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Tel: (64) 3 3897199 Email: [email protected] Website: www.avonside.school.nz
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Issue 6 September 2017
A Celebration of the Arts
Our annual Arts Week was held recently. This exciting week is organized by the Arts Council and involves a wide
variety of fun, creative and energizing activities and competitions. This year’s goal was to encourage all students to try
out the myriad of arts activities available at Avonside Girls’ High School. The ‘Flower Power’ theme was a huge hit and
we spent the week showcasing all the talent on offer here at school.
The Chalk Art competition on Monday was a huge hit. Students filled the technology courtyard with colour as they put
their drawing skills to the test. Along with the ‘Flower Power’ colouring competition, students were really encouraged to
test their creative limits this week. We were lucky the good weather meant the art was able to be on display for several
days. Tuesday’s No Lights, No Lycra Dance Party is an Avonside tradition. In the dark, even the least confident person
can groove away comfortably. Kahoot quizzes tested the girls’ knowledge of music including the musical hits their
parents may have been more familiar with! Friday lunchtime, the melodic tunes of Shirley Boys’ High School band
Fuzhan filled our grounds making a relaxing end to the week.
Of course, the ultimate event in Arts Week is always Arts Evening. This year the performances truly reached new
heights and the talents of our girls were firmly on display. Our combined Shirley Boys’ and Avonside Girls’ Kapa Haka
group showed their strength and mana. We had dance performances, short dramatic pieces, musical performances
and an encore performance from Grease.
Hopefully this fantastic week has encouraged even more girls to take up the amazing opportunities offered for Arts at
Avonside Girls’ High School.
Tel: (64) 3 3897199 Email: [email protected] Website: www.avonside.school.nz
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Tena Koutou
Mā te huruhuru ka rere te manu
Adorn the bird with feathers so it may fly
This whakatauki sits at the conclusion of John
Parson’s recently published book, Keeping Your
Children Safe Online, A Guide for New Zealand
Parents, which is widely available in book stores.
The whakatauki has wide application but in this
instance, John uses it to allude to our collective
responsibility to empower our young people with the
knowledge that they need to flourish in the world. He
says that we must teach them “ultimately how to
integrate good values and decency into all aspects of
their lives, including when they connect with any form
of digital communication technology”.
His premise very much is that all young people need
teachers in the classroom and teachers in the home
and that collectively we share the responsibility to
teach, model and reinforce our values, so that young
people can successfully apply them in all aspects of
their lives (including online interactions).
On Friday 22 September, John Parsons took a one
hour session with each year level of students and
then in the afternoon worked with staff. All found his
presentations informative and thought-provoking.
Technology is a reality for us all, and is a great
enabler of communication, socialisation and
connection. He does not advocate avoiding
technology, as it is a powerful tool that enables young
people to engage with the world in ways that were
unthinkable for previous generations.
However, it is vital that we support our young people
to engage with technology, and the world,
appropriately. Our school values of respect, integrity,
self-discipline and contribution all can be applied to
the digital world as much as to the physical world,
and we must not only have the same expectations of
values-driven behaviour in both those spaces, but
convey those expectations clearly to our young
people, both in words and in our modelling of those
expectations.
For parents and caregivers who are looking for
guidance in supporting their daughters’ safe online
presence, I recommend getting a copy of this book
with its many practical suggestions. Next year we
hope to offer a parent workshop with John so that
there is the opportunity for you to engage with him on
this topic.
A very busy term three draws to a close and a
welcome break awaits students and staff. I
acknowledge the hard work of students and staff as
we have navigated our way through the term. It has
been wonderful to see so much talent on display and
all will feel in need of a change of pace, and the
opportunity to prepare for the new term.
Ngā mihi
S E Hume
Principal
FROM THE PRINCIPAL
HOLIDAY HOURS
MAIN OFFICE OPEN ON:
Thursday 5 October
Friday 6 October
Thursday 12 October
Friday 13 October
From 10.00am—2.00pm
Second hand uniform sales
Enrolment forms for 2018
Tel: (64) 3 3897199 Email: [email protected] Website: www.avonside.school.nz
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WELLBEING WELLBEING
Perfectionism: The Curse of the Good Girl
In the book The Curse of the Good Girl, Rachel Simmons argues that girls are pressured to embrace a version of
selfhood that sharply curtails their power and potential. Unerringly nice, polite, modest, and selfless, the Good Girl is
an identity so narrowly defined that it’s unachievable. When girls fail to live up to these empty expectations—
experiencing conflicts with peers, making mistakes in the classroom or on the playing field—they become paralyzed
by self-criticism, stunting the growth of vital skills and habits.
At school, one of the ways in which we see this is through girls who constantly aim to be perfect. Sometimes these
girls fall into the trap of not trying something because of the risk of failure.
