30 March 2017

Stratford HigH ScHool: http://www.stratfordhigh.school.nz/Home Vol17 iSSue 3

Stratford High School

NCEA SCHOLARS HONOURED

Stratford HigH ScHool: http://www.stratfordhigh.school.nz/Home Page 2

SCHOOL HISTORY WORN IN STYLEStudents in Te Rangimarie special needs classes have been learning about the history of Stratford High School. Dylan Rangi and Roseanna Garlick tried on some of the old uniforms so they could experience what students wore in days gone by. If you have any items of historical SHS uniform we would gladly accept them for our archives collection.Photo by: Jeanette Bell, teacher showing students Dylan Rangi and Roseanna Garlick

AMESS HOUSE MCALLISTER HOUSE TRIMBLE HOUSE TYRER HOUSE

House LeadersHip TeamsBelow are the photos of the 2017 house leaders.

Dear students, parents and caregivers, Ngā mihi o te wa ki a koe me te whanau.Term 1 has certainly been a busy term and it is hard to believe we are already in week 9 and there are only two weeks until the end of the term. It is important that students do not see this as a time to relax and wind down but the opposite and keep working and ensuring that they keep up to date with all their work and remain focused on their learning and goals they set.

We have had a busy 9 weeks with many in-school and out of school activities taking place, and many of our students taking part in these. Over the weekend, I visited our Relay 4 Life group and would like to pass on my congratulations to the staff and students who represented us at this event. They were a credit to our school.

Thank you to the large number of parents/caregivers who attended our Poutama goal setting day earlier this month. I’m sure you would have found this valuable, and the foundation and goals are now set for the year. The relationship that your son/daughter has with their academic mentor is a very important one in assisting with goal setting and monitoring achievement over the year. Students will meet with their academic mentor every three weeks and there will be key messages that will be delivered at various times, especially for seniors involved in NCEA. Our next round of Poutama interviews with parents and students will be at the end of term 2. We would welcome any feedback on the process undertaken this year as it differs from previous Poutama days.

All students will receive a report during the last two weeks of the term. Seniors will receive a progress report (parent interviews on Thursday 6th April) and year 9s will receive their first graduation report with parent interviews to be held on Monday 10th April. The year 10s will receive their reports at the end of the term with a parent interview evening at the start of term 2. The critical part of this cycle are the report evenings and talking to your child’s teacher about their progress. An important aspect of your attendance at the report evening, is the message that it sends to your children that you and the school are working together to support them. Students should use the reports and interviews to reflect on their learning, and should then review and reset some goals, re-establish routines, and ensure a life and work balance.

In this newsletter I have included two pieces that I found in other school newsletters which were relevant for us as well (important messages about caregivers and bullying). Also included is the school strategic plan which the BOT will be seeking community input on later this year. The school charter can be found on our website and this has more information that relates to our goals and also the targets that were in the last newsletter. If you have any comments on our strategic plan (on page 8) or charter then please let the BOT know, these documents are to be discussed and rationalised each year.

As always if you have any questions, concerns or feedback do not hesitate to get in touch with the school. We are grateful for the support of our parents and our wider community. Thank you. Ngā mihi nui,Philip Keenan, Principal

From THe principaL’s desk

Stratford High School: http://www.stratfordhigh.school.nz/Home Page 3

TEACHER ONLY DAYThis is the first notice that there will be a Teacher Only Day on Monday 1st May which is the first day of Term 2. This means that there will be no school for students until Tuesday 2nd May.

DIY MARAEThe television programme DIY Marae is coming to Whakaahurangi Marae to help create new spaces. They will be working at the marae from Thursday 20th April through to Sunday 23rd April. They are looking for helpers -especially tradesman or general volunteers and anyone who could help out during this time. If you could assist in any way, please phone the marae on 06 765 7014 or Lovey Reed on 027 251-0965.

