Spotswood College Newsletter
Issue 2 - 17 March 2023
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
Principals Message
Key Things to Note
Students at the Centre of Learning
Community at the Heart of who we are
PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE
Spotswood College Term 1 Progess Reports will be sent out on Monday 20th March.
These will be supported by
Student Led Individual Development Plans on Wednesday 22nd March,
followed by the opportunity to meet with specific teachers as required at a
Report Evening on Wednesday 29th March 2023
We strongly encourage all whānau and their child/ children to attend.
Food will be available on the day, and members of staff will be roving to ask three key questions to help us improve as a kura.
What are we doing well?
What do we need to improve on?
Any other feedback that you would like to share with us?
Student Led Individual Development Plans (IDPs):
Wednesday 22nd March
IDPs have been put in place by Spotswood College to strengthen the partnership between students/school and parents/caregivers. An IDP is a written plan which is part of the process of meeting students’ needs. It identifies:
What are the students learning needs
What the student needs to learn
What are the students interests and goals
What people will do to improve achievement
What resources are needed
What teachers we need to talk with on the Meet the Teacher Evening on the 22nd May
IDP’s are on Wednesday the 22nd March at the school from 8.30am - 5pm . They will be held in the school hall and break out rooms around the hall, and should last approximately 20 minutes. The day has been set aside for Learning Advisors to meet with students and parents/caregivers in order to review any previous IDP goals set and develop new goals and next steps to achieve them. Appointments for the Student Led IDP can be made through Skool Loops. You can download the app on google play or the IOS app store. Please see instructions below on how to download. Once you are in the app you will see the interview section - select your LA class code, you then be given availability of the teacher. Confirmation of your appointment will be sent to your email. If you have any issues booking an interview please call the school office.
As this meeting is highly valuable, no normal classes will run on this day, however students and families are ALL required to attend an IDP meeting.
Following on from the IDP there will be an opportunity to address any concerns around learning and achievement further with subject teachers at a Parent Teacher Evening from 3pm -6pm on March 29th in the school hall. Appointments for the Parent Teacher Evening can be made through Skool Loops. Please select the teachers name you would like to see, you will then be given availability of times.
We look forward to seeing you.
Nicola Ngarewa
PRINCIPAL
Key Things to Note
With colder temperatures around the corner, it is important to note that students are expected to wear the correct uniform, to, from and at school.
Non uniform items will be asked to be handed in until the end of the week, and parents will be contacted where appropriate.
Please ensure your child/children have the correct uniform items required for the autumn/ winter season.
The School Uniform Shop sells sweatshirts, jerseys, jackets and long pants.
The shop hours are 8.30am - 3pm during term time.
Stay Home if Students are Sick. Colds, influenza (the flu) and COVID-19 have similar symptoms and are easily confused with one another. There is a cold circulating at school at the moment. If your child(ren) has/have symptoms and they are feeling sick, please have them stay home and get tested. If the test is positive for COVID-19, according to the Ministry of Health’s guidelines, they must self-isolate for 7 days while they recover before returning to school.
A reminder to please phone: 067512416 and press 1 to report any student absences.
The Ministry of Education is in the process of refreshing the New Zealand Curriculum and strengthening NCEA. In consultation with NZEI and PPTA, they have allocated Accord Teacher Only Days to support the implementation of changes. There will be a Teacher Only Day on Monday, 1 May 2023 to continue this work.
Follow these links to find out more about the NCEA Change Program and Curriculum Refresh
Staff
Principal
Whaea Nicola email: nng@spotswoodcollege.school.nz
Deputy Principal
Mr Daryn Shaw email: dsh@spotswoodcollege.school.nz
Senior Leadership
Mrs Hilary Takarangi email: hta@spotswoodcollege.school.nz
Senior Leadership
Mr Darren Scott email: dsc@spotswoodcollege.school.nz
Year 12 and 13 Dean
Mr Wayne Cribb email: wcr@spotswoodcollege.school.nz
Year 11 Dean
Mrs Tulah Katene email: tka@spotswoodcollege.school.nz
Year 10 Dean
Mr Cameron Hopkinson email: cho@spotswoodcollege.school.nz
Year 9 Dean
Mr Airana Ngarewa email: aro@spotswoodcollege.school.nz
International Director
Mrs Nicola Healy email: nhe@spotswoodcollege.school.nz
Staffing News
We look forward to introducing you to our new staff who have joined us this year.