Girls who experience this need for perfectionism commonly demonstrate these behaviours:
A tendency to become highly anxious, angry or upset about making mistakes
Chronic procrastination and difficulty completing tasks
Easily frustrated and gives up easily
Chronic fear of embarrassment or humiliation
Overly cautious and thorough in tasks (for example, spending 3 hours on homework that should take 20
minutes)
Frequent catastrophic reactions or meltdowns when things don’t go perfectly or as expected
Refusal to try new things and risk making mistakes
All of these behaviours limit the risk taking that is so necessary to learning, academic success and creativity.
Some suggestions on how to help:
Educate your daughter about perfectionism. Help her understand that perfectionism makes us overly critical of
ourselves and others. This may make us unhappy and anxious about trying new things. Perfectionism makes it
difficult to finish tasks, and can be frustrating for everyone in the family!
Teach positive statements. Perfectionistic children and teenagers often have rigid “black-and-white” thinking.
Things are either right or wrong, good or bad, perfect or a failure. Help your child see the grey areas in between.
Encourage your daughter to replace self-critical or perfectionistic thoughts with more positive, helpful
statements. Even if she doesn’t believe these statements right away, enough repetition will turn positive
thoughts into a habit, and help crowd-out the negative self-talk. Some examples of positive statements:
“Nobody’s perfect!” “All I can do is my best” “Believing in myself -- even when I’m making mistakes -- will help
me do better!” Suggest writing these statements down somewhere handy (e.g. a post-it note in a pencil case).
Help your daughter gain perspective. Perfectionistic children and teens tend to “catastrophize”. Mistakes or
imperfections are seen as more terrible than they really are. They focus on the possible negative consequences
of failure. In most cases, these feared consequences are unlikely and much more drastic than the reality.
Understandably, catastrophizing increases anxiety and interferes with performance. Talk about famous people
or characters from books or movies that your child admires who made mistakes but still bounced back! For
example, Thomas Edison failed a thousand times before he found the right filament for his light bulb! Famous
basketball player Michael Jordan didn’t make his high school basketball team when he first tried out.
Tel: (64) 3 3897199 Email: [email protected] Website: www.avonside.school.nz
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FROM THE PTA
Officers are as follows:
Rebecca Power Chairperson
Julie-Ann Painter Deputy Chairperson
Jane Forster and Anna Wilson Shared Secretary role
Cell Phone 0274132507 or email: [email protected]
STAFF
Ms Mary-Jeanne Lynch, who has been a
member of our Senior Leadership Team
since 2003, has been appointed as the
new Principal of Marlborough Girls’
College and will take up that position at
the beginning of 2018.
We will miss her very much but know
that she will be an asset at Marlborough
Girls’ College as they undertake development of their co-
located school alongside Marlborough Boys’ College. She
has been a pivotal staff member in progressing our work at
AGHS for our new school. Well done, Ms Lynch. We will
miss you.
Ms Carole Lake has been a member of
our Senior Leadership Team for the past
two years and has been ‘on loan’ from
Kaiapoi High School to free up Ms Lynch
to take on new school development
tasks.
We are delighted that Ms Lake has been
appointed to a permanent position at Riccarton High
School as an Assistant Principal, and wish her well for her
new role which she will take up at the beginning of 2018.
At the beginning of this term we
welcomed Ms Anna White who is our
new Head of Learning Area,
Technology.
Anna brings a wealth of experience
and knowledge to share in the
Technology curriculum particularly Design and Visual
Communication, where she is particularly talented with
computer aided design.
Kaitiaki, Ms Elaina Smith leaves Avonside
Girls’ High School at the end of this term
to go on maternity leave.
We wish Elaina all the very best with the
upcoming birth of her baby and look
forward seeing her back after her
maternity leave.
UNIVERSITY OF OTAGO MATHEMATICS
COMPETITION
Fourteen Avonside students took part in the Junior
Mathematics Competition run by the University of Otago.
This is a challenging problem solving competition that
requires persistence and strong logical thinking.
We are delighted with the results of all the girls and are
especially proud of Sarah Powley (Y9 BCL) who gained a
Merit Certificate and Hilary Bloomer-Law (Y11 CSF) who
gained a Top 200 placing. Following her excellent results,
Sarah was invited to have a go at some of the selection
problems for the NZ Mathematical Olympiad team.
Sarah Powley (Y9) and Hilary Bloomer-Law (Y11)
Tel: (64) 3 3897199 Email: [email protected] Website: www.avonside.school.nz
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BYOD at Avonside Girls’ High School Since the beginning of 2017 students in Year 9 at Avonside Girls' High School have been strongly recommended to
bring an appropriate device to school. A student owned internet capable device is now an important part of a
student's toolkit, giving them instant access to unlimited resources and enabling them to support, extend,
communicate and share their learning in a way that prepares them for the future. Students at other levels of the
school are strongly encouraged to bring their own device to school. This will ensure they are ready to manage further
learning when they move on from Avonside.