Stratford High School: http://www.stratfordhigh.school.nz/Home Page 4

READING PLUSOur school is using the Reading Plus program to help your child become a better reader. Reading Plus helps students develop the skills they need to be proficient readers and lifelong learners. Through regular Reading Plus practice, reading will become easier, comprehension will increase, and your child will make meaningful connections between what they are reading and what they are learning. To learn more about Reading Plus, visit www.readingplus.com.Your child can complete Reading Plus assignments outside of school on a computer or tablet that has Internet access. Assignments in each program can be completed in any order, but please remind your student that reading lessons (SeeReader) are the most important assignments. The program will keep track of assignments completed each week as well as your student’s progress toward the overall lesson goals. Weekly assignments reset every Sunday night at 11:59 p.m., so students can work on completing weekly assignments over the weekend. Encourage your student to do additional work in Reading Plus if he or she completes the weekly assignment.Please contact the school if you need help or have any questions.

MATHS BUDDY PROGRAMMERecently, your child’s year 9 maths class has been using the Maths Buddy programme, an on-line teaching and learning programme, to support their Mathematics learning. Your child should have been given their own login and password. The major benefit of Maths Buddy for your child is that there is “Live Tuition for Every Maths Concept” in the NZ curriculum, which means that any student can learn at their own pace by:* rewinding, fast forwarding and repeating the lesson, as

needed* stopping, reflecting, asking questions and absorbing the

content in their own time* being able to revise and catch up on missed work easily,

with the whole of the NZ Mathematics curriculum (years 1–13) available to them

* having access to help anytime, anywhere and on any device at home as well as at school i.e. computer, iPad and other tablets and electronic devices

For you, the benefits include being able to:* have immediate access to the same information about

your child’s progress as the teacher* receive weekly reports on your child’s progress* be fully involved in the Mathematics education and

progress of your child* work closely together with the school and the teacher to

ensure your child’s success.D L Daughtery, HOD Mathematics

NEWSLETTER DISTRIBUTION:We will send a newsletter once a month to you (by email) with additional updates during the month. Paper copies of the newsletter will only be available for those families who do not have email. Newsletters are posted on the school’s website.

SHS FacebookA reminder that SHS has a Facebook page - SHSTaranaki. It is used to update students and whanau on upcoming events and information. This is another avenue in which the school can communicate with families. TSSSA events will be posted along with other events on the school electronic sign.

careers news: marcH 2017Otago Uni On Campus Experience (OCE) 7th to 11th May for Maori students.Applications to be considered for a fully funded scholarship that provides an amazing opportunity for senior Maori students to sample living and learning at the Otago campus. Applications close 06/04/17 and can be downloaded from: otago.ac.nz/prospectivestudents/maori/

LIAISON VISITSThese are information sessions for senior students to attend. Students please sign up on the noticeboard opposite Mrs Gall’s office beforehand and get permission from your teacher first. Parents/caregivers are welcome to attend also. All liaison visits are in the Stratford High School library.Auckland University Liaison visit: Period 1, Friday 7th April.Otago University Liaison visit: Monday, 8th May. Lincoln University Liaison Visit: Period 3, Wed 17th May.

OPEN DAYSDunedin Tertiary Open Days 2017 – University of Otago & Otago Polytechnic – Monday, 8th May.Waikato University Open Day – Friday, 19th May.University of Canterbury Information Evening – Wed, 24th May at the Quality Hotel Plymouth International, cnr Courtenay & Leach Sts, New Plymouth. Go along and find out everything you need to know about life and study at UC – degree info, scholarships, accommodation and much more. Visit www.canterbury.ac.nz/liaison or phone 0800 VARSITY (827 748).WITT OPEN DAY – Friday, 16th & Saturday, 17th June 2017.Massey University Open Days: Palmerston North, Wed, 2nd August. Albany, Sat 12 August. Wellington, Fri 1st September 2017.Victoria University Open Day - Friday, 1st September 2017.Taranaki Careers Expo – Sunday, 13th & Monday, 14th August 2017.AUT Open Day & Auckland University Courses & Careers Day – Sat, 2nd September 2017.Students are welcome to make an appointment with the careers advisor at any time.Viv Milner, Careers Advisor ext 716

