Te Pānui o Otamatea

School Notices 15 December, 2023

Calendar of Events
Monday 11 - Wednesday 13 December	EOTC Year 10 camp Kai Iwi Lakes EOTC Year 8 camp Ruakaka camping ground EOTC Year 7 camp Adrenalin Park, Mt Parahaka, Aquatic Centre EOTC Year 9 camp
Thursday 14 December	Junior Prize giving Last day of school for 2023. Buses will be running at 12.30pm

IMPORTANT DATES FOR 2024

View our full School Calendar here

From the Senior Leadership Team

Well done to all of our year 7, 8, 9 and 10 students who received awards at our end of year junior prizegiving on Thursday. Despite having only prizewinners at school for the day, the hall was packed. Thank you to all the whānau, family and friends who attended in support of our students. It was lovely seeing the hall so full for this important occasion. A special congratulations to Amy Weber for coming first overall in year 10, to Kyla Mansell for coming first overall in year 9, and to Denika Clooney, our Junior Victrix Ludorum. We awarded for the first this year both the year 9 certificate and the year 10 diploma. These awards mirror the NCEA qualifications and can be awarded with a either a merit or an excellence endorsement. Students who receive such endorsements are, with continued hard work, on track to achieving NCEA certificate endorsements in the future, and it was a real pleasure to acknowledge these students during this event.

Over the past few days our students have been involved in the end of year camps and activities. Many schools don’t offer these anymore but the commitment from our staff, especially those involved in the year 8 and 10 camps, means that these awesome activities continue on, creating lifelong memories for our students. Thank you to our parent volunteers who helped out at these camps. We really appreciate your support. The feedback from students has been amazing, with many commenting that the camps have been one of the best experiences they have ever had.

Congratulations to our year 10 Magazine Design class who, under guidance from their teacher Mrs Christie, have produced yet another fantastic school magazine. Visitors regularly comment on the high quality of this publication, with one saying it was the best he’d seen in any school in the country, and this year's magazine is no exception.

We would like to wish everyone in our community a happy, and safe summer and festive season, and we hope you have the opportunity to have a good break. We look forward to seeing you in the new year.

School News

Year 7 Camp Activity Week

Monday-11th December
Heading off to Adrenaline Park north of Whangarei the Year 7 students were chomping at the bit to arrive. We were very lucky with the beautiful weather. Having the park pretty much to ourselves the Year 7s enjoyed a jam packed 3 hours of inflatable obstacle courses, paddle boards, kayaking, and large slides. Even the teachers and support staff enjoyed getting pushed off the course by eager students awaiting and hiding within the course. A fun filled enjoyable day had by all.

Tuesday 12th December
We started the day with a walk along the Hatea River to our second activity, the Aquatic Centre. The students enjoyed two full hours of uninterrupted pool time with access to the hydro slide, spa and wave pool. Once again, Whangarei turned on the sunshine. The highlight being, seeing students form new friendships and branching outside of their comfort zone.

Wednesday 13th December
Today was a combination of craft and physical activities, including robots, christmas biscuits, dream catchers, poi making, mission maestro and many more activities, all organized by our wonderful team of staff. This concluded our three day year 7 camp followed by a hot chip lunch. This week was a fabulous way to finish off year 7, for both staff and students.

Year 8 Camp Activity Week

Ruakaka Beach did not disappoint with a wonderful stay at Ruakaka Beach Holiday Park for the Year 8 Camp 2023. Epic waves for surfing and skilled knot tying for building their raft, the Year 8s were challenged to step outside their comfort zones!

They explored the local estuary while kayaking, learnt about local endangered birds and thought-out the box while on their camp wide scavenger hunt. Thank you to the wonderful parents who supported our camp with cooking and the amazing seniors who came along and supported the Y8 students.

Year 9 Camp Activity Week

Year 9 Camp was a thrilling success! Our students participated in 3 days of fun activities showcasing their talents in archery, golf, dodgeball, swimming, and even put their creativity to the test in structure-building challenges.

A heartfelt thank you goes out to our dedicated staff for orchestrating an event that seamlessly blended fun and learning. The enthusiasm and teamwork displayed by our Year 9 participants were truly commendable, turning each activity into a memorable accomplishment.

Year 10 Camp Kai Iwi Lakes

This week we continued with our long-standing tradition of year 10 Camp at Kai Iwi lakes. The camp was a huge success.

Students arrived at the Lakes on a hot and sunny Monday afternoon, set up their tents and the enjoyed a short hike out the west coast. Tuesday saw the clouds roll in and the wind pick up however this did not deter our students. They were amazing and willingly participated in Waka Ama, mountain biking and stand-up paddle boarding and kayaking.

A massive thank you to our parent helpers Jason Radd and Roger Bull. Their help with the water-based activities was invaluable. Also thank you to all the staff involved who put in a huge amount of time and effort to make this camp happen. It was a great way to finish the year.

Year 8- Cultural Artifact

From Dutch crochet Tulips to Japanese origami, Greek shields and Kenyan headpieces - Year 8 students have really gone the extra mile creating a culturally significant artifact. They then had to explain the significance of their artifact………

Saskia- Tulips were the most popular flower in Europe in the Golden Ages.

Max- The Greeks invented the shield in the eighth century BC.

Daisy- The Headpiece in Kenya represents social status and are worn during special occasions.