Ōtūmoetai College Reflections Issue 10

Reflections

Providing opportunities

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.

Ōtūmoetai College Contacts

Enrolments

Dave Cleland (Deputy Principal) dcleland@otc.school.nz Office Gwen Livingston 576 2316 office@otc.school.nz

Friends of Ōtūmoetai College - Rachel Chaney chaneyfive@gmail.com

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 (DP) bketu@otc.school.nz

VALUES

We stand strong, strive for excellence, work together, and have respect for all

Kimihia tōu ake maunga teitei Whakakotahitanga Whakakoha tētahi ki tētahi Tū pakari i te ao

Students

Highlights

College - Talent Quest

REGULARS

From the Principal

Principal of Achievement

Success

Celebrations

Sport

Get to know...The Dance and Drama Department

Are They Now? - Janaye Henry

From the Archives

School Calendar

Message from the Principal

During Term 3 there has been a range of opportunities for our students to demonstrate their considerable skill, aptitude or craft, as illustrated in this term’s Reflections magazine. Given the disruptions posed by COVID over the past 30 months, this term of events has been a welcome reprieve.

While it is great to see our students shine in their various disciplines, we are still mindful of the impact of COVID. During the first half of this year we really felt the impact of student and staff absence in Terms 1 and 2, which has also extended to a lesser extent into Term 3. I am mindful that it is the lived reality of our Level 1 students that they have yet to experience a year of high school that has not been affected by this worldwide pandemic!

That is why I am so proud of the consistency of approach from our staff as they have put in the extra effort required to meet the needs of our students. To paraphrase Haim Ginott, a clinical psychologist, they are the decisive element in the classroom. Their personal approach created the climate, their approach with students made the weather.

While we still relentlessly pursue the goal of academic excellence in every classroom, teaching is so much more than ensuring our kids walk away with solid NCEA results. The affirmation or correction given to countless students and the development of their competencies may never be quantified in our NCEA results but the resulting outcomes will be life lessons that these kids will continue to live by long after they have left our gates for the last time

A lovely example of this is personified by Edie Jackson who was awarded the Caltex Good Sport Award at the New Zealand Secondary Schools Swimming Champs (see page 23). This award was for an individual who was recognised as going above and beyond, for being an inspiration, and for setting amazing values and standards for others to aspire to. This award was open to all of the coaches, managers, students or teachers, so to be the recipient of the Caltex Good Sport Award is an incredible feat, and we are proud that she is one of ours!

We must never lose sight of the power of developing a good character as well as achieving our personal best.

Russell Gordon, Principal

Editorial

Reading over my Twitter feed last week my eye was drawn to a book title ‘Why Don’t Students Like School? The basic premise of this book is ‘does the current model of schooling adequately prepare our students to deal with life in a fast-paced, unpredictable world?’ This question is addressed by a cognitive scientist who looks at how the mind works and what it means for the classroom.

Certainly, there can be no argument that change is now a constant feature of the world in which we live.

Debating the merits of how schools are adapting in an ever-changing paradigm is healthy as long as the goal is to seek some form of consensus with which to move forward as opposed to simply selling one’s own political point of view.

From my perspective, schools are evolving to meet the challenges of the 21st century, never more so now given the past three years of unpredictability. Teaching is no longer about simply preserving the status quo, unless this is known to be working well. It is about possibility thinking, and being ready to explore new ways of doing things that might have better outcomes for students.

While I could write about how schools are changing to meet the challenges of 21st century learning, I thought I should instead concentrate on those key tenets of teaching that I hope will never change.

1) Great teachers will always share what they know, but understand that they are not the focus. The question is not, “what am I going to do today?” but “what are my students going to do today?” Our job as educators is not just to stand up in front of students and show them how smart we are. Rather, our job is to help students discover how smart they can become.

2) The difference between a good teacher and a great teacher isn’t their subject expertise, but their passions for teaching and learning.

3) Connection between student and teacher is essential to learning. Great teachers have a genuine interest in helping their students succeed.

4) Feedback is the breakfast of champions, teachers, and students. Great teachers find out what their students need to know and have a range of ways helping them learn it.

5) Great teachers expect every student can learn. They recognise that success is not fixed or pre-determined. It is vital we maintain the high expectation that every student can learn.

6) It is important that students see what they are learning as relevant. Wherever possible, we need to connect what the students are learning to the real world, and it helps them do that if we can explain why they need to know it. Effective teachers understand that learning is about exploring the unknown and building from what the student already knows and understands.

If teachers live by these basic tenets, we can be assured that there will be the requisite combination of clarity, consistency and concern in every classroom that cannot but help to better prepare our students to be more resourceful, reflective and resilient as we move deeper into the 21st century.

Stephen Tisch, Deputy Principal

Deputy Principal of Achievement

SENIOR SCHOOL

A student’s National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) is an educational CV that highlights what they can do and how well they can do it. Given the time of the year and disruption caused by COVID-19 again, it is worthwhile to clarify the changes that have been put in place to help give students a fair opportunity to get their NCEA or University Entrance (UE) this year.

