ISSUE: JUNE 2020

Contents:- Pr incipal's Message - International News/L ibrary News - Careers Corner /Scholarship Information- Special Education/Per forming Ar ts/Music/Uniform

- Spor ts Repor t/Community Education/Special Education Car Parks

- Parent and Caregiver Information/Subject Selection/Lunch Orders

- Senior Assessment Timetables

Please visit our school website to see ourSchool Prospectus

www.waimea.school.nz

2020 Term Dates: Term 2: 15 Apr - 3 Jul / Term 3: 20 Jul - 25 Sep / Term 4: 12 Oct - 11 Dec

Sem per Cont endit e / Always St r iveWhakar?r? ai

2 - WAIMEA COLLEGE NEWSLETTER - JUNE 2020

PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE . . .T?n? koutou te whanau.

Greetings to everyone in the Waimea community. As we near the end of an extended Term 2 (12 weeks this term), staff and students are making the most of the last important days of the term. We welcomed staff and students back onsite in May and it is pleasing to see everyone settling back in over the last month, with a sense of normality, enthusiasm and routine.

Acknow ledgem entThe Covid-19 crisis highlighted the true heart of our school community. Adversity crystallises what is important ? people and community. The kindness and concern shown by Waimea College students, parents and staff during and since lockdown was extraordinary and I am immensely proud of how everyone pulled together.

Now that lockdown is over and we return to a greater sense of normality, we anticipate no backward step. We will embed, and build on, what we have learned and become even stronger as a school community.

Waim ea College at Aler t Level 1With New Zealand having transitioned to Alert Level 1 recently and limits on gatherings and events removed, the rich and vibrant range of co-curricular and extra-curricular activities, sports, arts, clubs events and camps are all now back on the calendar. I look forward to connecting with many of you at these events in coming weeks.

Repor t ing t o Parent sAs previously reported, parents of both junior and senior students can expect school reports to reach you later this term. Teachers are currently preparing senior interim reports in lieu of parent interviews for senior students which were not able to take place this term due to the impacts of Covid-19. An opportunity for parents to engage with subject teachers will be scheduled for early Term 3.

NCEA Changes Announced by NZQASome important changes to NCEA were announced recently to support senior students in addressing the impacts of COVID-19 on teaching, learning and assessment. The 3 key changes that will be implemented are:

- Learning Recognit ion (LR) Credit s - Students working towards NCEA can gain additional credits, based on the number of credits they achieve during the 2020 school year. For every 5 credits a student achieves towards their NCEA through internal or external assessment, they can be awarded an additional 1 credit. Students at NCEA Level 1 are eligible for up to a maximum of 10 additional credits, while those at Levels 2 and 3 are eligible for up to a maximum of 8 additional credits. These will be known as Learning Recognition (LR) credits.

- Cer t if icat e and Course Endorsem ent s ? Students will be awarded a certificate endorsement if they achieve 46 credits at Merit or Excellence level, rather than the usual 50. Students achieving 12 credits at Merit or Excellence level in a course, rather than 14 ? will be awarded a Course Endorsement.

- Universit y Ent rance (UE) ? Current UE requirements have been reduced to 12 credits in three UE-approved subjects, from 14 credits in three approved subjects. Students still need to attain NCEA Level 3 and meet the Literacy and Numeracy requirement to be awarded University Entrance.

Const ruct ion of New Classroom Block Near ing Com plet ionThe year-long construction of the new $4.5m specialist classroom block is nearing completion. A blessing will take place for the new building on Wednesday 1 July, with classes timetabled in this block from the commencement of Term 3.

Next term promises to be a busy one, so all the best for a restful break over the school holidays.

Semper Contendite (Always Strive)

Scott HainesPrincipal

3 - WAIMEA COLLEGE NEWSLETTER - JUNE 2020

INTERNATIONAL NEWSThe International team are very happy to be back at school and being able to interact with our wonderful students every day.

We were very proud of how our students and our staff embraced distance learning during the lockdown period, and were super impressed with the resilience and positive attitude shown as we navigated this new way of learning.

This was evident in the high number of our international students that received Strive Awards in recognition of their extraordinary efforts in class during that time. Way to go, team!

We recently held a ?Welcome to Winter? party with a ?dress to impress? theme. This was such a lovely night of catching up, chatting and simply enjoying being back together as a group.

