Newsletter March 2015 - Rangiora High School

Rangiora High School
Te Kura Tuarua o Rangiora
Newsletter - March 2015
Year 9 Science
Year 9 Science students have been learning about Chemistry.
We like doing experiments and learning about all of the equipment. What we find fun about Science is
learning new things. We are looking forward to doing more experiments with chemicals.
Georgie, Kate and Emma from 9RLN
Rangiora High School
East Belt
Rangiora 7400
New Zealand
Telephone 03 3118888
Facsimile 03 3138005
Email admin@rangiorahigh.school.nz
Website www.rangiorahigh.school.nz
From the Principal
Na mihinui ki te whanau o te kura tuara Rangioa. Ka mate te kāinga tahi, ka ora te
kāinga rua.
A warm welcome to the 2015 school year to all students, whānau and friends of the
school. The school year began with our annual pōwhiri for all new students and
staff. It was a fantastic celebration and a great way to begin our learning journey
this year. This was quickly followed by our Big Arvo Out, House Sports’ Day, House
Open Night and SummerFest. These events are important ways for us to establish
a sense of belonging among students and staff, between home and school, and
school and our wider community.
In 2015 we welcome the largest intake of Year 9 students Rangiora High School has ever had. This 408 strong
cohort almost fill the school hall all by themselves and we have worked extremely hard over the past month
to ensure they and their families / whanau feel welcome. I am pleased to say they have quickly become an
integral part of the Rangiora High School whanau; and this is due, in no small way, to the tireless efforts of
our fifteen Year 9 Form Teachers, Head Students, House Executive teams, Peer Support leaders and our 24/7
Youth Workers.
We have been very pleased with the standard of uniform at the beginning of the year. Year 9 students are
wearing the new uniform with pride and during this transitional stage we thank both the Uniform Group,our
new supplier, and our PTA for their professional approach in assisting parents and caregivers to ensure all
students look great. As a school we are privileged to be able to assist families in genuine need, with the
provision of uniform, by accessing monies from the Red Cross Grant we received in 2013. Inquiries can be
made to your son or daughter’s Dean or Head of House if you need assistance. We are here to help. My
thanks to for your response to your request for unwanted PE uniforms. These have been distributed to very
appreciative students.
Our school provides such rich opportunities for all students and it is exciting to see them taking up a range
of diverse activities and making the most of every new experience. In the last week of February we saw
students training for rugby, volleyball and touch, seventy girls trialling for Year 9 Netball teams, and our Kapa
Haka group rehearsing for the Matatini Festival, where they have been asked to perform to invited guests
after the pōwhiri. There certainly is no shortage of things to do for those who seize the opportunities on offer.
Following a very successful “Start-up 2015” students and staff have settled down to our core business of
teaching and learning. Our timetable has finally been confirmed and we have endeavoured to accommodate
the wide range of choices made by our 1830 students. Our Operations Grant funding for 2015 has challenged
us to be creative when providing the wide range of options for our students. As a result some class sizes sit
around 30 and while this is larger than we would like, it does assist us to provide a stimulating curriculum for
our students.
I would like to take this opportunity to congratulations all of our senior students on their NCEA results. It is
pleasing to see so many students aiming for endorsement with Merit or Excellence and that must remain a
key focus in 2015. Our scholarship students and their teachers have much to celebrate and we share in the
pride of that success. Your sons and daughters will have begun discussing their goals for 2015 with their Form
Teachers and I would like to invite parents caregivers to Student Achievement Interview Day [SAID] on 19
March 2015. This will be your opportunity to be part of this important process. Information about appointment bookings will be emailed home in the next week. Please ensure all contact details for phone and emails
is up to date so that all information arrives in a timely manner.
I would like to take this opportunity to welcome Mrs Bev Moore, our Commissioner, to Rangiora High School.
The staff and I look forward to working with her in that capacity.
Best wishes for an exciting and successful year. As a school we are well placed to deliver quality teaching
and learning to all of our students. Morale is high and staff and students have a shared sense of purpose and
optimism as we begin the school year.
Noho ora mai rā
Peggy Burrows
Principal
An Update from Bev Moore, Commissioner
As you know I have been working in the school since last Thursday with responsibility
for the governance function. I would like to record my thanks to all of the wonderful
staff who have welcomed me into the school and ensured my appointment has not
affected the operation of the school at all.
I would also like to thank everyone responsible for setting up an office for me upstairs in the administration building - please feel free to pop into the office or phone
if you would like to talk to me about any aspect of the school. I would like to make
particular mention of the competency, professionalism and effectiveness of the
Senior Leadership Team - they have all smoothly and capably managed the school
whilst Peggy Burrows is overseas.
I had the great pleasure of having a full tour of the school last week and seeing the wide range of programmes, both academic and vocational, you have available for students. The school has a positive feel and
it is great to see the shared leisure facility so well utilised by both students and the community. I have been
briefed on the exciting $14.9 million development of the school’s facilities which are in the planning stages
and will get underway this year.
It has also been my privilege to have met some students, previous trustees and parents during the last few
days. I would like to reiterate that anyone is welcome to make contact with me if they would like to discuss
anything with me or provide any feedback. In the meantime I look forward to keeping everyone updated.