The students report:
BYoD helps me to organise my work, and I can do my learning outside of
school hours. It is like having another teacher; My device allows me to learn
in different ways;
A student owned internet capable device can be an important part of a student’s toolkit, giving them instant access to
unlimited resources and enabling them to support, extend, communicate and share their learning in a way that will
prepare them for the future.
In 2018 students in every class from Year 9 to Year 11 will be expected to bring their own device to school.
A suitable device is a Windows machine with at least 4GB RAM and at least 64GB memory. It is best if the device
has an 11” -12” screen which means it is likely to weigh about 1kg; full size laptops are very heavy to carry around all
day.
Here is an advertisement from a local provider for a device which meets our specifications:
A machine with higher specifications (eg more RAM, more memory, touch-screen capability) is likely to have a
higher price tag.
Ms Prestidge (DP) is happy to answer any questions about suitable devices.
Every student at Avonside is able to download and install the Microsoft Office Software Suite (including Word, Excel,
Powerpoint, OneNote etc) for free – AGHS has subscribed to “Microsoft Student Advantage” which provides this.
The advantages of student owned devices include:
Anytime, anywhere access to class resources, support and extension activities through Moodle
The ability to develop “digital” folders and exercise books for their classes (that can’t be lost, and never need
replacing) through MS365 or Google Apps
The ability to develop a portfolio of their learning using MyPortfolio
Anytime, anywhere access to the school library e-books, database and catalogued web resources
Greater ability to communicate with teachers, parents and peers to support their learning through instant
access to their student email
Anytime, anywhere access to unlimited resources and information on the
internet
The ability to draft, redraft and publish their work at the click of a button
Allowing students to become active partners in their learning
Tel: (64) 3 3897199 Email: [email protected] Website: www.avonside.school.nz
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DRAMA
In week nine, there were two
productions of ‘Chook Chook’
by Fiona Farrell.
The first performance a group
of four Y11 students was
directed by Aarleah Ufton-
Tangaroa, and the second
performance a group of four
Y13 students was directed by
Dawn Hopkins.
In week ten there are two Year 13 performances. Firstly,
The ‘Miracle Worker’ by William Gibson and ‘Daughters of
Heaven’ by Michelanne Forster.
All of these performances are assessments for NCEA
credits.
NATIONAL POETRY DAY A competition was run to celebrate National Poetry Day
which was established in 1997. Students were invited to
submit Haiku poems. The judge had a very difficult task
choosing the winners. Below are the results of the
competition.
Junior Section:
1st—Ria Ellin
‘The universe is
endless tunnels of blackness,
an echoing fortress’
2nd—Grace Cater
‘A flick of a brush
creatively colourful
masterpieces made’
3rd—Lillian Hovel-Allomes
‘A solar eclipse
unique cosmic concealment
ruthlessly blinding’
Special mentions: Tasman O’Sullivan, Emily McGifford
and Asuka Iurora.
Senior Section:
1st—Beamy Abrigo
‘I’m a foreigner
language will never hinder
‘cos love is greater’
2nd—Libby Colyer
‘His heart skipped a beat
he kept up hopeful smiles
his flowers in hands!’
3rd—Lexis Blanchet
‘To lay among stars
To swim through the milky way
To be who you wish.’
Special mentions: Melissa Hutchinson, Chloe Breen
and Sola Woodhouse
MUSIC We have had wonderful achievements in Music:
Flora Thompson gaining a place in the New
Zealand Secondary Schools’ Symphony Orchestra.
Hazel Wilson gaining a place in the New Zealand
Secondary Schools’ Brass Band.
Abby and Hazel Wilson playing with the New
Zealand Army Band.
Hannah Hawkins Grade 7 Violin with Distinction.
Mathilde Southwick Grade 7 Flute with Distinction.
Megan Rossiter, Molly Behan, Maddy Teape,
Sarah Powley and Anabel Bramley, all passing
important music exams.
Abby Wilson winning the U17 Solo category at the
Provincial Brass Band Championship.
Hazel Wilson winning the U15 solo category at the
Provincial Brass Band Championship.
The Grease band’s performance accompanying the
school musical was outstanding.
Several students performing with the Christchurch
Youth Orchestra.
Congratulations to everyone.
NCEA TUTORIALS
FREE TO STUDENTS
LearnCOACH is a site https://learncoach.co.nz/ that
students can access free at any time to help NCEA
students succeed in their exams. Currently LearnCOACH
site offers tutorials, old exam questions and answers,
tutorial summaries that can be downloaded, and has the
capacity for students to submit feedback and ask
questions. It is worth a look!
