Buller High School Newsletter

Kia ora koutou,

We are midway into Term 2 and the NCEA journey is well underway for our Senior students. It is important for them to monitor their achievement as the year progresses to ensure they are heading in the right direction and know what credits they have recorded. The student portal on EDGE is available to them.

With COVID still making its way through the school and community, some staff and students are having time away from school. We have endeavored to ensure that the programme of learning has continued for our students both on and off site. During week 4 we focused on using technology in all classrooms for both teaching and learning. The reasons we did this were to:

• Encourage students to bring devices to school on a daily basis
• Support our Teachers use the learning that they have done in the use of technology, in particular TEAMS as a learning platform.
• Create more online resources which will also support students having to learn from home
• Assess the need for school laptops to support students.

Mrs. Comeskey has led this initiative with the support of Ms. Christie-Cumming. As the curriculum and assessment become increasingly online, it is important that we continue to develop our ICT use. If you are looking at investing in a laptop for your child, you can view the minimum specifications required under the stationary tab on the BHS website https://buller.ac.nz/stationary-list-ict/ .

The student council organised Pink Shirt Day during Bullying-Free week. The funds raised were given to Women’s Refuge. The day itself was full of pink, but the message of the week hopefully lingers long. As a school we aim to provide a safe and fun learning environment for both students and staff, we are constantly working to make sure this happens.

There have been a number of events over the year that have meant our students have missed a number of days at school. It is very important that all students make the most of all the time that the school is open. High attendance rates at school will improve their achievement. As school events are now being planned for the year, students wanting to be involved in these events or other opportunities need to be at school and have high attendance. We look forward to your support with this.

He kai kei aku ringa

There is food at the end of my hands

I look forward to once again sharing more student and staff successes and would encourage all parents and the community to be involved in the many events scheduled this term.

On Wednesday 25 May, Buller High Schools Boys U15 Rugby team travelled to Greymouth High School for the first match of the season, resulting in an outstanding win!

Score: Buller High School - 60, Greymouth High School - 12.

Coach Tim Manawatu captured some great footage of their Haka. Check it out below.

Back (L-R): Hemi Hearne, Chase McManaway, Josh Hand, Cale Gower, Nathanael West, Sam Sirikulsupakon, Austin O’Toole, Billy Barlow, Caleb Nelson, Jai Price, Layton Larking (Captain), Ben Ritchie, Levi Phipps Front (L-R): Joseph Hill, Max Karaka-Jones, Cody McCormack, Brayden Forsyth, Kyan Harris, Jack Anderson, Liam Craddock, Felix Soster, Sam Shierny, Jake Nelson In front: Levi Stanger

Seddon LO won the House Class display competition and received the Wells-House Class trophy at assembly. The display was constructed over the course of two weeks during House Class time. The display was a tree made of recycled cardboard, with the main image being the beehive, made out of a collection of recycled meat trays, cardboard and yellow paper. The whole House Class contributed by cutting out yellow flowers and bees and bananas for the trees and bringing recycled plastics and rubbish from home. The slogan of the display was “Bee the Solution, Not the Pollution” which SLO thought was fitting considering the House Classes needed to somehow incorporate ‘Reuse, Reduce, Recycle’ into the display.

I have now been teaching drama and music at BHS for 16 years and have to admit that time has gone quickly. I am very fortunate to work alongside Rona Halsall in our music department. Last term I was preparing a presentation for the Board of Trustees and wanted to know what some of my students had done with their love for the Performing Arts. I decided to contact 17 students and they all replied with their current status.

I have decided to make a feature of their replies and in the coming newsletters, each student will be highlighted.

This newsletter features graduate of 2014 Connie O'Callaghan

I graduated from Ara 2017 with a Bachelor of Performing Arts and Musical Theatre, since then I am about to do my fourth Children’s theatre tour for NZ and Australia with Playhouse and a couple of plays at The Court Theatre in Christchurch for 2022.