Welcome to Felix Harman (Food Technology), Claire Wigley (Art), Rachel Smith (English), Abbey Buckley (English), Yvonne Cribb (Property), Tania Ormond (Teacher Aide), Aniwaniwa Waiwiri-Hetet (Teacher Aide).
STUDENTS AT THE CENTRE OF LEARNING
Impact Inquiry
At Spotswood College we design our curriculum with students at the center of the learning. Our Impact inquiry program is based on student interests and builds on previous learning. Students engage in cross-curricular and project-based learning with the objective to gather and apply knowledge while being leaders of their own learning.
When students are invested in their own learning they become creative, critical thinkers, project managers and team players. They also learn skills in time management, collaboration, communication, iterative thinking and problem solving. They use these skills to find real solutions to real problems in authentic learning contexts.
Students also learn new skills from across the curriculum such as English, Social Sciences, History, Te Ao Māori and Technology as well as specific skills from other specialist curriculum areas. We pair our mentors and students through student voice. Students select one of the following Inquiry “bubbles” to work within; Primary Industries, Creative Industries, Science and Technology, Business and Enterprise, Sports Management/Science/Hauora, Performing Arts.
Students working on projects within the Primary Industries this year are doing a garden to table cookbook. Students learn to manage our large market garden, chicken farm and Apiary and then they learn outdoor cooking techniques on camp cookers and open fires to create delicious meals from the produce they grow. We also have another group from the Primary Industries who are working with Enviro Schools to do riparian planting on the school farm and The Trees For Survival Trust to raise native seedlings for riparian planting.
Currently in The Sports bubble students are designing franchise, training plans and nutrition plans for their personal selected sport of interest. They will also create sports journalism, photojournalism, podcasting and you tubing around their sports. Later in the year they will be competing in the torpedo 7 get to go challenge and learning outdoor education at the Institute of Awesome in Raglan as well as spending a night at the ski club on Mt Taranaki.
Business and Enterprise students attend the Young enterprise BP challenge and learn new skills in product design and development. At Spotswood College we have our very own student run business; the Designery where the community can buy student made products and produce. As well as this we like students to engage in social enterprise, learning ways to be good global citizens and find ways to give back to our own community. We currently have a class creating a multinational, cuisines of the world, food festival to share with the rest of the school community.
Our Science and Technology students are currently planning science fair projects and preparing to compete again in the kiwibots robotics competition. Our Robotics teams had a hugely successful year last year. A special congratulations to their teacher Ms Jana Robotson who was awarded teacher of the year by Kiwibots NZ.
Creative Industries is always our largest bubble. Spotswood college has a long history of creating exciting and engaging programs for creative youths. The creative industries offer a wide range of materials, technologies, processes and procedures for undertaking creative projects. From Fashion and textiles design, landscape, architectural, industrial design, jewellery, animation, graphic and photographic design to the fine arts of painting, sculpture and printmaking. Students are encouraged to contextualize their projects with a global sustainability goal. Students learn that they have the ability to change the world through their creativity.
Performing arts students create individual or group projects where they develop skills in dance, drama, music performance or production, set or costume design and stage and event management.
Some of the highlights from last year's impact inquiry program include being awarded Enviro Schools Bronze award for sustainable practice and winning the Taranaki Regional sustainability in Education award. Spotswood College
We are incredibly excited to see what new and innovative projects our inquiry students will create this year!
COMMUNITY AT THE HEART FO WHO WE ARE
Sports and Culture
A very special congratulations to Zara Erol-Watt who has been selected for the 2023 NZ Secondary School Girls U19 Football Team. She will travel to the USA at the end of March to play in the world renowned Dallas International Women’s Cup.
Zara is a dedicated and accomplished sports woman and we are all delighted at her recent sporting achievement.
It has been great to be able to reinvigorate whole school activities that have been on hold for the past couple of years, Swimming Sports and Athletic Sports were two such occasions.
Both were excellently run events with great student engagement.
