Ōtūmoetai College's Reflections Issue 9

Issue 9 - July 2022

Reflections Providing opportunities to shine www.otc.school.nz

VALUES

PURPOSE

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

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.

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

FEATURES 14

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

2

15 24 28

Celebrations: Matariki Art Competition and 20th Anniversary of Okohanga Celebrations: New Robotics Room Artwork from Years 11, 12 & 13 Ōtūmoetai College Ball - Casino Royale

REGULARS 3 4 5 6 16 18 19 20 22 30 32 33

From the Principal Editorial Deputy Principal of Achievement Student Success Student Sport by Ian Ridgway Student Sport by Paul Braddock Student Sport - Celebrations Student Sport - Athletics Day Get to know...The Art Department Where Are They Now? - Alex Liu From the Archives School Calendar

Message from the Principal Over the past few months we have been seeking to illustrate aspects of powerful thinking and learning as they relate to Ōtūmoetai College. In this ever evolving COVID landscape our students, now more than ever, require a solid academic foundation so that they are able to develop their understanding, knowledge, skills and experience needed to navigate whatever life throws their way.

In the words of Seymour Papert, ‘All skills will become obsolete except one, the skill of being able to make the right response to situations that are outside the scope of what you were taught in school. We need to produce people who know how to act when they are faced with situations for which they were not specifically prepared.’

Russell Gordon, Principal where students are expected to combine technical language (language that is specific to that learning area) throughout their Idea Development. That development will include: • •

•

at least one sentence in the Identification (What) section that describes the subject at least two sentences in the Explanation (How) section that explains a relationship [cause, effect, sequence…] at least one sentence in the Extension (Why) section that extends the subject

To capture the essence of powerful thinking and learning we are developing a series of 12 videos that highlight different aspects that our school is working on to develop thinkers who know how to respond to an ever changing world. Our first video encapsulates our school’s purpose statement. Watch here.

The essence of our school purpose is to enable our students to achieve their personal best in their academic studies, the performing arts, sporting and cultural pursuits. As you can imagine, there are a number of building blocks or mental models that we need to enact in order to help our students develop a firm foundation. One tool in our toolbox is the WHAT HOW WHY strategy, which is being employed in the Junior school. This provides a structure for our students to be able to accurately and succinctly convey their thinking on paper.

This strategy is applicable in many contexts such as oral presentations, essays, and other practical contexts

WHAT HOW WHY creates an opportunity for students to develop their own agency, use prior knowledge and have the opportunity to build on their cultural toolkit, i.e. the students’ ideas have value in the classroom context.

If students become automatic in, using technical language, justifying their answers with evidence, and providing insight, we know this improves their overall grades.

We look forward to sharing the remaining videos that help to explain other deliberate strategies that Ōtūmoetai College is employing to develop powerful thinking and learning over the next few months.

3

Editorial At a recent meeting with Erica Stanford, Opposition

Finland gained notoriety as a result of the publication of the first

Spokesperson for Education, I was interested to learn more

Program for International Student Assessment (or PISA) results

about the National Party’s thoughts around education. This

in December 2001, which dramatically altered domestic as well

meeting turned out to be more of a question and answer session,

as international opinion. PISA highlighted Finland’s academic

where Erica asked questions and keenly listened to the answers

excellence as well as equity of outcomes. Finland’s success

from the various stakeholders present. Of particular concern

stemmed from studying other education systems. New Zealand

was the underperformance of students in Literacy and Science,

could take a feather from the Finnish cap by studying practices

and what steps needed to be put in place for trainee teachers to

from other successful education systems from around the world.

reverse these alarming trends.

We could proactively focus on educational programmes that would help us tackle any potential skill shortages as we look

This question was prompted by a recent report from the

to the future which is increasingly focusing on science and

Education Hub: Now I don’t know my ABC, The perilous state

technology. The recent criticism of literacy and science practices

of literacy in Aotearoa New Zealand (Part 3) by Nina Hood and

in a child’s development should be a key strategic target.

Taylor Hughson, published Monday 21 March 2022.

What makes the Finnish education policies successful is that they Extracts from Part 3 Where to next?

are built around close cooperation with education authorities

Schools must support the development of critical literacy,

and teacher unions. The voices of other stakeholders—

disciplinary literacy, literacy for knowledge acquisition,

business leaders, nongovernmental associations, researchers,

and literacy for the effective communication of ideas and

and parents—are always included in their development plans.

information. It is this range of literacy abilities that will enable

I believe that a consensus-based policy-making process could

students to connect with different subject areas and different

guarantee sustainability of reforms and would be a refreshing

topics for a range of purposes. Not only do students need to

change from the current top down pragmatic decision making

be able to engage with complex texts and abstract concepts

model.

and ideas, with today’s complex digital media environments, they also require skills in navigation, comprehension, analysis

Finally, another key driver of education-development policy

and evaluation across multiple sources. Crucially, all of this

in Finland is that they have not endorsed student testing and

needs to be done in culturally responsive and sustaining ways,

school ranking as the path to improvement, but rather focused

which make use of culturally-relevant learning contexts and

on teacher preparation and retention. The Finns support and

pedagogical approaches.

endorse their teachers, which would be a very welcomed step in our education system today. Improving teacher qualifications is

The work that our teachers are engaging with by developing the

a start, but we still have a long road to travel if we are to become

WHAT HOW WHY strategy is one way our college is helping to

Finland’s equivalent in the southern hemisphere.

address this literacy shortfall to bring an element of consistency, and culturally responsive practice for these strategies across learning areas.

