As we approach the end of the first term I would like to acknowledge the students and our community for their ongoing support of the school. We are continuing to manage our way through the ongoing PPTA industrial action and we appreciate your understanding as we try to mitigate the impact of this.

Tawa College has an explicit commitment to value the achievement and success of the whole person. An important aspect of this is academic achievement. I am pleased to confirm that Tawa College continues to perform above the national average at L1 and L2 NCEA and is comparable with the national average at L3. In the final week of Term 1 we will celebrate student success with an academic prize giving for those students who were awarded their NCEA qualification endorsed with Excellence.

In line with our values we are looking for opportunities to collaborate with our learners to support them to make the most of their opportunities and strive for success. Next week on Monday and Tuesday parents and caregivers will have the opportunity to meet with subject teachers to discuss progress thus far and next steps for our learners.

It has been fantastic to see that scheduled educational, sporting and cultural trips have been able to proceed this term without the disruption we faced at the start of 2022. These are important educational opportunities for our students and have created a more positive and engaging atmosphere at the college.

We wish all our students a relaxing break and look forward to welcoming you back in Term 2 with renewed focus and readiness for learning.

Ngā mihi nui

Andrew Savage

Please report a student absence using one of the following three options:

1. Use the School App

2. Ring our absence line 232 8184 extension 1

3. Email absence@tawacollege.school.nz.

Please state your child’s name, form class and the reason for the absence. Please also ring the college office if your child plans to sign out at any time during the school day for an appointment.

An automated text message is sent by the Absence Manager each day after Period 1. Planned or extended absences of three days or longer require the prior written approval of the Principal.

All Year 9 to 12 students must sign out at the college office before leaving school for any reason.

Congratulations to Hunter Gilligan who recently competed at the NZ Surf Lifesaving Nationals in New Brighton, Christchurch for the Titahi Bay Surf Club.

Hunter competed in both the U19 and U23 men’s surf boat races. His crew won two national titles in the U19 men’s short and long course races and walked away with two gold medals. In the U23 age group he competed with his brother Jacob and their crew came 4th nationally.

We held a pōwhiri to welcome our short-term visitors from Japan. Thank you to all the staff, whānau and students involved, particularly to Matua Jack and Mr Edgecombe. The visiting students have been blown away by the reception and warmth of the welcome at the pōwhiri. This is the first year we’ve been able to welcome back our visitors since the pandemic, so a very special moment for us as a school.

Last week, the Level 2 Geographers travelled north for their annual field trip to Tongariro National Park. Over three days and two nights, students conduct geographic research at Tongariro for learning and assessment about large natural environments, and the impact of tourism on our natural landscapes in Aotearoa. Students walk over 20 kilometres and collect research data along the way, and study processes in real-time while in the field - such as altitudinal zonation, climate and weather variability, and tourism patterns. Along our journey, we stop at the Taihape Gumboot Throw, the Ohakune Carrot Park, Tawhai Falls, Iwikau Ski Field, the hot pools and more! This is a real highlight of the year in Year 12 Geography.

The first round of university visits has just about been completed including visits from Victoria, Massey, Waikato, Auckland and Canterbury who talked to students in Years 12 and 13 about study options, halls of residence, support services, and more. I am constantly amazed by the changing opportunities at NZ Universities as they respond to industry needs and the ever changing world of work.

Otago and Lincoln are scheduled to visit early in Term 2.

University Open Days - it is highly recommended that students attend university open day events so they can make informed decisions about where, and what, to study. A list of dates is attached here.

Ara Institute of Technology/ Te Pūkenga visited the Media Studies class to talk about NZ Broadcasting school.

QRC (Queenstown Resort College) and PIHMS (Pacific International Hotel Management) have also talked to tourism students about career pathways.

Other visits planned include:

• NZ Defence Force

• Yoobee

• Whitireia/Weltec/Te Pūkenga

Details of these, and others, will be advertised in the student notices.

Gap years are back for school leavers. Students can find information about a range of providers in the Careers corridor. Applications are now open with Letz Live closing on April 9th for positions starting in 2024.

If your student has mislaid any uniform items, please ask them to come and check with the staff in the front office as we have a growing number of lost property items. Any items not collected by the end of term will either be donated or repurposed.

The access to period products initiative aims to provide free period products to children and young people in all state and state-integrated schools and kura across New Zealand. Periods are a fact of life. Despite this, young people don’t always have access to the products they need to feel comfortable at school, engage in their learning, and manage what should be a normal and healthy part of life.

Poor access to period products can affect students’ attendance and engagement at school. Students also miss out on sporting and cultural activities and can feel embarrassed and ashamed about not being supported to manage their periods. This affects their achievement and wellbeing.

All people who have periods are entitled to come and collect two FREE period products each month. These will be available from the college office, your deans offices and Mrs Lodge's office in the gymnasium. If you have any queries please email glodge@tawacollege.school.nz

The School App continues to be an accessible source of information about the school and is used by many caregivers to notify school of absence. It will also be used to push out information throughout the year and in emergencies - please subscribe via your app store.

The Tawa College website is for parents and caregivers to find information about the school.

E2Learn is the site for students to find information about the day to day running of the school.

Term 2 courses are now available for enrolment on the website. There are two Defensive Driving courses in Term 2. This is a great opportunity for our students to improve their driving skills and shorten their time on a restricted license. Due to popular demand we are adding an additional Bollywood class alongside our Yoga and Tai Chi exercises classes. We have a Beginners Sign Language class, many sewing based courses and more to keep you busy on cold winter nights. Check out our website: www.tawacomed.co.nz

We’d like to hear your opinions about later starts for Year 12 and 13 students.

Click the link below to access short University of Otago research surveys for students (age 16+), parents, teachers and principals, and Board members of NZ high schools.

The research is funded by CureKids and the study has been approved by the University of Otago Human Ethics Committee approval #22/105

https://blogs.otago.ac.nz/teensleep/

VakaCon is a FREE one-day immersive tech conference for Pasefika youth and families to discover the limitless possibilities within the technology industry.

Come along to the Te Raupahara Arena in Porirua on Thursday 27th April. The day will be packed with tech talks, free food, entertainment, activities and giveaways - plus the opportunity to connect and talanoa with tech companies and Pasefika people in tech

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