Stratford HigH ScHool: http://www.stratfordhigh.school.nz/Home Page 5

The following students received an excellence endorsement. This means that they received 50 or more credits at an excellence level.Level 3: Ashley Kowalewski has been awarded a Level 3 excellence endorsement. Ashley received an excellence endorsement for all 3 NCEA levels.Level 2: Jasmine Baker, Justine Baker and Brittany Barker.Level 1: Christine Bovaird, Jehu Brogden, Caleb Gibbons, Ashley Collings-Hughes, Alice Erickson, Katie Jones, Hannah McCallum, Luke Ratu, Kristy Smith, Dale Stanners, Jackson Taylor, Estella Van Der Lee and Rhiannon Utton.The following students received a merit endorsement. This means they received 50 or more credits at a merit or excellence level.Level 3: Bailey Gavin, Jonathan Linders, Harmoney Moffitt, Caitlin Reardon, Tessa Smith and Dylan Trott.Level 2: Razniem Alluad, Enana-Louise Cash, Holly Dorne, Jessica Jones, Riley MacKintosh-Tairaki, Dylan Moore, Jessica Potroz, Olivia Slater and Jake Vincent.Level 1: Kaitlin Best, Finn Booker, Bailee Drummond, Lachlan Drummond, Kate-Lyn Edser, Joshua Gavin, Janika Hey, Tori-ann Harper, Joel Heine, William Hughes, Nicole Jeanson, Aidan Kelsen, Veronica Lacerna, Ethan Martin, Tamera Matene, Saphire O’Dea, Gian Padrutt, Taylah Playle, Emma Rarere,

Portia Richmond, Sarah Roberts, Samara Ryan-Harrop, Courtney Sanderson, Storm Savage, Gabrielle Scherrer, Joshua Smart, Alyssa Smith, Morgan Trott and Kyla Urbano.Wayne Smith, Deputy Principal

TET SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED

The school has been advised that 11 of our graduating class of 2016 received scholarships from the 2016 TET Tertiary Scholarship Fund. The students are: Matthew Anderson, Tamsin Burt, Lesley Campbell, Bailey Gavin, Ashley Kowalewski, Jonathan Linders, Tessa Smith, Jade Stewart, Matthew Sulzberger. Dylan Trott and Renee Vincent. Congratulations to these students and we wish them all the best for their studies this year.

UNIVERSITY GRADUATES 2017

Waikato University has advised the school that the following ex- students have graduated:Gina Robertson (1981) Post Grad Diploma Management, Vaughan Harrop (1991) BA, Barbara O’Keeffe (1992) BTch Primary, Katie Fergus (2006) BTch Primary, Rebecca Prestidge (2010) Cert University Preparation and Rebekah Frost (2012) BScience. Congratulations to these students. We wish them all the best for their future.

STUDENT COUNCIL 2017At a recent assembly the 2017 student council was named. Chairperson Estella Van Der Lee has as the Secretary; Tyla van den Beuken and Treasurer Luke Ratu. The council is made up of members from each house and the junior year levels. They are as follows:Amess House: Hannah McCallum, Kate Lyn Edser, Kristy Smith, Tamara Matene, Portia Richmond, Morgan Trott.McAllister House: Jessica Jones, Teigan Parker, Alice Erickson, Nicole Jeanson, Emma Rarere, Aiden Kelsen. Tyrer House: Razniem Alluad, Bailee Drummond, Connor Giblin, Natida Jane, Gian Padrutt, Katie Jones. Trimble House: Storm Savage, Ethan Martin, Rhiannon Utton, Samara Ryan–Harrop, Luke Ratu, Janika Hay.Year 11 reps are Isaac Burroughs and Ashleigh Stanners. Year 10 reps are Rowan Slater and Charlotte Mitchell while Year 9 reps are Scott Brown and Harmony Burrell. Congratulations to all students for their selection for the 2017 student council.