In the July holidays we are running a trip to Christchurch and Hanmer Springs. This will be a great opportunity for sightseeing.We also have some students heading off on organised trips with outside tour providers, and some holidaying with their host families, so we are all very much looking forward to being able to get out and about and see a litt le bit of our beautiful country.

This week we held a farewell evening for the 12 students that we are saying goodbye to this term. As always, these events are very bittersweet - but a great chance to hear all about their experiences during their time here. It is also a wonderful opportunity to thank our host families for their unwavering support ? which has never been more demonstrated than this year!

We are also rapt to be holding a one-off special day out for the leaving students which includes a visit to the Nelson College Marae. Great to be able to fit in one more opportunity to make some special memories to take back home.

LIBRARY NEWSCongrat ulat ions: Student librarian Cassie Cam eron (Year 10) won the Tasman Libraries Rug Up & Read competition. Here she is enjoying the bundle of prizes she won for her book review.

Rem inder : We have a number of books overdue, please can you return these as soon as possible. The Library is open from 8am until 4:30pm Monday ? Thursday and until 4pm on Friday. Thank you.

Golden Ticket com pet it ion: We still have several golden tickets to find. Some of our books have golden ticket alerts that show when you issue the book. Perhaps that book you have been meaning to read will win you a chocolate bar. Take a look at the Waimea College Library home page to see the latest books releases that have recently arrived on our shelves: http:// library.waimea.school.nz:8080/oliver/home/news

4 - WAIMEA COLLEGE NEWSLETTER - JUNE 2020

CAREERS CORNERSubject Select ion for 2021Reminder to students, there will be a Subject Selection Expo, Wednesday 5 and Thursday 6 August, Week 3, Term 3 in the Hall (see page 7 of this newsletter for further information).

Year 11 & 12 St udent s Careers FocusAt the beginning of Term 3, Year 11 & 12 students will have a visit from the Careers Advisor during their English class, to support Subject Selection for 2021.

Careers NZ Parents and caregivers may wish to access this link to support their son/daughter.

Careers Capt ains' EventQuilah Bruce and Lara Goulding are organising a quiz event to support Subject Selection. This is aimed at making students aware of the need to check recommended secondary school subjects for selected jobs/careers.

Enrolm ent at a New Zealand Universit y ? Ent ry Cr it er ia for st udent s gaining UE in 2020The minimum University Entrance Criteria for students enrolling at university is NCEA Level 3 with three subjects at Level 3, made up of 12 credits each, in three approved subjects and:

- Literacy -10 credits at Level 2 or above, made up of 5 credits in reading and 5 credits in

writing and

- Numeracy -10 credits at Level 1 or above

Visit t he NZQA websit e for fur t her det ails.

Seniors ? Scholarship Applicat ions and Lim it ed Ent ry CoursesSeniors are advised that they must check closing dates for limited entry courses and scholarship applications, for both university and polytechnic courses of study. Students can access the Money Hub and givME databases on the Waimea College CareersWise website for further scholarship information.

Ter t iary Preparat ion Session 19 AugustVictoria University Advisors will be holding a webinar session with students who will be transitioning to tertiary study in 2021.

Upcom ing Event sThese can be accessed via the CareerWise websit e.

NZQA Subject Scholarships InformationWaimea College offers students the chance to have a go at getting subject scholarships through NZQA. Have a chat with your young person, and see if they are keen to reach beyond and challenge themselves to have a go at gaining a Scholarship.

New Zealand Scholarship provides recognition and monetary reward to top students. Candidates are expected to demonstrate high-level critical thinking, abstraction and generalisation, and to integrate, sythesise and apply knowledge, skills, understanding and ideas to complex situations. Interested students should talk with their teacher or the Head of Department if they wish to take up the challenge. Year 12 students could consider making an early start by attending these Scholarship sessions in preparation for next year. After all, as Winston Churchill said, "Continuous effort, not strength or intelligence, is the key to unlocking our potential.".