Amy Dyer and Ella Sullivan
‘Miracle Worker’
Tel: (64) 3 3897199 Email: [email protected] Website: www.avonside.school.nz
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CANTAMATHS
Cantamaths was held at Horncastle Arena on 23 August.
The basic procedure for this event was that teams of 4
would elect a ‘runner’ who would collect the questions and
take them back to their team. Together the team would
attempt to solve the problem and the runner would take it
back and forth until the question is correctly answered and
get the next question. In total there are 20 questions, if you
can’t answer a question you can pass, although once this
is done you cannot come back to it.
After a few minutes, waiting for the word, the competition
commenced. Students from all around Christchurch fought
against each other for the title of ‘Competition Winner’.
Overall it was a fun and exhilarating event.
PLUNKET BABYSITTING COURSE
During week 6, approximately 28 Year 10 students
completed a Plunket Babysitting Course. This course runs
annually for Year 10 students who wish to take part. We
are very fortunate to have the support of our fantastic PTA
who kindly fund this course each year.
The students learnt a great deal; first aid, play, general
care of babies and infants and what to do in an
emergency. One participant says “We all found this useful
because we learnt a lot about babies and how to look after
them. One thing I found very helpful was realising how
much care babies actually need, and realising babies are a
lot harder than they actually look”. Each participant has
been awarded a certificate for their Curriculum Vitae.
ENGLISH
CETA presents Michele A’Court working with students to
explore the history and importance of feminism.
On Saturday 16th September the
Canterbury English Teachers’
Association CETA hosted
Michele A’Court and a number of
female secondary students,
including students from
Avonside Girls’ High School. The
purpose of this event was to
allow young women to have a
space to discuss gender issues
that impact on the choices they
have. The morning started with breakfast, which was
cooked by senior students at Linwood College. Michele
then presented a key note speech on the history and
importance of feminism and the morning ended with a
question and answer session.
Michele commented, ‘what a fantastic bunch of young
women, with a so many great questions.’ The students
asked perceptive questions that left the adults in the room
feeling like the future of New Zealand is in great hands .
WEARABLE ARTS—’BACK TO THE FUTURE’
Year 12 Fashion and Design
Technology students displayed
their final garment to whanau,
friends and teachers. Each
student selected their own
decade ranging from the 1960’s
to futuristic, selecting recyclable
materials. The girls started by
exploring design ideas, testing
construction and finally exhibiting
their garment.
This was an enjoyable evening celebrating their hard work.
Tel: (64) 3 3897199 Email: [email protected] Website: www.avonside.school.nz
8
ART EXHIBITION
The Windsor Gallery provided an exciting opportunity for
Year 13 Art students throughout Canterbury to participate
in the inaugural Windsor Gallery Canterbury Year 13 Art
Competition.
The aim of the competition was to give students an
opportunity to exhibit their works in a professional gallery,
giving students exposure to the art world, encouragement
to explore and extend their creativity and develop new
skills as upcoming New Zealand artists.
GALA DAY
On Monday the 25th
September
Avonside Girls’ High School had
their annual Gala Day. The day
was put on by the Health &
Environment Council and had all
the other School councils each
contributing to the day. There
was a sausage sizzle, bungy
races, face painting, henna art,
calligraphy, a mocktail drink station, second hand clothing
for sale, toffee apples, toffee pops, throw a sponge at a
teacher and volleyball, all provided for the entertainment
and fun.
The day was a huge success with all the councils putting
on epic stalls with the day raising $540.70 for Lilian Exton
and Alisha Mill to go to the Halberg Junior Disability
Games in Auckland.
Many thanks to all who participated.
GEOGRAPHY
Our Japanese visitors,
Madoka Kitajima, Chinami
Tsubone and Saya Suzuki
came along on the
Geography 111 research
field trip to Hanmer Springs
on 14-15th September. The
students participated in all
activities and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
As the day fast approached for the Geography 222 field trip
to Craigieburn and the Waimakariri Catchment, on 19-20
September, the weather was not looking favourable.
Vehicles with chains had been booked, a Plan B made for
accommodation if Porters Pass was closed, and
contingencies for flooded rivers were in place. Good
fortune shined upon us and we only needed the last
contingency.
The 26 students threw themselves into data collection at
three places within the Waimakariri Catchment. Their
research aim was to identify different elements of three
sites and explain the fluvial processes responsible for
these variations. The data collection involved slope angles,
sediment size, water velocity etc.
Once everyone had their fill of fresh air and cold water we
headed up the Educational Environmental Centre. Bunk
rooms were allocated, bags unpacked and then the real
work began. Data was shared and processing into tables
and graphs became the order of the afternoon and the
evening.
Mainland Uniforms' 2018 Back to school Layby special is back.….
