From the Principal 18 September

Prime Minister's Announcement on Alert Levels

The Prime Minister has announced Cabinet’s decision made on Monday 14 September, that a short extension to existing alert levels will apply.  Due to this announcement we must continue to constantly monitor the activities and events that we undertake at the College.  Below are 10 key things that we have been advised to keep in mind while still under Alert Level 2:

1.   Schools are open to everyone, and all children must attend.

2.   Learning will be onsite with distance learning offered in some circumstances.

3.   Schools are not classified as gatherings and a range of events and activities can go ahead.

4.   Schools will close for cleaning and contact tracing if there is a confirmed case who was infectious when at school.

5.   Face coverings are not required at school or on any school transport.

6.   Sick people must stay at home.

7.   You must have a contact tracing system in place.

8.   Fundamental public health measures continue to apply at every alert level.

9.   Think and plan carefully before you go ahead with any activity that brings a large number of students together and/or spectators are involved.

10.   Our Ministry regional office team is available to provide support.

Aotearoa New Zealand's Histories Update

At a national level I am really excited about the fact that we are continuing to build momentum around the development of Aotearoa histories which will be taught in all our schools and kura from 2022.

The Ministry has been working with writing teams and internal and external advisory groups to develop draft curriculum content. They are now testing this content with a small number of schools and kura to find out if it will work in the classroom and if it will support the development of rich marau ā-kura and local curriculum. They want to gain insights on resource supports and professional learning development to ensure successful implementation of the Aotearoa New Zealand’s histories curriculum updates. The testing process will run from September to late November 2020.

It is exciting to think that we will now be enabled to deliver the real history of our country which will be conveyed from multiple lenses rather than the one- sided Eurocentric viewpoint that has been prevalent over far too many years.

Te Wiki o te reo Māori

Monday marked 45 years since the first Te Wiki o te reo Māori was held. It is a point in time to celebrate, promote and encourage use of te reo – it is also a prompt that every time we use te reo we contribute to its revitalisation. Te Wiki o te reo Māori is part of the much broader strategy and work programme, Tau Mai Te Reo (Māori language strategy for Education) to help achieve the Government’s target of a million people using te reo in everyday life by 2040. Within this strategy is the very successful Te Ahu o te Reo Māori programme providing opportunities for teachers to make te reo part of their everyday teaching lives.  

Recent Highlights and Coming Events

The end of the year, particularly for seniors, is now looming and it certainly feels like we are having to cram in so much post COVID to fulfill a normal year's requirements.  Despite a distinct feeling of pressure around this, it has been really exciting to see just what has been happening at the College over the recent weeks.

Our outdoor education Level 3 Alpine trip was a huge success with the students all reporting back with really positive feedback.

The Senior Drama Production took place and while this was a revised option in terms of the type of production, it was certainly a fantastic showcase of our students' talents.  Set and performed on the stage, the small audience gained an intimate and connected experience with the actors who performed the Toa Fraser play Bare.

On the national stage, Sam Ward and members of the Manukura GPS programme were able to submit their conference presentation digitally to conference attendees, showcasing the outstanding results that the Manukura programme has achieved since its inception.

A huge congratulations to Whaea Maha for the amazing assessment day that took place recently for the He Toa Takitini roopu.  This group was established to enable Māori and Pasifika students opportunities to work in a culturally connected context to gain further credits towards their NCEA Level 2 qualification.  The outcome has been outstanding and I also wish to thank Matua Te Tahi for his support with the boys to prepare the hāngi - which was absolutely delicious.

Last Thursday saw our speed dating styled Meet the Employer evening.  A very big thanks to Steph Putt for organising this event which was very well attended by local employers and students from Ōtaki College and our local Kura.

Updates

Due to our COVID Alert Level we are still unable to set a new ball date.  More news on this once we get the next announcement from the Prime Minister in regard to a possible shift back to Alert Level 1.

Student reporting: please be aware that your child's report will be emailed out to you towards the end of Week 10, Term 3.  You will also be able to view these reports on the Kamar Parent Portal.