While it is good to have home grown solutions to areas of underperformance, it is also vital that New Zealand consider other education paradigms from around the world. Finland have long been seen as the benchmark for a world leading education system, but it was not always this way. Prior to 2001 education in Finland didn’t have an international reputation. Even the Finns themselves thought their education system was nothing special and expressed particular concerns about the quality of instruction in math and science in the 1980s and 1990s.

4

Stephen Tisch, Deputy Principal

Deputy Principal of Achievement Our reports have been designed to highlight what students can currently do and indicate what their next learning steps are i.e. to make learning the focus. This is in addition to indicating how frequently we observe the desirable learning behaviours that lead to powerful learning. Hopefully there is an improvement between terms 1 and 2!

Results from completed assessments will also be included to show achievement to date. Subject teacher email addresses are in the report so you can contact teachers directly if you have subject specific questions. Senior reports were emailed on July 1st and junior reports will be emailed on July 29th.

There are two Parent-Teacher days scheduled for Term 3 - Wednesday 24th August (onsite) and Thursday 8th September (online). Instructions for booking interviews will follow the junior reports in Term 3.

This year, Ōtūmoetai College (ŌTC) is supporting the Ministry of Education and the New Zealand

Qualifications Authority (NZQA) to pilot the new foundational literacy and numeracy standards.

The new standards will help ensure that students have the foundational skills to support them in further studies, work, and life. These standards are scheduled to become a mandatory part of the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) from 2024. Education academic Michael Johnston is a senior fellow at the New Zealand Initiative and worked on the study that first identified teens’ poor literacy and numeracy. He has said that the standards look well designed and that “the assessments look to be assessing the kinds of things that people would need to be able to do in everyday life.”

At the end of Term 2, most of our Year 10 students, along with other pilot schools, sat tests in Reading, Writing and Numeracy. We are expecting the results from NZQA near the middle of Term 3 and look forward to seeing our student achievement and then can respond accordingly. We will be able to compare these pilot results with other assessment data to help inform our teaching practice.

Thank you for your continued support during trying times.

5

Student Success Dale Carnegie Leadership Program During the last week of Term 2 Aston Hamilton and Ella Drake graduated from the Dale Carnegie Leadership Program. This program teaches the Dale Carnegie five drivers of success: building greater self-confidence, strengthening people skills, enhancing communication skills, developing leadership skills and reducing stress and worry. We asked Aston and Ella some questions to find out a bit more about the program...

What was the most significant learning for you?

self-confidence by the course trainer, I proved myself wrong.

Aston The most significant thing I learnt was how to disagree without conflict. It’s something I used to struggle with and I have noticed a distinct ease in my discussions with family members and peers.

What was the hardest thing about taking part in this leadership programme?

Ella The most significant thing I learned in this course was the ability to communicate effectively with others, by holding conversations - especially with people you work with or communicate with daily.

What surprised you about yourself?

Aston The change in the way I spoke to those that I was not familiar with was distinct. After the second day of the course, I was able to apply that which I had learnt in a practical situation by conversing with my father’s colleagues whom I was not familiar with rather comfortably.

6

Ella My capacity to speak publicly in front of strangers and other students surprised me. I never really thought I was good at public speaking in really small groups, but after a small boost of

Aston Stepping outside of my comfort zone, or “Fish tank”. Especially when you’re surrounded by a group of your peers, but eventually it becomes easier to do so.

Ella How far that each of us had to climb out of our comfort zone. The course was designed to push us to confront new ideas and change our mindsets on leadership and effective living. This included exaggerated public speaking and reflecting on other perspectives.

How has this experience influenced your thinking about leadership?

Aston It’s made me feel more confident about leading others and working with others in a team setting. Before the course I avoided group work because I always prefered to work alone, but now I am more tempted to work with others.

Ella Be as easy-minded as possible, and always play towards the importance

of other people on your team and their values. A leader isn’t much of a leader if no one respects them or appreciates their cooperation. You must always be prepared to make a fool of yourself and to make mistakes - but always admit them and learn from them (nobody is perfect).

What are some key messages you will hold on to and why?

Aston Principles about having meaningful discussions and interacting with others. There is lots of wisdom in the Golden Book (a book we received as part of the course that acts as a summary of all the things written in Dale Carnegie’s books) that I will not forget and will continue to practice.

Ella Be enthusiastic about what you do and give everything a go! It might inspire others to do the same. This is because the people you communicate with read an estimated 55% of your body language, 33% of your voice but only 7% of your words (it’s not what you say but how you say it).