The Hapū competition is alive and well and was an incentive for students to be involved and compete to their best.
Special mention goes to Year 9 student Shyla Kennard, who blew the competition away in the pool and showed the school records will be challenged in the years to come.
And to the following students who are our 2023 Athletics Champions:
Junior Girls: Chloe Fisher (Paritutu)
Junior Boys: Kingston Lilo (Motumahanga)
Intermediate Girls: Aliana Scholey (Motumahanga)
Intermediate Boys: Joel Penno (Motumahanga)
Senior Girls: Zara Erol-Watt (Motumahanga)
Senior Boys: Samuel Woodward (Motumahanga)
Congratulations to Year 11 student Chelsea Gartner who won both the Intermediate Girls 100m and 200m races at TSSSA Athletics. She has been selected to represent Taranaki at the North Island Secondary Schools competition in April.
TSSSA Rogaine
Results
Senior Girls = 11th (Catherine Reilly-Leadbetter, Cleo Burwell, Jacinta Pattinson, Melissa Berridge)
Intermediate Boys = 8th (Zander Dodunski, George Oakes-Hill)
Junior Boys = 8th (Connor Hills, Aaron Sangster,
A group of 9 enthusiastic students participated in the TSSSA Rogaine on Wednesday 1 March. This event had not been held for the last couple of years due to COVID, so it was exciting to see students have the opportunity to give Rogaine a go.
Lake Mangamahoe is an awesome venue for this event which is very similar to Orienteering. Competitors try to get to as many checkpoints as possible in Rogaine, however unlike orienteering, they get to plan the most efficient way to do this. The course covered the length and breadth of the lake area as well as the bridal trails. There is plenty of challenging terrain - this certainly is not a speed event. After 2 and a half hours of running and walking, competitors check in and are ranked on their final points.
The three Spotswood teams all used their time really well, finishing mid field in the points. They thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to be active in our awesome outdoors and represent the school.
Debating Teams
Over the 2 full days of debate competition we attended, both of our teams won 2/5 debates which is a huge accomplishment for a new debate team. Normally you would expect them to win 0 or 1 debates in a Regional tournament in the first time competing. This is also impressive as the weekend was exhausting with 2 full days of debate.
Our teams were:
Kākāriki-
Aster Danenhaur
Cleopatra Burwell
Charley Morris
Kikorangi-
Caila Eager
Hetti Niechziol
Matthew Hay
This positive outcome is because they have worked very hard, I have been running 2 debate trainings until 5pm a week this year that they have attended.
Matthew Hay won a Promising Speaker award for a student who is younger, will (hopefully) be returning to the tournament, and that they think has a massive potential as a debater.
Both Charley Morris and Matthew Hay were also selected for a new development programme for students who show a lot of promise as a debater being run by New Zealand's debate society.
Mercedes Lee
Junior Literacy Leader and Debating Coach
Career News
MoneyHub has 10+ NCEA resources to help everyone attain merits and excellences - check it out and prepare for upcoming internals and externals with confidence.
https://www.moneyhub.co.nz/resources-for-ncea-students.html
Please make sure your teens are checking, opening and reading their emails. Opportunities are being missed.
School Counselling Services
School Counselling Services are available to discuss academic, career, or personal/social support.
To make an appointment
Careers Officer Chell Lusk - clu@spotswoodcollege.school.nz
Guidance Counsellors - manaakitanga@spotswoodcollege.school.nz
Drop in Public Health Nurse hours - Monday 9.00 am - 2.00 pm.
Keeping Yourself And Your Whanau Safe In Our Digital World: Bullying And Harassment
Digital platforms can be useful tools, but in this time and age, there is a significant risk that social media platforms can be used by students to bully each other or spread rumours about others. We are asking for the support of this community to come together in addressing this.
The Spotswood College’s Responsible Use of Technology Policy is below.
As part of the enrollment process, an agreement is signed by both the student and the caregiver regarding the appropriate use of the school's ICT systems. The school offers a monitored internet connection and a safe environment for the students.
Unfortunately, students’ personal cell phones are not covered by the protections that the system offers. These devices can easily be used to cause harm including the form of unconsented recording or photography.
