Celebrating Excellence in Sport RGHS Senior A Basketball Team

Secondary Schools Senior Girls Premier Tip Off Champions

RGHS Junior A Basketball Team Secondary Schools Junior Girls Tip Off Champions

Introducing our 2015 Deputy Head Girl … Hello, for those of you who don’t already know me, my name is Victoria Thompson and I have the privilege of being your Deputy Head Girl for 2015. I am very lucky to have the opportunity to work alongside Montana Mareroa and the other members of our leadership team. During my time in this position, I aim to promote a connected culture of excellence throughout the school. I want you girls to achieve highly, not only academically but through your sporting and cultural abilities also. During my time so far at Girls High, I have seen myself grow, not only as an individual, but as a member of society, I want all of you girls to experience the same growth I have in the hopes that you will all become strong leaders in the global environment. I hope to become a face of support and encouragement for the girls in our school and embrace our schools – respect, resilience, integrity and empathy. This year I aim to not only help you girls achieve your highest potential, but to achieve my own alongside you. When I leave Girls High I want to be a leader who will be remembered , not only for her leadership but for her strength, kindness and resiliency, just like many of the girls before me. I am looking forward to be prosperous year at Girls High as I take on this leadership position

Across the Principal’s Desk

Date: Thursday 2 April 2015 Ka nui te mihi ki a koutou katoa

Dear Parents/Caregivers

As we complete a very busy Term 1, it is always a good time to reflect on what we have achieved, what went well and what improvements we can make heading into Term 2 and beyond. It has been an important time in the development of relationships and connections. The more firmly connected we are the greater the success of our girls. As parents, you should be proud of all the successes of your daughter no matter how small it is - whether it is giving their very best efforts to a Social Studies assignment, learning a new musical instrument, reading a large novel or giving a sport they have never tried before their very best. All these successes are part of their educational journey which builds on all of these so that they are resilient, confident and capable leaders for our future. Although we have much to celebrate outside the classroom, the core business of education is teaching and learning and certainly, what happens in the classroom is paramount to the educational outcomes of your daughter. Last week we held our Academic Planning interviews for all students. This is an opportunity for parents and students to give and receive feedback and feed forward in preparation for your daughter’s learning journey this year. The feedback was generally quite positive from our parents whom attended, but bottom line, many of you never took the advantage of coming in to meet with your daughters’ whanau teachers. We encourage you to continue to work with us to support your daughter’s learning. As I write this last newsletter for the term, I am mindful of golfing legend Gary Player’s famous response to the question why are you so lucky? Allegedly, Player’s memorable response was the harder I practise, the luckier I get! So why are some students more luckier or more successful than others? Successful students . . . Have educational goals They write down their dreams and then call them their goals. They work out what they need to achieve to get to where they are going and what it will take. They make their goals clear and they make them public.

They have goals for the day, for the week, for the term and the year. Successful students don’t worry about grades; they just concentrate on always doing better than before. Are responsible and active Successful students accept responsibility for their own education, and are active participants in it. They actively listen, think, question. They know that asking questions is the fastest way to get the skills and knowledge they need and they ask whoever can help them. Fail They know that it is OK to make mistakes. They know that it is OK to fail. They know that the failures will make them stronger. They know that it’s not OK to avoid doing something because you think you might make a mistake or fail. They understand Theodore Roosevelt’s famous words: ‘Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure... than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.’ Successful students …… Read early, read late, read often Focus Our top scholars know that they have to concentrate in order to understand. They have mastered the art of focusing on what is important and excluding the rest. They sit where there are the least distractions, but maximum engagement. They sit apart from their friends when they need to and alongside them when it helps their learning. They know that there is a time to worry about what to wear in the weekend, but class time is not it. Talk about what they’re learning Successful students know that if you really want to understand something, then put it into words and explain it to someone else – even if that someone is yourself. Talking about something with other students is brilliant for checking your understanding, committing something to memory, and it also helps them. You really don’t ‘know’ something until you can put it into words. Understand that actions affect learning Successful students know that if you act in a certain way, you will become that way. Act like you’re interested, and you’ll become interested. They do not try to act ‘cool’, but are true to themselves and their own values and goals. They have prioritised their education and got themselves organised They have learned that time control is life control and have consciously chosen to be in control of their life. They know that they need to make the main thing the main thing. They have a calendar and a routine. They make lists and they prioritise the tasks to be done. They study when they study and play when it’s playtime. They have salient determinacy – which is just a flash way of saying that successful students have the ability to work out what is important and what is not – in life and in their study. Because of this ability they know that the most important skills and knowledge to be learnt are nearly always those which are going to be assessed in the assignment or test.

Understand that the teacher is on their side Successful students listen to the teacher. They do all the teacher asks of them. They exceed their teacher’s expectations. Successful students know that their teacher is their closest and best resource and that all they have to do is ask. They understand that the teacher is the best team mate they have when it comes to the game of education. Work hard They know that you don’t have to be a genius to be a successful student. You have to work smart. You have to work hard. Work both smart and hard and you will do brilliantly well. Successful students understand that clever people weren’t born clever—they got that way over time with effort. They have figured out that you need to be committed and willing to do whatever it takes. They know that anything worth doing is difficult before it becomes easy and they just have to persevere. Know that some things just have to be learned by rote Successful students work out what are the essential facts and they learn them. They learn them so well that they can recall them as soon as they are needed. They know this takes time and effort but it is essential. Successful students …… Write, write and write some more Thank you to those parents/caregivers who did attend our academic planning interviews and who did take the time to give us feedback about our strategic direction and who also completed the online survey. Your thoughts and ongoing feedback are always appreciated.

Keep an ear out to the radio over the holidays and next term for some new Rotorua Girls High School ads. Head Girl Montana Maraeroa and Deputy Head Girl Victoria Thompson went into the studio at NZME

Radio during the last week of Term 1 and had fun voicing some ads for the school.

The girls recorded the ads with the help of radio host Paul Hickey. The ads will feature on Flava, Coast and ZM.