Important Information Regarding Zone and Bus Travel
If you are thinking of moving house now or in the future, and you find yourself
living outside the Rangiora High School Zone, for example in Woodend, Pegasus,
Ravenswood or Waikuku, please be aware that even if your address meets the
distance qualification of 4.8km away from the school, your student will not be
entitled to travel to or from school by school bus. Whilst your student will be welcome to continue at Rangiora High School, you will become responsible for getting
them to and from school. They will not be able to use the school bus service, even
if they travel to an “in zone” bus stop. This will also affect any younger siblings who
may enrol in the future as an out of zone sibling of a currently attending student.
Should you wish us to check an address for your prospective move, please do not
hesitate to contact us by telephoning (03) 3118888.
First Foundation Scholarship
Congratulations to Simone Pitima who has been
awarded a First Foundation Scholarship.
The Scholarship is a unique four year programme
that includes paid work experience, networks and
financial support as a Scholar. Simone has been
paired up with SPARK and already spent a week
working with them in late January.
She will also receive advice and guidance from a
Personal Mentor.
The support and development provided by First
Foundation will assist Simone as a Scholar to make
successful transitions from school to university,
through university and then into the workforce.
Scholars receive their First Foundation scholarships at the end of Year 12. This recognises the importance of
both their final year at school and the transition from secondary school to tertiary education.
HILLARY HOUSE
HEAD OF HOUSE Mr K Sullivan
DEAN OF HOUSE Ms E Gibson
February has absolutely flown by. We are already into week 5 and
it is incredible how quickly our students have settled into the routines of a new school year. We have had the opportunity to meet
parents at the Year 9 Open Night and in a few weeks will hold our
Student Achievement Interview Day (SAID) on 19 March for all
year levels. If you are worried about your child’s first few weeks,
please do not hesitate to contact Ms Gibson or myself about your
concerns.
Hillary House has made a very strong start to the year. Once again
we had a cracking Big Arvo Out, at Woodend Beach, where students met or renewed acquaintances with one another and Hillary
Staff. This team building led into a tremendous result on House
Sports’ Day. Our students performed with real determination and
we led for a fair amount of the day before finishing in second place.
A big part of our Start Up programme each year, is welcoming both
new students and staff to Rangiora High School. It is a pleasure to
welcome to Hillary House our Year 9 intake that makes up 9HQN,
with Ms Quinn and 9HRO, with Mrs Rowe. I hope that they are
enjoying their start to Rangiora High School. Other new students,
including our international students, have also been welcomed
into their form classes and we trust that they too are enjoying
the start to their time at a new school. New staff joining Hillary
House include: Anna White who takes over as form teacher for
Carey Prebble, Rebecca McLean, and Emma Gibson who is acting
as Dean, until a new appointment is made. Ms Gibson has made an
excellent start in her current role as Acting Dean and I’m sure that
the students are enjoying getting to know her and appreciate the
efforts that she is making on their behalf.
I would like to take the opportunity to introduce our 2015 student
leaders. Hillary House Captains are Nathan Fellows and Laura
McQuillan-Reese, they are supported by our House Leaders, James
Francis, Samuel Pell, Tim Smith and Eloise Todd. They are a great
team with exceptional skills and ideas and I am very proud of the
work they have already completed and I look forward to working
with them in my new role as Head of House.
Senior SummerFest wrapped up last week and whilst we placed
sixth. The true result was the number of students that wanted to
participate. The dilemma for our students and House Leaders is
one that many sports coaches face, deciding whether we play our
best team to secure the win or allow everyone an opportunity to
play who signs up. This will be no easy decision, as the House Cup
is a hotly contested prize and one we would love to win this year.
2015 will be an exciting year and I look forward to sharing in the
success, that each of our members make, to Hillary House.
LYDIARD HOUSE
HEAD OF HOUSE Mr A Drayton
DEAN OF HOUSE Mr G Scott
Welcome to another year with Lydiard Tigers. So far this year
we have had a busy time. We have welcomed three new form
classes in to Year 9. We also welcomed some new staff to Lydiard
House this year. Mr Colville who has 9LCO who comes over from
Mansfield House, Mr Newsham-West arrives from Burnside High
School as Head of the Science faculty and has 11LNW, Mr Cowey
who has 9LCW and has recently returned from many years teaching abroad and Mr Hines who has 13LHI and is an experienced
Science and Physics teacher and a great addition to our team.
The first House gathering began with the big arvo out at Maria
Andrews Park on a scorching summer’s day. It was a great opportunity to have our senior leaders and peer support students
form bonds with our new year 9 cohort, for the year 9 students
to get to know each other and for the students of Lydiard to reacquaint themselves. It was a well-run day and congratulations to
our House Executive for arranging a successful day. This year our
senior leaders are House Captains – MJ Creswick, Grace Russell
along with Mary Hurley, Patrick McCallum, Freya Searle and Kobe
Williams.
Sports’ Day was awash with orange and we gave it all. Always a lot
of fun and the dressing up in all manner of costumes is akin to the
Wellington Sevens. In terms of results it was déjà vu at the end of
the day with Lydiard finishing last on the points’ table. The same
as last year. So a lot to do to win the House competition from that
position. Not insurmountable. Just a challenge. We have just finished the Senior SummerFest of Volleyball and Touch. Once again
we had a great turnout and competed strongly. At the end of the
event we placed fourth. The gap is narrowing and I am sure that
efforts of our other teams involved in the rest of the competitions
will contribute to a successful year ahead.