Changes to NCEA 2022:

• Learning Recognition Credits (LRCs) - one LRC for every five credits gained up to a maximum of 10 at Level 1 and 8 at Levels 2 and 3

• Certificate Endorsements - adjusted to 46 credits instead of the usual 50

• University Entrance (UE) - credit requirement for the third subject is amended so 14 + 14 + 12 (still need NCEA L3 and Literacy and Numeracy UE requirements)

• Submission dates - some non-examination external assessment submission dates have been moved back one week to allow extra time

NCEA and Scholarship examinations will go ahead as planned, starting on 7 November

Our tracking of our NCEA results reflects the disrupted year with a number of our indicators less than where we were this time last year. For example, Year 11 Numeracy is currently at 65% (versus 75% this time last year with a final result of 89.7%). Also, the average number of credits gained so far across the three NCEA levels is between 2 to 4 credits less than last year. Pleasingly, our Year 11 Literacy pass rate is currently at 89% which is the same as last year.

We have identified students at risk of not achieving their NCEA based on their current pass rates and predictions and will be actively working with them. Our Academic Support Mentor, Mrs Stacey Shefferd, and Kaitiaki Matua Bobby Ketu will lead this work and, if necessary, offer additional learning opportunities to help those students achieve their NCEA goal.

JUNIOR SCHOOL

As indicated earlier in the year, we are supporting the Ministry of Education and NZQA to pilot the new foundational Literacy and Numeracy standards. The majority of our Year 10 cohort and some of our Year 9 students did the Reading, Writing and Numeracy pilot assessments.

Initial results are around a 70% pass rate for both Reading and Numeracy with Writing about 50%.

Although these results are less than we want them to be, they are in line with national pass rates - which in itself is cause for concern. We are using the findings from the pilot assessments to inform our teaching and learning programmes moving forward. Being a part of the pilot also gives our students a head start in terms of preparing for the future changes to NCEA that will be implemented in 2024.

International Students

This term we welcomed back 35 International students from around the world after Covid put a halt to any new international students coming to New Zealand.

David Choi 16 years old (Year 11) from South Korea

When did you arrive at Ōtūmoetai College?

July 2018

Why did you choose to study in NZ?

My parents asked me if I wanted to, and I didn’t know anything about NZ so I just thought it would be so special if I did.

What are some differences between being at school in NZ compared to your country?

NZ school is more chill and there are friendly teachers.

What is the best thing about studying at Ōtūmoetai College? Music and programming.

Are there things you find difficult attending school in a different country? In NZ, learning English is hard, also when I’m in the exam, even though I’m really confident with the subject, because the questions are all in English and there are some difficult words, it makes my exam more difficult.

What activities are you involved in at school?

Robotics, CSnet, guitar group, badminton, band

What do you enjoy most about being in NZ and living in Tauranga?

The friendly people, my friends, and music.

What was your main goal when you came to NZ?

To learn english.

What do you plan to do after your New Zealand education is completed?

Go to university in NZ and study programming.

Junyi Shao 17 years old (Year 13) from China

When did you arrive at Ōtūmoetai College?

February 2019

Why did you choose to study in NZ?

My parents asked me if I wanted to, and I didn’t know anything about NZ so I just thought it would be so special if I did.

Why did you choose to study in NZ?

I chose to study in New Zealand because it is very culturally diverse, this allows me to better understand different cultures and people. And New Zealand is such a friendly country, it is a nice environment to grow.

What are some differences between being at school in NZ compared to your country?

In China, you cannot choose subjects you like, and also plenty of homework. In New Zealand you have more freedom.

What is the best thing about studying at Ōtūmoetai College?

Most of the teachers and schoolmates are friendly and helpful.

Are there things you find difficult attending school in a different country?

Yes. At first, I did not know how to communicate with people, because of my English, and also I was too shy. But luckily I met helpful people in class, and they encouraged me to talk more.

What do you enjoy most about being in NZ and living in Tauranga?

I do not like busy cities. Tauranga is a quiet city, and has beautiful beaches.

What were your goals for studying in NZ?

When I first came here, my goals were improving my English, travelling, and making some friends. I think my English is much better than before, maybe not good at writing, but okay with chatting. I have been travelling to most places in New Zealand. Travelling is always my biggest hobby. And

I met some amazing friends here. It is lucky to have kind people around.

Tell us about your homestay family in NZ?

My host parents always take good care of me. I have been living with them for almost three years now. They are great people, always taking me out during weekends and holidays. We have done so many funny activities such as fishing, traveling, sea biscuit and so on.

There is a dog and a cat in my host family. They always run to me when I come home everyday, and want me to pet them. One of the most relaxing things is walking the dog on the beach on a sunny day.

What do you plan to do after your New Zealand education is completed?

I plan to go to university in New Zealand next year.

International Students contined...

Emilie Gotterbarm 15 years old (Year 11) from Germany

When did you arrive at Ōtūmoetai College?

July 2022 and go back to Germany in April next year.

Why did you choose to study in NZ?

I wanted to be independent and because it’s the most far away from Germany it felt special and unknown. I also love the nature.

What are some differences between being at school in NZ compared to your country?

Basically everything is different :) In Germany we don’t have a lot of subjects we can choose and we stay in one classroom with the same classmates for at least a year.

What is the best thing about studying at Ōtūmoetai College?

I love the subjects and the opportunities that I have at Ōtūmoetai College. The system gives you the opportunity to meet a lot of people and I just love it .

Are there things you find difficult attending school in a different country?

Not really, I feel very comfortable in NZ.

What activities have you got involved in here at the school or extra curricular?

I am starting with Volleyball.

What do you enjoy most about being in NZ and living in Tauranga?

I love everything about it. I love the nature, the people here and just the feeling of being independent and making memories on my own.

What were your goals for studying in NZ?

I of course want to get better in English but also a big goal for me was to find myself again and be happy with the natural me I guess.