STUDENT COUNCIL UPDATES

The student council intend holding a junior work day on Wednesday May 17th. Information will be sent home to parents next week. Money raised will go towards building a decked area by the canteen. If you have a large job to complete and need a number of labour units please contact Wendy Walker at school with your details. No job will be too big or small.Wendy Walker, Assistant Principal

ncea Honours

PARENT TEACHER INTERVIEWSWe use an online booking system for interviews. Please visit www.schoolinterviews.co.nz and use the following codes for booking interviews. Interviews for year 11, 12 and 13 students: code m9uq2 for Thursday 6 April. Interviews for year 9 students: code u2y9s for Monday 10 April. If you do not have access to the internet, please phone the school on 7656039 for the office to book on your behalf.Barbara Gall, Deputy Principal

THE SCIENCE ROADSHOWWho it’s for: Year 9 students When: Wednesday 5th April Where: SHS Assembly Hall How much: $7 per student To be paid by: Friday 31st MarchWhat it’s all about: fun and games, experiments and demonstrations to do with; electricity, gravity, heat, human performance, magnetism.

Stratford High School: http://www.stratfordhigh.school.nz/Home Page 6

As mentioned in previous newsletters, Term 1 has been extremely busy for the Sports Department. We have held our school swimming, athletics and triathlon championships; interschool Gillette cup cricket and TSSSA regional tennis, as well as our senior and junior tennis champs.We will be holding a Summer Sports Prizegiving at 2pm on Thursday 13th April (last day of term) to celebrate our champions at these events. All parents, caregivers and families are welcome to attend.

Taranaki Secondary School Sports Association (TSSSA)We have had great numbers of students representing Stratford High School at these events

GOLF CROQUET ZONE PLAYWe had 13 students attend this day, of which Caleb Gibbons, Brooke Millar, Paytn Cameron and Jessica Jones went on to the regional tournament in New Plymouth with the aim of qualifying for Nationals. Caleb and Brooke finished 3rd so will therefore represent Stratford High School in Hamilton in September.

BEACH VOLLEYBALLMr Daughtery and myself took 28 students to Ngamotu Beach for Beach Volleyball. The senior boys four of Joel Heine, Jaleel Kapeli-Acero, Jake Vincent and Dawson Austin won their competition with Mendoza Haenga, David Foote, Riley MacKintosh and Dominic Villazor finishing 3rd.

LAWN BOWLS18 students attended Lawn Bowls at Paritutu Bowling Club in New Plymouth. Thank you to Mrs Leanne Bailey for helping transport the students on this occasion.

ROGAINEFour busloads carrying 157 students went to Lake Mangamahoe for Rogaine along with Mr List, Miss Lang, Miss Kay and myself. All teams had an enjoyable evening with the following teams placing in their section:2nd Senior Mixed Team- Brooke Millar, Olivia West, Dawson Austin and Lachlan Drummond 3rd Senior Mixed Team- Caleb Gibbons and Katelyn Simpson 3rd Junior Girls Team- Kamryn Peita, Loegan Peita, Dannielle Reid, Julia Howatson and Maddi Butler 2nd Junior Mixed Team- Heather Clothier, Phoenix Fox, Keren Whareaitu, Jazmine Huston and Ben Lowe 3rd Junior Girls Team- Taya Wilson, Tylah Cooper and Venice LacernaThank you to the staff mentioned above along with Mrs Broadmore for giving up your evening to supervise our students.

3x3 BASKETBALLWe had two boys’ teams and one girls’ team at 3x3 Basketball. There were six pools of four in the boys section with only the winner of each pool progressing through to the playoffs. Cameron Trethewey, Morgan Trott, Bailey Bocock and Ryan Dodunski made it through to this round and all the way to the final, narrowly losing to NPBHS by one point. Thank you to Mrs Karen O’Byrne for driving the van and giving up your time

for this event.