It is wonderful to see families who came along to the meet
and greet held had earlier in the term. As a parent it is important to become as involved and informed with your child and
their progress in High School as you were on day one of their
educational career at primary school. When Celia Lashlie passed
away recently I remember some of the sage advice that she has
passed on regarding parenting high school boys. She made the
observation that boys have to cross the bridge of adolescence by
themselves. Mothers raise their sons to that point and have to let
go and watch them as they grow in to men. Celia also made the
comment that fathers have to become more involved with their
sons at this point in their lives not less. I was fortunate to have
had dinner with Celia a few years ago. Our country has lost an
insightful educator and social commentator.
This year our annual fun run will be held on the Thursday April
2 which is the last day of term. The Lydiard House charity is the
puppy guide dog program run by the Blind Foundation. Over the
years the House has raised a considerable amount of funds for
this very worthy cause. In the next few weeks students will be
looking for sponsorship for the fun run. It seems like an oxymoron
to have the words fun and run together. It is more about the cause
than setting personal bests. We look forward to your suport.
MANSFIELD HOUSE
HEAD OF HOUSE Mr A Gebbie
DEAN OF HOUSE Mr J Harrison
It has been an excellent start to 2015 for Mansfield House. Mr
Harrison and I could not be more proud of the efforts put in by
Mansfield students in the first stages of the House competition and
the way that new staff and students have been welcomed into the
Mansfield whanau.
We welcome new form teachers Mr Moore and Miss Kean and we
are very lucky to have back the irreplaceable Mr Bilbrough covering
a Year 13 form class. It has also been a pleasure to welcome three
new Year 9 classes 9MBN, 9MRN and 9MCM. I hope that the Year
9 students have enjoyed their first month of being Rangiora High
School students and I look forward to getting to know them better
as the year continues on. My advice as always to new students to
Mansfield is to take up as many opportunities as possible at Rangiora High School because there is so many great things on offer.
Sports’ Day was an outstanding way to start the year. Mansfield
worked so hard for the whole day and we got the result that we
wanted. It was a nervous end to the afternoon as we had not been
at the top of the running leaderboard once during the day until the
last update when we were 20 points ahead of Hilary House. When
we were announced to have won the celebrations begun and we
enjoyed every minute of it and can be hugely satisfied and proud of
the day’s effort. Starting the year atop the leaderboard where we
left off last year is exactly where we want to be however it is a long
year with an enormous amount of points still up for grabs.
The next house competition was Senior SummerFest. We ended up
dominating the Volleyball side of the competition winning all our
games and the Touch team came away with a record of 2 draws
and 3 losses. This record was particularly tough on our Touch team
that was made up of mainly Year 11’s and 12’s as they lost a couple
of their games by 1 point and were always putting in dedicated
performances. Overall this placed us third for the Senior SummeFest and ensured that we stay at the top of the leaderboard with a
break of 40 points over our sister house, Rutherford.
Last year in Mansfield our motto for 2014 was “better than before”.
This year we have changed to the motto of “raising the bar” and
this will be something that we continue to talk about as the year
goes on. We will be expecting Mansfield students to be investigating ways that they can personally raise the bar for themselves in all
facets of their everyday lives. The first step in this process will be
completed with their form teachers based around goal setting and
what achievements individuals will be aiming for this year. I really
look forward to watching the development of Mansfield students
as they reach their goals and always aspire to raise the bar.
NGATA HOUSE
HEAD OF HOUSE Mrs V Wilkins
DEAN OF HOUSE Mr T Berg
It is really hard to believe that we are half way through Term 1, and
what a term it’s been! Ngata House has welcomed Mr Tim Berg to
the positon of Dean of Ngata House and our beloved Mr Winson
has returned to full-time classroom teaching after 7 years of pastoral service. We humbly thank him for his unrivalled contribution to
this wonderful House and to the students whom he has supported;
I am very pleased to say that Mr Winson remains within the Ngata
House team.
Despite changes to personnel, it certainly is business as usual for
Ngata House and we have welcomed two fabulous Year 9 cohorts
into the fold. 9NSB and 9NWN appear to have transitioned very
well from their primary schools and appear to be settling nicely.
Both form classes have been actively involved in all aspects of high
school life and it has been a pleasure to watch their involvement.
2015 has allowed for a newly appointed Ngata House Senior Executive team and it is a thrill to announce that your House Captains for
2015 are Gemma Keeling and Kaelyn Brandso. They are supported
by Deputy Leaders: Simone Pitama, Austin Hamilton, Olivia James
and Felicity Rudd. The Junior Executive Team for 2015 welcomes
Dominic Cleary and Annalisa Flemming as Captains and our deputies include Courtney Matthews, Matthew Jones, Dace Tonkin and
Lucy Eder. Their passion, dedication and tireless support of the
House is already evident and I am very excited to watch their leadership skills grow throughout the year.