Student Success Waikato Young Leaders’ Day - Year 9 During the last week of Term 2, Year 9 deans took a group of 15 Year 9 students to Waikato University to take part in the Waikato Young Leaders’ Day where they had the opportunity to unpack what leadership means to them. Some of the speakers the students listened to were Nathan Harris: BOP Steamers Rugby player, Chiefs, Māori All Blacks, All Blacks and Constable Kelsy Lovell: the third female police officer in the Armed Offenders Squad.

We asked two Year 9 students who attended the day, Delamare Langton and Holly Inglis-Collis, their thoughts...

Holly Inglis-Collis

Delamare Langton

What were some things you learnt from the Young Leadership day?

What have you learnt from the day that you will use in your future, to develop your leadership capacity?

Delamare I learnt that everyone had different backgrounds on their journey to becoming a leader. They had different stories and they spoke about the challenges.

Even though there were challenges on their journey, they pushed through and got to their goal in the end.

Delamare Learning to never doubt yourself is what I learnt. If you have a good mindset, then you can achieve your goals. I will also remember to always persevere and not let one thing bring me downhill and be determined to overcome any setbacks.

Holly I learnt that there are many different forms of leadership, and not all leadership looks the same. For example, one of the head students at Rotorua Girls’, said “the other head student at their school likes to do behind the scenes work for the school, instead of being the one who is always in the limelight speaking”.

7

Holly Bringing determination, getting involved, joining clubs and sports within the school, taking opportunities as they come along will develop the skills of leadership. Hopefully doing these things will put me in the positions which could lead to leadership in the future” It was a great experience, I am glad I got the opportunity to go.

Student Success Music National Youth Jazz Competition The Ōtūmoetai College Jazz Combo and Big Band had the pleasure of performing at the 44th National Youth Jazz Competition. Led and mentored by Kelly McNamara with Big Band assistance from Duncan Taylor, both of these groups performed exceptionally well and represented Ōtūmoetai College with pride and professionalism.

by Matt Bodman The Jazz Big Band

9

Lucy Dibble, vocalist for the Jazz Big Band

12

8

Student Success Senior Play Miranda A group of 20 seniors have been rehearsing since the start of the year to bring MIRANDA to the PAC stage.

It has been a challenging but fun experience. The dress rehearsal was the first time director Mandy Rowe had the whole cast together in one place since February!! Constant absences due to sickness have made rehearsals a little disjointed, but we have persevered.

This comedy written by Miranda Hart and televised to much acclaim guaranteed to keep us chuckling. The show must go on in spite of “what I call” COVID, and this one certainly did! Congratulations to all involved.

“Such fun!”

by Mandy Rowe

9

Student Success A Special mention to Ella Crichton Congratulataions to Ella who is a Year 13 Soft Materials student. She has been working on a fantastic project where she has completed over 200 soft toys for babies in need aged from 0-12 months. She donated 150 of these to a charity in Auckland called Littlemore, she personally delivered all 150. This charity organises the collection and sorting of preloved and new donations that can then be sent out to families in need.

What a star! A caring, compassionate and kind student who has really made a difference for families and kids in need.

10

Student Success Year 10 Health Expo Our annual Ōtūmoetai College Health Expo took place on the 27th of June in the PAC for all Year 10 students. Stalls were created by Year 12 Health Studies students for their course work. Part of their health promotion was to research their issue and identify the needs of the Year 10s, then develop a plan for promoting their health issue so that they could engage the Year 10s and attempt to improve or educate them on an aspect of their well-being. Topics ranged from positive body image and the impact of media to the consequences of vaping with the slogan “Don’t Get Sucked In”.

There were also some community health promoters on site such as The Cancer Society, Oral Health, Ngāti Ranganui (nutrition and regular physical activity), Family Planning and Tautoko Mai (healthy relationships and consent).

This was a fantastic opportunity for our rangatahi to have the opportunity to focus on aspects of well-being relevant to them. There was a really positive vibe and it was great to see Year 10s learning from their peers and having fun along the way. We hope that students continue to make good decisions around their well-being and are able to use what they have learned to reflect on and apply to their own lives. Thank you to the Year 12 Health Studies students and our community health promotion agencies who made this such a good event.

by Kathryn Brewer

1120

Student Success Takitumu Homework Hub The Takitumu Hub started in 2021 as the Pasifika Homework Hub. The initiative came about to support students’ academic studies while strengthening connections with aiga and whānau in our school community. Teachers across subject areas help students each Wednesday after school until 5pm. We are fortunate to have several parents supporting this kaupapa by preparing a cooked meal to share at the end of each session. Food donated from Good Neighbour is an invaluable contribution. Likewise, the Pacific Island Community Trust (Tauranga) generously donated New World vouchers and learning opportunities for our Additionally, the special needs students in Miss Tracy students during Cook Islands Language Week in 2021.

