Te Pānui o Otamatea

School Notices 15 March 2024

Calendar of Events
Monday 18 March
Tuesday 19 March	EOTC Head Prefects to Dargaville High School
Wednesday 20 March	HPV and Boostrix Vaccinations OHS Triathlon
Thursday 21 March	OHS Triathlon back up day
Friday 22 March	EOTC Orienteering Disk Golf EOTC Yr 11 PE Waka Ama Trip to Mangawhai
Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 March	Relay for Life
Monday 25 March
Tuesday 26 March
Wednesday 27 March	EOTC Tennis Champs EOTC Paddleboarding Yr 7-8 EOTC L2PHED & SPLD Urupukapuka Trip
Thursday 28 March	EOTC L2PHED & SPLD Urupukapuka Trip Voices of Hope Yr 7-10
Friday 29 March	GOOD FRIDAY - no school
View our full School Calendar here

From the Senior Leadership Team

Congratulations to our prefects for running the school assemblies on Wednesday. They did a fantastic job and it was a great opportunity for them to develop their public speaking and leadership skills. On Thursday our prefects also attended the GRIP (Generosity, Responsibility, Integrity, People) leadership conference in Auckland with Mr Cooling. It was a very entertaining day and our students learned what leadership was about and how they can become better leaders themselves. We look forward to seeing our prefects put what they've learned into action over the coming months. On Tuesday our head prefects head to Dargaville High School with the principal, to meet the other head prefects from Dargaville High School, Rodney College and Ruawai College. Our head prefects will get the chance to share ideas with the other school leaders, and to get a feel for students' experiences at other schools.

Goal Setting

Next week our Y11-13 students will be setting their goals with an academic mentor. They will be asked about the careers they may be interested in and any plans they are considering for when they leave school. They will make short term and long term academic goals as well as self management and personal development (outside of school work) goals. It would be beneficial if whānau members were to discuss goals and future plans with their learners so that they are better prepared for this goal setting session on Wednesday morning (20th March).

William Pike Challenge 2024

The William Pike Challenge is once again running at Otamatea High School. Do you like the idea of participating in Outdoor Activities, Community Service and Passion Projects? By engaging in these three things you'll develop resilience, positive wellbeing and strengthen 21st-century life skills.

The William Pike Challenge is a year long programme designed to challenge and push students outside their comfort zone.

There are 3 elements to the programme:

20 HOURS COMMUNITY SERVICE
Community Service allows our students to explore, develop and strengthen empathy, humility and compassion. Characteristics many young people may not have had the opportunity to untap. Giving back to the community also provides opportunities for our students to step outside of their comfort zone, develop communication skills, connectedness with the local community, peers and whānau and embrace a greater sense of purpose.
Examples of Community Service include tree planting, rubbish pickup, charity fundraising, community food drives or helping at an organisation like the SPCA.
Many young people continue to do voluntary work well after they’ve completed the William Pike Challenge; those feel-good feelings are hard to shake off!

20 HOURS PASSION PROJECTS
A Passion Project is a sport or hobby that’s totally new and is usually done during a students’ own time. Passion Projects encourage young people to take on a challenge and develop their self belief, work ethic and commitment. Trying something new and working hard to master it develops determination, concentration and resilience.
Learning a new sport or a new language, learning how to cook, photography, horse riding, or sketching – Passion Project options are endless!

OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES ORGANISED BY THE SCHOOL
Outdoor Activities provide opportunities for young people to step outside of their comfort zone, take risks, build confidence and strengthen relationships with peers. Outdoor Activities not only build positive wellbeing, 21st-century skills and an explorer mindset, they also remind our youth about the beauty and accessibility of New Zealand’s landscape.
Previously students at Otamatea High School have done river crossing, white water rafting, surfing, high ropes & rock climbing for name a few.
Studies have shown that spending time in nature improves mental well-being by lifting your mood and decreasing feelings of depression, anxiety and stress. Investing in our youths’ mental health means they’re more prepared to overcome challenge and change that will inevitably come their way.

If you are keen to be involved in the challenge for this year, please complete the application form and return it to Mrs Antunovich by Wednesday 20th March.

School news

Channeling your inner awesomeness!

Good2Great is a great initiative from a fantastic organisation, Youthline. They run four of these days a year, for four lucky schools. This year Otamatea was one of them. Good2Great is a full-day workshop for rangatahi and is all about recognising their inner awesomeness and unleashing it on the world. We all encounter tricky situations and this programme gives rangatahi simple tools to manage them. They learnt skills to manage stress, built self-confidence, unpacked some understanding regarding boundaries, developed their communication skills, and completed some self-reflection. It is not about fixing anything, it is about recognising that we are great and this course gives our students opportunities to unleash their inner greatness upon the world. This fits in really well with our school vision ready for the world.