Week one and two were that of fun. Our Big Arvo event at Waikuku Beach was one of great fun and enjoyment. The weather was
extremely kind and we had a really good time catching up with
each other, building sand sculptures, enjoying lunch and of course
practising for Sports’ Day. Rangiora High School really knows how
to put on a fantastic event, and Sports’ Day was simply that. Ngata
House students dressed in House colours and fought valiantly. Despite receiving fourth place, everybody had fun and showed great
sportsmanship, which is extremely important.
At the time of writing this newsletter, the junior school is working
hard towards their Junior Certificate Programme results for Term
1 and will be assessed towards the end of the term for curriculum
grades. It is important to note that if you do have any queries or
concerns as to your child’s progress that you make contact with us
here in the Ngata Office, as we are happy to discuss any queries or
concerns with you.
One of the best and most important aspects of being Head of
House is to acknowledge and celebrate the success of our students. Simone Pitama is an outstanding academic student and
sportswoman, and it is with great pride that we congratulate her
for securing a First Foundation Scholarship. I am sure that you’ll
agree that this is phenomenal news and a well-deserved award for
such a wonderful young woman. Congratulations, Simone.
RUTHERFORD HOUSE
HEAD OF HOUSE Mr J Sim
DEAN OF HOUSE Mrs G Koster
Kia ora and welcome back to everyone. 2015 has started with
some really exciting events and already there is a positive feeling
amongst the Rutherford team. After our last placing in the House
Competition in 2014, the “Rutherford Knights” are on the charge
and looking forward to a better placing in the House Competition
in 2015. We have a new chant and this has already been put to
good use at the Big Arvo out and on Sports’ Day.
We have a new student exec this year. The student exec for 2015 is
made up of Sophie Marsh and Josh Sim (House Captains), Joseph
Reeves, Grace Quigley, Jack Lai and Zac Kenny. They are all exceptional young leaders and I’m really looking forward to working with
them and the junior exec members once they are appointed. They
have some really exciting goals that they want to achieve this year.
Our first two major events at Rangiora High School each year are
the “Big Arvo Out” and House Sports’ Day. I was intrigued as to
how these events were run as I still am only in my first year here
(having started at the beginning of Term 2, 2014). The “Big Arvo”
is a chance for the House Leaders to step up and run some activities for the House. The House leaders performed really well. The
“wet sponge dodge ball” was a favorite of many, especially when a
teacher ran through - students really enjoyed their chance to “get
one over” on their teachers.
Sports’ Day is an amazing event. Many of the students have really
taken costume making to another level, with the day starting to
have a real festival feel to it. It was amazing seeing costumes such
as the “Rutherford Cops”, the “Rutherford Porta-loos” and Jack in
his “wee blue car”. We had a really successful day on Sports’ Day,
finishing third. This means that we are off to a flying start in the
House Competition, and well on our way to outperform our sixth
placing in 2014.
Mrs Koster is our new Dean of House and she has been working
hard with many students and their families already this year. Our
new uniform is looking superb and Mrs Koster is busy ensuring that
the Rutherford pupils maintain high uniform standards. As always,
Mrs Koster and I welcome your contact and we can be contacted
here at Rangiora High School on 311-8888 ext 2109 (Mrs Koster) or
ext 2108 (Mr Sim) or alternatively we can be contacted via email
at si@rangiorahigh.school.nz and/or ko@rangiorahigh.school.nz.
We would like to pass on our thanks to those parents who came
along to the Year 9 afternoon tea. It was lovely to meet many of
you there.
Coming up we have some exciting events to look forward to this
term. We have just won Senior Summerfest and also coming up
this term is the Year 9/10 Quiz and Senior Debating.
GO RUTHERFORD!
SHEPPARD HOUSE
HEAD OF HOUSE Mr K Anderson
DEAN OF HOUSE Mrs P Howard
Tena kou tou katoa. 2015 is well under way and while the Sheppard House office is looking a little different, we have retained the
fighting Ngati Mako spirit which our former leader Ms Andrea Hay
ignited and maintained over the last five years.
Our first meeting as a house took place at the Big Arvo Out. This
event gave us an opportunity to rekindle the spirit and get the
“fire” started. It was highly appropriate, then that we were treated
to an impromptu pyrotechnics display when the barbeque burst
into flames. No harm was done other than to thirteen sausages
which, sadly, were burnt beyond recognition.
House Sports’ Day was, as always, a veritable festival of colour
and spectacle and saw all six Houses battling it out for supremacy.
While Sheppard House finished in fifth place, it is fair to say that
every one of our House members made a positive contribution. I
would like to congratulate our students for the efforts they made
to costume themselves so fabulously in House colours. We looked
and sounded powerful and united throughout the day, particularly
in the performance of our unique house haka.
Since Sports’ Day we have made an assault on the leader board
via SummerFest. Our Volleyball team gallantly battled some very
strong opposition and came away with one win from their five
starts. Our Touch team was incredibly strong and remained unbeaten throughout the competition. As a result, Sheppard House
gained second place over all – an outstanding achievement.
I would like to acknowledge and thank our House executive members: Caitlin Andrew, Geraldine Cook, Tiegan Cunninghame, George
Howat, Elliot Sibbles and Georgie Rudd. These inspirational leaders
are working tirelessly to help our younger students maximise their
educational and social opportunities at Rangiora High School. I
am sure that you will agree that they are making the transition to
secondary school much easier for our Year 9 cohort.