Tell us about your homestay family in NZ?

I have the best family ever! I have a little brother, a little sister and a lovely mum and dad. We do a lot of fun activities together and it is so much fun because I am an only child back in Germany. I really love it.

What do you plan to do after your New Zealand education is completed?

I definitely want to keep my connections from New Zealand and change my lifestyle in Germany. I want to keep my happiness I am having in NZ and I want to travel a lot to make even more memories:) I want to be the best version of myself.

Emilie and her buddy Hanya on Colours Day

International Students and their buddies

The duty of the buddy is to help the international student to settle in i.e meet some of his/her friends, help them to become familiar with the layout of the school and guide them to the right person if they are feeling unwell, need a subject change, need someone to talk to about a problem or just don’t understand something. The kiwi buddy needs to be kind and helpful and often patient with the language barrier. We asked Emilie’s buddy, Hanya, a few questions below.

Hanya Hennessey

Why did you decide to volunteer as a buddy for an international student?

It is a great way to learn new things, meet new people and a way to express and experience both cultures.

Who is your buddy and where are they from?

My buddy is Emilie Gotterbarm, she is from Hamburg, Germany.

What is your role as a buddy?

I made sure she knew her way around the school and she could find her classes. I no longer have to help her find her class, but it is still nice to walk with her to either mine or her classes.

What sort of experiences have you had with your buddy so far?

Many, many laughs, a lot of happy times, a lot of happy tears learning about each other and our hobbies. I literally love my buddy.

Have you learned anything new from your buddy?

So many things, I can’t count. She always makes me laugh and we just bond so much. I learnt some German, I have learnt all about her whānau and her classmates and how different it is over here compared to her home. I found out she loves Christmas, and it will be her first Christmas here without snow.

Have you taught your buddy anything new?

Teaching her new things about the Māori language/culture and the difference between Pakeha and Māori here. She is learning so many different sports that she loves and she especially loves the beaches here as she thinks it is so nice and warm because in Germany it is freezing.

What sort of cultural differences have you noticed between you and your buddy? Emilie is learning to respect the Māori culture more and more, as she wants to respect it. She has a lot of energy and since she is only here for a little bit, she wants to try anything and everything. This is helpful for me as I can adapt to these things and try new things myself. She constantly encourages me and always makes sure I am okay.

Would you want to visit your buddy’s country? I would love to go to Germany, there is so much history there and I love history. I would love to learn how to speak it fluently just like how Emile is so fluent in English. I would love to meet her family and her friends, and look at the different landscapes in Germany.

What advice would you give to anyone considering becoming a buddy to an international student? Definitely consider doing it, it is the best decision I have made while being at school. It opens up so many opportunities for travel and ideas for when you are older. You get to learn so much about your buddy’s culture and the way they act and the difference between yours and theirs. I think it is so beautiful that you can treasure it for a lifetime.

Student Success

Year 8 Leadership Day

Months of planning by the Head Students of Bay of Plenty Colleges came to fruition on the 9th August this year, with 60 Year 8 students attending “Inspiring Bay of Plenty” (IBOP), a student-led Leadership Day.

The participants - 10 nominated future leaders from 6 Intermediate schools around the Bay (Ōtūmoetai Intermediate, Mount Intermediate, Katikati College, Papamoa College, Te Puke Intermediate, Bethlehem College) enjoyed an action-packed day, taking part in activities designed for team-building, developing leadership skills and having fun.

The main objective of IBOP was to provide a fun environment for young potential leaders to learn leadership skills for the future and develop connections with like-minded individuals in neighbouring schools.

The intermediate students benefited not only from the advice and insights of this year’s Head Students but also from listening to guest speaker Anne Tolley, the current Bay of Plenty Commissioner.

The Head Students are hopeful that IBOP can be continued as a region-wide annual event in future years. Once BOP College Head Students have been confirmed for 2023, the incumbent and incoming groups will get together to hand over the project´s resources and feedback for the benefit of the next group of young future leaders.

Head students Moss Benton, Liahona Matthews, Georgia Murray and BOT Student Rep Sandra Taing (back row) with the Ōtūmoetai Intermediate Student Leaders

Student Success

VF 48 Hours Film Competition

Congratulations to Acedia Pictures (Sam Wright, Ziyang Cai, Dominic Thwaites and Theo McKay) who entered the Vista Foundation 48 hours competition where filmmakers have one weekend to make a short film. They don’t know what genre (thriller/romance etc.) they will be shooting until the start of the competition. All creativity (writing, shooting, editing and adding a musical soundtrack) must occur within the 48-hour window beginning Friday evening at 7 pm and ending Sunday at 7 pm. To add to the mayhem, they must also include some random elements.

Acedia Pictures won ‘Best Student Team’ Bay of Plenty and ‘Best Use of Element - Whisper’ Bay Of Plenty for their film ‘Sit Tight.’

They then held a teaser trailer for the feature film they›ve been working on for over a year in a half. ‘Parasomnia’ is due to be completed in Spring next year.

As soon as the film screening was finished all four boys were off up to Auckland to be extras in ‘One Winter’ a large scale film production covering the events of the Springbok Tour. The film stars James Rolleston, Minnie Driver and Erana James, with former Ōtūmoetai College Student, Micah Winiata as the Executive Assistant on this project.

Bay of Plenty Mathsmind Competition

On the 19th August, teachers Mr Chang, Mr Cleland and Mrs Bircham took a group of Year 9 and 10 students to the BOP Mathsmind Competition in Whakatane to compete with the other BOP schools.

