Full details are available on the school website calendar. The following are important dates to note:
Pink Shirt Day and Ra Haka Day: Fri 21 May
Whanganui Exchange at ŌC: Thur 27 May
Queens Birthday Holiday: Mon 4 June
Our Kids Online Documentary : Wed June 9th
Rainbow Diversity Mufti Day: Fri 18 June
🎭Drama Production : 23 & 24 June, 7pm
Culture Week: Starts Mon 5 July
On 19 September 2019 the Prime Minister and Minister of Education announced that Aotearoa New Zealand Histories will be taught in all schools and Kura from 2022 onwards. After extensive consultation the draft curriculum for Aotearoa New Zealand Histories was published in February of this year and there is an opportunity for public feedback that will run until 31 May 2021 before the content of the curriculum is finalised. We invite all sectors of our school community to engage in this process and take the opportunity to have your say.
To find out more about the Aotearoa New Zealand Histories draft curriculum and feedback information please use the link here.
L C Scott reminder - deadline for free shipping on orders to the school is 19th May 2021.
We have parents who are looking for a tutor in Ōtaki who is available after school hours, to give their children extra 1-1 support with their learning. (This will be a paid position – with rates to be negotiated between parents and tutor).
The Learning Support Department will work with you and give you guidance around the types of activities that will best address the specific needs of each student.
Please contact Kate Lindsay Learning Support Coordinator on 021 2999 836 for more information.
During the holidays our Heads of School represented the College at the local ANZAC commemorations, assisting the RSA with their Poppy Day Appeal and laying a wreath at the Ōtaki War Memorial as part of the Dawn Parade service. Colin Robertson, Chair of the Ōtaki RSA Poppy Trust wrote in to thank the students and to say “It was great to see them dressed in their Ōtaki College uniforms, out in the community and being fantastic ambassadors for the College”.
On Thursday 6 May, 4 Puhoro Science students attended a special morning at Wharerata, Massey University. The day included a range of speeches and presentations and also the announcement of additional funding for the Puhoro programme nationwide. This funding will see the current Puhoro roll increase from 1000 students across NZ to 5000 students. Find out more ...
The day was an amazing opportunity for our students to engage with past and present Puhoro students and also to hear from a range of amazing guest speakers.
The students attending were: Heremaia Cooper, Anika Edginton, Te Akau Epiha and Sophie Carpenter.
Your teenager can feel anxious for so many reasons e.g class assessments, social media issues, relationship difficulties, transitioning from one school to another, body image issues, family problems, feeling like they are ‘different’ ...the list is endless.
And although sometimes there is a need to seek help from health professionals such as counsellors and therapists - there is also another really simple solution - breathing exercises. Supporting your teenager to simply stop and breathe deeply whenever they feel upset or anxious, will help them to calm their nervous system. Stopping and breathing deeply will enable them to feel more relaxed and clear-headed. It may not change the issue that’s bothering them, but it will empower them to approach the issue with a calmer, clearer mind.
For some step by step tips on ‘how to’ breathe deeply for stress management, take a look at the following sites:
https://www.uofmhealth.org/health-library/uz2255
https://www.firstforwomen.com/posts/stress/stress-induced-fatigue
https://www.wimhofmethod.com/breathing-exercises
Recognising the benefit that mindful breathing has on mental and physical wellbeing, our 7 & 8 teachers have been teaching their classes deep breathing skills through the Pause, Breathe, Smile; Mindfulness in schools programme. https://mindfulnesseducation.nz/pause-breathe-smile/ This programme has been running for seven years in schools throughout New Zealand and the results have been extremely positive i.e better learning outcomes and increased wellbeing.
This is an exciting development in terms of Hauora for our akonga at Ōtaki College as the emotional regulation skills they are learning through the power of breath will stand our young learners in good stead not only during their senior school years but also throughout adulthood. If your child is in7 & 8, ask them to demonstrate what they are learning.
Better yet, make a decision as a family to practise deep breathing so that you can remind one another to ‘stop and breathe’ when you notice that a family member might be feeling upset. It’s such a helpful strategy that we all need to be reminded of at various times.
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