Parker’s class provide baking for the Hub every week for afternoon tea. The students are part of a transition The name change to The Takitumu Hub represents the programme and will leave school this year or next. Tracy said, “it’s about teaching them the value of giving back, waka of Samoan orig- supporting and helping others and about belonging to a ins. Built by two club”. brothers, the waka traversed The Takitumu Hub welcomes all students looking for a the Pacific is- quiet space to study or complete homework after school. lands of Tonga, For more information or to be a part of our parent roster, Fiji, Borabora, please get in touch with nhawkes@otc.school.nz. and Rarotonga before naviga- by Nicola Hawkes ting to Aotearoa. The waka first landed in Kaitaia. It sailed to Tauranga and then onto its final resting place in Te Anau.

The Pacific people taught their traditions at every destination.

Working within the Hub, we collectively value service, leadership, family, inclusion, belonging, and relationships.

Whaea Kerrin Andrews accompanies Year 8 teina from Ōtūmoetai Intermediate. This partnership between our schools aims to build confidence in our ākonga when transitioning to College and aligns with our Kahui Ako’s focus on student hauora through a sense of belonging.

12

Student Success Year 10 & 11 Market Days Y10 and Y11 Business Management students both had their annual Market Day during Term 2. Students formed groups and worked together to produce a product to sell to the teachers and students during lunchtime. Through this experience, students developed their skills in business planning, product development, marketing and financial management. A fun experience for all and the reward of profits was made.

13

Matariki Article Celebrations Matariki Art Competition and the 20th Anniversary of Okohanga On 28th June 2022 at Ōtūmoetai College we celebrated the 20th anniversary of our Whare Wānanga Okohanga, and our school marae. The anniversary was actually meant to be celebrated earlier in the year but with the Covid traffic light system, we weren’t able to host our event. Having it during our Matariki celebrations and Art Competition seemed very appropriate.

After a delicious hangi in the kura’s new hangi cooker (built by Russell Prout in Technology) we were privileged to listen to a speech from Hiriwa Curnow, one of the key people responsible for the existence of our Whare Wānanga Okohanga. The winners of the Art Competition were then announced!

The Art Competition is an annual event run by the Ruamano committee to celebrate the many talented artists we have at the kura and to acknowledge Matariki.

The event was attended by friends and whānau of the kura, including anyone who had enjoyed Te Whare Okohanga in the past, and, of course, art lovers. Guests were able to vote for their favourite artwork, too!

Every year Ōtūmoetai College celebrates Matariki with an art competition, among a range of initiatives, facilitated by the Ruamano Committee. This year we had the most entries we’ve ever had. The number

Hiriwa Curnow speaking during the celebrations

of entries, combined with the 20th anniversary celebrations, ensured this year’s event was the biggest yet.

Celebrating Matariki at Ōtūmoetai College this year was particularly special now that it has become a national holiday. Our theme this year was New Beginnings so the art reflects the looking forward part of Matariki.

The celebration of the 20th Anniversary of Te Whare Okohanga was a time to reflect on the past and all the hard work done to get us to this point in time, as well as thinking on where we want to go next.

The Matariki Art Competition has definitely become a great way to annually celebrate and educate a lot of our students and staff on the meaning and importance of Matariki. This annual competition not only gives the artistic students a creative outlet, but also gives them a deeper understanding of the significance of Matariki.

It also allows tauira to gain confidence in their artistic abilities, as they will not be graded on their art, and there are no limits to what they can create or ways they can express their own perception of Matariki.

by Lana Moore

The Winners of the Matariki Art Competition

Second place in the Senior Category, Pyper Loane Winner of the Senior Category and People’s Choice Award 8 Winner, Ali Wills

Winner of the Junior Category, Ava Bastin

14

Celebrations New Robotics Room

Beejays at work

The completed Robotics room

Recently we remodeled part of the Technology block into a

design skills. We participate in the Vex Robotics worldwide

room especially for Robotics. After an initial mini competition

competition each year, attempting to engineer and build

to break in the new room we discovered that the sound

solutions to Vex Robotics challenges and games. I personally

reverberations from a crowd made the room uninhabitable.

am a member of the A-Team, and it is my role as part of said

The costs for conventional materials are exorbitant, Mr

team to contribute to the design, building, and programming

Wessels even considered using egg trays (which do work)

of our robot.

however, he got some backlash regarding aesthetics....

Luckily our Food Technology room had had some autex

Dominik Thwaites

lining put in recently by Beejays and they offered to donate

The Robotics club is, in essence, about

some panels to the school. We’ve had some rowdy sessions

designing and building robots to compete

since and the panels work a treat.

in annual nationwide competitions. Every

Thank you Beejays!!

week we meet to develop and iterate our ideas with the parts and tools available to

In light of the new Robotics Room we thought we’d find

us. It is a very social environment where

out a little more about the Robotics Club from some of the

many strong friendships are fostered, so

students involved. We asked them to tell us a little bit about

strong even that previous members that have graduated

the Robotics Club and what they do:

the college periodically return to mentor the newer teams.

