Band Program 2020 

We are looking for interested students in Year 7 - 10 to be part of the 2020 band program. We will have a Year 7&8 band and a Year 9&10 band. The purpose is to learn to play in a band and perform to audiences.

Students will come out of 1 lesson a week on a Wednesday to attend the band class. Anje Glindemann and Paul Waechter have returned as our tutors which is great.

There is an expectation that the students will have an instrument to practise on and will learn their parts at home. Both Bands will be working towards entering competitions - Bandquest and Battle of the Bands for Year 7&8, and Smokefreerockquest for Year 9&10.

For more information please contact Joanna Devane on 0220179024 or email at jdv@otakicollege.school.nz

Important Dates to Diary

Full details are available on the school website calendar.  The following are important dates to note:

• Swimming Sports: Mon 10 Feb

• Athletics Day: Wed 19 Feb

• Teacher Only Day and Union Meeting- School Closed: Wed 26 Feb

• SS Otaki Commemoration: Mon 9 March

• School Photo Day: Tue 10 March

• Student/Teacher/Parent Interviews - College will close at 12.30: Wed 11 March

• Good Friday and start of holidays: Fri 10 April

• Anzac Day - School Closed: Mon 27 April

• Start of Term 2: Tue 28 April

Year 12 and 13 BYOD Laptops for 2020

 We encourage all students to use a digital device at Ōtaki College. The use of digital technology can transform learning in school and beyond.  

All students have access to Chromebooks. These work best with our Google tools in school. Chromebooks work in a Google Apps environment. You do not install software on to them.

Year 12 and 13 students may prefer a device with software that supports their courses (e.g. Digital Media).  We find that tablets (e.g. iPads, Android Tablets) do not always offer the functionality that students need, even with a remote keyboard. Therefore we will only be permitting the use of laptops at year 12 and 13, which can be configured to connect to our school wifi.

Mid Central DHB has advised that a child with whooping cough has been at College whilst infectious. Whooping cough (also known as Pertussis) is an illness caused by a bacteria, Children are immunised to prevent illness from this bacteria.

 People become infected when they come into contact with discharges from the nose, throat and mouth of someone who is infectious with whooping cough. It is usually spread by coughing. It takes 7 to 10 days from exposure for people to show symptoms. Certain antibiotics are given if the person has only been coughing for a short period or is linked to a confirmed case of Pertussis. This is usually only to make the person noninfectious after 3 days and so they can then return to school, if they don’t have the antibiotics they need to stay in isolation for 3 weeks. They will continue to cough for up to 100 days    (100 day cough).  Please see attachment for more details.

2020 Uniform Requirements.  Check them here.

Change of College Bank Account - how this affects you.

Communication between College and Parents/Whānau - download the Skool Loop App.