From the Senior Leadership Team

Well done to all year 9 to 13 students who participated in our athletics day last Thursday. This was a very successful day and it was wonderful to see everyone giving their best in all the track and field events, and showing such great support towards one another. Congratulations to our grade champions and to our amazing record breakers. We had six new records set on the day - what a fantastic result! Year 7 and 8s will have their own athletics day in term 4.

The correlation between student attendance and achievement is very strong. Having analysed our 2023 NCEA results it is no surprise to find that students who attend school regularly (at least 90% of the time) are achieving significantly higher than those with poor attendance. This is clearly illustrated with last year's NCEA level 3 results. Over half of our year 13s who attended regularly gained overall merit or excellence endorsements, and all passed NCEA level 3. At the other extreme, of those year 13s who attended less than 70% of the time, the majority did not pass at all. The message is clear: Students who attend school regularly do well, and those who do not struggle to cope. Please do not allow your child to miss school unless they are sick. Poor attendance has a very direct and detrimental impact on students' educational outcomes.

 The University of Canterbury

The University of Canterbury is again offering skills based Kiwi competitions in English, Mathematics and Science for students of all ages. These are written by New Zealand teachers for New Zealand students and closely align with the New Zealand Curriculum. The online competitions will be run in the last 3 weeks of Term 2 and the first week of Term 3 and will take place at school, under exam conditions. Parents/caregivers will be provided with an individual student report outlining student performance. All participating students will be awarded a certificate and a prize will be awarded to the top student in each competition. The cost for a student to participate is $9.90 per competition entered. Elizabeth van den Berg will be contacting whānau to recruit students for these competitions in the coming weeks.

Alternative Education Program

At Otamatea High School we are fortunate to have our own on sight alternative education program catering for up to eight students. 
The purpose of our alternative education programs is to provide a more flexible, inclusive, and supportive environment to meet the diverse needs of students who may face challenges in traditional educational settings.
Our current program is run by Sam Philips.  Sam does an amazing job not only supporting students with their learning but also facilitates a range of activities, camps and trips which focus on real-world experiences and developing practical skills. 

Bus Safety around State Highways and rural roads

It is very important that students know the rules around crossing roads once they hop off the bus. Here are some reminders; 
After you get off the bus, wait as far away from the edge of the road as you can, until the bus has moved away.
If you need to cross the road, wait until the bus has driven past and you can see clearly up and down the road before crossing. 
https://www.nzta.govt.nz/safety/keeping-children-safe/bus-safety/
 

Bus Pass Requests

We are receiving many requests for students to go on alternative buses (requiring bus passes). Bus pass requests must be received by 12pm. These are to be emailed to hanna.stevens@otamatea.school.nz or you can call the school and request it that way. 
Currently, we will not be issuing bus passes on the following buses, as they are at capacity; 
Mangahwai Central
Mangawhai Village
Mangawhai Heads
Pahi
Station Road

Brynderwyn Closure - Alternative bus route

Due to the Brynderwyn closure from Monday 26th February, an alternative route has been confirmed with the bus company and Easy Bus. Students who have been traveling on the Glenmohr buses to Otamatea High School will be collected at the Waipu Monument. They will leave at 7.30am and will return there at 4.20pm. Please be there in plenty of time, as buses will leave promptly.

If you have any queries, contact Easy Bus - here is the link https://song.easybus.nz/contact-easybus/service-feedback/

School uniform

It is great to see the majority of students are wearing the correct school uniform with pride.  If for any reason your child does not have the correct uniform, please send them to school with a note.  All students that do not have the correct uniform must go to the uniform exchange before Whanau time where they can exchange the non-uniform for uniform for the day.  The Uniform exchange is located in the back room of the hall.

Please remember school socks must be plain black.  Socks with colours, logos patterns or designs are not acceptable.  Footwear must be plain black, sandals must have a heel strap.  Crocs, slides or Birkenstock style sandals are not part of our uniform.

Year 13 students are allowed to wear mufti.  However, respectable clothing appropriate for school is expected. More details about the year 13 dress code can be found on the school website.