In the club, I am one of the three most senior members and

Emily Aldridge

therefore a role model and leader to the other members. In The robotics club is about teams

a typical session, I will build our robot and converse with my

building robots and working together so

team while also making my way around the junior teams to

they can go to scrimmages. Robotics is

help them and give them advice where needed.

also about coding and programming the robot to be able to drive on its own. I am

Liam Venman

in a team which has three other people

The robotics club is about competing

in it and I am the team leader, this makes

in a yearly Vex competition. You

me in charge of overlooking designs and making sure that

create robots in teams of 3-5. You

everyone is organised.

show up at 8.30 Saturday mornings for 5 hours until 12.30 every weekend.

Erik Gilbert

Occasionally the robotic club drive to

In addition to fostering collaborative

Auckland to compete in scrimmages

teamwork and communication, the

to test out the robot.

Ōtūmoetai College Robotics club aims to teach members practical

If you are interested in joining the Robotics Club please see

engineering,

Mr Wessels in the Technology department.

programming,

and

15

Student Sport

by Ian Ridgway, Sports Development Director

Mental Toughness Journal

Students with their Mental Toughness Journal

A good sports program caters for the needs of all those who fall under its care, regardless of their sporting ambitions or purpose behind being physically active.

The way we present sport and physical recreation to our rangatahi will determine their future involvement and how they see and understand the benefits of a healthy and active lifestyle.

Term two has been a time of new initiatives and new beginnings. We have collaborated with local Sport Psychologist, Zane Winslade and introduced his Mental Toughness Journal to our 1st XI Boys & Girls Football and Hockey teams for their 2022 season.

The Journal has been introduced as a tool to learn how to recognise and cope with everyday life in what

has been an ever changing academic and sporting landscape over the last couple of years. We will look to expand the audience of this fantastic journal as we continue to make our way through the year.

Growing Coaches There are those amongst us whose calling in life is to help others. We have a number of students who are already walking that path and passing their knowledge and love of sport to their peers and tamariki within the local community.

To help our student-coaches develop, and with the help of Sport Bay of Plenty Coach Force and in particular Trudi Kemp, we launched a Sport New Zealand initiative called ‘Growing Coaches’. This program has encouraged our student-coaches to examine and think about their Why, How & What; Why do I coach sport? How do I want to coach?

What kind of coach am I? The students have excelled in developing their own coaching philosophies which then shape the way they deliver their lessons. This is an ongoing program as we aim to mentor and support our student coaches throughout the entire academic year and through the differing sporting seasons.

Ko te piko o te mahuri, tera te tupu o te rakau. The way the sapling is shaped determines how the tree grows.

16

Student Sport Not So Sports Club It is being increasingly reported that young women are becoming disengaged from sport and physical activity. There are many reasons for this but recognising and offering something for those girls was something a special lady called Kim Lazor felt extremely passionate about. Kim lives in Christchurch and formed the Forward Foundation which then launched the very successful Not So Sports Club.

A club for high school girls who do not feel that competitive sport is their ideal platform for being active and living a healthy lifestyle, but like being challenged, trying new things and having fun. Thanks to Kim and the club’s Bay of Plenty coordinator, Kathy Miller, this club is now up and running at Ōtūmoetai College and the girls involved are enjoying their trips out every Wednesday afterschool. Kim travelled up to Ōtūmoetai College for the Club’s first ever outing during Term Two and joined the girls for a round of crazy golf. This club will continue throughout the year and will enable the girls involved to experience new activities, forge new friendships and create positive memories around being physically active.

The Not So Sports Club girls including Kim Lazor (grey jumper) and Kathy Miller (far right, front row)

Regardless of the initiative, club, or opportunity taken during Term Two, all those students involved have chosen to try something new, step out of their comfort zone and risked failure along the way while doing so. The sports department will continue to provide new challenges and exciting opportunities for all our students during Term Three and beyond whilst encouraging and supporting those involved to excel in their own way.

17

Whaia te iti kahurangi; ki te tuohu koe, me he maunga teitei. Aim for the highest cloud, so that if you miss it you will hit a lofty mountain.

Student Sport

by Paul Braddock, Director of Sport Charo Heijnen

Term 2 as always starts with a bang! As soon as summer sports finish our winter codes take over.

All winter codes started their pre-season training at the back end of Term 1 in order to be ready for the games starting in week 1 of Term 2. I must congratulate Tauranga Netball for their foresight in not starting until the 2nd Friday back. This gave our girls, and our hard-working netball team of managers led by Chris Matheson, time to look after our girls coming off the summer season and engage in a trialling process to sort our teams out.

Rugby, Netball, Basketball, Hockey, and Football are all on show with weekly league games, and if you come down to the college on a Saturday morning you will most likely get to see a game of Football or Rugby.

Hockey and Basketball are played on a Wednesday evening with senior Netball being played on Friday nights, and juniors playing on Saturday morning over at the Mount courts.

Term 2 has been notable for the fact that we did not have any events cancelled due to Covid!

This meant that our school was able to be involved in Bay of Plenty and NZ Secondary School Sports events. We had notable achievements in BOP Cross Country with Charo Heijnen coming 2nd in the

Senior Girls and Grace Duncan winning the Junior Girls race. Charo Hejinen also placed 11th in a large field of cross-country runners at the NZ Secondary School Cross Country event held in Nelson.