ATHLETICSThis was held on Thursday 23rd March in Inglewood where we had a massive 47 students representing our school, along with Mrs Baldwin, Mr List, Miss Moratti and myself. All students were very supportive and we achieved some great results, top three placings as follows:Ellie Kowalewski - 1st Junior Girls Triple Jump (new Taranaki record 10.13m), 2nd Junior Girls Long Jump (4.54m)Cody Wilson – 1st Senior Boys 100m (11.57secs), 1st Senior Boys 200m (23.35secs)Ezekiel O’Leary – 3rd Senior Boys 400m (55.75secs), 3rd Senior Boys 800m (2.08.27)Guy Bridson – 3rd Senior Boys Javelin (36.79m)Lydia Barber – 3rd Junior Girls Javelin (18.48m)Jordan Bolger – 2nd Junior Girls High Jump (1.35m)Janika Hey – 2nd Intermediate Girls Discus (22.21m)Heather Clothier – 2nd Intermediate Girls 3000m, 1st Open 2000m Steeplechase2nd - Senior Boys Relay Team (Cody Wilson, Silas McCallum, Ezekiel O’Leary and Sam Mackay)3rd – Junior Girls Relay Team (Taya Wilson, Jordan Bolger, Toni Cameron and Ellie KowalewskiTSSSA events still to come in Term 1Dressage Wed 5th AprilSwimming Tue 11th AprilQuick Rip Rugby Wed 12th April

WINTER SPORTSWinter Sports’ codes are now all running pre-season trainings in readiness for Term 2. Listen to the Daily Notices for details of meetings, trainings etc. If you have not signed up for a sport and want to play it is not too late to join in. See Mrs Merson to find out any details.

Looking for Coaches/ManagersWe are always looking for sports coaches for all sports (including our winter sports). If anyone is interested in being involved with a team please contact the school sports co-ordinator Mrs Merson 765 6039 ext. 736. Sports teams cannot be formed if we do not have the required adult support. Anyone who is willing to be involved, your help is greatly appreciated. Colin Franklyn, Director of Sport and Philippa Merson, Sports Coordinator

sporTs news: marcH 2017

A Newsletter of Stratford High School. Page 7

BE AN ENCOURAGER AND A LISTENERYour child needs your daily support and encouragement, even when they get to Year 13. This does not mean that you spoil them and run around after them doing jobs they are more than capable of doing for themselves, but it does mean that it is really important to keep connected and take an interest in what they are doing. Do not underestimate the power of daily encouragement, even if you only get grunts back!

FOOD IS FUNDAMENTALTeenagers can be bad at skipping breakfast. They cannot learn on an empty stomach so please insist they eat before they leave the house and have food for lunch. Students are not allowed to leave school to get food or anything else during the day. The school canteen has a good range of healthy food at an affordable price. A water bottle is also a great idea. Water is much better for the brain and the muscles than sugary drinks.

ATTENDANCEPlease be the responsible parent and ensure your children get to school every day unless they are genuinely sick, have a medical or dentist appointment, are attending a tangi/funeral or other unavoidable event. Do not keep them out of school to look after younger siblings, go shopping with you, go on holidays in the term time etc. The biggest reason for academic failure in NCEA is poor attendance. If students are in class 90% or more of the time they will succeed. If they are there less than 80% of the time, they will not succeed. It’s much more about getting the job done than natural intelligence. If students are in the right courses matched to their interests and ability they can succeed.

UNIFORMWe encourage pride and a strong sense of belonging. Please ensure your children have the correct uniform and are wearing it and nothing else when they leave home in the morning. Students must wear correct uniform with no extra hoodies, caps etc to and from school as well as at school. We will confiscate non-regulation items from students who are persistent offenders. If you need help with affording uniform please ring the school. We can help with some second hand uniform items through the PTA sales.

BULLYINGOne of the most emotive issues to deal with in a school setting is bullying. I want to make a few comments about this complex subject here.

BULLYING IS … The use of violence or threats to gain power over another person. Usually it has three common features:* it is a deliberate, hurtful behaviour* it is repeated* It is difficult for those being bullied to defend themselvesBullying can be physical or emotional.Bullying will not be accepted at Stratford High School. Bullying does not thrive when it is out in the open. If you are worried about your child being bullied tell us, the sooner the better.

THE NO-BLAME APPROACHOften the school gets asked to deal with conflicts between students that have been going on for a long time and which stem from incidents that have happened outside the school. In these

situations, there has often been mistakes made on both sides. In that case a no-blame approach will be taken, focussing on how people are to behave from now on. The aim is that everyone moves forward.