The Rotorua Girls High School Graduate Profile provides the theme for our Strategic Plan. It places a Rotorua Girls High School emphasis on the “Key Competencies” outlined in the New Zealand Curriculum. The aim of the Rotorua Girls High School curriculum programme is to develop learners who gain excellent results in national qualifications and examinations and who develop and display the attributes stated in this profile during their time at Rotorua Girls High School and in the rest of their lives. When the New Zealand Curriculum was updated, Key Competencies were introduced. Managing self is a competency related to self-motivation, a “can-do” attitude, and with students seeing themselves as capable learners. It is integral to self-assessment. The curriculum document sees students who manage self as enterprising, resourceful, reliable, and resilient. They know when to lead, when to follow, and when and how to act independently. BYOD phones and laptop devices We will be reviewing our whole school BYOD [Bring your own device] procedures and expectations in Term 2. As a school we need to both educate our students on the correct use of devices and ensure that the use of the device is to enable greater engagement and connectedness to the global opportunities. We intend to get students and their parents to sign both a cybersafety agreement and BYOD contract so that they are aware of the procedure, should they not use the device correctly.

Netsafe defines cyberbullying as the use of the internet or other devices like mobile phones, cameras or

game consoles to do any of the following:

Send anonymous texts or picture messages to a mobile phone

Post nasty or threatening comments on the victim’s social networking profile on popular websites like Bebo and Facebook

Hack existing website accounts or create fake profiles for people they want to intimidate or embarrass

Circulate photos or videos of people they are targeting – these can be real images or digitally altered to cause offence or embarrass the victim

Scare or embarrass their victims and victims may feel upset or ashamed

Spread rumours or try to isolate others using this new technology.

As a school we have been grappling with the issue of cyberbullying and keeping our students safe on their digital devices. The Deans spend a lot of time resolving issues that stem from comments posted on social media sites like Facebook. Parents have an important role to play as the majority of the misuse of technology and social media sites occurs outside the school. Schools become involved when the issue impacts on teaching and learning or escalates in the school grounds. Anonymous sites such as AskFM, allow people, under cover of anonymity, to engage in behaviour they would probably never engage in if they were face to face with their victim. Students that visit these sites start seeing this cruel and antisocial behaviour as ‘normal’. They then start participating in this behaviour and it inevitably starts to define who they are. They become what they practice. In this digital age, as parents we need to be part of our child’s online world. We need to discuss with them the sites they are visiting and any problems they may be experiencing. If we start this early enough, they will more than likely accept this as a normal part of parenting.

Most of all, we need to be in a position where we can quickly shut down their account on any site that is causing trouble or contains inappropriate content. We continue to ask for your support with your daughter and cybersafety and keeping your daughter safe Please be aware of the BYOD/Cybersafety information that will be coming home next term. Workload and outside commitments Many of our Year 11-13 students have been busy meeting assignment and internal standard deadlines. As parents, please be conscious of this and support your daughter, particularly around their time management, sleeping, exercise and eating habits. Recent studies have shown that students who work outside of school doing up to 10 hours a week, tend to maximise their time on school work; however once they go over this number of hours then they are putting their school achievements in jeopardy. As parents, please be conscious of this and ensure that your daughter has the best environment to achieve to their full potential.

Staff Farewells Jan Anderson Jan started at Rotorua Girls High School in July 1991 and has been a valuable employee for 23 and a half years. Jan has been loved and respected by staff, students and parents over the years. Jan has always gone the extra mile for everyone. Jan will be missed by all and we wish her the very best for her retirement. Gaelyn Parnell At the end of this term we say farewell to Gaelyn Parnell who is leaving us to take up other opportunities. Gaelyn has been teaching at RGHS for eight years and will be missed. We wish her and her family all the best for the future. Ensure that you enjoy the Easter Holiday break with your daughter, and that she gets the chance to have time away from school to recharge so that she is ready to start Term 2 on Monday 20 April, with energy, enthusiasm and determination for the new term ahead. Ngā manaakitanga Ally Gibbons – Principal

Attendance Our PB4L values provide a context in which our young women can prepare themselves to be leaders in the global environment. It is exciting and it is transformational but our young women must be prepared to step up and ‘ka hikitia’ and to do this requires a baseline commitment to being at school. Attendance is a determining factor. Achievement without attendance is not possible. As this term draws to a close, we acknowledge the young women who have understood the connection between attendance and achievement – ngā mihi kōtiro mā! 90% - 100% is an achievement. If you are not in this echelon then the next two weeks are an opportunity to restrategise. It is possible! But you will need to prioritise and do your best to take care of yourself as we approach the Winter period. There are of course circumstances that will cause absences from school but do what you can to be here. Please remember that if your daughter/mokopuna/niece is absent please contact the school (07 348 0156) and leave a message for Tina Sutherland - Attendance Liaison (ext 234). In all cases of absence, a note is required on their return to school. There are a number of people who will help if you need it; The school phone number is 07 348 0156 The whanau teacher (give name to the receptionist) Year 9 Dean Whaea Kaiwai (ext 224) Year 10 Dean Whaea Rana Motu (ext 292) Year 11 Dean Mrs Michelle James (ext 222) Year 12 Dean Mrs Helen Baldwin (ext 223) Year 13 Dean Mrs Marcy Stunnell (ext 221) Deputy Principal – Year 9 and 11 – Whaea Aramoana (ext 205) Deputy Principal – Year 10 and 13 – Mrs Raewyn Krammer (ext 206) Kia kaha tonu tātou katoa! Board of Trustees The Board of Trustees continues to provide governance oversight of the school. Each year the Board elects a Chair, a Deputy Chair and a Resource Committee Chair. Chris Nairn, Di Donnelly and Scott Thompson were all re-elected unopposed to their respective roles. There have been some changes to the composition of the Board. Sharleen Easthope-Harper and Riria McDonald have been appointed as Parent Trustees Representatives replacing Kathy O’Donnell and Kevin Bird. The voting for election for the Student Representative closed at noon today and the result will published in the next bulletin.