In Squash, Erin Wyllie won the individual Squash event with Grace Spencer placing 2nd.

In the BOP teams squash Hope Kennerley, Erin Wyllie and Grace Spencer were placed 1st (see picture above).

We welcome back Chloe Boyt (right) to school who was in Budapest representing NZ in the sport of synchronised swimming.

Notable events to look out for in Term 3 are the Winter Tournament beginning on the 28th August as well as our Girls’ Squash team heading to the North Shore to defend their NZ Teams Squash title! We wish them the best of luck.

Grace Duncan

18

Student Celebrations The Peter Blackwell Cup 2022 Congratulations to our Ōtūmoetai Barbarians First XV Rugby team who won the inaugural Peter Blackwell Cup against Mount College.

This year has seen the introduction of a traditional fixture with the Mount Maunganui College First XV, the Peter Blackwell Cup. This will be played annually between the two teams.

Peter Blackwell (Blackie) whom the cup is named after has provided significant support and service to both schools over the years and dedicated his life to helping others in the community.

The Barbarians also performed their new haka with pride.

A big thank you to Matua Bobby Ketu who designed this haka specifically for the school!

Barbarians’ Good Neighbour Day On 29 May this year 50 volunteers delivered firewood all over Tauranga.

The player support was phenomenal, as was the sensational uptake of whānau and parental support. Without our parents and whānau we would not be able to provide this rewarding opportunity for our players. We even had families traveling to support this day from Rotorua.

The Good Neighbour crew, of, Jason Rachel, Rick, Fleur and Cam quickly directed our convoy of utes, cars and trailers into the firewood depot, ready to be filled up with the first load. Our players delivered firewood to households in much need of warmth and experienced a side of society that many may not have seen before. For some, it was a real awakening and a humbling experience. We were incredibly proud of all our students today, they were hardworking, respectful and completely understood the sensitivity and dignity required when delivering to some properties. Significantly, the players saw first-hand the importance of a collective making a difference.

“Our rugby programme is more than just about the game itself.” Richard Brown Our students lived that reality today. There are 33 households who will be warmer and healthier tonight than they were last night. Today, our rugby programme achieved one it’s most important goals, connecting with our community, by making a difference in and for our community.

19

Student Sport Athletics Day The Athletics Day was held on Friday 1st July at the Tauranga Domain. A great day was had by all.

Please see below for the overall results.

Results Junior Girls

Junior Boys

Ingrid Stripling

Karewa

Champion

Nick Reeder

Maunganui

Champion

Sophie Garrett

Manunui

Second

Cole Maher

Manunui

Second

Brydie McMillan

Manunui

Third

Joseph Hersey

Manunui

Third=

Ben Paratene

Pūwhenua

Third=

Intermediate Girls

Intermediate Boys

Greta Stripling

Maunganui

Champion

Jacob Reeder

Aela Willoughby

Pūwhenua

Second

Marcus Harman Pūwhenua

Second

Olivia Hays

Ōtanewainuku

Third

Michael Espiritu Maunganui

Third=

Josh Brown

Ōtanewainuku

Third=

Bradley Wiessing

Pūwhenua

Third=

20

Ōtanewainuku

Champion

Senior Girls

Senior Boys

Kiana Rae

Pūwhenua

Champion

Seth Turner

Karewa

Champion

Danielle Fowler

Pūwhenua

Second

Nico Brown

Ōtanewainuku

Second

Third

Zachaia Tarawa

Ōtanewainuku

Third

Brooke Comeskey Maunganui

Record Broken Congratulations to Sophie Garrett in Year 10 who broke the 3000m record. It has been held by J Tippens since 2013 at 11.39.11 minutes.

Sophie ran it in 11.26.74 minutes!

21

Get to know the Art Department Sarah-Jane Smith - Head of Department What subjects do you teach?

Senior Design and Illustration, Painting L1 and 2, Junior Art Why did you decide to become a teacher?

Sounds terribly cliched, but I wanted to make a difference and share my passion for Art. I love the energy of teenagers, they bring out my inner child.

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

I drew obsessively as a child - trees and birds and doodled in all my school books. I studied Art all through secondary school, where my passion was really ignited for Design. I then studied a foundation course in general Art disciplines, completing my degree in Textile Design at Manchester Metropolitan University.

Which Artists have inspired / influenced you?

Monet was my first love, I remember being in awe seeing his work at the Royal Academy on a school trip. I am continually inspired by Shibori and Japanese Art, I particularly love Issy Miyake’s sculptural fabrics.

David Henderson -

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

There are too many to mention, but I get huge satisfaction from seeing “the penny drop” for a student and watching their passion being ignited.

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

Persevere, be patient with yourself, practice practice, practice, set yourself goals - being great at something takes a lot of time! Learning really is a life long journey, I am continually inspired and motivated by my students and there is always something to learn from each other.

Year 12 & 13 Painting and Junior Art

How/why did you get into teaching?

I have always enjoyed Art and I felt teaching was a great way of being able to share my passion with others!