Congratulations to the Year 10 team of Noah Douglas, Victoria Geck, Toni John and Nrusingha Rath who came 2nd overall and a big congratulations to the Year 9 team of Jude Chua, Jaymin Corn, Sam Gooderham and Tyler Yang who came first overall. A fantastic effort!

A very proud Mr Chang holding the Mathsmind Shields

by Ceri Blears Woodcock

Student Success

Entreprenuers in Action

In Week 9 of Term 2, I participated in Entrepreneurs in Action - an opportunity which is a part of the Young Enterprise Scheme as one of their ‘Extreme Experiences’. EiA is where 60 enthusiastic business students from across New Zealand are selected, flown to Wellington, and put into teams of six to take part in completing two business challenges over a weekend.

In these business challenges, not only do we have to carry out market research, develop product concepts, create a business plan and ensure the business is financially sustainable, we had to present a pitch to a judging panel at Massey University.

The first challenge was given to us on Friday morning and we had to prepare a circular economy business (supported by the Ministry for the Environment | Manatū mō te Taiao) and present it back to the judges on Friday evening.

The second challenge was to create a market entry plan for a video game (supported by New Zealand Trade and Enterprise) and we had Saturday to complete this, for presentation to the judges on Sunday morning.

Each team was hosted by a corporate company; I was privileged to be part of Team Sharesies. On day two of the weekend we were invited onto the Sharesies Headquarters to complete our second business challenge (while getting very distracted by their incredible HQ). This also allowed me to, personally, make invaluable connections with many of the staff at Sharesies and since have been given the opportunity to be part of and speak at one of their company demos.

Through my team’s immense effort over the three days, Team Sharesies managed to place third! This is the first time Sharesies has hosted a team that has placed at EiA.

by Robert Unsworth (Year 12)

Robert - third from the right

The weekend was made up of: very little sleep (staying up till 2-4am every night working on our pitches), a lot of stress, making heaps of new friends and potential future business partners, and heaps of fun! I even managed to convince the Young Enterprise Marketing Director to run their Instagram page over the three days (which can be seen on the EiA 2022 highlight on their page).

I thoroughly enjoyed the weekend for taking me way out of my comfort zone knowing all 60 students were in the same boat. Entrepreneurs in Action has helped me develop skills I hope to use for not only my next year Young Enterprise business but also my business future as a whole.

This ‘Extreme Experience’ was so valuable to me that I applied - and was fortunately selected for - BizVenture China, where 18 students across NZ will spend a week in Auckland and Wellington visiting businesses that do business in China, completing business challenges and learning about Chinese culture.

With all the knowledge, skills and connections I have made from EiA, I strongly encourage students taking business and doing the Young Enterprise Scheme in 2023 to apply for these incredible opportunities too.

Student Success

Biz Venture Japan 2022 by Seth Turner (Year

From 29th July to 1st August I had the privilege of being one of 28 students chosen from across Aotearoa to participate in Biz Venture Japan, a program run by the North Asia Centre of Asia-Pacific Excellence in conjunction with the Young Enterprise Scheme (YES).

This all expenses paid extreme adventure was exactly that; an adventure! Based out of Wellington, this program consisted of a couple of sleepless nights, plenty of New World supermarket runs, and collaborating with 20 Japanese students to come up with a solution to solve a problem for Cookie Time. Our task was to work in groups to think up a new distribution method for an existing product or create a new product to help increase market share.

Apart from the great meals and the awesome YES chaperones, my favourite part of this once-in-a-lifetime experience was getting to meet and collaborate with other like minded students from across the country, creating long lasting friendships and memories.

BizVenture Japan was an incredible experience that I would definitely recommend to any students thinking of taking Business Management in years 11-13.

Student Success

Left to right: Back Row - Josh Kenara-Bailey (Chief Judge), Mischa

Sarah Drury Potiki, Macy Donaghy, Casey Conning, TJ Pullar

Forsman,

Yang

Student Success

A Special mention to Ella Quarmby

Congratulations to Year 13 student Ella Quarmby, the recipient of the Jann Medlicott Creative Arts Award. The awards are a partnership between Acorn Foundation and Creative Bay of Plenty.

Ella won this award “based on her outstanding creative writing in poetry and short stories.”

Congratulations to Cassia Song

Cassia (Year 13) entered the 2022 National Schools Poetry Award, organised by Victoria University of Wellington’s International Institute of Modern Letters and received the award of ‘finalist’, meaning she placed within the top ten of students nationwide.

In addition to prizes from Read NZ Te Pou Muramura and Te Herenga Waka University Press, Cassia will attend a poetry masterclass in Wellington.

You can read Cassia’s poem, Erosion here: https://schoolspoetryaward.co.nz/2022/08/17/erosion-cassia-song/

Cassia also received a special mention in the 2022 Sociological Association of Aotearoa New Zealand (SAANZ) Student Blog Writing Competition for her blog on Objectivity vs Subjectivity In Truth: Moral Relativism - Morality Is A Social Structure

Cassia is not only the first-ever high school student to enter this competition, she is also the first high school student to join SAANZ since the membership was digitalised (possibly ever!)

Student Success

SVA Service Awards

by Sandra Boubee

The SVA Service Award is a free platform where volunteers can record and reflect on their volunteering hours. Volunteers work towards physical badges - Member, Bronze, Silver, and Gold - to acknowledge the work students do in their community, whether it be for their school, whānau or neighbourhood. SVA helps volunteers get the acknowledgement they deserve for the work they do.