As of this year, there is no fee attached to sitting a Scholarship exam. Year 12 or 13 interested students should see or email Mr Bainbridge if they are keen, or speak with their subject teachers. For more details go to: ht t ps:/ /www.nzqa.govt .nz/qualif icat ions-st andards/awards/new-zealand-scholarship/

5 - WAIMEA COLLEGE NEWSLETTER - JUNE 2020

PERFORMING ARTS

SPECIAL EDUCATION

SCHOOL PRODUCTIONOur school production, "Our House" has been postponed until Term 1, 2021. Unfortunately, lockdown left us without enough time to rehearse the show to an acceptable performance level.However, rehearsals for the cast, dancers and production orchestra will continue for the rest of this year. Our new performance dates will be Wednesday 14 through to Saturday 17 April, 2021.

EXPRESS DANCEThis will take place on Thursday, 2 July at 6:00pm in the Waimea College Hall. Entry to the hall will be by a gold coin donation. Express Dance will feature our dance students who will be showcasing their dance and choreography skills in a live performance. This is a great evening of dance and is open to family, friends and the

wider school community.

"Glad to be back with our friends and teachers", was the sentiment from our students when Level 1 was announced and social distancing was no longer a requirement.

We are especially appreciative of our mainstream subject teachers, Andrew Gillespie (Hard Materials), Sophie Neill (Art) and Mike Brien (Outdoor Education), and our RDA Champion Road crew who continue to provide motivating opportunities for learning for our students.

During lockdown, Waimea College musicians were issued a ?Supertask? ? to collect a 20 second specific personal performance and edit it into a different song. Jack Roll inson accepted this challenge, mixing and producing contributions from over 60 different performers into one work! Congratulations Jack. Click the link to view this amazing piece of work.

Uniform ShopRegular Hours Dur ing Term Tim e:

Monday: 2:45pm - 3:45pmThursday: 12:30pm - 6:00pm

Open the last Friday of school holidays (17 July) between 12:00pm - 2:00pm

Please phone: (03)544 6099 ext 876No uniform will be issued until payment is made

(unless by prior arrangement). Laybys are welcome.

For the up-to-date list of items in stock and prices, please visit our website:

https://www.waimea.school.nz/enrolment-information/uniform/

Please note: If you think you may have a special requirement (e.g. extra large or extra small sizes)

please contact us as soon as possible.

School Repor t s and Senior Parent Teacher Int erviews

Junior Reports will be posted home and emailed to parents/caregivers at the end of Term 2. They will also be available to be viewed on the Parent Portal, accessed through the Waimea College website with your personalised log-in. (www.waimea.school.nz)

The Term 2 Senior Parent Teacher Interviews, previously scheduled to be held in Term 2, were unfortunately unable to take place. In lieu of this, there will be a short interim report issued via email and available on the Parent Portal at the end of Term 2 for Senior students. Parents will be able to contact subject teachers early in Term 3 for follow up if required. A full and comprehensive Senior Report will be available at the end of Term 3.

MUSIC

6- WAIMEA COLLEGE NEWSLETTER - JUNE 2020

SPORTS REPORTWe are very excited to have sport up and running again.

We have 19 teams of Net ball this year and we wish all our teams the best of luck as their season gets underway.

Basket ball tips off this week with 14 teams taking to the courts at Saxton on Wednesday evenings and two teams playing in the Club competition on a Tuesday night.

Our Sport Captains ran a very successful 3x3 basketball tournament here at College last week. It looked like a lot of fun for all those involved.

Well done to Jack Kininm ont h , who won the dunking competition and congratulations to the Wakefield Warriors, Special Ed Gladiators and the Benchwarmers for winning their respective grades.

Each week we will place the weekly sports draws onto the Sports noticeboard and Facebook. It is great to get out to support the teams each week.

COMMUNITY EDUCATIONWe are pleased to be able to offer again our full programme of Adult & Community Education night classes and workshops. Our classrooms are warm, our tutors are friendly and you have the opportunity to make new friends while learning a new skill or improving your knowledge. New courses recently added to the programme are listed below, and the full range of courses can be found on our website: https://www.waimea.school.nz/community-education/courses/

- BAT?s (But t s, Abs, Thighs) Fit ness: Thursday? 6.30 ? 7.15 pm (8 weeks)A fun 45 minute fitness class targeting the big 3 ? glutes, core and thighs.Tutor:? Debby Callaghan??????? 30 July ? 17 September Fee $89

