we hope to see students making strides in their self-regulation and motivation, staying on-task, and experiencing the benefits of taking greater responsibility for their own learning can bring.

Footnote: • Option Learning Areas - Te Reo Maori, Spanish, Business, Technology (Hospitality & Hard Material) Music, Art, Drama, Music • Core Learning Areas – Health & Physical Education, English, Social Science, Science and Mathematics 19

An interview with our Head Guidance

Counsellor, Julie Sutton Q. Why have you chosen to be a school counsellor?

A. I chose to be a school counsellor as I am really passionate about working with young people and the variety of things that impact them, in today’s, sometimes challenging world.

Although being a school counsellor can sometimes be a challenging role, it is very rarely boring as I can never predict what each working day is going to present for me.

Working within a school I have the privilege of working with some incredible young people on a daily basis. I have worked as part of a variety of different agencies and found that I have really liked my work with adolescents, however, especially in the past, for various reasons, it has not always been easy for young people to access counselling services. I believe being able to have unbarriered access to a counsellor, from an early age, should be available to every young person if needed.

Therefore, within a school environment, it can offer a valuable place to be able to access a counselling service if required.

We are very fortunate at Ōtūmoetai College to have fully degree trained counsellors, who are continually working to upskill and grow as needed. However, we are also aware that we might not always be the right person for each individual/whanau, so our roles as a school counsellor can also be that we help to facilitate the student in finding the right person/support/agency for them, at that time.

Q. What do you believe have been the most significant changes with respect to student needs overt the past few years?

A. Some of the most significant changes has been smart phones/devices and the use of the internet. Although these things have enhanced the lives of young people in so many ways, it has also brought access to different forums that adolescents may not have the emotional maturity or be equipped to deal with at such a young age.

The influence of social media has also been a contributing factor to significant changes in lots of aspects of a young person’s life, how they connect with their peers, view the world and themselves.

Q. What is the one thing that you wish all students knew about themselves?

A. How resilient and amazing they really are! They all have some transferable skills that they use in other aspects of their lives every day, such skills are adaptable to other situations they encounter; however, they don’t always know that. Also, another wish would be (even though I was only asked for one) that

students could all realise how very important and precious they are in their own right and that people around them are there to listen / support them in different aspects of their lives, even if they cannot find that person / persons at first.

Q. What is it you love most about being a school counsellor at Ōtūmoetai College?

A. Firstly, the students – we have some pretty cool young people at our college! Also, I value with our college, how we come together as a team and all have a part to play in the support and lives of the students that we work with, enabling whanagatanga within our school community. It becomes a joint effort to support our students in many facets of their school life and being in an environment where we all have different roles to play, collaboratively, is so important to provide a wraparound support. That is what I most love about being a school counsellor at Ōtūmoetai College.

Q. If you could pass on one piece of advice to parents, what would that advice be?

A. That’s an interesting question as counsellors don’t give advice, we work alongside to help facilitate solutions/support.

However, from what I have observed on a regular basis is that adolescents probably need their parents / caregivers, just as much now, in their adolescent years, as they did when they were small children (they often just won’t let you know that).

Q. What is the biggest learning you have gained in your role as a school counsellor?

A. That’s a really hard question to answer because, I keep learning / me ako tonu, every day.

Something important I have learnt is that, I may have had several years of training for my role, but the person I am working alongside is the expert in their lives, they just don’t always know it. I am fortunate enough to hikoi with them for a period of time, enabling a walk alongside them to help work this out. So, you could say we learn and grow together.

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Advice for Students post lockdown …

Mrs Dwight recently offered a workshop to Year 11 students on Managing Time, Stress and Motivation. Here are some of her top tips: 1.

2.

3.

Attention management – go to settings and turn almost all notifications off your phone. If working on a computer, either close all other non-study tabs (YouTube etc…) or open a new window, so you can’t see them.

Set a timer for a number of minutes and stay 100% on task until it beeps, then set another timer for a break, and repeat.

• One study found 52 minutes work and 17 minutes break was the optimal time used by highly productive people.

• Another great idea is the Pomodoro technique of 25 minutes work, followed by a 5 minute break.

• If you feel really unmotivated, set your timer for 7 minutes, at least it’s a start.

Put some headphones in and listen to alpha waves study music – almost guaranteed to enhance concentration.

4.

5.

Get in the habit of making a list.

• Write EVERYTHING down, as soon as it occurs to you – don’t try to hold things in your memory.