Ōtūmoetai College started promoting this award in 2019. Since that time 607 members have enrolled and contributed over 15,496 volunteer hours to our community. We currently have 246 active members, 11 are contributing Committee members.

Ōtūmoetai College is proud of the 9 GOLD recipients that have reached the 500 hour target:

Volunteering is a great way to gain experience while helping others. If you’re doing something to help other people, without expecting anything in return, that’s volunteering.

Whether you’re putting out cones at a sports event, organising the school ball, caring for a sick family member, washing dogs at the SPCA, planting trees, or picking up plastic rubbish at the beach - you’re making a contribution to your community and that counts.

It can be hard to get a job without experience, but it can be hard to get experience without a job. By volunteering and logging your hours through the SVA Service Award app, you can add essential skills to your CV while building your confidence and making friends.

Recipients 8 and 9: Olivia Chappell and Jera Flexman

The first SVA Sevice Awards in 2019

Staff Celebrations

Congratulations to Abbie Johnston who welcomed her son Te Ao Turoa Rawiri Parai on the 26th July. Te Ao Turoa meaning “Our World” .

Congratulations to Shannon Dean who welcomed her son Ezra James William Dean on the 27th July. His name has special meaning as a strong helper and protector, nurtured with a noble spirit.

Drop For Youth

A big thank you to Year 10 Deans Caro Reynolds and Mark Williams for jumping out of a plane to fundraise for the Graeme Dingle Foundation in Western Bay of Plenty!

The Graeme Dingle Foundation WBOP empowers tamariki and rangatahi through programmes such as Kiwi Can, Stars, Career Navigator and Project K.

Their programmes are in 16 schools in the region reaching 3,800 young people each week and helping students to build self-confidence, tackle life’s challenges, and build a bright future.

The funds raised will benefit many young people and we are proud of you both!

Student Sport

Term 3 began with renewed energy and lots of excitement as momentum was building towards the business ends of the various sporting competitions. In our local competition we had lots to be proud of with teams playing well above expectation.

Badminton

Over the last couple of years Badminton has been building momentum in the College. After working their way through the local round of BOP matches our senior girls took on the rest of the Bay of Plenty schools, playing some fantastic games and finishing in 3rd overall.

Hockey Hockey has always had a strong backing at our college. Our Junior A girls’ team took on all to make their final and it was no surprise that their opponents were our very own 2nd XI team! After a hard-fought final our Junior A’s won a close and competitive match. The 1st XI girls were humming this year with the introduction of two new coaches. The final was held on a cold and wet Wednesday night and finished with the scores tied. When the resulting penalty stroke hit out, our girls went down 3 - 2. This final set them up well to compete in the Mary Clinton Cup during the Winter Tournament. After winning all pool games, the Quarter and Semifinals, they were primed for the final. The girls had played some outstanding hockey but fell

at the last hurdle, going down 5-4 to St Peters. Congratulations girls, you had a wonderful season and we enjoyed watching your games.

Winter Tournament Sport

As well as the hockey our Football, Basketball, Netball and Rock-Climbing teams also competed in the Winter Tournament in week 6 of the term. Congratulations to our Rock-Climbers, 1st XI Girls’ Hockey and our Junior Boys’ Basketball teams who all brought home silverware.

Netball

We had nine netball teams compete in the Friday night competitions with a number of our teachers putting their hand up to coach. Thanks to all that helped our own Chris Matheson to deliver a great programme. Congratulations to our Yr 10 Development team who were runners up in their division and to our 9B team that won their division.

Girls’ Senior Badminton Team

Year 9 Netball Team

Junior Girls Hockey

Prem 1 UNISS Netball during Winter Tournament

Rugby

Our u14 team worked hard all season and showed what great spirit they had in winning the Chris Grinter Cup for U14 boys. Our 1st XV also played in the BOP Secondary school Division 1 final against Mount Maunganui College. Having beaten Mount Maunganui College earlier in the season to win the inaugural Peter Blackwell cup, our 1st XV were well placed to compete at the highest levels. The final was a well contested affair with our 1st XV losing a tight match. Rugby was definitely the winner on the day.

Our rugby committee is also to be congratulated for a well organised fundraiser that has raised much needed funds for the school. Thank you to Bryce Lawrence, Peter Blackwell, Richard Brown and the rugby committee who worked so hard to make this event a great success.

Underwater Hockey

Edie Jackson and Ameerah Wilson in Year 12 have both been selected for the Mid Northern U18 Underwater Hockey Team. They will be playing in the U18 NZ Zonal Tournament in Wellington 21 - 24 of October.

Squash

This year our girls’ team of six players took on all the Bay of Plenty and New Zealand. In the senior BOP individual Champs our girls were placed 1st, 2nd and 4th.

In the BOP team event our players (Erin Wyllie, Grace Spencer, Gen Kennerley, Kayla Bowles, Hope Kennerley, Mia Bowles) had another successful campaign to claim their second title.

This competition was but a stepping stone to the New Zealand Secondary School champs where we were the team to beat, having won this event in 2021. The girls were excited and ready for the challenge. They all played brilliantly and brought home the trophy for the second straight year.

Congratulations to the team for again being the number one NZ Senior Secondary School Squash champions. The team should be very proud of themselves especially as 3 players were then selected in the NZ Schools team to take on Australia.

Thank you to all students that made the choice to represent our College on the sporting platform this year. Your effort, skills, teamwork and leadership is appreciated and enjoyed by us all!