2018 Back to school season is coming! Mainland Uniforms Layby Special is back! From the 5th September pay 10%
deposit and get 10% discount! Internet banking available! Resizing can be done in January to allow for growing
children!
$10.00 off for any purchase over $100.00 for Primary New Entrants!
Our stores:
Mainland Uniforms @ Wairakei 511 Wairakei Road Ph: 03 360 3037
Mainland Uniforms @ City 189 Peterborough Street Ph: 03 377 6771
Mainland Uniforms @ Ilam 405 Ilam Road Ph: 03 351 7666
Online store is working 24/7, Free delivery nationwide for all orders over $50
If you have any queries about your uniform please give us a ring 03 360 3037 or email [email protected]
Tel: (64) 3 3897199 Email: [email protected] Website: www.avonside.school.nz
9
HOMESTAY OPPORTUNITIES
Our International Department is always looking for new families to host students. The students could be here from 6 weeks to
one year. There many short term students who come for Term1 or Term 3. The payment for hosting is $240.00 per week.
If you would be interested in hosting an International Student please contact our Homestay Manager, Lisa Garrett, by email
[email protected] and she will send you an application form and also answer any questions you may have.
INTERNATIONAL
Our term has been a busy one with the arrival of 13 new
students . We also had a group of 12 Chinese students with us
for a week and they participated in an Innovation and Technology
Summit, as well as spending time in the classroom with our
students.
The International Council arranged the International Assembly, which is a celebration of
the different nationalities within our school. Our Japanese international students spent
many hours practising a dance which they performed at the Assembly. Sophie from
Germany spoke to the school about the differences between New Zealand and German
schools.
Nayu Inatani has a love of dancing and was successful in making the AGHS Hip Hop team. They did so well in the regional
competitions that she will now be competing, with her team, in the National competition next week. Suzu Kano has been
selected to compete in the regional Table Tennis competition during the school holidays and she also received a Gold Award
for the Education Perfect English Championships. She answered enough online questions to place her in the top 2% of
30,000 competitors from around the world. Well done girls, we are very proud!
Miu and Risa led a Dumpling Making lesson in Home Economics, which was a great success. The
class said it was the best practical lesson they had had all year. Our international students
embrace the opportunity to teach our students about their cultures.
Early in the term we organised a quiz night for our host families and their students. It was a fun night for everyone and a great
opportunity for them to get to know each other. We really appreciate the care and kindness our host families show to their
students.
Our Japanese students spent a morning at Waitakiri Primary School to teach the new
entrants, songs, dances and origami. The children loved having them in the classroom and
they didn’t want our students to leave. It was a lovely experience for two of our students who
have host brothers and sisters at Waitakiri Primary.
Tekapo is always a fantastic winter weekend trip. We all wrapped up warm and spent the day ice skating and snow
tubing. Finishing the day in the hot pools watching the stars was perfect.
One of our longstanding events in Term 3 is the Amazing Race. The teams set off with a map and complete tasks and
activities around the city. It is a wonderful team building event for our students and they love the competition between the
teams. Our annual Amazing Race around the city wouldn’t be possible without the help from the Christchurch City Council,
Imagination Station, the Art Gallery, the Canterbury Museum and Avonmore College, and we thank them for their support.
Tel: (64) 3 3897199 Email: [email protected] Website: www.avonside.school.nz
10
MAORI
Tēnā koutou e te whānau,
Anei te pānui e pā ana ki ngā kaupapa māori ki roto i te kura nei.
Kapa Haka:
As most whānau will know, Avonside Girls’ High School joined with Shirley Boys’ High School in Term 1. This was
decided after much thought and discussion regarding our future site sharing. We all want to build our relationship prior
to those changes.
It was decided to meet once a fortnight alternating between each kura. In Term 2 this developed into frequent meetings
due to opportunities to perform together. Hinepou Watson-Te Poono is again teaching and supporting the girls most
ably assisted by Te Rau o Rangi Winterburn, the
Kaiako Maori at SBHS and a Kapa Haka tutor.
It was decided during a hui at Rehua Marae that
we would compete in the regional competition.
More support was gathered for the different
components and a hui was held to gauge support.
There was a fantastic turnout from both schools so
a plan was made for wananga dates, uniforms and
the myriad of aspects needing to be covered. Due
to a wide range of factors, time being a major one,
we will not be competing. It has been a difficult
process for many of the rangatahi and whānau.
The most important aspect is we continue to build
on the reasons be joined, whakawhanaungatanga,
kotahitanga and manaakitanga. I would like to take
this chance to thank all of you who support your daughters to participate in Kapa Haka as it is a great opportunity to
practice te reo and tikanga māori. Ngā mihi also for coming along to watch them and transporting them to and from the
practices.
Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori:
Te Ara Raukura and Manukura groups joined forces to share and highlight te reo for the whole school. The girls paired
up and broadcast a variety of karakia each morning and prior to lunch. Despite it not being perfect, it was certainly a
great idea to reach everyone and highlight this important week and our beautiful language. Games and other activities
were also planned. However, a combination of adverse weather and Arts Week events stymied these.
Kapa Haka joined by SBHS opened the Arts Assembly on the Monday and also opened the Arts Evening held at Shirley
Boys’ High School on the Thursday evening. These were great opportunities for the whole school and whānau to see
how they are developing as a kapa. Well done to all who put in the effort to support this kaupapa.
Dates to highlight:
Whānau Hui for all Te Ara Raukura and Manukura participants and their whanau at Haeata Campus, Wednesday
evening 25 October 6-8pm
Whānau Hui, Staffroom Wednesday 1 November 6-7:30pm
Whānau Hui Staffroom Wednesday 29 November 6-7:30pm
Nau mai haere mai koutou katoa
Tel: (64) 3 3897199 Email: [email protected] Website: www.avonside.school.nz
11
STUDENT NEWS
STEM Boot Camp at Standford University
Kathrine Wiki Arapeta last year was
selected as one of 10 Ngāi Tahu
Taiohi (rangatahi/youth) who
attended a five day science,
technology, engineering and
mathematics (STEM) boot camp at
Standford University in San
Francisco. Kathrine (Y11) this year,
has been selected as a leader of a
STEM group. This is a wonderful
achievement for Kathrine.
Exchange to Japan
Taylah Emmett (Y12 ) has been awarded an
AFS Educational Scholarship
Exchange to Japan, Tokyo in
December 2017. Taylah will stay with a
host family and attend a Japanese
public school, where she will get to
interact and learn about the culture and
the language.
Exchange to Italy
Emma Lingham (Y12) was awarded a
Needs Based Scholarship after entering
an essay. Emma will stay with a host
family and attend a school, where she
will have an opportunity to learn Italian
and their culture.
Dakota Hewison
At the recent Board of Trustees
Student Elections, Dakota Hewison
(Y11) was nominated by students as
the new BOT Student Representative
for one year, commencing September
2017 to August 2018.
Irish Dancing
Congratulations to Tayla
Davison (Y9) who recently
competed in the Christchurch
Society Irish Dancing
Competitions and was placed
4th in a triple age group where
she was the youngest .
Tayla also competed in
Auckland, and gained 3rd place
in her age group and went onto
gain 2nd
place overall, in the
Wellington open competition.
SPORT
Tournament Week
Students were represented at four different tournaments in
the South Island recently in winter sports tournament week.
Netball and hockey were played in Christchurch, basketball
in Dunedin and football in Blenheim. Fortunes were mixed,
but girls participated and played well and staff
accompanying them spoke very positively about their
commitment and teamwork.
Indoor Bowls Player
Nikita Blair has been playing indoor
bowls for around three and a half years.
In that time she has competed in many
competitions and has won on two
occasions, trophies for most improved
player. Nikita has been champion of
champions in 4s, won money for runner
up for pairs and singles. This year, she
travelled to Timaru to play with the Canterbury
development team.
Secondary School Boccia Tournament
Alisha Mill (Y9) and Lilian Exton (Y12 ) competed at the
Secondary School Boccia Tournament held at Cashmere
High School. Each played three games, two heat games
and a final. Alisha was on form winning her heat games
and played in the final for the Consolation Plate event, and
came 1st.
Lilian won her first two games and played in the final. It
was an exciting nail biting close game to the finish with
Lilian coming 2nd. Both girls thoroughly enjoyed the
competition and look forward to next year’s Boccia
tournament.
Ice Hockey in China
Lilly Forbes (Y9) was
selected to play for the
New Zealand Under 18
Juniors Women’s Inline
team to compete in
Nanjing, China. The NZ
team played a very competitive tournament which earned
them a world ranking of 3rd iand a bronze medal.
Fencing
En garde! The Avonside
Gym is often host to
fencing events and on
the 6 September we
hosted the Canterbury
Schools competition.
Our fencing representatives Molly Behan (10), Ria Ellin
(Y10) and Angela Leanda (Y13) competed against schools
from around our region.
Tel: (64) 3 3897199 Email: [email protected] Website: www.avonside.school.nz
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SPORT
Success in Karate
Taylah Emmett (Y12) competed in the Karate New Zealand National Championships and
successfully medalled in all 5 events, winning gold in the 16—17 year female individual kata event,
gold in the 16—17 year female individual kumite event, plus 3 silver medals.
Taylah represented New Zealand in the top team and won a silver medal. In the 16—17 years
female events in kata and kumite, Taylah won gold in both events. Congratulations Taylah on this
wonderful achievement.