The following letter was received this week from the Hon Hekia Parata, Minister of Education congratulating our school on our improvement in NCEA Achievement over the last two years. We thank our dedicated staff for their commitment and hard work and celebrate the academic successes of our students.

NCEA Information Year 11-13 students have received their hard copy of the NCEA Assessment Procedures booklet. This booklet outlines important items that include what a student must do if they miss an NCEA assessment due to medical reasons or exceptional circumstances. Parents need to be aware of this information as well. The Term Two NCEA Year 11-13 Assessment calendar will be published. The subjects listed in the assessment calendar are coded in accordance with student timetables. The NCEA Assessment Procedures booklet and the Assessment calendar are available by visiting the school website (www.rghs.school.nz) and selecting the Learning and NCEA Information links.

NZQA Fees These fees are collected at the school’s accounts office on behalf of NZQA, they are for all internal and external credits. The last day for paying the fee at the school’s accounts office is Friday, 4 September 2015. Candidates who fail to pay the fee by this date will have to pay the fee directly to NZQA before 1 December 2015. If paid after this date a $50.00 late fee will be charged. NZQA charge an extra $50 for any late payment. They will also withhold student’s results until the fees are paid in full. This could cause problems for any student wishing to gain entry to courses, polytechnics or university in 2016. You are most welcome to make weekly or fortnightly payments so that by the time the fees are due in August your daughter’s qualification fees are paid. If you are interested in doing this, please contact the accounts office. Fees for Domestic Candidates:

Enrolment Fee

Any number of NQF standards and up to 3 scholarship subjects

$76.70 per candidate

Scholarship entries are now an additional cost as they are not included with your NCEA fee.

$30.00 per paper

Fees for International Fee Paying Candidates:

Enrolment Fee

Any number of NQF subjects $383.30 per candidate

Scholarship subjects (additional to NQF fees) $102.20 per subject

Financial Assistance To be eligible for financial assistance the applicant (normally the parent or guardian of the candidate) must be the fee payer and meet at least one of the following critiera:

- Be receiving a Work and Income or Study Link Benefit (Benefit-Based Applications) - Have a joint family income that would entitle the applicant to receive a Community Services Card

(Income-Based Applications) - Have more than one child undertaking these qualifications in the same year, irrespective of income

and the total fees to pay are higher than $200 (Multiple Candidate Applications)

Application forms for Financial Assistance are available from the school office. If you qualify for Financial Assistance please fill in the application form and hand it in at the school’s account office with the fee of $20.00 per individual or $30.00 maximum per family by Friday, 4 August 2015.

Eligible for beneficiary or income-based assistance

Not Eligible for beneficiary or income-based assistance

One child who is a candidate

$20.00 Full fees ($76.70 for NZQF)

More than one child who is a

candidate

A maximum of $30 per family Where fees are payable for more than one candidate, a maximum

of $100.00 per child and $200.00 per fee payer

NB – International Fee Paying students are not eligible for financial assistance For any further assistance or any queries please contact Mrs Raewyn Krammer (Principal’s Nominee NZQA).

External Examination Timetable The external examination timetable can be viewed on the NZQA Website nzqa.govt.nz./Information /Students/Examination timetable Alternatively you can go directly to the page by typing in http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/qualications-standards/qualifications/ncea/ncea-exams-and-portfolios/external/national-secondary-examinations-timetable/

Course Endorsement

When a student gains 14 or more credits at Excellence in a course in a single year, she will be awarded an Excellence Endorsement in that course. When a student gains 14 or more credits of a mix of Merit and Excellence levels, she will be awarded a Merit Endorsement. At least 3 of the credits that contribute to course endorsement must be from externally assessed standards and 3 from internally assessed standards. Note PE, L3 Visual Arts are exempt from this condition).

Certificate Endorsement Students studying for NCEA Levels 1, 2 and 3 certificates will be able to achieve these qualifications with Merit or Excellence endorsements 1. Merit endorsement = 50 credits at Merit (or Excellence) at the same level or higher 2. Excellence endorsement = 50 credits at Excellence at the same level or higher 3. Credits can be accumulated over more than one year for the purposes of certificate endorsement 4. In any one year a learner will be awarded an endorsed certificate only at the highest level of

endorsement recognised that year except when a learner has achieved two or three NCEA qualifications in a single year

School Contact Mrs Raewyn Krammer is the Principal’s Nominee (NZQA Liaison) at the school. You can contact her by:

Email rkrammer@rghs.school.nz

Phone 07 348 0156 ext 206

Mail: Mrs R Krammer Principal’s Nominee P O Box 518 Rotorua 3040

Guidance/Pastoral News from the Deans. Teenage years bring a greater shift in independence. Sometimes this can manifest in teenagers delivering selective messages to home, either unintentionally or otherwise requiring greater skill on the part of you, the adult to check the full story. Sometimes, we are prodded into action on their behalf. On most occasions it is best to play it cool, not rush to take over and smooth away the problem for her, rather help her understand the situation and ask her how she intends to solve the dilemma. The interesting challenge for us all is to recognise the unintended learning that occurs in our everyday encounters I know you would not like your daughter to learn that whenever she has a problem, she knows you will rescue her from it or solve it for her. We need to encourage independence as a skill as we only have five years and your daughter will be off to the destination of her choice before too long. To assist our thinking about student behaviour, there appears to be two responsibilities that we would encourage your daughter to think about:

I am responsible for my actions in everything I do – how they affect me and other people, and

I am responsible for my response to other people’s actions What does that mean? Simply, we need to ask students to take responsibility for themselves, their property, respect others and think before they speak. Communication between home and school is important. Please refer to our website www.rghs.school.nz. It is easy to navigate, informative and a great opportunity to keep in touch with what is happening at Rotorua Girls High school. Our Rotorua Girls High School App is also an important resource for helping our students to manage themselves (Daily Notices) and the alerts strengthen communication between school and home. As a school we need to keep the students’ academic progress and achievement as a high priority and we will continue to have high expectations that all students are focused, well prepared and positively engaged in their learning pathways for 2015 We also expect them to be well dressed, polite, courteous and prepared for learning. When our students wear our uniform, they are a walking advertisement for the school. School pride is something that must come from within, rather than being told. How can you help at home? Expecting your daughter to attend school fully, be proud to be a Rotorua Girls High School student and wear the correct uniform, always aiming for excellence in the classroom, ensuring they are getting involved in the co-curricular activities of the school, but also allowing them to be who they are. School has changed from when you and I went to school and we, as parents, must learn to

understand their world. Ask them regularly how their day went, have a look in their books or simply …. ask … “what did you learn today?” If they say “nothing” every day for a week, then we have a problem - don’t hesitate to contact their whanau teacher, subject teacher or the Year Level Dean to discuss further. Your support in enabling this to happen at home will always be appreciated as well as your involvement in your daughter’s education.