This year, Sheppard House has gained a number of new staff
members and I would like to welcome them on board. Mr Peter
Finnigan, Mr Steve Liu, Mr David Cook and Ms Megan Evans are
our newest recruits. I am very grateful and appreciative for the
expertise and energy they bring to the house.
Thank you too, to our fantastic form teachers who provide such
valuable support to the students of Sheppard House. I encourage
you to keep the lines of communication open between home and
school, remembering that the form teacher is the first port of call.
Mrs Paula Howard has already a made a huge impact in her new
role as our Dean of House. Her work with students and their
families is of the highest quality. I am sure that she will continue to
make an outstanding contribution in the area of pastoral care. In
the event that you would like to speak to Paula or myself, do not
hesitate to telephone us on (03) 311 8888, ext 2111 or 2110.
We look forward to our next House events – Junior Quiz and Senior
Debating. I am sure that our Sheppard house students will continue
to apply the Ngati Mako spirit in everything they do.
2015 Yearbooks
Blue Planet Group
Due to the rising costs of publishing Yearbooks we
will now be charging $15 per copy with payment
due by 13 October 2015.
Blue Planet is the Rangiora High School’s Envirogroup. We meet every Monday lunchtime in F11.
Recent projects the group have been involved with
include, but are not limited to, improving recycling,
planting natives around the school, building a worm
farm, sharing our ideas for community projects and
erecting the seating area near the Wales Street
gate (with thanks to the PTA for the funds). This
year we have ideas such as more native plantings
in the school and farm, community projects and
building/racing electric vehicles.
This is a voluntary payment and is only due if a
Yearbook is required.
Languages Faculty
We have a keen group of students from all year
levels and are always happy to have newcomers –
you just need to care about your environment and
want to make a difference. Mondays in F11. Bring
your lunch.
This term in the Languages faculty…
Chinese classes have been talking about the Chinese New Year and its celebration.
Junior Maori classes have been doing some research on their family history in preparation for
their mihi.
Year 11 studying Japanese have been describing
their daily routine and practising their speaking
skills with native speakers.
The Year 12 French class has been writing advice
about exams to Year 11 French students.
The Year 13 French class has been studying the
environment and had the opportunity to interview
Madame MacKay’s parents on environmental issues in France via Skype (all in French as they do
not speak a word of English!)
A great start to the year!
2014 Year Books
2014 Year Books are now available to purchase for
$15.00 from the Student Office (Payments Counter).
Thank You
A big thank you goes to Graeme Bell and his fantastic team at Frucor Beverages in Kaiapoi who
kindly supplied all the staff with bottled water on
our HOUSE SPORTS DAY. Thanks very much for your
support, h2go!
Dragon Boating
Youth Workers
The Dragon Boating team has a core of committed
students who have been training hard and progressing well. These photos are from our last regatta at
Lake Rua. We have one further regatta this season –
the South Island Champs at Lake Hood on 14 March.
After that we will take a break until late September.
Anyone interested in joining the team please see
Mrs Hanson or the Sports Office. Many thanks to
our coach Glenn Phipps, sweep Hannah Price and
the parents for all their support.
So far this term the 24-7 Youth-Workers have been
involved in Year 9 orientation and Open House,
with the horizontal bungee proving a popular
attraction. They also ran a lunchtime carnival in
addition to the new “Gazza” award which allows
students to recognise and thank teachers who
have impacted their lives. It’s been a great start
to Term 1 and we are looking forward to Easter
Camp in less than a month!
Introducing our School Support Staff: Mrs Sally McGill
Sally McGill is an experienced and valued member of our administration team.
She has a very busy role processing new enrolments and enrolment enquires, processing the school ‘roll returns’ to the Ministry of Education and keeping our ‘student management’ software database updated.
She is also responsible for collating all the data relating to student reporting, prizegivings and NZQA.
Sally has been with Rangiora High School for nearly 14 years.
2015 Cultural Captains
Golfing Star
Rangiora High School Cultural Captains for 2015
were recently announced at Principal’s assemblies.
Momoka Kobori of 12HWH travelled to Melbourne
and played in the Victorian Junior Masters’ Tournament as a NZ Representative. She was placed sixth
overall and won the Under 16 division. At the end
of January, Momoka won the Canterbury Womens’
Stroke Play, the biggest golf event in Canterbury
and became the Number 1 women’s golfer in Canterbury. Momoka also won the Faldo Series Asia
New Zealand Champs. She will travel to China in
March to represent NZ.
The role of the captain/s is to act as an ambassador
for their subject area by promoting events through
the wider school community and to support their
Head of Curriculum Area and the Head of Arts
Faculty. The newly created positions of Dance Ambassador for Years 12 and 13 involve representing
Rangiora High School in the Christchurch Secondary
Schools’ Dance Ambassador Programme.