Careers Website
We have a new careers website which will soon be linked to the
school’s main website. In the mean time, you can access up to
date information about careers events on
www.avonside.careerwise.nz
where you can sign up to receive careers news to your email.
Wednesday Sport
Can parents please ensure that your daughter is
wearing the school tracksuit correctly and not
wearing a hoody underneath the top, as this is not
permissible.
We suggest wearing a thermal underneath the
tracksuit top.
SPORTS DRAWS These can now be found on the parent portal, under
co-curricular/sports/weekly sport draws.
Chisnallwood 50th Jubillee
October 27 & 28, 2017
Enrol now at
www.chisnallwood.school.nz
Please Note—Sport Fees
All sports fees must be paid before any student
is permitted to participate in further sport for the
school.
Please Note—School Photos
School Sports/Groups Photos can be ordered through the following link:
https://fotographix.shootproof.com/gallery/5106278/
Password - AVGS2017
Tel: (64) 3 3897199 Email: [email protected] Website: www.avonside.school.nz
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NOTICES
Term and Holiday Dates for 2017:
Term 4: Monday 16 October—Wednesday 13 December
Public Holidays: Labour Day—Monday 23 October
Canterbury Anniversary Day -
Friday 17 November
School Emergency Communication
In the event of any emergency which requires
adjustments to hours that the school is open, we will use
a variety of ways to communicate with families.
1. Website
2. Text message
3. Radio broadcast
It is important that parent and caregiver contact
information is accurate and up-to-date. Please contact
the School Office if any contact details have changed.
Lost Property
Lost property will be displayed once a term under the hall
verandah. Anything not named can be taken by anyone
or sold by the office.
We encourage parents to name all clothing and gear.
Student Attendance
It is important for your daughter’s learning that she
arrives on time to school each day.
Please either give her a note or phone the school if she
will not be on time. Please note, the student must sign in
at the office or an absent text will be sent.
A parent/caregiver is required to telephone the school on
389 7199 or email the School Office
[email protected] to report an absence.
Students Leaving Early during
School Hours
If your daughter is required to leave school
during school hours, a written explanation and
signature from a parent/caregiver is to be
provided.
Paying Accounts On-Line
When paying for your daughter’s account on-
line, please ensure you use her name, number
and reason for payment .
For Example: Smith 12345 Archery
UPCOMING EVENTS:
November
6 Senior Prizegiving, 7.30pm Transitional
Cathedral.
8 School examinations begin.
December
11 Year 13 Graduation
13 Junior Prizegiving (am)
Term 4 ends
Term and Holiday Dates
for 2018:
Term 1 Monday 29 January to Friday 13 April
Waitangi Day Tuesday 6 February
Good Friday 30 March
Easter Monday 2 April
Easter Tuesday 3 April
Term 2 Monday 30 April to Friday 6 July
Queen’s Birthday Monday 4 June
Term 3 Monday 23 July to Friday 28 September
Term 4 Monday 15 October to
Friday 14 December 2018
Labour Day Monday 22 October
Show Day Friday 16 November
Tel: (64) 3 3897199 Email: [email protected] Website: www.avonside.school.nz
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Support when Life gets Tough
At times we can feel overwhelmed, stressed and the tough times seem to outnumber the good. We may stop enjoying
the things we used too, lack motivation, feel angry or sad. What is important to know is that these feelings don't last
forever, that there are people who can help and that you are not alone. Below are some links and numbers to check
out.
lowdown.co.nz,www.pw.maori.nz, www.beyondblue.org.au, depression.org.nz, www.sparx.org.nz,
www.mentalhealth.org.nz, www.lifeline.org.nz, www.youthline.co.nz, attitude.org.nz
www.theparentingplace.com
Health Line 0800 611 116 Youth Line 0800 376 633 or text 234
Purapurawhetu (03) 379 8001 Etu Pasifika (03) 365 1002 Parent line 0800 568 856
Dear Principal
‘Expect Trains’
KiwiRail are writing to you to ask for your assistance. As activity on the rail line continues to grow, we would love your
help in spreading our safety message to your school community, especially around the use of rail level crossings.
The rail line has been closed since the November earthquake and we need to make sure people have not become
complacent around the railway. Trains will soon start running again and it is important that everyone ‘expects trains at
any time’.
Your school may not be located next to the rail line but at some point your pupils, their family and friends will no doubt
use a rail crossing in and around where they live.
Our key safety messages are:
Always expect trains from either direction and at any time
If you are in a car, always slow down as you’re approaching a level crossing and be prepared to STOP
Look out for trains, and obey signs and signals
Stay off railway tracks. Only cross the railway at approved railway level crossing points.
With this letter is a photo that can be used on your school website, in newsletters and on your social media networks.