Celebrating Academic Excellence Congratulations also to Angel Porteous who gained an Excellence Endorsement in the 2014 Level 1 NCEA Examinations with 55 Excellences. Our sincere apologies for being missed off the recipient list .

On Wednesday, 18 March 2015, an Academic Assembly was held to congratulate all students who received a 2014 NCEA Merit Endorsement. Congratulations to the following recipients:

Level No Merits Endorsement

Jayde Unuwai 1 45 Excellences, 38 Merits Merit

Shayla Ram 1 41 Excellences, 48 Merits Merit

Waiharakeke Ruha-Hiraka 1 41 Excellences, 31 Merits Merit

Te Aroha Hemi 1 34 Excellences, 29 Merits Merit

Grier Keach 1 33 Excellences, 50 Merits Merit

Grace Wilson 1 32 Excellences, 33 Merits Merit

Katie Stevenson 1 30 Excellences, 51 Merits Merit

Stacee Maki 1 29 Excellences, 47 Merits Merit

Anushka Janssen 1 27 Excellences, 39 Merits Merit

Jordan Andrews 1 27 Excellences, 37 Merits Merit

Emily Cooper 1 25 Excellences, 50 Merits Merit

Emily Foggin 1 25 Excellences, 43 Merits Merit

Soranan Wantoom 1 23 Excellences, 55 Merits Merit

Courtney Hodge 1 22 Excellences, 49 Merits Merit

Te Rima Walker 1 21 Excellences, 44 Merits Merit

Zali Tukapua 1 21 Excellences, 38 Merits Merit

Jesni Kumari 1 20 Excellences, 35 Merits Merit

Tiara Winsor-Ngamata 1 20 Excellences, 42 Merits Merit

Shivani Singh 1 19 Excellences, 48 Merits Merit

Chetique Paul 1 19 Excellences, 35 Merits Merit

Michaela Cairns 1 16 Excellences, 44 Merits Merit

Patrice Te Aho 1 16 Excellences, 35 Merits Merit

Laura Castle-Mann 1 15 Excellences, 42 Merits Merit

Sally Haslam 1 14 Excellences, 59 Merits Merit

Ashleigh Nairn 1 12 Excellences, 50 Merits Merit

Vicky Rogers 1 11 Excellences, 50 Merits Merit

Xianar Pike 1 9 Excellences, 56 Merits Merit

Rilee Rehu 1 8 Excellences, 45 Merits Merit

Sydney Murray 1 7 Excellences, 53 Merits Merit

Rerehau Raponi 1 7 Excellences, 50 Merits Merit

Ada Te Kaawa 1 4 Excellences, 58 Merits Merit

Jesse-Mae Waititi-Wilson 1 4 Excellences, 47 Merits Merit

Tiana Tait 1 3 Excellences, 48 Merits Merit

Anjeeya Patni 1 52 Merits Merit

Anna-Marie Conroy 1 50 Merits Merit

Imogen Wara 2 43 Excellences, 45 Merits Merit

Hannah Thompson 2 36 Excellences, 42 Merits Merit

Rachel Thompson 2 35 Excellences, 20 Merits Merit

Bayley Howard 2 32 Excellences, 21 Merits Merit

Kanwarpreet Kahlon 2 30 Excellences, 33 Merits Merit

Clelland Harper 2 26 Excellences, 36 Merits Merit

Georgia Moberly 2 24 Excellences, 55 Merits Merit

Claudia Walsh 2 23 Excellences, 38 Merits Merit

Cheyenne Church 2 23 Excellences, 31 Merits Merit

Carla Owen 2 22 Excellences, 71 Merits Merit

Nicole Haack 2 21 Excellences, 43 Merits Merit

Amber Prouse-Morris 2 20 Excellences, 46 Merits Merit

Ada Te Kaawa 2 20 Excellences, 30 Merits Merit

Grace Bassett 2 19 Excellences, 36 Merits Merit

Rerewa Meha 2 19 Excellences, 32 Merits Merit

Anjeeya Patni 2 18 Excellences, 58 Merits Merit

Kerenapu Winiata-Katting 2 18 Excellences, 40 Merits Merit

Jaedyn Robinson 2 17 Excellences, 43 Merits Merit

Monique Megha-Dahya 2 17 Excellences, 41 Merits Merit

Chantelle Osborne-Galvin 2 16 Excellences, 35 Merits Merit

Shayna Mitchell-Winsor 2 16 Excellences, 34 Merits Merit

Alvaretta Rakuraku-Foster 2 16 Excellences, 34 Merits Merit

Fionnuala Wright 2 9 Excellences, 48 Merits Merit

Ema Mason 2 6 Excellences, 48 Merits Merit

Ashleigh Nathan 2 5 Excellences, 64 Merits Merit

Mercedes Neems 2 5 Excellences, 55 Merits Merit

Celebrating Excellence in Sport

On Wednesday, 1 April 2015, an Assembly to Celebrate Excellence in Sport was held to congratulate all students who achieved excellent results in sporting activities during Term 1. Congratulations to the following recipients:

Name Whanau Achievement

Maakarini Nelson TNG 2nd Division 2 Senior Girls Doubles BOP Tennis

Grace Wilson TBR 2nd Division 2 Senior Girls Doubles BOP Tennis

Rilee Rehu MTL

3rd Division 2 Senior Girls Doubles BOP Tennis

Awatea Leach TNG 3rd Division 2 Senior Girls Doubles BOP Tennis

Kirsty Lickfold MKC 2015 Senior Athletics Champion 2015 Senior Swimming Champion 2nd 800m Mid Island Athletics 3rd North Island Rowing