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

I studied a Bachelor of Fine Art in Dunedin and majored in Printmaking and Painting. After this study I then went to Wellington College of Education to complete a Diploma in Secondary School teaching.

This year I am starting to get back into my own Art through woodblock printmaking. I am involved as an Artist in the Garden and Arts festival in November. Check out my work through Instagram - hendo.dave

Which Artists have inspired / influenced you?

I am inspired by Marilyn Webb who was one of my lecturers down in Dunedin and who is also a Printmaker. I also love the Art of local mural painter Shane Walker and also American printmaker/skateboarder Dylan Goldberger who I follow on Instagram.

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

Too many to choose from! Every day is different in teaching and I think the best reward is feeling like I have made a difference in young people’s lives! It’s great catching up with those students who have left school and are following their passion in life!

22

Susan Blakemore - L2 - L3 Photography, Yr 9-11 Visual Art How/why did you get into teaching?

I really enjoyed drawing, particularly clothes, and I thought I might do something in the fashion industry at first. I then later went onto learn photography at school, it was in the darkroom then. I liked the anticipation of waiting to see the image finally appear in the chemicals.

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

I studied art in year 11, 12 and 13 specialising in photography at school. I then went to Massey University in Palmerston North where I trained as a primary school teacher majoring in art and specialising in photography. I have taught at Auckland Grammar School, before that I was Head of Art at a private school in the UK called Bearwood College. I have also taught at several other schools including The British School Of Beijing, in Beijing.

Which Artists have inspired / influenced you?

When I was living in the UK I got to travel the world and see lots of art and photography exhibitions that have been very inspirational. I especially like the work of Richard Avedon,

Duane Michals, Luican Freud, Francis Bacon, Jenny Saville and Slyvia Siddel.

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

I really enjoy the phone calls I get in the holidays when students are screaming down the phone with excitement because they have got scholarship or excellent grades. I get a real thrill to see students work beyond what they think they are capable of.

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

Get out and experience the world, there is a lot to enjoy. If you get a chance to live in another culture then do it. There is nothing like throwing yourself into the deep end and having to make it work. Life is short so make the most of it.

Things come to those that work hard.

Warren Mahy- Y9 Art, Y10 Art-Visual, Y10 Art-Creative Media, L1 Art-Visual, L1 Art-Creative Media How/why did you get into teaching?

Having worked for many years in an industry that wasn’t particularly community minded, teaching felt like a good way to ‘give back’. My wife is also a teacher and having holidays together with our kids seemed like a no-brainer.

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

Art has always been part of my life, from lying on the floor as a kid, in front of the TV, drawing monsters and machines to working at Weta Workshop as an adult STILL drawing monsters and machines.

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

The ONLY way someone can become ‘good’ at Art, is through lots and lots and LOTS of time spent with a pencil, paint brush or sculpting tool in their hand. If you know someone who is great at drawing or any other creative process, you can guarantee that they have spent a lot of time practising.

Which Artists have inspired / influenced you?

Growing up, my artist explorations were heavily shaped by comics, especially the British monthly series: ‘2000ad’. Music and film play a huge part in what I create these days.

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

Catching up with an ex-student who is now working at Weta Workshop (drawing Monsters and Machines!)

23

Artwork from som Year 11, 12 &

24

me of our talented & 13 students

25

A Snapsho

ŌTŪMOETA BALL

CASINO R

28

ot of the...

AI COLLEGE 2022

ROYALE

29

Where are they now?

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

Alex Liu I’m Alex! My 9-5 job is the Head of Visual Operations at Stuff (the news website). The job is basically a combination of producing video and podcast material and managing the company’s visual journalists. Outside of that I’m a freelance screenwriter and filmmaker.

When were you at Ōtūmoetai College?

2005 - 2010 Tell us about your student days here at Ōtūmoetai College?

I tended to be much more focussed on the arts than sport or academic, which was funny because before college I was HEAVILY focussed on sport. I did play volleyball for most of my high school years, but Ōtūmoetai was the place I discovered a heavy love for drama, music and design.

I took computer design, drama, music and media studies all of the years that I could. Ironically, I wasn’t very good at English, considering I now write stories!

In 2010 I was Head Boy alongside Sam Marmion, which was really great. As Head Boy I was also the ‘Head of Publicity’ which basically involved making videos for assemblies that would promote the various events coming up at school (Athletics day, fashion days etc). Being Head Boy also provided great opportunities to travel, meet students from other schools and see how they operated. I have a lot of great friends to this day from that role.

Were there any teachers that particularly influenced you?

Ellen Rombouts was a big influence in terms of following what I wanted to do in media. She encouraged me to explore wacky

ideas and be at peace with them. She might not know that! Media studies was the only subject I think I really excelled in.

Phil Newton was also a great history teacher.

He was similar in that he (s ub co ns c i o us l y) influenced me to trust in myself and not conform to ‘expected’ standards. In art, that is SO important.

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

We had a very close Year 13. I might be wrong, but I seem to remember it was one of the biggest seventh forms the school had had in a long time. The great thing about it was there weren’t really ‘cliques’; we all just kind of hung out together.