High Schools:
Sharing KiwiRails Facebook video of one of our train drivers talking about the thoughts and feelings they have when
level crossing users aren’t aware of the train. https://www.facebook.com/KiwiRailNewZealand/
Primary Schools:
To learn more about rail safety curriculum resources level 1-4 that are designed for use in English, Maths, Science and
Social Science you can visit: www.education.nzta.govt.nz/resources/primary/rail-safety#
If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Yours sincerely
Gill Evans
Communities Engagement Manager,
KiwiRail,
0212406507
Tel: (64) 3 3897199 Email: [email protected] Website: www.avonside.school.nz
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2017 NCEA Qualifications
Information for students and their parents, whanau or caregivers
How do students become candidates for NCEA or NZ Scholarship?
Avonside Girls’ High School sends entries to NZQA in April from which students automatically become candidates for
NCEA and must follow all of the NCEA Rules and Procedures www.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea-rules. Any courses studied with
Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu or another provider, such as a polytechnic, the school must be advised of so that all
student results can be recorded on the New Zealand Qualifications Framework (NZQF).
How much does it cost?
Fees for domestic students
NCEA entry $76.70 per candidate
Each NZ Scholarship subject $30.00 per subject
Fees for International Fee Paying Students
NCEA entry $383.30 per candidate
Each NZ Scholarship subject $102.20 per subject
Can students get help to pay?
A domestic student can apply for financial assistance if the family cannot afford to pay the fees. To get this help,
parents/caregivers must meet one of the following conditions:
Be receiving a Work and Income or Study Link benefit or have a Community Services Card.
Have joint family income that qualifies for a Community Services Card.
Have two or more children entered as candidates with fees more than $200.
International fee-paying students cannot apply for financial assistance.
What is needed to help sit assessments?
If students have significant learning or physical difficulties they may be able to get help during the year for
assessments. Avonside Girls’ High School should have already talked to you about this and made sure that you have
a report that says what help is required.
If help is required in assessments then Avonside Girls’ or kura must apply to NZQA by 29 September 2017.
Can students change where they sit examinations?
If there is a reason why students cannot sit all their examinations at school, first talk to us. The school must contact
NZQA before 31 July 2017 to talk about any change. There has to be a very good reason after 31 July 2017 for NZQA
to change where the student sit examinations.
How to pay?
Fees are paid to our school or kura. We will be able to tell you when to pay and how much to pay.
Paying fees will enable the student results to be recorded on your Record of Achievement and to receive
any certificates.
Our school will pay all the fees they have collated to NZQA by 13 September 2017, collection of fees can
commence from Term 2 onwards.
If you have not paid the school on time you will have to pay NZQA directly. After 1 December 2017,
NZQA will add a $50.00 late fee.
How do students get help to pay?
To get financial assistance, there is a requirement to complete a Financial Assistance form and give it to
Avonside Girls’ High School. You can obtain this form from the school or the NZQA website at:
www.nzqa.govt.nz/
Tel: (64) 3 3897199 Email: [email protected] Website: www.avonside.school.nz
16
How to gain entrance to a New Zealand university?
University Entrance is the minimum requirement for getting into a New Zealand university. Many
universities and other tertiary providers have further programme entry requirements so students will need to
also check with them.
To gain University Entrance you will need:
NCEA Level 3
Three subjects—at Level 3 or above made up of:
14 credits each, in three approved subjects
Literacy—10 credits at Level 2 or above made up of:
5 credits in reading, 5 credits in writing
Numeracy—10 credits at Level 1 or above
For further information www.nzqa.govt.nz/ue
How are results recorded?
Any credits students achieve will be recorded against the student’s name and National Student Number
(NSN).
Students can log in to see their records at www.nzqa.govt.nz/login. Information on how to do this will be
sent to Avonside Girls’ High School in June.
Results released to universities and polytechnics:
In January 2018, NZQA will send all Level 2, Level 3 and University Entrance results (authorised for
release) to all New Zealand universities and some polytechnics. If students do not want this to happen then
they must tell Avonside Girls’ High School. This helps these institutions to process pre-enrolments.
Students need to check with institutions for limited entry programme requirements.
If students intend to study overseas, contact the institution as early as possible to get information about their
enrolment procedures and deadlines. Australian institutions will contact NZQA directly to obtain student
details.
For more information, contact Avonside Girls’ High School or access www.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea.
Gaining NCEA Level 1, 2 or 3
NCEA Level 1
Students need 80 credits at Level 1 or above.
NCEA Level 2
Students need 80 credits of which 60 need to be at Level 2 or above.
NCEA Level 3
Students need 80 credits of which 60 need to be at Level 3 or above. The other 20 credits need to
be at Level 2 or above.
Literacy and numeracy requirements will be included at each level. You need 10 credits in literacy
and 10 credits in numeracy at Level 1 and above.
If students have any questions about literacy and numeracy, they are to talk to the school or kura.