These positions are proudly awarded to the following students:Art Captains
Kalyn Thomas 13NAH
Danielle Barber 13HHT
Drama Captain
Mary Hurley 13LAS
Freya Searle 13LHI
Music Captain
Jenni Keith-Gillon 13RMN
Dance Captains
Jamie Bagrie 13LAS
Tayleur Barnard 12MHS
Dance Ambassadors
Bex Baker 13NAH
Kristina Sammut 12MKA
Kapa haka
Senior Girls - Simone Pitama 13NAH
Senior Boys - Vaughn Atkins-Percasky 12LRA
Junior Girls - Livy Hill 10MLD
Junior Boys - Tama Carr 10RMM
The Arts faculty warmly congratulates these students.
Arts Showcase 2015
The Arts Faculty’s annual “Cream of the Crop” Arts
Showcase will be held on Tuesday 31 March in the
school hall from 4.30pm to 6.30pm.
This is always a highly enjoyable event showcasing
the enormous talent of our Drama, Music, Dance,
Kapa Haka and Visual Arts students.
We invite parents and caregivers to come along, be
inspired and entertained and to enjoy the delicious
finger-food offered by our Hospitality students. Free
admission.
Hosting International Students
We are always looking for new families to host our
international students, either long-term or shortterm. Our Asian students usually prefer to live in
Rangiora or very close by, and our European students often come for the equestrian programme,
and so need to be able to ride horses at their host
family’s home.
Hosting students can be a lot of fun, but also
needs the kind of parenting that any 15 or 16 year
old requires. For more information on hosting an
international student, please contact Julia Arden,
Homestay Co-ordinator, via email at ar@rangiorahigh.school.nz or by telephone at home on (03) 312
8667.
NZ Rowing Nationals 2015
The NZ Rowing Nationals were held in Twizel on 1621 March.
Eight rowers from Cure Boating Club were entered
and performed outstandingly well. They amassed a
total of five medals over the week. This was the best
result Cure has ever achieved in its long history.
Past pupils Julian Svoboda and Lawson Morris Whyte
gained a Bronze in the Senior Men’s Pair with Lawson also gaining Bronze in the Senior Men’s Single.
After spending most of the season training in this
boat, the Senior Men’s Four (comprising of Julian,
Lawson, William Morris-Whyte and George Howat)
won Gold.
In the Senior Men’s Quad, these four went
on to win a Silver medal - a fine effort for their first
race skulling this season!
This crew along with Justis Atkins and three from
Nelson combined to race in the much anticipated
8’s race. It was an amazing, hard fought race with
Cure-Nelson edging in front to win Gold!
Rose McEwan rowed well against some of the best
rowers in the country and was placed seventh in the
A Final Club Singles, while Alice Pallister won the B
Final in this event. They combined well to be placed
sixth in the Club Double final.
Congratulations to all these rowers and their coach,
Armin Svoboda.
Now we look forward to seeing how George, Rose,
Alice and Josh Sim perform for the school at the
Maadi Cup in March.
Cameron James 12HWH
Student Leadership Camp 2015
Jarod Kintz once said “Leadership is being the first egg in the omelet.”
Now honestly I don’t expect you to know who Jarod Kintz is, I don’t, but
this quote has two things that are rather relevant to the camp of 2015...
1. Leadership and 2. Eggs. And let’s just say these were some very major
aspects.
There are not many who would think that bundling forty 21st century
teenagers into a bus in the middle of summer and taking them up to a
lodge with no internet and cell phone coverage would be a good idea but
for some reason Rangiora High School once did and now they keep on
doing it. And so, in late January the class of 2015 packed their bags, arrived
at school at an hour so early we hadn’t seen it in weeks and sussed out
who we would be spending the next three days and two nights with. And
by the end I reckon we figured that everyone was pretty cool.
So the camp. The weather was gorgeous, the food was delectable (thank you to the fabulous Mrs Elms) and
the activities were absolutely awesome. Add this to a whole bunch of spectacular people with some wicked
senses of humour and I believe you would find the recipe for something pretty darn amazing. Upon our arrival
at the lodge we were divided into four groups and then told “Here’s an egg, the prize goes to the group that
can present it to me at 12.00pm on the final day.” From then on the challenge was set. It was rather amusing to
watch the love that grew for the little eggs within each group and for most it was that same love that doomed
them. For one group their attempt to provide the egg with some sun protection resulted in it disintegrating in
their hands from sun screen and for another the need to share each experience with pEggy (the egg) resulted
in it being smashed against the rocks... by the Head Boy, might I add. And that was after pEggy had survived a
brutal kidnapping the night before.
But the eggs were just an ice-breaker, we had been thrown into groups
with some people we had never talked to before, and let’s just say that
was a bit nerve-wracking. We Year 13’s are just so big and scary we even
terrify ourselves, but our wee eggs got us through this. We started out
awkward but within a few hours we had become semi-comfortable and
within a few days we were full of inside jokes and were sad that we would
have to part ways. There were so many shining moments. Ms Malcolm’s
dressage routine, belly-flopping into Sylvia Falls, the Head Boys getting a
plate of cream in their faces... and ears, belting out ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’,
the obsession with ‘Uptown Funk’, the late-night gossip sessions and of
course when Lydiard absolutely proved they were the best house in the
inter-house competition and skits (perhaps it was the luck of the Irish).
The list could go on and on and on and on and on. But the moment that
really tied us all together was the final morning on the high ropes.
Whether it was the vertical obstacle course, the tight rope or the leap of faith, the entire group teamed together to help each other overcome fears and to get through it. There were many methods ranging from gentle
coaxing to hurling abuse, but in the end everybody reached the top, walked the length or jumped off the pole.