• Devise a system that works for you – digital (Google Keep, or a specific list making app) or paper (get a notebook and write all your lists in one place).

• Next, prioritise – code each item A (need to get done today), B (next level) or C. then go back over the A’s and number them A1, A2, A3 etc then B1, B2 etc – so you know the best order to tackle the items.

• Keep it flexible – if you think of an item later, add it and feel free to rank it A 2.5 or whatever – i.e. between A 2 and A3.

Get a system for writing deadlines – Google Calendar?

A notebook/diary/year planner/physical calendar?

Right: Paul Braddock, Director of Sport Far Right Sports Team – Debbie McBride, Chris Matheson, Abbie Johnston,Paul Braddock

Director of School SPORT

Paul Braddock is the Director of Sport at Ōtūmoetai College. He is enthusiastic about his role, and he encourages all of our students to participate.

He doesn’t care whether they are extremely competitive, or extremely social – he just loves to see them involved, says Abbie Johnston.

Paul is always giving of his time, with many weekends and evenings finding Paul on the side- line of any sport our students are taking part in.

Thirty five sporting codes were offered and played by our students in 2019 with the number of students participating in organised sport being 39% of the school roll. Made up of 40% boys and 37% girls. We have 16 teachers involved with coaching teams as well as 12 support staff coach sports

Every year (before college resumes) he will be at the first beach volleyball tournament of the year and away at a national tournament with our junior volleyballers at the end of the year.

Paul has high standards for the delivery of our sports programmes, he is always punctual with timeframes and committed to good communication with students and parents around competitions and tournaments, both locally, nationally and internationally.

teams both in school hours and on weekends with Ōtūmoetai College entering teams into New Zealand and Bay of Plenty Sports events.

We have had Rugby, Netball and Volleyball teams experience international travel playing Volleyball in America, Australia with

He is widely recognised within the Ōtūmoetai community, not only by our student families but also whanau and students from Ōtūmoetai Intermediate where Paul instigated, and continues to run, a weekly sports programme. He has done this over the course of many years. This ensures seamless transition when students enter College, they already have a familiar face and look forward to continuing their sport journey.

Rugby and Netball touring Australia and the Cook Islands. Ōtūmoetai College sport is proud of our numerous numbers of New Zealand representative players.

We have past students who represented NZ in the following codes:

All four of Paul’s children have come through Ōtūmoetai College as students, and two of his children now teach here, Mary-Ann and Adam. Our College has had the benefit of many Braddock coaches throughout the years – Paul coached our First XV for at least ten years before he was even employed here, teaming up with the likes of Tony Gadsbey, John Stanley and Mike Ward along the way. Paul’s wife has coached basketball, and their children have coached rugby netball, volleyball, basketball.

Athletics, Basketball, Beach Volleyball, Rugby, Cricket, Cycling, Downhill Mountain Biking, Netball, Football, Hockey, Rugby 7’s, Flatwater kayaking, Rowing, Triathlon, Skateboarding, Surf Life Saving, Volleyball.

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New Staff Profile Kristy Lance Why did you choose teaching as a career?

I am passionate about science and really enjoy sharing this passion with my students.

Why did you choose to come to Ōtūmoetai College?

I heard awesome things about the college from family and friends who went here. It is a beautiful place to live.

List your extra-curricular activities / hobbies: Skiing, camping, beach time and spending time with my kids.

What is your best experience as a teacher to date?

I really enjoy getting out of the classroom with my students. School camps, trips and extracurricular activities are always a highlight for me.

What you are looking forward to this year: I am looking forward to becoming part of the Ōtūmoetai community. Spending lots of time at the beach with my kids A little known fact about you: My husband went to Ōtūmoetai College Kristy Lance Science Teacher

New Staff Profile Hayley Russell Why did you choose teaching as a career?

I’ve always loved working with young people and while I was on holiday several years ago it occurred to me that all of my favourite jobs have involved teaching or spending time with children and young adults. I decided that it was time for a career change, so I came home from my holiday, signed up to do my teacher training, and feel very lucky that now I have a job that never really feels like work!

Why did you choose to come to Ōtūmoetai College?

I had been involved with Project K a few years ago and through that I got to know students from Ōtūmoetai College. I loved my time at Ōtūmoetai back then and I’m excited to be back!

List your extra-curricular activities / hobbies: Hiking, Reading, Playing my ukulele, Crochet What is your best experience as a teacher to date?