Ana Nagera TAP 2105 Intermediate Swimming Champion 2 X Gold, 1x Silver, 2x Bronze in Central North Island Swimming Championships Also qualified to compete in NZ Age Group Champs in May

Leah Foster TDN 2105 Junior Swimming Champion

Marina Tahana-Beazley MHL 2015 Intermediate Athletics Champion; New School Records Intermediate Discus and Intermediate Javelin; 2nd Mid-Islands Athletics Intermediate Shot Put

Allanah Tapara TNG 2105 Junior Athletics Champion

Claudia Walsh WVR 3rd BOP Bowls Singles

Norma-Jean Eynon TBM 3rd BOP Bowls pairs

Caylee Hackney MHG 3rd BOP Bowls pairs

Kirsty Lickfold MKC 3rd North Island Rowing Regatta

Emily Cooper MHG 3rd North Island Rowing Regatta

Champions Assembly On Thursday, 2 April 2015, a Principal’s Champions Assembly was held to congratulate all students who have achieved the highest ranking in their sporting field during this first term. Congratulations to the following recipients:

Name Whanau Blurb

Marina Tahana-Beazley MHL Outstanding Sporting Effort - Mid-Islands Athletics Record Girls Intermediate Javelin ; 1st Mid-Islands Athletics Intermediate Discus

Ana Nagera TAP Outstanding Sporting Effort - Central North Island Swimming Championships - Gold 50m Breaststroke, Gold 100m Breaststroke

Tayla Earle WTR Outstanding Sporting Effort - Mid Island Athletics 1st Intermediate Girls 100m, 1st Intermediate girls Long Jump

Allanah Tapara TNG Outstanding Sporting Effort - Mid-Island Athletics 1st Junior Girls 100m

Jayde Hannah WVR Outstanding Sporting Effort - Mid Island Athletics Junior Girls Relay 4 X 100m WINNERS

Melissa Pinder MJN Outstanding Sporting Effort - Mid Island Athletics Junior Girls Relay 4 X 100m WINNERS

Allanah Tapara TNG Outstanding Sporting Effort - Mid Island Athletics Junior Girls Relay 4 X 100m WINNERS

Siobahn Taute-Collier TNG Outstanding Sporting Effort - Mid Island Athletics Junior Girls Relay 4 X 100m WINNERS

Danielle Owen WMW Outstanding Sporting Effort - BOP Secondary Schools Lawn Bowls Championships. 1st Singles

Carla Owen TMO Outstanding Sporting Effort – Captain of the BOP Secondary Schools Lawn Bowls Top School Award; 2nd BOP Lawn Bowls Championships

Claudia Thomas WVR Outstanding Sporting Effort - Won overall High Points Series in NZ Horse of the year. Teamed with her brother Tristan, 1st NZ Open 90cm

Ebony Warren

MFN

Captain and Member of Junior A Basketball Team who are Champions of the RBA Tip-off Tournament Junior Girls

Te Ao Leach WTR Member of Junior A Basketball Team who are Champions of the RBA Tip-off Tournament Junior Girls

Siobahn Taute-Collier TNG Member of Junior A Basketball Team who are Champions of the RBA Tip-off Tournament Junior Girls

Kahlia Keil MTL Member of Junior A Basketball Team who are Champions of the RBA Tip-off Tournament Junior Girls

Te Oriwa Collier TNG Member of Junior A Basketball Team who are Champions of the RBA Tip-off Tournament Junior Girls

Dejah Motu WAL Member of Junior A Basketball Team who are Champions of the RBA Tip-off Tournament Junior Girls

Rhianna Smith WRR Member of Junior A Basketball Team who are Champions of the RBA Tip-off Tournament Junior Girls

Jazmyn-Rose Raukawa TMO Member of Junior A Basketball Team who are Champions of the RBA Tip-off Tournament Junior Girls

Ana Nagera TAP Member of Junior A Basketball Team who are Champions of the RBA Tip-off Tournament Junior Girls

Rilee Rehu MTL Captain and Member of the Senior A Basketball Team who are Champions of the RBA Tip-off Tournament Senior Girls

Terima Walker MFN Member of the Senior A Basketball Team who are Champions of the RBA Tip-off Tournament Senior Girls

Awatea Leach TNG Member of the Senior A Basketball Team who are Champions of the RBA Tip-off Tournament Senior Girls

Pareunuora Pene MTL Member of the Senior A Basketball Team who are Champions of the RBA Tip-off Tournament Senior Girls

Oriwia Rauwhero WTR Member of the Senior A Basketball Team who are Champions of the RBA Tip-off Tournament Senior Girls

Teemarangi Daniela TDN Member of the Senior A Basketball Team who are Champions of the RBA Tip-off Tournament Senior Girls

Paraakiri Higgins MTL Member of the Senior A Basketball Team who are Champions of the RBA Tip-off Tournament Senior Girls

Erina Himona MFN Member of the Senior A Basketball Team who are Champions of the RBA Tip-off Tournament Senior Girls

Te Au Waaka MHZ Member of the Senior A Basketball Team who are Champions of the RBA Tip-off Tournament Senior Girls

Nadia Elers MHT Member of the Senior A Basketball Team who are Champions of the RBA Tip-off Tournament Senior Girls

Creative and Performance Dance

“Great dancers are not great because of their technique, they are great because of their passion” ― Martha Graham

Junior and senior dance classes have been full on this term, with the focus of learning been on developing strength, flexibility, confidence, performance skills and choreographing dance. The junior students have recently completed their creative group dance choreography assessment that was reconstructed based upon the story of Te Aokapurangi, reflecting the strategic vision of our school. Working collaboratively in groups to choreograph and retell this story through creative and imaginative movement, was described to me as often challenging, however fun and extremely rewarding. Over 85% of these girls have received excellence credits towards their junior diploma and should be very proud of their efforts.