The Caltex Good Sport Award 2022

Congratulations to Edie Jackson (Year 9) who won the Caltex Good Sport Award at the NZSS Swimming Champs in August.

Edie was the only person out of 1000 swimmers over the entire weekend to receive this award. She was nominated by the NZ Olympic Gold Medalist, Rob Waddell for her thoughtfulness and kindness. If you click here you can see the presentation and the background for why Edie was awarded this medal. We are so proud of you Edie!

Edie receiving her Award from Rob Waddell

Junior and Senior Squash team

Student Sport

It has been another busy term for the Sports Department and the students who are involved in our various clubs and initiatives. We endeavour to cater for all our students and help them all reach their own Olympics.

Cricket Development Programme

New to Term 3 was the introduction of the Cricket Development Programme. The main focus was to encourage new and enthustiastic players to the game of cricket and prepare our current squad for the upcoming season.

The sessions were run by expert coach Sam Owen, who guided all involved through an eight-week training programme focussed on developing the fundamental skills within batting, fielding and bowling. The students also had two 90-minute training sessions at The Athlete Factory utilising the facility’s world class cricket nets and bowling machine.

The entire squad showed clear development in all areas and are now well placed for the upcoming season.

Student Sport

Not So Sports Club

This amazing club continues to offer a pathway to sport and physical activity to those female students who are disengaged in sport for various reasons. The aim is still to have fun, to build strong relationships within the club and to make lasting postive memories around being active.

The club is growing and strengthening each passing week. This is thanks to the positivity the girls bring to each session on a Wednesday after school and also to its coordinator, Kathy Miller and her assistant Rachel Young.

This term the fun and adventures have continued. The girls have experienced a number of new activities including Roller Skating, Ultimate Athlete Adventure Racing, Archery and Orienteering.

Student Sport

Ōtūmoetai Intermediate School - Sports Academy Visit

Just over the fence from Ōtūmoetai College is our neighbour and friend, Ōtūmoetai Intermediate School. At the start of the year I was made aware of the fantastic work this school, and in particular one amazing teacher, Mrs Duncan, was doing for its students who were passionate about sport. The Year 8 Sports Academy offers an holistic approach to the development of athletic competency skills as well as helping the students understand the importance of a balanced life to promote sporting longevity and mental well-being. I have had the pleasure of working with all 39 students alongside Mrs Duncan throughout Term 3.

We spent many a Friday morning going through RAMP warm ups, developing our ability to accelerate and generate power, learning how to apply the breaks and decelerate before changing direction. We even looked at the ‘false step’...it’s not a dance move!

Towards the end of Term 3 the Sports Academy students were invited to Ōtūmoetai College for a taster day. This visit provided the students with a chance to experience some of the sporting facilities and opportunities here at Ōtūmoetai College as well as being introduced to our sports leaders. The day was organised and led by the students of our Sports Committee and included erg machine and bodyweight workout, multi sport activities, ultimate frisbee and the people’s favourite...speed ball.

These Year 8 students are fantastic and a credit not only to the school but to Mrs Duncan.

Student Sport

Mental Toughness Journal – Review & Findings

To be happy and productive can sometimes not be easy regardless of your age or life experiences. This is true for both our performance in sport and the tasks required of us in everyday life.

Mental Health is an area we are addressing within our sports programme here at Ōtūmoetai College and in Terms 2 and 3 we introduced the Male and Female Hockey 1st XI and Football 1st XI teams to an incredible resource, The Mental Toughness Journal.

The teams were involved in numerous workshops to cover the content within Zane Winslade’s journal which is written specifically for today’s rangatahi in order to help them understand what being resilient is, why we wear the masks we do and how we can develop coping strategies when life, and sport, gets a little difficult.

Towards the end of Term 3 we reviewed the Mental Toughness Journal to find out if this resource had been beneficial to those who had used it. 68% stated that they had continued to use the journal on a regular basis, 66% of these students used the journal for sport and 34% used it to help guide them through school and everyday challenges.

When asked what was the most useful learning from the journal and the accompanying workshops, one student wrote, “the value of mental toughness and how much of an impact it can have on your sports and everyday life. The way we portray ourselves is important and has an effect on how we act. We all wear personality masks in different situations where it is beneficial for ourselves and others”

The students involved were open to new ideas, they listened and were open to finding out the importance of mental health and how we can control those dark times to see the light again.

ka ora.

From listening comes knowledge; From knowledge comes understanding; From understanding come wisdom; From wisdom comes well-being.

Music Highlights

Play It Strange Song Writing Competition

Two of our amazing young song writers, Rachel Stevens and Dani Brewerton, have received a top 40 placing in this year’s Play it Strange Song Writing Competition. They both received a day in a recording studio to the value of $750.

Rachel answered a few questions for us below:

Rachel Stevens

What made you decide to enter the Play It Strange competition?

I had heard about the competition before from one of my friends but I never really gave it any attention until Mr Bodman asked if I wanted to enter and I was just like why not?

Could you tell us about what it was like in the recording studio?

On the Saturday in the middle of the holidays we recorded Bittersweet Movie. We went to a studio in the Mount and it was very recording studio-like. With the millions of knobs on everything and rooms so full of gear that I had no idea what half of it even was, it was so surreal being able to record another one of my own songs in a proper studio. I definitely learnt a lot during the recording process, like how to go through takes and choose the best ones properly and stuff like that.

When did you start writing songs?