- Fruit and Veget able Grow ing: Tuesday 7.00 ? 9.00 pm (4 weeks)A short course to learn how to be successful in providing a continuous harvest of fruit and vegetables from your garden every week of the year, even from a small space. This class covers both sustainable and organic options. Our tutor, Bill Brett, has been self-sufficient in fruit and vegetables from a small backyard for many years, is a published author on the subject and was recently awarded Associate of Honour by the Royal NZ Institute of Horticulture. Tutor: Bill Brett 1 July ? 11 Aug Fee $110

- Jewellery Mak ing, Repair ing & Revam ping: Thursday 6.30 ? 9.00 pm?(6 weeks) Learn the fundamentals of bead, wire and braid-work, as well as all the basic skills you'll need in repairing or revamping your existing jewellery and creating your own unique designs from scratch. Through demonstrations and individual projects, we?ll explore methods of upcycling and re-purposing old jewellery and found objects. Some basic materials provided. Tutor: Ruth O?Connell 30 July ? 3 Sept Fee $155

Please email ace@waim ea.school.nz with your contact details and the course you would like to enrol in or make a phone enrolment with the Waimea College Community Education Manager on 544-6099, Ext 870 or enrol online ht t ps:/ /waim ea.school.nz/ com m unit y-educat ion/ com m unit y-educat ion-enrollm ent / .

Tutor: Debby Callaghan

Special Educat ion Carpark AreaPlease do not use the Special Education (C block) car park to drop off or pick up students, especially in wet weather. On a daily basis we have 9 minivans and taxis who use this car park to transport and provide extra assistance for our Special Education students to be able to access their school safely - Thank you.

7 - WAIMEA COLLEGE NEWSLETTER - JUNE 2020

PARENT/CAREGIVER INFORMATIONDue t o COVID-19 NZQA has m ade changes t o NCEA for 2020NCEA Change 1:

- For every 5 credits gained in 2020 the student will gain 1 extra credit.- This credit is called a Learner?s Recognition Credit. It is a bonus credit.- There is no Merit or Excellence attached to this LRC credit- NCEA Level 1: Maximum of 10 LRC credits- NCEA Level 2 and 3: Maximum of 8 LRC credits- These credits will be calculated late January 2021

NCEA Change 2:

- Certificate endorsement will be awarded at 46 Mer it /Excellence credit s instead of 50.- Course endorsement will be awarded at 12 credit s instead of 14 credits. The original rule still remains: At

least 1 external assessment and internal assessment of 3 credits needs to be gained at Merit or Excellence within the course (subject).

NCEA Change 3:

Universit y Ent rance: Instead of having to gain a minimum of 14 credits in 3 university approved subjects, Level 3 students now only need a minimum of 12 credit s in 3 UE approved subject s.

- Students still need to pass Level 3- Students still need 10 Level 1 Numeracy credits and 5 Level 2 Reading and 5 Level 2 Writing credits- Students still need to be aware of standards that are required for their chosen tertiary study.

A big thank you again to our sponsors for their continued support

Subject Select ion for 2021St udent s in Years 11, 12 and 13 in 2021: Parents and caregivers are reminded that subject selection guidance for students for 2021 courses will be available from Careers staff on Wednesday 5 August and Thursday 6 August during normal school hours (for st udent s) and 3:45pm - 6:00pm on Wednesday 5 August for (parent s and st udent s) in the College Hall.

There will be subject department displays and subject teachers available for consultation. While appointments are not necessary, specific times can be made with staff (Careers and Deans) by phoning the College.

St udent s in Year 10 in 2021Subject selection information for 2020 Year 10 students will be given out later in August. 2020 Year 9 students and their parents are welcome to attend the subject selection to view displays and talk to teachers about options for 2021 on Wednesday 5 August , 3:45 - 6:00pm should you wish to.

Lunch OrdersLunch Orders is a convenient and contactless online lunch-ordering platform.

You will be able to browse the NEW Eat Smart menu and order on a schedule, a nutritionally balanced and affordable meal at any time.

Your order is then sent to the College Kiosk where it will be made fresh on the day, ready for your hungry learner to collect at break time. Easy as that!

For more information, please go to www.lunchorders.co.nz or look for us on Facebook.

8 - WAIMEA COLLEGE NEWSLETTER - JUNE 2020