ASB Stage Challenge 2015 – ‘Inspired by Change’ Stage Challenge 2015 is well underway with the guidance of the production team - Nathalie Macfarlane, Clelland Harper, Georgia Moberley, Grace Bassett, Amber Prouse-Morris, Florence Ogilive, Carla Owen, Paige Fladgkar, Airi Takahashi, Ishanne Illangasinghe, Jayden Robinson and Ada Te Kaawa. This year’s performance is titled ‘Inspired by Change – Mana Wahine,’ looking at various deceased women leaders from New Zealand who had a significant impact on society at the time of their existence. The production team, along with Mrs Haley Hodge have been working very hard to choreograph dance routines and design the set and costumes for this year’s production. You are all doing such a fantastic job! Next term after school and weekend practices will start in week 3, these exact dates and times will be sent out in a newsletter early next term. Schools in Rotorua have been scheduled to take the stage on either the 8th or 9th of June, we will know the exact date we will perform closer to the time, and information about this will be sent out.

Faculty News English Term Two is a busy term for the Faculty with the build up to mid year exams. Make sure you are attending all tutorials offered for your classes. Drama Two teams competed in the SGCNZ UOSWSF 2015 Shakespeare for Schools Regional Festival on Saturday 28th of March. It was a fantastic event, showcasing some great talent from our local high schools. Congratulations to the Love's Labour's Lost team for placing second in the 5 minute scene category, the King Lear team for winning Best Ensemble and Sasha Zhukova for winning Best Under 16 Female Actor. The following students participated in the competition: Danielle Coot, Eden Large, Angel Heta-Ngahuru, Sasha Zhukova, Mallory Walsh, Chloe Nicholls, Alvaretta Foster, Isobel Cook, Paige Fladkjar, Carla Owen, Claudia Walsh, Angel Porteous, Anushka Janssen, Ariana Bailey, Leah Stephenson, Jordan Andrews, Carla Owen, Elsie Spiers, Wednesday Rongo and Leah Foster. Well done to all of you.

We were lucky enough to have NZ Playhouse come and perform Oscar Wilde's most famous play The Importance of Being Earnest, to all our senior English students. In this shortened version, the play had been ramped up, furnished with puppetry, added songs, references to Ibooks, Twitter and yet maintained the essence of sparkling Victorian humour that Wilde was famous for. The students thoroughly enjoyed the show and many are still humming "cucumber sandwiches". Humanities Term 1 has flown by so quickly. Here in the Humanities Faculty we are passionate about providing our students with great topics to study. Year 9 students have been learning about Ancient Civilisations. Here they have been looking in-depth at Ancient Egypt and Rome. They are currently working on their project which includes designing an ancient site of significance. Year 10 students have been studying Human Rights around the world. Nazi Germany and Australians are just two of the many case studies we have been researching. Currently our Year 10 girls are producing an Inquiry in to a group that has had its Human Rights violated. As well both Year groups will be sitting and End of Unit test. Keep working hard ladies, you are all working well. Our Senior students who take Classical Studies, Geography, Sociology, Tourism and History are all also well in to their courses of study. There are currently many internal assessments and assignments underway and we would encourage your daughter/s to check their course booklets to ensure they meet the required deadlines on time. It is important that all students study during the break whether it be revising notes or working on a current assignment. Right: 13 Classical Studies student Jaedyn Robinson displays her recreation of a Greek Theatre Mask The following girls have achieved at excellence level within our Faculty subjects. We congratulate them on their efforts and hope that they continue to strive: Zoe Allison, Jimmee Brass, Ebony Church, Sophie Jansonius, Keighly Jones, Deninise Lorilla, Te Waiarangi Manley-Merito, Billie-Jo Mareroa, Mairaatea Mohi, Ashley Muncaster, Chelsea Pita, Kirsten Purdie. We wish you all a happy and safe Easter break and look forward to seeing you next Term.

Geography and Tourism The Year 13 Tourism class has been able to hear from several guest speakers this year which has been invaluable in giving girls real world experience in future career possibilities and a chance to hear about the Tourism industry in our city. A big thank you to Oscar Nathan, GM of Destination Rotorua, Mary Tolley, Marketing Manager at Agroventures, and Nicki Dent, Sales and Marketing at Canopy Tours who have been in so far. We also have several more speakers booked for the coming term and look forward to them giving up their time to inspire our girls. 13 Tourism has also been able to get out and about to experience some of Rotorua's tourism industry so far this year. We've been spoken to by operators at Rainbow Springs and Skyline Skyrides and had a chance to be a tourism in our own city. As well as site famils to YHA Backpackers, Novotel and Ibis Hotels where girls were able to see behind the scenes at a range of accommodation providers. A big thank you to Haylee Bloor from YHA and Ashanti Neems from Accor Hotels for these opportunities. The 13 Geography class will soon be studying the planning process and impacts of the Crankworx event held in Rotorua for the first time this year. Tak Mutu from Crankworx and Mountain Bike Rotorua kindly came and spoke to this class about the months of planning and the huge social and economic impacts this massive event will bring. The class was then able to go and visit the site at Skyline Skyrides to see the scale of the event and visualize where everything will be placed. We look forward to visiting Crankworx during the event and hearing of the impacts soon after. Physical Education / Health / Dance / Music The Physical Education Faculty has been busy with a variety of EOTC activities to help students with their assessments. The Year 12 PE class completed a High Ropes course at Adrenaline Forest as part of Achievement Standard 2.7 - Analyse the application of risk management strategies to a challenging outdoor activity. For Achievement Standard 1.3 – Demonstrate Quality Movement in a Physical Activity, the year 11 PE class has taken their learning of Ki-o-Rahi outside of the classroom and have also been participating in a weekly Te Araway Ki-o-rahi challenge on Monday evenings. We thank Maylene Meroiti who has been working with these students as part of her role as co-ordinator for the Ira Matatau Active Citizenship group. Students have enjoyed their participation in this traditional Maori game and have made closer ties with each other and the Rotorua Community. The Year 13 Health class has welcomed numerous guest speakers to help with their understanding on a New Zealand Health Issue on Teen Pregnancy – we have been out to visit the School For Young Parents, as well as had Marleina and Ariana from the Youth Services Team to talk about the Youth Parent Payment, Nanny Monchie from Whakarewarewa to give a cultural context and Kath More from Te Whare Awhina Kaupapa, the Rotorua Teen Parent Home. Students are now working on writing up their report. Can we remind all parents of year 9 and year 10 students, that by now, everyone should be wearing the navy blue top and shorts. During winter months, these can be substituted for track pants and a poly pro under their tops. Students who do not have PE gear 2 times or more during the term will be placed on a lunchtime detentions. If you have any concerns about your daughters PE class or uniform, please contact the HOF – ckatu@rghs.school.nz

