Kia ora e te whanau

Teacher Only Day

Yesterday during our Teacher Only Day, our teaching and support staff engaged in learning around Mana Orite Mo Te Matauranga Maori - a national initiative in education to raise our understanding of the equal importance of te ao Maori and te ao Pakeha in an educational setting.

We completed tasks exploring the history of the experience of tangata whenua through the legal and educational systems, read across a range of texts looking at the systemic change needed in Aotearoa’s education institutions and had robust and vigorous discussions about the needs of our young adults in Whakatane. Finally, we took the New Education Learning Priorities and the Maori education framework, Ka Hikitia, and applied them to the planning within our curriculum departments for 2022.

This work will be invaluable for the progress and success of our students and it is a privilege to lead a team of such curious, committed and articulate teachers who embody the New Zealand curriculum’s aspiration for lifelong learning.

The Football Tour tuck shop fundraiser / lunches

Over the past two weeks, following the departure of the senior students, Mr Stanhope’s football boys have been running a fundraiser selling snacks and drinks at school. It has been a trial to see if it has an impact on students staying on the school grounds, as indeed they should, and seeing whether they felt a benefit from having some choices to make during the day, alongside the provision of our free healthy lunches. The trial is over now, and we will be looking at what might work for our students in 2022.

In further food related news - we will be introducing Ka Pai Kai as our main provider for healthy food in 2022 and we are really looking forward to what Trident’s partnership with this NGO can bring to the school. We are striving to ensure that we, as a school, can provide our students with food that is healthy and appealing – and also hot several days per week.

Junior Camp and Activities Week

Next week we have our camps and activities and our teachers have been working hard to ensure that students have a week of exciting and challenging experiences through which they can get to know each other and their teachers and push their own personal growth. The Board has kindly funded some of the activities to help to make this an easy week for whanau to support. Some whanau have indicated that their students will not be in school for the week; please let us know as soon as possible if this is the case as we do not want to prepare and spend money for your young adult if they will not be present.

Junior Prize-Giving

Preparations are underway for our end of year Junior Prize Giving. Exams have been marked, certificates are being printed, and the year’s hard work from our students is coming to fruition. This is usually the final celebration with whanau for the year and it has been a difficult decision to make to hold the event without any whanau present, but under the current restrictions we are erring on the side of safety. Please make sure your Prize-Winner student comes to celebrate their success and we will make sure we share photos to commemorate their achievement.

Have a peaceful weekend with whanau –

Nga mihi

Adrienne Scott-Jones

B.A. (Hons), P.G.C.E

Principal

On our website you will find all relevant information, application forms and links to book interviews as part of the Year 9 Enrolment process​. https://www.trident.school.nz/enrolments

Please find our 2022 Prospectus - Ngā Tapuwae - by clicking the button below where you can read a collection of narratives that share journeys through Trident, from those who know us best. Through these journeys we have captured our people, our values and our school culture.

Wow! What a fantastic competition to win! Mrs Hay entered a competition in The Beacon to win two books by Regina De Wolf who is Trident alumni! What a fantastic result, to have books in our library written by one of our alumni. We look forward to these books being read and enjoyed by students and teachers alike. Well done Mrs Hay and Regina on your latest published book ‘The Future Weavers’