Without the Arts curriculum I wouldn’t have had any place to harness my creativity and passions. I feel that without guidance from Arts team at Buller High School, I would’ve let my creativity become a hobby, not a career. The arts curriculum presented me with the correct skills and ideas that helped me turn my passions into a viable career path.

On Thursday, 12 May, an early start was needed by 11 Buller High School Students for the drive to Greymouth to take part in the WCSS Badminton tournament.

On arrival, the competition sports hall was filled with 19 teams of High School students from around the West Coast all eager to start. After a short warm up play began. Buller boys faced stiff competition which included the current holders of the title, after their 24 games (singles and doubles) they finished third of five in their heat - great effort boys.

Buller High School Girls also faced tough competition and after their 24 games finished 1st in their heat and in a playoff for the championship. Held over another six games the girls won four and doing so took the trophy!

- Congratulations to the Buller High School Girls Badminton Team, 2022 WCSS Badminton Champions 2022 - a fantastic achievement!

Back (L-R): Arya Gower, Eloise Brown, Niamh Mason, Louella Prasad, Arryn Duston, Leelawadee Meyer, Crystal Marsh, Sara Sirikulsupakon, Mason Taumata, Aroha Roberts, Anthony Cunningham

On Tuesday 17th May, nine Year 11 students packed all our gear into the van and set off to Tai Poutini Polytechnic in Greymouth.

Here we met with our guides who were going to take us on the white-water rafts over the next few days. After collecting wetsuits, jackets and helmets we began our first raft down the Arnold River, first rafting experience for some and jumping from the bank into the fast-flowing river was a highlight for many.

The first night, after lessons on how to put up a tent and start a camp cooker, we camped at Nelson Creek Campground, with hide and seek and flying fox in the dark for night-time entertainment.

In the morning we took a quick bush walk at the campsite, packed up gear and tents and drove to the rafting spot on the Grey River. On this day, a full day of rafting (everyone fell in the water, especially when the guides did the “helicopter” trick with the raft) ended with setting up tents on a beautiful spot on the side of the river. Collecting wood and lighting the fire was the best way to get warm, while there were many laughs as students dug out a “trench” for a toilet.

Thursday morning brought torrential rain, thunder, and lightning. We had to huddle under the tent fly, with breakfast (bacon and eggs!), waiting for the worst of the storm to pass. With occasional breaks in the rain, we could see the mountains and a rainbow as we continued down the river back to where the van was parked. Everyone was tired and exhausted but pushed through the three hours of rafting to reach a hot lunch back at the van.

Unfortunately, our trip had to be cut a day short due to the stormy weather, however, this didn’t stop the enjoyment seen as students shared their “peaks” and “pits” as we farewelled the Polytech crew. Finally, in warm, dry clothes we blasted the van heaters as we cruised our way back to Westport.

On Tuesday, 17 May, Buller High School ran our annual Cross Country event. The weather held off enough for a successful run.

A big well done to all competitors!

Special mention to our top placing students as below.

On Tuesday, 24 May, the West Coast Secondary School Cross Country competition was held in Kumara.

Buller High School students were selected to compete based on their completion times from the prior week. It was a beautiful day, which made for a great change. Everyone put in 100%, with some fantastic results!

Back (L-R): Keir Barry, Jack Anderson, John Colligan, Lenka Cargill, Tess Carlson

On the 18th of May, the Student Council held an anti-bullying pink shirt day to help promote good wellbeing and a bullying-free school environment. We fundraised $223.30, and all of the proceeds went to the West Coast Women's Refuge. Alongside our pink shirt day, we also ran a coloring-in competition and distributed complements into people's lockers.

As our first mufti day of the school year, it was great to see so many students participating and supporting the Women’s Refuge.

Back (L-R): Keeley Ridley, Leonie Wieczorek, Niamh Mason, Charlie Weaver, Tui Marama, Kane Steenhauer, Karen Wells, Cian Pratt, Liam Anderson