- Carolyn Katu – Head of Faculty

Year 9 Ngā Mahi a Rēhia classes In week 8 of this term, Whāea Laurelle, Whāea Aramoana, Whāea Kaiwai and myself had the pleasure of taking our Year 9 Ngā Mahi a Rēhia classes to the unique Marae in Whakarewarewa village. The programme involved our girls tour around the village, watching their corn being cooked in the ngawha and then eating it (te reka hoki!), learning about the history of the village and their famous guided tours, seeing the Tangata Whenua perform and showcase their talented haka and poi skills, swimming in the beautiful native blue pool, learning Te Reo Māori and waiata. Above all, the students were able to see and experience what it’s like to be on a Marae, working together as a team to look after our marae and follow the tikanga and kawa that has been passed down through many generations from our tupuna. Every student that attended said they loved staying in the wharenui, meeting the Tangata Whenua, touring around the ngawha and spending time with their friends. In this time they were also prepared for their first assessment, kōrero a waha (speech) about “who am I”. Learning about the importance of where they came from and who their whānau are. Ki ngā kaitiaki, ki te tangata whenua, tēnā koutou i ā koutou manaakitanga mai i mātou, ā, ki ngā ringawera hoki. He mihi maioha ki a koutou. Whāea Rana.

Science Students have had a busy term especially in the last few weeks with end of topic tests for junior classes and internal assessments for Senior students. Most of these internals involve collecting information and data over a period of time so time management and organisation is so very important. Congratulations to the students who worked to their best efforts and achieved to a high level – keep the work going through the study break! Students also had guest speakers present their career/occupations and highlight how important science was at school and the pathways to their present jobs. Many thanks to Futureintech for providing the opportunity to the students. Some Year 11 students participated in an on-line quiz based on Neurological science called the Brain Bee – results will arrive next term. Other up-coming competitions are - ICAS competition which will be held in June: Australian Chemistry Quiz in August and all students are encouraged to think about projects for the Science Fair.

Health Council The Health Council are a group of students who are concerned with raising the health and wellbeing of people in the different communities we belong to – in our school, local community, nationally and internationally. This is a very good opportunity for students wanting to get involved in community activities. Currently, our Health council team consists of – Chantelle Cobby, Grace Wilson, Seona Healey-Forde, Rebecca Duff, Eden Staunton, Yunus Asby, Rose Smith, Jimmee Brass, Leah Foster and Paraakiri Higgins. We are currently underway organizing our first event, which is the 40 hour famine. The famine will be held in the weekend after Week 5 of Term 2 – 22nd -24th May. Money raised will go towards helping the 8 million children in Bangladesh who are malnourished. All students doing the famine can collect a booklet from Mrs Katu and should make the most of the holidays by seeking sponsors and pledges/donations from whanau and friends during the holidays. Remember, that the famine does not necessarily mean giving up food, it can also mean giving up technology etc for 40 hours. Doing the Famine will also count towards your FCEA/JCEA for year 9’s and 10’s as well as the “offering to serve” section of our PB4L goals.

- Carolyn Katu

Sports News Lawn Bowls We had an excellent turn out for the RGHS Lawn Bowls team this year. Lynmore East Bowling Club offered their facilities to help coach students throughout the term. We took a group of 17 students to compete in the Bay of Plenty Secondary Schools Competition a couple of weeks ago in Tauranga with tough competition. It was a fantastic day and the students were able to show off their impressive new skills. Rotorua Girls High School won the overall top school at the event, bringing home the team trophy. Congratulations girls, a great team effort. Danielle Owen – 1st Girls Singles Carla Owen – 2nd Girls Singles

Claudia Walsh – 3rd Girls Singles Norma-Jean Eynon & Caylee Hackney – 3rd Girls Pairs

Leading nutritionist Ben Warren reveals simple changes to get healthy and happy at fundraising seminar for Rotorua Girls High School. Ben Warren, one of New Zealand's leading nutrition and holistic health experts, is coming to Rotorua on Thursday, April 9 to hold a much anticipated seminar on how to live a happy and healthy life in the modern world. Warren has teamed up with Rotorua Girls High School to educate locals about good nutrition and simple healthy lifestyle choices. All ticket sale proceeds will be donated to Rotorua Girls High School to help students compete at various sports events. Warren will be speaking from 7pm in the school's Performing Arts Centre (PAC) on Thursday April 9. Founder of the Be Pure revolution which has transformed thousands of people’s health, weight and energy levels, Ben Warren is currently touring New Zealand. Holding nutritional seminars across the country, Warren is aiming to raise awareness and encourage people to start looking at what they’re eating and their current lifestyle choices. “Spreading this message is what gets me up in the morning. Educating adults, children and communities about quick, simple food and lifestyle habits that can completely transform their health and in turn, their ability to enjoy life at its fullest. Being able to help the girls from Rotorua Girls High School to compete in their nationals is the most wonderful gift and we are hoping to get a big crowd to support them and learn more about what eating and feeling great really looks like,” Ben says. “It’s not as hard as people might think, you don’t have to go vegan or eat sprouts to be eating well, there are just a few basic principles we need to go by, the problem is, is that a huge chunk of New Zealander’s don’t know what they are,” he says. The 41-year-old originates from Bath, England. At aged 20 Ben was an elite golfer and received a scholarship to play golf and study at the University of South Carolina. After graduating with double honours in Experimental Psychology Ben pursued his passion of golf, unfortunately a back injury ended his playing career and for 2 years Ben was a professional golf coach. It was in the pursuit of excellence in golf that Ben discovered optimal joint mechanics and began studying to become a certified golf bio-mechanic. The more that Ben learned about the body and the shared nerve innovation between muscles and organs, the more Ben’s interest swung to organ function and nutrition. During the next 3 years Ben studied Nutrition extensively through the Chek Institute in California, a health and exercise institute. Over 35,000 people have attended Ben Warren’s inspiring and educational seminars and his dynamic and unique approach to health and energy has been featured on 60 Minutes, TVNZ’s Good Morning and in a TedX Talk in 2014. During his seminar Ben will reveal:

· What foods you really should be eating to maintain vibrant energy, health and vitality · How to eat right for your unique genetics, so you can look and feel your best · Two of the most common everyday foods that are making New Zealanders tired, unhealthy

and overweight · The surprising truth about what is really causing modern diseases and the best ways for you to

prevent them

Tickets are $10 and can be purchased from bepure.co.nz or call Rotorua Girls High School sports co-

ordinator Meegan Edwards, ph 021 973 715. There will be door sales on the night.

Important Dates To Diary 20 April Term 3 begins 21 April 5.15pm BOT Monthly Meeting 23 April School Junior Badminton Champs 24 April BOP Swimming Champs 25 April ANZAC Day – 5.45am Dawn Parade, 7.30am Breakfast, 9am Civic Service 27 April ANZAC Day – Public Holiday Observed 28 April School Squash Champs 1 May BOP Gymnastics Champs 4 May CACTUS Programme begins; BOP Junior Badminton Champs 5 May School Cross Country Champs 8 May Tramp and Tumbling Champs; Bulletin #4 online

Please note

This is the only hard copy of our school bulletin which will be posted home. If you have registered on our school app, you will be notified when the bulletin is online.

Future bulletins can be accessed on our website www.rghs.school.nz

Friday, 8 May Friday, 5 June

Friday, 3 July Friday, 31 July

Friday, 14 August Friday, 25 September

Friday, 23 October Friday, 6 November

Thursday, 10 December

Mrs Tui McCaull, Careers Advisor; Mrs Abigail Hartevelt, Careers Administrator Ms Tania Gracie, Gateway Co-ordinator Direct Dial: 348 0156 extn 243

Are you keen to help your daughter develop some career awareness and set some goals for her future?

What are her strengths?

What is she interested?

What does she enjoy?

Where does she see herself in the future?

What is important to her? Is it helping people? Working with animals? Indoor or outdoor work?

Would she prefer working with people, ideas or things?

Information is readily available as you explore what’s next.

Tertiary and industry websites, friends, family and teachers are

all here to help. A really good website to find out about a wide

range of careers is www.careers.govt.nz. A really good book is

“What Colour is Your Parachute” by Richard Bolles, available

from Rotorua Public Library.

University representatives have started visiting Girls High in the past three weeks. Students interested in going on to

University or Polytechnic are encouraged to attend these visits, in order to start familiarising themselves with courses,

entry prerequisites, and what the universities have to offer. Year 13 students are encouraged to have regular vists to

the Careers Zone Room – off the library to keep up to date on information received about various career options,

Tertiary institutions, Scholarships and Training providers will be found here.

IMPORTANT DATES COMING UP:

28th

April Wintec Visit, 10.40am Sal House 12-13

th May Rotorua Careers Expo

All year 11-13 students will attend 14

th May Victoria University Visit 10.40am

Library 22

nd May Waikato University Open Day

Hamilton 29

th May Wintec ‘Huge Day Out’ Open Day

Wanting Help making decisions about

your career pathway?

Go online to the Rotorua Girls High School website and

check out our careers section. We have a whole raft of

information and online tools to help you make your

choice about what career might suit you best.

http://www.rghs.school.nz/careers/

CAREERS ZONE IS OPEN

The careers zone room is now available for students to

access. You will find it next to the library in F Block. Any

information that the school receives about all tertiary

institutions is found here. It is open at intervals and

lunchtimes. Any concerns or ideas about what you want in

there – come and see us in the careers room.

$$$ SCHOLARSHIPS These are available for a wide range of degrees and courses. Eligibility is determined through a range of criteria, e.g. academic achievement, cultural involvement, sporting achievement, leadership qualities, special circumstances and hardship. Go to the Rotorua Girls High School website and click on to the CAREERS tab to find a range of information that we have compiled in regards to applying for scholarships Being involved in community service is advantageous when applying for scholarships – for example being involved with Key Club, Interact, St Johns, Red Cross, SPCA, Greenpeace, Forest and Bird or similar voluntary organisations..

“I am what I am today, because of the choices I

made yesterday” Stephen Covey

Gateway Program 2015

Gateway has had a busy first term with lots of

interest shown from students and the introduction

this year of the Gateway Class for the first time.

We have 30 students waiting for hospital

placements, all of whom are working towards

medical careers. Each year the local hospital

supports all our high schools, Waiariki students, and

others from the Taupo area. Many of the students

will get the chance to shadow a doctor or nurse,

spend time at Radioghraphy, and the Med Lab.

RGHS is very grateful for the huge effort Rotorua

Lakes Hospital puts into organising these placements

for our students.

ONE CHANCE YOUTH PROJECT: for 2015 is the One

Chance ANZAC Kite Festival. This event is being

organised by 7 RGHS, and 2 RHHS students as part of

a 12 week leadership and planning program run by

the Rotorua Youth Centre under the leadership of

Alan Solomon.

Supportive Business’ RGHS would like to thank local

business’ that have supported our students with

their placements so far this term.

Rotorua Lakes Hospital, Rotorua Lakes Council, The

Warehouse, Rydges Hotel, TV Rotorua, Millenium

Hotel, Zipps Cafe, Valentines, Copperhead Hair &

Beauty, Glenholme School, & Kusabs Lasike Ltd

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