The guest speaker was netballer, Maia Wilson - Northern Stars captain and Silver Fern. Having someone like this come to school doesn't happen very often. She was really engaging and got the Year 10's moving.

**Photos to come next week**

Marae Trip

Last Monday the Level 2-3 history students combined with the Level 1 art students for a trip to Ōtamatea Marae. The students combined to discuss the history of the local area, particularly the many past events that have made Ōtamatea Marae such an important and special place. The whare Aotearoa is of particular local significance, having been a Māori Runanga (parliament) building at Shelley Beach (Aotea) before being moved by barge and bullock to its current location. After an initial overview of the key historical events, we split into separate groups so that the art students could take photographs and make sketches, and the history students could examine primary source documents relating to the history of the marae. We were very lucky with the weather, and it was wonderful to learn about our history in such an immersive way.

Successful Moving on Day for Year 13 students

The Moving on Day on Tuesday 12 March saw the representatives of seven universities presenting to students who are interested in going to universities. The students who have other plans had presentations on money matters, employability skills and Northtec where students can do trades training and other diploma and certificate courses in a wide range of areas. The recruitment officer from the Defence forces also had some time with several students who are interested in joining the forces.
Students had a choice in each time slot for which presentations they went to and attending presentations for more than one institution reinforced the opportunities available and the fact that final decisions don’t have to be made already.
All the presenters were impressed by our students’ attentiveness and the questions they asked.
In the afternoon we had 9 guests from different organisations ranging from the Ministry of Primary Industries and the Kaipara District Council to people with a career in hospitality, forestry and employment relations. In groups of 4, students spoke with them for 10 minutes and then moved on to the next person.
A huge thank you go to Julie Chiaroni from Dargaville for organising the university visits, Helen Anderson, our Gateway coordinator and Imogen McLeod, our librarian for support throughout the day with the different venues and guests coming and going.

Alan Dingley the Te Ahi Rito NZ Reading Ambassador

On Monday the 11 th March 2024, the Library was able to host Alan Dingley the Te Ahi Rito NZ Reading Ambassador. Alan has a background in both public and school libraries, as a youth worker and is the Reading Ambassador for the next two years. The Year 7’s immensely enjoyed not only the creative part where we all created a story. Students said it was “interesting”, “entertaining”, “funny”and “amazing” to name a few descriptions of the session.
It was pleasing to see many of them putting their hands up as readers and having reading role models. It was also great that the students who struggle with reading showed courage and bravery putting up their hands when asked.
Alan also discussed his favourite books and how books can be either a doorway or a mirror. Reading for pleasure is such a key component in education and life balance. It can be a doorway to escape, to a different world; based in fantasy or the real world. It can help with expanding knowledge, vocabulary, and imagination. Reading can also be a mirror; one can see themselves reflected in the book. This helps the reader feel connected to the wider world but also themselves. Books, that are mirrors, can help with mental health and identity. Grow a culture of reading at home, whither it’s magazines, graphic novels/comics, picture books, a novel, a short story, or a tome. The students were challenged to read to their siblings and parents to become a reading role model. To discuss books, and stories and most importantly to read something that interests them. Having access to books in a variety of mediums, online, on paper, in audio helps create an environment where reading is normal.

Mathematics 2024 Term 1

On Thursday, March 14th we commemorated the mathematical marvel that is Pi Day with an array of engaging activities that brought the beauty of mathematics to life!
In our first session, students put their memory to the test as they embarked on a journey to memorize the infinite digits of Pi. It was a thrilling challenge, showcasing the dedication and enthusiasm our students have for the world of numbers.
Congratulations to our top three winners: Nico Freeman who memorised 56 digits of pi, Angel Teves who memorised 55 digits of pi, and Connor Green who memorised 43 digits of pi.

Pictured from left to right: Angel Teves, Connor Green, Nico Freeman Pictured: Amy Thompson, Angel Teves, Connor Green, Jordyn Edlin, Nico Freeman, and Allyssa Watson

Congratulations to all the students who participated. It was an amazing effort by all!

Following that, our second session delved into the intersection of mathematics and art with an exploration of cardiods.
Pi Day was a testament to the boundless wonders of mathematics and the endless possibilities it offers for learning and discovery. We thank all our students and faculty for their participation and enthusiasm, making Pi Day 2024 a resounding success!

Year 13 Students fundraising for the Cancer Society

This past weekend and next weekend, we have a group of year 13 students fundraising for the Cancer Society at Bunnings Mangawhai from 9 am. Please swing by, for a bite to support... the sausages are delicious. This is one of the fundraising activities our year 13s are engaging in, with the penultimate event being Relay for Life at Trigg stadium in Whangarei on the 23 & 24th March. You can also donate at relayforlife.org.nz/t/otamatea-high-school-team