We had become one large support group, creating, re-establishing and strengthening friendships.
A unanimous comment made by the entire group was “I hope that we all don’t go back to how we were before,
where we didn’t acknowledge each other in the hallways.” And I don’t think it has, or it will.
At the beginning all the teachers were raving about it.
About how Miss Bailey and Ms McDonald had timed
their holidays around it. How Ms Malcolm and Mrs
Howard’s highlight of the year was this camp. Mr Cotter wandering around and reiterating it. And I think
at the beginning we were all thinking “uh huh yeah
sure... it’ll be good... but highlight of the year... seriously” but I know by the end we were all saying the
exact same thing - “could we have another one?” So
thank you to all the teachers who organised this for us,
thank you to everyone who made the camp amazing
and let’s make the final year the best yet.
Mary Hurley
PTA News
Sports Day
The PTA funded ‘House Gazebo’s’ stood out at on Sports Day and provided much needed shelter for the students and staff.
The new uniform looks smart and the feedback is positive, especially from the junior students. Please ensure
that all student garments are named or tagged so that if misplaced it can be prompting returned to the rightful
owner.
2015 Dates to remember…
Our next PTA meeting will be held on Monday 23 March 2015 (please note change of date) upstairs in the
school staffroom.
A ‘Twilight’ Second-hand Uniform Sale
This will be held on Friday 27 March from 5.00pm to 7.30pm at McLaren House (115 East Belt, behind the
Uniform Shop).
This is a great chance to purchase pre-loved or new (old supplier) uniform. Huge stock of new fleeces, kilts,
dresses and jerseys. We are selling at extremely good discounted prices.
PTA AGM
The Rangiora High School PTA AGM will be held upstairs in the school staffroom on Tuesday 21 April. Supper
provided. All new members welcome.
Second-hand uniform urgently needed, especially socks (which we can’t sell but would give out to those in need
and black leather shoes), boys’ shorts, both junior and senior. We would also greatly appreciate blue winter or
the black winter jackets. Please remember we can only sell on your behalf uniform in excellent condition and
repair and can only accept skirts and kilts which have been dry-cleaned.
The Wales Street entrance now has new seating and planting courtesy of the Blue Plant Group. Funds kindly
donated by the Rangiora High School PTA.
Su Jeffcott
PTA Chairperson
Music - Monday Lunchtime Concert Series
Each Monday lunchtime, students
from the Music Department are
organizing a concert series which
will culminate in a concert in the
Hall on the final Monday of the
term.
Audiences has been very supportive of our musicians, and the
numbers attending each week
continue to grow.
This initiative is intended to allow
students to gain experience in
performing in front of an audience
in a supportive environment.
Feedback to date has been very
positive.
Volleyball SISS Tournament Shots
Year 12 Physics Field trip to University of Canterbury
On Thursday 12 February two Year 12 Physics classes went on a field trip to the University of Canterbury.
At the University we reinforced what we learnt in the
classroom about the different models of the atom and
the life and work of Ernest Rutherford. We also learned
about the levels of radioactivity our bodies are exposed
to everyday and in different parts of the world different
levels of radiation.
We also did a practical experiment involving measuring
different amounts of radiation given off by different
materials.
I learnt that a radioactive element ‘decays’ our skin will
stop most radioactivity and that gamma rays have no
mass and can penetrate biological material.
I also learnt about how Rutherford measured the alpha particles with a Geiger counter, that holding uranium
is safe. And I learnt that if you ingest polonium it’s 6 billion times more toxic than cyanide.
The best part was holding the stick of uranium.
Charlotte Western 12RGF
At the University we learnt many different things that Rutherford had previously discovered, such as the gold
foil experiment and learn about different people’s views of the model of the atom. We were calculating the
radiation in several places including around Tokyo after the Fukushima disaster. We also learnt the half-life of
2 radioactive substances.
I learnt how half-life is determined, that Rutherford was the first person to split the nucleus of an atom, how
Rutherford used alpha particles and gold foil to find that the nucleus contains most of the matter of an atom.
I also learnt that the unit radiation for an absorbed dose is measured in Sieverts. That the graph on the $100
note shows the half-life of Radon. That carrots absorb Beta radiation better than gamma rays. The best part
was getting liquid nitrogen poured over my hand.
Cameron James 12HWH
Softball
Jakzon Quinn represented Canterbury U15 boys at the South Island Champs at Blenheim over the weekend.
He was named Top Pitcher of the tournament and also came away with Most Valuable Player of the tournament! Eight teams competed and Jakzon pitched in the final against Marlborough and finished overall winners!
Watch this space – a talented young man.
Year 10 Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccination in Canterbury Schools
Year 10 girls at this school are being offered a free vaccine to help protect them against HPV infection. The HPV
virus can lead to genital warts, cervical cancer and other cancers later in life. In most cases, three doses of HPV
vaccine can prevent infection with the virus.
The HPV vaccination programme was first introduced in New Zealand for girls and young women in 2008. This
school programme is part of a Canterbury-wide initiative to protect young women from HPV disease.