WE ALL HAVE A ROLE TO PLAY IN STOPPING BULLYINGMost people are not involved in bullying, that is they are neither bullies nor victims. However, we all have a role in stopping bullying. Here are some rules against bullying that we can all use to stop bullying* We will not bully others.* We will try to help students who are bullied.* We will include students who are left out.* If we know someone who is being bullied we will tell the

school staff.Remember that conflict with others doesn’t often occur if you try to be kind in what you say and do, and that includes the comments you write on Facebook. Once again, if you have concerns, please talk to us.

Preparing for Adulthood WorkshopA 3-hour workshop for parents of disabled people who are concerned about their wellbeing and their long term future. On April 6 from 5.30 pm to 9pm at St Andrews Presbyterian Church. All welcome. To register contact Chris Rolston on 06 756 9299 or email taranakidownsyndrome@gmail.com

TSB Community Trust Funding SessionsAre you involved with a voluntary community group? Keen to chat about funding and find out more about TSB Community Trust community grants? Need help with an application?Our staff are heading your way! From March to November 2017 we are holding regular informal chats at Hawera, Opunake, Stratford and Waitara Libraries. To find out when we’re in your area visit the Trust’s website: https://www.tsbtrust.org.nz/News-and-Publications/Our-Staff-are-heading-your-way or call us on 06 769 9471

UNIFORMMost students are coming to school in full uniform and looking very neat and tidy. Please continue to check that children leave home wearing the correct uniform without the added extras of non-regulation hats, shoes, etc. If you need assistance with uniform items please let us know.We are having problems at the present time sourcing polar fleeces and are looking for some to sell. If you have a polar fleece at home that you no longer require please bring it to the student office to donate or sell. Thank you.

IMPORTANT MESSAGES FOR ALL CAREGIVERS

YEAR 13 ACCOUNTING TRIP TO WELLINGTONOn 5 March the Year 13 Accounting students travelled to Wellington to spend 3 days in the city. They all enjoyed themselves and had an amazing trip. Activities included spending 3 hours at Adrenalin Forest at Porirua. Even students who previously thought they were afraid of heights enjoyed the challenge of seeing how high up in the trees they could get. Unfortunately because of the wind, level six was closed but some of the students managed to complete the level five course. It is always a pleasure to catch up with ex SHS students and this year the class was fortunate to have Shisca Russell at Fujitsu House talk to them about her experiences since leaving school. She certainly shared some good advice with the students. Other highlights included a visit to Te Papa to view the Gallipoli Exhibition – an interesting a moving experience for all. A tour of the High Court allowed the students to visit a courtroom and spend a short time ‘in jail’! Always a highlight is the time spent in the Debating Chamber at Parliament. The Question and Answer session kept the students entertained especially with the robust debate about raising the entitlement age of superannuation. Also while visiting Parliament the students were fortunate enough to have our local MP Chester Burrows and political reporter Katie Bradford talk to them.What an absolute pleasure it was to take such a wonderful group of students away. They represented our school admirably. A big ‘thank you’ must go to our minivan driver Paul Lightoller who managed to get us to Wellington and back without stalling the van too many times!!!

A Newsletter of Stratford High School. Page 8

SCHOOL PHOTOSSchool class photos have been taken and can be viewed at the back of the hall. Please order from the student office. A4 prints $20, A5 prints $15. Lamination is $2 extra per print.

ACCESS TO EFTPOSPlease note that we now have EFTPOS in both the main office and student office.

STUDENTS LEAVING SCHOOLJust a reminder that if students are leaving school during the day then they should have a note from a parent/caregiver. If you need to contact your child during the day please contact the student office and we will get a message to them. We would appreciate it if you do not text or phone them as they may be in class and as we don’t allow phones to be used in class as issues may arise.

ID CARDSWe have our own ID Card maker and if students require an ID Card the cost will be $4 which can be paid at the student office. Please allow 3 – 4 days for the card to be printed as some students may need a new photo taken.

For feedback on the strategic plan please contact the Board Chairperson, Mr Cooper or Principal, Mr Keenan at the school 06 765 6039 or email pkeenan@stratfordhigh.school.nz