To prevent this, it is important that as a community we understand the Harmful Digital Communication Act and the impact that this form of bullying and harassment can have on the victims. In this digital age rumours and jokes can have lingering consequences.
The Netsafe organization is the best place to get help either by starting a conversation with your child, seeking advice to help create a safer home internet connection or getting support if you are already suffering from online abuse.
Skool Loop
Spotswood College will be using Skool Loop to send out notices and information to our whānau. This is a free app available on Apple and Android devices. You can also access newsletters, contact the school about absences and find helpful links as well as quick access to Kamar.
Website
Kamar Portal
Attendance
We have a school attendance target of above 90% for every student. To ensure that together we reach this, it is important that if you know your child is going to be absent from school, that you please contact the school by using one of the following options.
Option 1: Telephone the school on 06 751 2416 and speak to the receptionist (Kara) or Attendance Officer (Jenine).
Option 2: Send a text to the Attendance Officer (Jenine) on 021 023 93060
Option 3: send an email to the Attendance Officer (Jenine) - jpr@spotswoodcollege.school.nz
Option 4: Use the school app to log attendance.
Option 5: Leave a message on the Attendance hotline by calling the school on 06 751 2416 and press (1) to report a student's absence. Record your child’s name, parents' name, contact details and reason for absence.
Based on our attendance data system we will send an automated text to parents of any students that are absent, once in the morning and once in the afternoon.
If for any reason you are concerned about your child’s attendance, you can speak with the Attendance Officer (see contact details above) or she will pass you on to the DEAN or your child’s Learning Advisor.
Student Wellbeing Services
Sick or injured at school
The sickbay is closed for any sick-related issues. If your child is sick, we will contact home and ask for them to be picked up immediately. Students should not arrange this themselves as we need to know where they are at all times.
The sick bay is open to help with injuries.
A public health nurse is available for you and your caregivers if you have any concerns. This could be a rash, not sleeping well, regular headaches, ongoing health issues etc.
Please ask to talk to her privately. Consultations are confidential, offering information and advice. Health resources are available, with a choice of providers for referrals to agencies.
Terms and Holidays 2023
TERM 1
30/01/2023 - 06/04/2023
Friday 7th April = Good Friday
TERM 2
26/04/2023 - 30/06/2023
Tuesday 25th April = ANZAC Day
Monday 1st May = Staff only Day - NCEA
Monday 5th June = King’s Birthday
TERM 3
17/07/2023 - 22/09/2023
NCEA Accord Day = Friday 8th September
School exam week Wednesday 13th September - Tuesday 19th September
TERM 4
09/10/2023 - 8/12/2023
Monday 23rd October = Labour Day
Senior Prizegiving Wednesday 1st November
NCEA Exams start Monday 6 November - Thursday 30 November
NCEA Accord Day = Wednesday 22nd November
Upcoming Key Dates
Term 1
Week 8:
20th March - TSSSA Orienteering
21st March - Photolife Catch up date
22nd March - Student Lead IDPs (whole day)
23rd March- TSSSA Senior league
26th March - TSSSA Triathlon
Week 9:
27th to 31st March - Secondary School Waka Ama Nationals
28th March - TSSSA Para-Swimming
29th March - Parent and Teacher Evening
Week 10:
Puanga Festivities
Term 2
Week 1:
24th April - Learn from home Day
25th April - ANZAC Day
Week 2:
1st May - Staff only Day (NCEA)
TSSSA Golf Croquet
3rd May- TSSSA Cycling
Week 3:
10th May - TSSSA Netball
Week 4:
16th May - TSSSA Cross Country
18th May - TSSSA Indoor Bowls
Week 5:
24th May - TSSSA Junior Futsal
Week 6:
29th May - TSSSA Skateboarding
1st June - TSSSA Snr 3x3
Week 7:
PRIDE WEEK
5th June - Kings Birthday
6th June - Semester 2 Begins
8th June - TSSSA Jnr 3x3
Week 8:
CAREERS WEEK
12th June- TSSSA Squash
16th June - TSSSA Snr Festival
Week 9:
23rd June - TSSSA Badminton
Week 10:
27th June - TSSSA E-sports
30th June - Whole School Hui