HPV vaccination requires three injections to be given over a six month period. If your daughter has not received
HPV vaccination before she can receive the complete course at school this year, or if your daughter has received
any HPV vaccinations in the past she can also complete the course at school.
If you have a girl in Year 10 she will have received information and a consent form. Please read and complete
the form and return it to school as soon as possible. The form is required to be returned regardless of whether
the girls is having the vaccine or not, or is having the vaccine at her Doctor’s general practice.
For more information about Human Papillomavirus, HPV vaccination or the New Zealand HPV Vaccination Programme you can:
•
Visit the Ministry of Health website: www.health.govt.nz/hpv
•
Contact your school’s nurse or public health nurse
•
Visit www.immune.org.nz or free phone 0800 IMMUNE
•
Talk to your public health nurse or your doctor or practice nurse
SAID - Student Achievement Interview Day
This event runs on Thursday 19 March from 10.00am to 8.00pm.
An interim report will be e-mailed home on Friday 13 March. A chance to meet with your son/daughters
teachers with regard to this and all other matters relating to their school life occurs on SAID.
You will be able to book a series of 10 minute interviews with staff on this day via this website.
www.parentinterviews.co.nz
You will receive a code to enable you to access the booking process
There is no formal instruction for students on this day. Students come to school in uniform with their parents/
caregivers to the interviews to discuss their progress.
Teachers will be in their teaching rooms on that day. Heads of House, Deans, Deputy Principals, and Guidance
Counsellors will be in their offices.
When you have made bookings you will receive information re the location of the teachers you have booked
and a school map (which you can print off).
This is a very important day for you and your son/daughter.
We hope that you take this opportunity to meet with your child’s teachers.
Basketball
Congratulations to Charlotte Whittaker of 10HVV
who was recently accepted into the NZ Under 16
Women’s Basketball team to play in Tasmania in
July. Charlotte has also been invited to trial for the
U17 NZ team or the Oceania Champs which is a
qualifier for the Basketball World Cup
Orienteering
In January Connor Cleary of 12HWH headed to
Tasmania to represent New Zealand in the biannual
Oceania championships and the Secondary Schools’
test series. Connor cleaned up in the Men’s 16 age
group in Oceania events, winning the sprint, middle
and long individual titles as well as being a member
of the winning relay team. Second place in the Secondary School Individual test and first place as part
of the Junior Boys’ team topped off his medal haul.
SPORTS’ DAY SNAPS
SPORTS’ DAY SNAPS
South Island JAMA Archery
Cricket
Caimin Sue-Tang was away at the South Island
JAMA Archery Tournament in Dunedin over the
weekend. He won a Gold in the men’s 55m compound and a Silver in the combined compound.
Rangiora High School Year Nine Cricket Academy:
A group of enthusiastic cricketers are practicing
down at the Mainpower cricket grounds each
Tuesday after school from 3.30-5p.m. Support
from the school’s staff as well as coaching support
from Canterbury Country Cricket has made this
initiative a reality.
Congratulations, Caimin.
Review of Junior Graduation
You may be aware that we
are reviewing our processes
and procedures around the
current Junior Graduation
Certificate. There will be a
slight change this year to
the name - Rangiora High
School Junior Certificate.
We are looking to align the aims of this more
closely with the school’s ‘Lighthouse Values’.
We will be seeking your thoughts around this during Term 2.
If you have any questions, please contact :
Lesley Elms - Junior Academic Dean
el@rangiorahigh.school.nz
Alison Cleary - Deputy Principal
cl@rangiorahigh.school.nz
Uniform Shop
OPENING HOURS: Until the end of Term 1
Mondays
8.00am - 10.00am
Tuesdays
1.20pm - 2.20pm
Wednesdays
1.20pm - 2.20pm
Thursdays
3.00pm - 5.00pm
Sat 7-28 March
9.30am - 11.30am
Contact : (03) 3139267
The shop is located at 115 East Belt, Rangiora
(next door to the school).
Important Dates
19 March
2 April
3 April 20 April
27 April
1 May
SAID Day
Last Day of Term 1
Good Friday
First Day of Term 2
ANZAC Day (Public Holiday)
Mufti Day
The 1st XI has had a great start to the year. In week
two the team had a Gillette Cup T20 qualifying
tournament at Dudley Park which featured four
Canterbury Country teams. Rangiora High School
played Ellesmere College in the first game and
batted first. Austin Hamilton and Travel Tuapata
scored 50 each in a great partnership to steer the
team to a big total. Ellesmere had one very good
batsman however that wasn’t enough and we won
by 12. The final was then against Darfield who had
beaten Lincoln in the other game. We batted first
once again and another 50 to Austin Hamilton set
a big target for Darfield. We took regular wickets
and Darfield finished 30 short. It was a great day
out for our youthful team.
The team then travelled
to Westport to play
Buller High School who
were the West Coast/
Buller group winner.
RHS batted first. Openers Nick Harrison and
George Blyth made
30’s, Austin Hamilton
58 and Travel Tuapata
high scored with 61.
The team posted 266.
In reply Buller made
106. Top wicket taker
was George Prain who
took 5-25.
The next step in the Gillette cup is a game against
the winner of Riccarton High School v Mid/South
Canterbury team. This will mean a trip to Riccarton or further south.
Best wishes for the remainder of the season.