My best experience has been meeting students and families from so many different cultures. I taught in Vietnam for a short time and my students would take me to their hometowns on the weekends to meet their families. I’ve been lucky to have met so many amazing people from different places.

What you are looking forward to this year: I’m really looking forward to meeting some new people and being part of the Ōtūmoetai College family! I love being involved in school productions so I’m really looking forward to seeing an Ōtūmoetai production and hopefully helping out.

A little known fact about you: I sometimes sleepwalk and occasionally wake up in different parts of my house!

Hayley Russell ESOL Teacher 23

New Staff Profile Lauren Bell Why did you choose teaching as a career?

I worked as an Outdoor Educational Leader in Canada where I taught primary and secondary students about the surrounding nature in the Rocky Mountains while adventuring in the outdoors. This was my first teaching experience which was so fun and rewarding. I then travelled to South America and was excited by Spanish language and the culture. After studying Spanish, it was a natural progression to then become a Spanish teacher and to share my passion for the Spanish language and culture!

Why did you choose to come to Ōtūmoetai College?

I wanted to live near my family at Mount Maunganui and teach Spanish also. I was lucky to be able to work at Ōtūmoetai College which allows me to have both of these things.

List your extra-curricular activities / hobbies: I am a musician and I sing and play the guitar. I am an artist and am working on illustrating a children’s book.

What is your best experience as a teacher to date?

My best teaching experience would be teaching English in Spain. It was a great experience to get to know the Spanish students’ and to learn about their culture. Living in Spain was also a very fun and exciting opportunity as the teachers at the school would often invite me to many exciting Spanish cultural events.

What you are looking forward to this year: I am looking forward to getting to know the students in Spanish class and to make the most of being back in New Zealand.

A little known fact about you: I love to travel but I don’t like flying.

Lauren Bell Spanish Teacher

New Staff Profile Megan Fritsch Why did you choose teaching as a career?

I personally love learning and believe that learning is a life-long experience. Sharing my passion and enthusiasm for learning brings me a lot of joy. I love to teach both inside and outside of the classroom. Making learning fun and relatable is important to me.

Why did you choose to come to Ōtūmoetai College?

I did my practicum placement at Ōtūmoetai College in 2016 and fell in love with the school and the Social Sciences department. Ever since then I have always kept an eye out for jobs here. This year I have been lucky enough to get a position teaching Junior Social Studies.

List your extra-curricular activities / hobbies: I love outdoor activities such as walking, running, and swimming. I am a keen water baby having played a number of water sports. I also like a good adventure as well as adventure sport and activities. I love to garden and have a passion for things that grow.

What is your best experience as a teacher to date?

I really enjoyed facilitating the Cactus program in 2018. Watching students reach heights that they weren’t aware that they could while overcoming both internal and external barriers to their own personal success was one of the most rewarding experiences as a teacher I have had to date.

What you are looking forward to this year: I am looking forward to meeting all my new students and learning about what makes them tick as individuals and building positive relationships. I am looking forward to being a part of their unique learning experiences at Ōtūmoetai College this year.

A little known fact about you: I am a keen horticulturalist and have a sneaky obsession for indoor plants.

Megan Fritsch Social Science Teacher

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New Staff Profile Carolyn Norquay Why did you choose teaching as a career?

During my banking career I became involved in staff professional learning and really enjoyed it. A career move to teaching was an obvious next step and I am so glad I made the change.

Why did you choose to come to Ōtūmoetai College?

I had heard about the great Technology team there and was keen to join them.

List your extra-curricular activities / hobbies: I love living close to the ocean and make the best of opportunities to enjoy it. I am keen on anything foodie related and enjoy sharing all manner of foodie experiences with others.

What is your best experience as a teacher to date?

It is always a highlight when students go on to study Food Technology at a tertiary level. I love hearing about the products they have developed and am always first in the queue when one of their products are launched.

What you are looking forward to this year: I am really looking forward to becoming part of the Ōtūmoetai team. I have now met all of my classes and am keen to support them with their learning this year. They are all a bunch of amazing young people and I am sure we will have a terrific year together.

A little known fact about you: I learned some great brick laying skills on a Habitat for Humanity trip in Vietnam. I would love to do another build one day.

Carolyn Norquay Food Technology Teacher

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New Students Impression of Ōtūmoetai College

Life at school can be very different from home. With more people around you there are more chances of your making lifelong friendships, getting good grades and improving in your work.