When I was little I used to write little bits of songs that had little to no meaning with my little sister, but it wasn’t until late 2020 that one day my best friend and I decided to write a song called ‘You Don’t’ and it kinda just went from there. In 2021 I started writing in a Christian band in Auckland called ‘Equippers Revolution,’ and I got the amazing opportunity to sing one of the songs I co-wrote for them called ‘Light the Way’ in their latest EP ‘Truth.’ Only this year though I really started to write music about my everyday life on the side - this resulted in Bittersweet Movie.

What sort of songs do you write?

My main genre of music is Christian music, but when I’m not writing Christian stuff I mostly write about love and life in a slow, piano-y, simple sort of way.

Do you play instruments or sing or both?

I play the piano, which is what I write most of my songs on. And I sing (which definitely helps with writing songs).

Who inspires you musically?

The artists and songwriters that inspire me are the two main songwriters from Equippers Revolution, Josh and Keenan, who have helped me in so many ways to become a better songwriter as well as other insanely talented lyricists like Taylor Swift and Lorde.

What do you hope to accomplish with your music in the future?

Music is such a big part of my life, and I think that as I go into my future it’s one of the things that I will always do. Whether it be writing songs for Equippers Revolution, which I hope I can do for many years to come, or even releasing stuff as myself and under my own name, it’s something that I always want to do no matter what.

Talent Quest

Snapshot of the...

COLLEGE Quest 2022

this year’s winners:

Get to know the Dance & Drama Department

Mandy Rowe - Head of Drama, Dance & Performing Arts Technologies

Why did you decide to become a teacher?

When I was at school I had an amazing, inspiring Drama teacher named Andy Price. He sadly died earlier this year of cancer. I enjoyed Drama and performing so much and I really wanted to teach so that I could be ‘that teacher’ who inspired others. I think it’s really important in life to ‘pay it forward’ and that’s what I’ve tried to do.

What is your background in Performing Arts and how did you first become interested in it?

As a kid I loved to dance, sing and act. I always got involved in every opportunity to perform. My family weren’t very wealthy so my parents couldn’t afford to keep paying for dance classes. As a result I switched to creative dance when I was 13 years old. I directed junior plays and ran a year 7 dance group in years 12 and 13. I then went on to study Drama and English at University and completed a 1 year post grad specializing in Drama.

Who has inspired / influenced you?

Andy Price (RIP). Also my students inspire me all of the time. They make me realize why I keep on doing what I do.

Jane Harnett - Dance & Drama Teacher

Why did you decide to become a teacher?

I loved dancing and danced from the age of 5. When I left school I went to University to pursue a Science degree. I then changed to Primary teaching. During my 20 years of teaching primary school (as well as being Acting Principal)

my roles included creating shows and dance performances also Jump Jam and cheerleading teams. An opportunity to teach secondary Drama was then offered to me. Shortly after this I took some Waikato University Dance and Education papers to upskill when dance became an NCEA subject. This led to picking up NCEA dance when Mandy Rowe introduced dance to Ōtūmoetai College. I have never looked back and feel very passionate about NCEA Dance and the creativity it can offer students.

What is your background in Performing Arts and how did you first become interested in it?

I have done all my BBO Ballet exams to solo seal. All the American Dupree Jazz exams and I competed in Dance

What is your best/most memorable teaching moment so far?

So many it’s hard to pick one. I always say to students that if a performance affects me as an audience member, it is effective as a performance. There have been so many effective performances over my 32 years of teaching. Probably the most memorable teaching moments have been more to do with personal growth though, those moments when you know you’ve made a difference to someone’s life, that will stay with them in the future. This is so precious.

What is one piece of advice you would pass on to students?

Follow your dreams but always have a plan B. Be kind. Show respect. Laughter is the best medicine. Love is the most important thing you can give and receive. (Cheesy but true!)

competitions. I taught junior dance classes and solo competition students throughout my dancing career, school and university years. I have been a Les Mills Aerobics instructor, and I was a Cheerleader in the USA during my senior high school year. I was also involved in all school shows as either a dancer or actor.

Who has inspired / influenced you?

Margot Fonteyn - a stunning Ballerina when I was just 4.

What is your best/most memorable teaching moment so far?

All of them. Every year is different and brings new challenges and successes. I guess one in particular was when my daughter choreographed our Ōtūmoetai College’s winning Stage Challenge entry. Choreographing the past 3 school musicals and the 3 LA Dance Tours.

What is one piece of advice you would pass on to students, performing arts related or otherwise?

Follow your heart and never be afraid to believe in your creative self. Finally….C’s get degrees.

Shannon Dean - Drama Teacher

Why did you decide to become a teacher?

I had an inspiring performing arts teacher when I was in intermediate and I desperately wanted to have her job when I grew up. I ended up being the very person that replaced her when she finished working at that school.

What is your background in Performing Arts and how did you first become interested in it?

I have always danced, acted and loved performing, taking ballet and contemporary since I was young. I loved Kapa Haka growing up. I ended up studying a Bachelor of Applied Arts (Performing Arts) which focused on Māori, Samoan, Cook island and NZ contemporary dance. It was inspiring and led me to perform a lot overseas and in NZ.

Who has inspired / influenced you?

Definitely my performing arts teacher at intermediate and my amazing music and drama teacher at college. Also my Mum who always supported me to follow what I was interested in/loved and that anything was possible.

Ashleigh Yates - Drama Teacher

Why did you decide to become a teacher?

