Week beginning 9 June
Kauri: Keita Broughton-Alp
Mataī: Finn Butler
Rimu: Lee Poata- Hobbs
Tōtara: Giorgio Bevan
Week beginning 16 June
Kauri: Kyuss Carson
Mataī: Moeawhi Turner
Rimu: Charli Eramiha
Tōtara: Manase-Jamez Bailey
Fri 20 June - Matariki - College Closed
Sat 21 June - Matariki Night Market
Mon 23 June - Reports emailed home
Wed 25 June - Student/Whānau/Teacher interviews - booking details can be found here. College closed for Year 7&8s only. Early finish at 1.35 for Years 9-13.
Fri 27 June - last day of Term Two
Mon 14 July - first day of Term Three
Wed 23 July Year 7&8 Teacher Only Day - College Closed for Year 7&8s only - classes run as usual for Years 9-13
View our full calendar here.
This can be found here. The portal can also be located via our website under the "Whānau" tab.
Every 3 years Ōtaki College runs its Board of Trustees elections, and the next one is coming up this September. I’ve been lucky to serve two-terms on the Board and wanted to share some reflections that might inspire you or members of your whānau or community to consider standing for election in September.
I’m a busy working Mum who loves to give back to the community BUT, work, the commute and associated travel around the country make it hard for me to commit to regular weekly, after school, weekend, or evening stuff like sport (I’m also not very good at sport!). Being on the Board has been an amazing way to contribute, in a small way, to the future of our community. The students and staff at our college constantly re-affirm hope for me in a world that’s often dominated by some horrific headlines and issues. Every day the staff and students are doing amazing stuff and growing a community of resilient, thoughtful, practical, and kind people.
Serving on the Board of Trustees has opened many opportunities for me to grow and thrive as an individual and as part of a school community. Our job as Board of Trustees is to provide governance that ensures students receive a quality education within a safe and supportive environment. The Board is the employer of all staff in the school, and we set the school's strategic direction in consultation with Ngā Hapū o Ōtaki, parents, staff and students. We are also responsible for overseeing the management of personnel, curriculum, property, finance, and administration and, we are made up of elected members, including student, staff and Ngā Hapū o Ōtaki representatives.
As a Board member you get exposed to lots of things, training in governance, local kawa, tikanga, history and culture, future education, and curriculum development. Through Te Whakarōputanga Kaitiaki Kura o Aotearoa – New Zealand School Boards Association (formerly NZSTA) the professional body for school boards - members can access tailored training resources, events and courses that cover topics such as legal responsibilities, financial management, and strategic planning, equipping you with the tools to help make effective decisions.
I have found this training often extends beyond the school setting and has helped me develop skills that have been valuable in my personal and professional life. It’s kept me grounded and connected to what’s happening in our community and allowed me to be involved and helpful in ways that work with my home situation. It’s very rewarding when you get to observe first-hand positive changes resulting from your collective efforts, for example supporting Andy and the Senior Leadership Team with the strategic move to Deep Learning and this weekend Matariki Night Market.
So, come September the school will be calling for support for the next 3-years with its Board of Trustees. If you’re interested, on the fence or have any questions I, or any of the other current Board members Ōtaki College |Te Kāreti o Ōtaki - Board of Trustees, would be happy to take questions or have a chat. Honestly, it’s such a good experience, you’ll have fun be helpful and get so much out of it – please consider and go for it!!
Sarah Ropata, Deputy Chair, Ōtaki College Board of Trustees
We are close to the conclusion of Term Two and it is certainly ending well. Please take the time to read the article about our Kapa Haka group in this newsletter as their commitment and performance were absolutely outstanding. I would like to take the time to commend Kahura Cameron for his commitment over the years to slowly build the number of students interested in Kapa Haka. This has led to the involvement of some of our amazing staff and and a former student and has taken Kapa Haka to the next level. Sincere thanks to all our students and staff and to all the whānau that were present at the Te Rauparaha Arena to tautoko our young people. I certainly feel that we are now well placed to be a real threat to other participants in the 2027 regionals.
While I am writing this, there is a scurry of activity as we get ready for our Matariki Night Market which will be held on Saturday at 5.00pm. A huge thanks to Jo Andrews, Anje Glindemann, Cam Butler and the rest of the organisational team for the work that has gone into making this event happen. I would also like to thank the sponsors Jo has collaborated with to make this event possible. I hope that we see a big turnout of the College and wider community to support this event on Saturday. This will be an opportunity to not only enjoy the many stalls but also for people to see our amazing Kapa Haka group as well as the highly acclaimed Casual Healing performing that night. Fingers crossed the weather is good but if not - kia kaha, wrap up warm, and come along anyway.
It was heartwarming to see good numbers of students attending our open day on 4 June and absolutely fantastic to interact with a large number of whānau who attended the open evening despite the very cold weather. We are really excited about sharing the opportunities that young people have at the College and look forward to these new faces becoming part of our College community next year.
In closing, I would encourage you all to attend the student/teacher/whānau day/evening next week on Wednesday 25 June to discuss your child's progress. Your support in their learning journey is always appreciated and certainly helps to build the strong relationships that are required for young people to achieve their best.
Powercut have just released their new album - Planet Parade. It is freshly released on Spotify, youTube, Bandcamp, etc … and has beautiful artwork by Bonny Brookman for it’s cover.
https://open.spotify.com/album/2ai0GzAekCUBu5UemjbDIA
All 'likes and follows’ help them gain followers and get their album bubbling to the top of peoples playlists.
The Duke of Edinburgh's Award equips rangatahi for promising futures by challenging young people to develop skills and tools to improve themselves – and their communities.
For information about the Duke of Edinburgh's Award at College contact Carrie Yaxley on carrieyaxley@gmail.com or Kent Pollard on kpl@otakicollege.school.nz.
Energise Ōtaki is thrilled to announce the relocation of the Ōtaki BikeSpace Hub to Ōtaki College. This exciting initiative, made possible by the generous support of New World Ōtaki and funding from the KCDC Climate Action Fund, will significantly enhance community access to bicycles and bike repair services.
New World Ōtaki has been instrumental in the project's launch, recently donating a container that will serve as the physical hub for the BikeSpace. This vital contribution will allow for the safe storage of bikes and equipment, ensuring the longevity and accessibility of the program.
The new BikeSpace Hub means that bicycles will be available to the wider Ōtaki community during regular bike repair days, which occur approximately every six weeks, promoting cycling as a sustainable and healthy mode of transport.
Energise Ōtaki extends its deepest gratitude to Ōtaki College for their enthusiastic support and for providing a home for the BikeSpace Hub on their grounds. This partnership exemplifies a shared commitment to community well-being and local initiatives.
We are incredibly excited to see the Ōtaki BikeSpace Hub come to life at Ōtaki College. Thanks to the fantastic support from New World Ōtaki, funding from the KCDC Climate Action Fund and the welcoming spirit of Ōtaki College, we can now offer a dedicated space for bike repairs. We look forward to watching this space develop and grow over the coming months.
For those interested in learning more about upcoming bike repair days and potential giveaways, please follow the Energise Ōtaki Bike Space social media page https://www.facebook.com/OtakiBikeSpace/ for the latest information.