Throughout these couple of months at school, I have enjoyed all my classes teachers and lunchtimes. Even though it can be a challenge at times, I love to keep trying and putting effort into my schoolwork. There have been some hard times at school, but I am very lucky to learn from my mistakes and carry on with the support of people around me.

Being new to Ōtūmoetai College, I have grown my friendships and others. I am very proud to be a part of this community and hope that I can keep growing stronger personally and academically.

Lakoneus Matthews Year 10 When I first came to Ōtūmoetai College, I was surprised because there are a lot of people in this school. That is not only Kiwi students but also many international students. There are one thousand students at my Japanese school and two thousand at Ōtūmoetai College. I also feel that students at Ōtūmoetai College are so friendly and that it is a good school.

When I went to Ōtūmoetai College on my first day of term, I was surprised how big it was. There were so many students, teachers and different buildings and it was hard to find my next classroom. But this is what Ōtūmoetai College is about: It’s a school of such a great diversity – I am not only talking about all the different nationalities but also about all the different subjects. Every student can find something that interests him and that really affects the atmosphere in the classes in a positive way. I like it that Ōtūmoetai College gives everyone the opportunity to do what he like to do.

Lisa Kupper Germany The first time I came into Ōtūmoetai College it was impressive.

There were so many new and interesting things to discover like people, buildings and subjects. In the beginning it was a bit difficult to find the right classrooms as the school is so big. It’s really nice that I can go to Ōtūmoetai College.

Anneliese Urban Germany

Ōtūmoetai College, I wouldn’t even identify it as a school for me, it’s more like a meeting point for kids where you can actually learn what you want – compared to my school in Italy which is more like a prison because of both buildings and situation Here it allows students to express themselves in the best way possible and I really wish we had something like this in Italy.

I like everything about this place – there is literally whatever you need – the teachers are always willing to help without pushing to get the best out of you. Each student is treated equally and that is what makes this school an actual learning place. These things may all be taken for granted but even if they don’t know it, the students are very lucky to be in this school.

Federico Severini Italy

Konan Matsuda Japan

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Celebrations and Tributes Congratulations to Carolyn (nee Cameron) and Nick Reynolds, who were married at the Waterlily Gardens, Waihi on 4th January 2020

Congratulations to Barry and Christiane Holmes, who were married in Germany over the Christmas holidays. The Schloss (castle) was in North Hessen (midGermany) in a place called Witzenhausen

Welcome to the world baby Amelia! Arrived early on the 10th January 2020.

Brand new baby daughter for Rocio Serrati and Michael Roe. Congratulations Rocio and Michael.

Welcome to the world baby Franklin!

Arrived on the 1 May 2020.

Congratulations Natasha and Addison Curd.

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Where are they now?

It’s always exciting to learn about what happened to past students and both Lucas’s and Seumas’s stories show that an Ōtūmoetai College education provides an important grounding for future endeavours.

Seumas Beedie

What year did you graduate from Ōtūmoetai College?

2013.

Current job title / role?

Aerospace Engineer.

I am a Graduate Research Associate at the Aerospace Systems Design Laboratory (ASDL), and a PhD candidate in Aerospace Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology. I have worked on a range of projects including developing 3D printed drones for the U.S. Army, and developing humanitarian mission simulations for Lockheed Martin and the Australian Department of Defence. In my role, I develop modelling, simulation, and analysis for a range of industry and government projects, and present this research to the stakeholders, some of which have included the commanding General of the U.S. What is a lasting (positive) memory you have from your time at Ōtūmoetai College?

I helped found the robotics team, and dedicated way too many lunchtimes to it.

Getting the chance to represent the school at the world championships twice4 with some of my best mates was an incredible opportunity I’ll never forget.

What was your most valuable life lesson(s) learnt during your college years?

Learn from your mistakes – whether they’re academic or social, making mistakes is one of the best ways to learn. Chances are the mistake won’t matter at all in the long run, and you’re much less likely to make that same mistake when it really does matter.

How well did you feel Ōtūmoetai College prepared you for tertiary study / the workforce?

I felt well prepared entering University, partially due to the range of subjects I studied in College – in Year 13 I took history and statistics, two subjects you might not necessarily associate with engineering, but they helped to give me a rounded, big-picture view that has been invaluable in my career.

Did you know what you wanted to do when you left college?

I’ve always known I wanted to end up in aerospace engineering, but when I left college, I wasn’t quite sure how to make that a reality.

