Te Pānui o Otamatea
School Notices 13 February 2022
Calendar of Events |
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| Tuesday 15 February | Year 9 Base tests in hall Period 3 and Period 4 | |
| Thursday 17 February | Year 7 Base tests in hall Period 3 and Period 4 Education outside the classroom (EOTC) Equestrian at Barge Park |
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| Tuesday 22 February | Year 9-13 OHS Athletics Day | |
| Wednesday 23 February | EOTC L3 PE trip to Waipu Cove 11am - 4pm | |
| Thursday 24 February | Student ID, class and prefect photos | |
| Friday 25 February | Year 7 & 8 OHS Athletics Day | |
| Thursday 3 March | OHS Swimming Sports | |
View our full School Calendar here |
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Principal's Notes
Waitangi Day: On Wednesday we had a digital assembly, with all students in their whānau classes watching via Google Meet. I talked about the importance of giving mana to the Treaty of Waitangi, and the three principles of Te Tiriti - partnership, protection and participation. All students in years 7 to 9 at Otamatea High School learn te reo Māori, and all students also learn the school waiata and school haka. It is a vital part of our kaupapa that we actively protect Māori knowledge, interests, values, and other tāonga. The last line of our school waiata is "he waka eke noa" which means "we are all in the waka together". I reminded students at assembly of the importance of being in the waka. Students who are in the waka are prepared, work hard, have clear goals, are team players and take responsibility for their learning.
Bus Routes: Thank you for your patience as we finalise our bus routes for 2022. With such significant roll growth, our transport management group is having to redesign some routes to balance the loadings on these buses. Detailed information about these changes will be communicated separately.
Year 7 Day Camp: Well done to all of our year 13s who spent Thursday and Friday putting their leadership skills to use as they helped the year 7s enjoy their "day camp". Year 7s usually spend their start of year camp at the Otamatea Marae, but due to COVID restrictions, this was shifted to day activities at the local country club, as well as here at school. It was great chatting to many of the year 7s as they finished school on Friday and hearing how much they enjoyed these two days.
Year 7 and 9 assessments: This coming week all year 7s and year 9s will be taking the Base7 and Base9 assessments. This is the first time we are administering these assessments at Otamatea High School. They are "value added" assessments, designed by the University of Canterbury. These assessments measure students’ strengths and weaknesses across four sub-scales: literacy, numeracy, visual/non-verbal and processing. The baseline assessments (BASE) cover generic and transferable skills which are necessary for successful academic study and are a good predictor of later academic achievement.
B-Block: We are now nearing the completion of B-Block and expect three of the classrooms to be ready this coming week, with the library and the remaining two classrooms shortly afterwards. We have had to manage a number of room changes in the meantime as a result, and it will be a welcome relief for teachers and students to have access to these classrooms again.
COVID: Another reminder that all students now need to wear a face mask when on the school buses, and when inside at school. A number of students have exemptions from wearing masks and shouldn't feel self-conscious about this. For example, we have quite a few asthma sufferers and wearing a mask can cause significant discomfort or make it harder to breathe. If your child does have a mask exemption, please forward the details to the school.
With COVID cases now in two Northland schools, please remember to be vigilant for any of the COVID symptoms. If your child does have symptoms, keep them at home, get tested immediately and stay at home until you receive a result. If there is a case at school, close contacts will be identified and will be supported in the next steps by the public health staff.
Ngā mihi
Dirk Smyth
Welcome to our new staff
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Jen Westermeyer Kia ora My name is Jen Westermeyer and I am South African. I have been a language teacher for 23 years and I still love what I do, every day. One of my favourite quotes, which also sums up a large portion of how I approach and live life, is one by Ralph Waldo Emerson: “Your actions speak so loudly that I cannot hear what you are saying.” I believe that a classroom should be a busy and happy place where each student feels at home. E hīkaka ana ahau kia tūtaki ki a koutou! |
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Jason Roux Kia ora Otamatea My name is Jason Roux. For now, I live on a small farm in East London, South Africa (not England) with my wife, Tabby. Over the last seven years, I've taught a variety of subjects and age groups and I'm grateful for this new opportunity to work with a diverse group of learners in New Zealand as part of the Otamatea family. |
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Jess Baker Kia ora Otamatea Whānau I’m Jess, and I am a Science and Biology teacher. For the past 2.5 years my family and I have been living in Switzerland, where I had my own personal coaching business as well as relief teaching. I previously taught at Alfriston College, Manurewa, and even though I am originally from the South Island, I call South Auckland my home. But we are excited to move back to New Zealand and settle in the Kaipara Region, hoping to make it feel like home. I am Ngati Porou and hold a strong belief in whanaungatanga; building positive relationships and connections. I have an enthusiasm for exercise, the outdoors and sports, using them as a tool for supporting all 4 haora pillars. This extends in and out of the classroom. Ngā mihi |
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Grady Trail Hi to the Otamatea High School community, my name is Grady, but I go by Trail. I've spent the last 9 years, and 5 before that, teaching Building Technology at Whangarei Boys' High School and Kamo High school respectively. I attained a Bachelor or Education after a significant amount of time within the Building Trades, primarily plumbing and roofing. I grew up in the Ruakaka and Waipu environs, where my parents still live. I live in Whangarei with my wife, my youngest daughter (the last child of 3 I still have living at home) and my best mate Nigel (the dog). I’m looking forward to joining this school community and guiding your young people through the preparation and fun of Hard Materials Technology. |
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Nazila Khan Kia ora My name is Nazila and I have recently joined the Mathematics department at Otamatea High School. I am extremely excited and passionate about this role and believe my skills and experience will make a significant difference to every student's success in the subject. I would like to take this opportunity to tell you all a little bit about myself; I'm originally from Fiji currently residing in Maungaturoto. I moved to New Zealand six years ago and absolutely love Kaipara. My hobbies are traveling, socializing, reading and exploring new concepts. I have taught Financial Literacy and Business Studies at OHS last year and watching children learn and develop is inspirational. Otamatea High School is an amazing kura with friendly staff and lovely students thus, I feel privileged to be part of the team. Looking forward to 2022! |
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Helen Anderson Hi, I'm Helen Anderson and I am stepping in as the Gateway Coordinator while Samara Foster is on maternity leave. I am an ex Otamatea student, so although it has been many years it is a great feeling to be back on the familiar grounds of Otamatea High School again. I have two children who are currently at Mangawhai Beach School and in the near future will be attending Otamatea. I have worked in a variety of roles in the education sector for many years now, and I am now looking forward to this next adventure of supporting our Gateway students. |
School Notices
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Basketball and Volleyball Skills Sessions All Otamatea students are invited to attend weekly skills sessions during term 1 at the Otamatea High School Gym run by Kalem Tana. This is a good opportunity to improve your skills in these sports in a fun, supportive environment. Wednesday afternoons will be: Friday mornings will be: Please confirm with Tina Holst if you wish to attend any of these sessions. This will then ensure you will be notified as quickly as possible if any of the sessions are unable to be run. |
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Community Notices
Under 18 Rugby:
The Rodney/Otamatea Junior Rugby Committee and Peter Hugo from Northland Rugby Union are working together to build an under18 Rugby Team.We are hoping to draw players from Northern Wairoa and the Rodney/Otamatea area.
This team will be training at Maungaturoto (16 Feb onwards ) from 6:30pm at the Maungaturoto Country Club.
Please call Phillip Tana on 021 734 830 if you have any questions/queries.