I got into teaching because I had a deep love of Literature and Theatre. I wanted to find a career that allowed me to explore both and teaching enabled me to share this passion with others. It is wonderful to be able to inspire and help cultivate young people’s interest in performing arts.

What is your background in Performing Arts and how did you first become interested in it?

I began my performing arts journey very young by constantly putting my hand up to be part of school productions and extra curricular plays. I took drama all throughout high school and loved every minute of it. I then studied it at university as part of my Bachelor of Arts. I have continued to perform on stage myself throughout university and currently.

Who has inspired / influenced you?

My high school drama teacher was a big inspiration for me as he demonstrated such care and enthusiasm for the subject and his teaching practice. He had a way of making each student feel valued and I wanted to be that person for other people.

My parents also inspired me by letting me choose my own path in life and supporting my decisions no matter what.

What is your best/most memorable teaching moment so far?

It is hard to choose just one moment as being the most memorable. But I will say that the moments that I enjoy the

What is your best/most memorable teaching moment so far?

Writing, directing and finally watching a school production that I put together. To see all the hard work everyone did come together and seeing the students soooooo excited and hyped to perform. Amazing to see them so proud of themselves!

What is one piece of advice you would pass on to students?

Give everything a go, try it and see! You may just absolutely love it and if not it will help you become a more rounded person who can relate more to others’ experiences.

most and look at most fondly are the times when we are able to have a bit of a laugh. It is so valuable for students to have even the slightest bit of alleviation in their day, particularly with seniors who may be stressed with assessments. It is nice to have positive relationships with students and those are the times when I feel most impactful as a teacher.

What is one piece of advice you would pass on to students?

As cliché as this may be, I would say to never take anything too seriously. It can oftentimes, particularly in the performing arts industry, be difficult to keep a clear perspective. One can easily get caught up in the cycle of “I didn’t get the part I wanted” or “I did so poorly in that audition” etc. But it is so important to remember that these things happen, it is not a reflection on you, and to keep going. We can learn from shortcomings but it is necessary to push on and not sweat it.

Where are they now?

It’s always interesting to learn about what our past students have been up to! Here is Janaye’s story.

Janaye Henry

My name is Janaye Henry (Ngāti Kahu ki Whangaroa) I grew up here in Tauranga Moana but now I live in Auckland. I’m a creative freelancer which means I have lots of jobs, I’m a stand-up comedian, I write for various TV shows, I ghost-write for some comedians, I do a little bit of acting and sometimes people pay me to talk about their products on Instagram haha. I’ve also done theatre in education tours which is when those people come into school to do a show for you – next year I’m co-directing Sexwise which is sex education being taught in schools through theatre, how fun! When were you at Ōtūmoetai College? 2010 - 2014

Tell us about your student days here at Ōtūmoetai College?

I took English, Stats, Classics, History and Drama. A very writing heavy course, even the math class I took was essentially asking the question ‘what if in math you had to write out full sentences?’ I was obsessed with extracurricular, I think mainly so I’d be in a classroom at lunchtime if it rained. Do they still lock you out if it rains!? I was in the symphonic band, literally four choirs at one point despite not particularly enjoying singing, debating team, animal lovers, assembly committee, and then finally the creative arts committee. Outside of school I was working a few hours a week at Countdown so I could drop mad dollars on the canteen food and buy random things online.

Were there any teachers that particularly influenced you?

Miss Kirk / Suzanne Kirk – still feels wrong to use the first name. I had her for English twice and she is a feminist icon. She introduced lots of new ideas to me and was so patient with our class. Also Mr Shadbolt who no longer teaches at OTC but he was my stats teacher for a year and was so entertaining, he used to be a stand-up comedian, a radio presenter, all these cool things and he’s shown me the value of being in the entertainment biz but still being in and around schools.

What is a lasting memory you have of your time at Ōtūmoetai College?

50 cent garlic breads from the canteen, everyone smelling like wet dog when the jumpers got wet, no but for real the thing I remember the most is how much I liked it. Not always the education part of it but it was cool getting to hang out with my friends 5 days a week, the drama of asking someone out, the scandal when someone sits in your lunchtime spot. Those are still hilariously the things that stick with me.

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

Yeah I wanted to be a lawyer, went to law school and it just wasn’t what I thought it would be. I pivoted my degree to a BA majoring in Criminology and Theatre and very much thought the Theatre was just for fun because I didn’t think I could get a job in the industry. This is my fifth year working fulltime as a creative!

Could you give us a little background on what’s been happening for you since you left school and how you got into comedy and acting?

I studied in Wellington and had always been into acting but I’d never seen standup. I watched one gig and thought ‘I could do that,’ and so I signed up for a comedy competition and got all the way to the finals. After that I kept getting asked to do gigs. Acting has always been in the background, auditioning for various things etc. and I got an agent this year which has helped.

What is the highlight of your career so far? In September this year I curated and MC’d the first ever all wāhine Māori line up comedy show – that’s the highlight for sure.

What advice would you give to current students here at Ōtūmoetai College?

School is important but it’s also a big wide world out there so if school isn’t a place you love – that’s okay just get through it so you can see what’s on the other side. When I was a teen everyone was like ‘make the most, when you’re an adult you have to pay taxes!’

And it’s true, I do pay taxes but I actually love being an adult – it’s very fun out here. Also there’s so many random jobs out there people don’t even know exist, if you like something keep following that and there’s a good chance there is a job close to that thing.

From the Archives

Keeping in theme with introducing you to our Drama department, we thought you might enjoy this gem from 1970.