I studied mechatronics engineering at the University of Auckland to give me a broad background in engineering, and through a combination of luck and hard work managed to transition into aerospace engineering by moving to the U.S. Why did you pursue your current area of work?

I’ve always loved engineering, and in my opinion, there’s nothing cooler than planes and spacecraft.

Nothing is faster, louder, more complex, or more expensive.

How did you get into the field you are now currently working in?

In my final year of my undergraduate degree, I went to a talk by a former ASDL graduate on satellite data fusion. I asked her the best way to get into the aerospace industry, and she recommended I apply to ASDL. One grueling application process later, I found myself on a plane to America!

If you had to do it all over again, what would you do differently? I honestly can’t say I’d change a whole lot – I got plenty of grades I was unhappy with and made plenty of mistakes along the way, but I’ve found I’ve learned far more from my mistakes that successes.

What is one piece of advice you would give to current Ōtūmoetai College students?

Work hard – but not too hard. Don’t get me wrong: it’s important to work hard, but going through University, I’ve seen so many people work too hard and burn out. Grades are important, but even more important is passion, communication, ability, and a wellrounded background. Don’t forget to relax, and pursue other interests, and don’t be too hard on yourself.

Note: Seumas graduated with his Masters of Science in Aerospace Engineering during lockdown.

Congratulations Seumas!

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Lucas de Rijk What year did you graduate from Ōtūmoetai College?

2013.

Current job title / role?

Special Projects Engineer at Rocket lab.

How long have been in this role?

A little over a year.

you

What was a lasting memory you have from your time at Ōtūmoetai College?

Pretty much all of my experiences in the robotics team. Winning Nationals without dropping a single match and then having a team on both sides of the World Championship Final in 2013, are probably the highlights.

What was your most valuable life lesson(s) learnt during your college years?

You can get a lot of value out of helping other people! I had a great time helping my classmates and mentoring my juniors in robotics. The skills I got from that came in useful at Uni where learning is often very collaborative, and you can’t rely on a lecturer to give you all of the answers.

How well did you feel Ōtūmoetai College? prepared you for tertiary study / the workforce?

Very well!

The extracurricular opportunities, robotics, gave me a massive head start in my engineering degree.

I also had awesome teachers who helped me grow into a more well-rounded person.

Did you know what you wanted to do when you left college?

I was confident I wanted to pursue Mechatronics Engineering at university, but I didn’t expect to be working in the space industry this early in my career. Opportunities like this were only just starting to exist in NZ back in 2013, so it is definitely worth keeping an open mind.

Why did you pursue your current area of work?

Working on things that go to space is awesome, and Rocket Lab is the only company doing major work in this area in NZ currently. In my current role I get to do a lot of “bigger picture” problem solving and analysis as well as design some pretty unique hardware that you don’t encounter in an engineering degree.

How did you get into the field you are now currently working in?

I had a knack for maths and physics in school, spent way too much time working on robotics from years 11-13, and then worked hard in my Mechatronics Engineering degree, with a particular focus on the design projects and practical skills.

If you had to do it all over again, what would you do differently?

I might have considered applying for overseas universities for undergrad if I had realized that was a serious option. It is worth having a think about, especially if your grades are good and you would like to live overseas for a few years!

What is one piece of advice you would give to current Ōtūmoetai College students?

There are many teachers, coaches, adults in general who are willing to go the extra mile if you work hard and show your passion.

Don’t waste them!

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Archives Remembering 1965 1965

2005

Governor General Sir Bernard Fergusson officially opens the College assisted

by Robert van Iperen (form three) and viewed by Principal Harold Webber

Governor General Dame Silvia Cartwright celebrates the 40th anniversary assisted by Tobias Ellison (year nine) and Robert van Iperen and viewed by Principal Dave Randell

08 December 1965 First Annual Report After its first year, the closing roll of the school was 200 students.

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School Ball Yr 8 Enrolment Evening

Parent / Teacher Interviews

Music Dept Concert

Great Barrier Trip

Drama Assessment Evening Performance

Senior Exams

Dance Assessment Showcase

Drama Assessment Evening Performance

Drama Assessment Evening Performance

Senior Exams

Senior Exams

Senior Exams

Junior Play Evening Performance

Junior Play Matinee & Evening Performance

Dance Assessment Showcase

Senior Exams

Senior Exams

End of Term 3

31

Kia mÄ ramahia te ora e te akoranga

105 Windsor Road, Bellevue, Tauranga p. 07 576 2316 f. 07 576 8903 www.otc.school.nz 32