I also just remember Ōtūmoetai being quite freeing. It always felt like I could explore what I wanted to do with encouragement from teachers, which is what you need as a student and what you realise you needed when you’re older!

What was your most valuable life lesson that you learnt during your college years?

To explore and be free with ideas. Also, how important the friendships you make in high school are. I’m still very close to a lot of the friends I made at Ōtūmoetai.

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

Yes! I was extremely fortunate to know what I have wanted to do since I was 12.

30

Could you give us a little background on what’s been happening for you since you left school and how you came about making films and podcasts?

I started making films when I was 12. I was gifted a handycam for my 13th birthday and since I already loved movies, I would write and direct my friends in cheap knockoff versions around Tauranga.

I ended up going to South Seas Film School in Auckland and worked in post production in television for a few years before moving to Stuff to produce video and podcasts. I have worked on most of the podcasts that have come out of Stuff, and last year I wrote, produced and edited my own called ‘Once a Panther’, which has been nominated for Best Podcast at this year’s media awards.

Outside of work, I’ve written and directed two short films.

One of them, called SMOG, is playing at the 2022 NZ International Film Festival. I also write screenplays in my spare time, and recently I signed with a literary manager in Los Angeles. Together we are developing a feature length script to make in NZ next year.

How did you first get introduced to film making?

Watching the special features on DVDs! After renting films from the video shop (United Video in Cherrywood) I would watch the behind the scenes and that’s how I found out what I wanted to do. It just looked like so much fun.

Alex directing his short film SMOG

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

Don’t put so much pressure on yourself. Take your time to figure out what you enjoy doing and allow it to come naturally. Trust me, it will!

Also, learn to love the process of doing. Life and success aren’t straight roads, meaning there will be times of great success and times of failure where you will feel like you aren’t going anywhere. If you really learn to enjoy what you’re doing and don’t focus so much on the result, you will be much more content. Trust me! It took me a long time to figure this one out.

What is the highlight of your career so far?

Signing with my manager in Los Angeles. It has always been the dream to write and make feature films, and to have a manager based in Hollywood is definitely a big step towards that goal.

Alex directing his short film SMOG

31

From the Archives Tying in with the 20th anniversary celebrations of our Whare Wānanga Okohanga, this photo captures the Kapa Haka group from 1995. If you look closely (front row, second from left) you will see the familiar face of Hiriwa Curnow, who is also pictured on page 14, speaking at the 20th anniversary celebrations. Hiriwa was the driving force behind the establishment of Okohanga.

32

August 2022 Sunday

Monday 1 DanceNZMade

Tuesday

Wednesday

2 1.30pm AUT re:

3

Thursday 4 Australian

Course Planning in K08

7

8

9 Year 8

Friday 5 1.30pm in K8

Mathematics Competition

10 Starsopoly

11 Starsopoly

15 Talent Quest

16 Talent Quest

12 Pin’d Fashion

13 Pin’d Fashion

Showcase and Careers Expo

17 Talent Quest

18 3.45pm Senior

Period 4 onwards

Subject Information

21 NZSS

22 Subject

23 1.30pm

24 Parent/Teacher 25

Gymnastics Sports in Auckland

Selection opens for Years 10, 11, 12

Canterbury University in K08

interviews onsite 10.30am - 7.30pm

28 NZSS

29

30

31

Wrestling Champs in Auckland

6

Waikato Uni Course planning

Enrolment Open Evening

14

Saturday

Teacher Only Day Accord Day #6

Showcase at Baycourt

19 L2 SPSC Ski

20 NZSS

Trip. Mathsmind Comp (West. Bay)

Gymnastics Event in Auckland

26

27

Shave for a Cure (Lunchtime)

WINTER TOURNAMENT AND MUSIC ASSESSMENT WEEK

September 2022 Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday 1

4

5 1.30pm Otago Father’s Day

11

6 Winter sports

University Course Planning in K08

12

7 Board Elections

photos in the Action Centre

14

2

interviews (virtual)

15

Saturday 3

8 Parent / Teacher 9 Senior Exams

for Student Representative

13

Friday

10

begin

16

17

24

SENIOR EXAMS 18 NZSS

19

Cheerleading Champs -Auckland

25 Daylight Savings starts

20

21

22

23

DRAMA ASSESSMENTS WEEK

Election Day for Board Representatives (Staff and Parent)

26 NZ Mental

28

29

30 IFFS trip to

Awareness Week activities all week

27

Yrs 10-13 Dance Assessment Day 6.00pm performance

Colours Day

Moutohorā Island

October 2022 Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday 1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

14

15

21

22

C HOOOOLL H S CS H HOOLLI DI ADYASY S 9

10

11

12

13

C HOOOOLL H S CS H HOOLLI DI ADYASY S 16

17

18 PACANZ Dance 19 Yr 9 Option Competition (for 3 days)

23

24 Labour Day

30

25 Yr 9 option selection opens

20 11.30am

Information afternoon

26 Sports Awards

Creative Arts Awards

27 Māori & Pasifika Awards

28 11.30am

29

Special Needs Production

31 33

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