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06 3880130

26 Huia Street

Taihape, 4720

www.tas.school.nz

TAS Radio - 88.1FM

rmcmillan@tas.school.nz

Principal: Richard McMillan

Lead Me to Lead My Learning

Taihape Area School

Monday 7th November, 2016 Term 4 – Newsletter Number 5

Important Dates

This Week Tuesday 8th Last Day for NCEA Students

Wednesday 9th Year 9/10 Exams

Thursday 10th NCEA Level 1 English – start

of Examinations

Friday 11th Year 9/10 Exams

Next Week Friday 19th Room 3 Trip to Palmerston North

Tena koutou katoa

Welcome back after the weekend. This is a huge week for thousands of Secondary School

Students through-out the country who are beginning their external NCEA Examinations. For

our Year 11, 12, and 13 Students, this represents

the culmination of their year’s work, and is

obviously a very significant test of their abilities,

and in particular the effort they have made during

the year. We wish them all the very best for this

important challenge.

As both a teacher, and a parent, I think I have a

very realistic view of the challenge our children

face in preparing for success in the NCEA

examinations. As a 15 year old my daughter flew

through level 1 – she was very focused, worked hard, and tackled this new challenge in a very

positive and determined manner. It all seemed so easy.

Unfortunately a year later, she approached NCEA Level 2 with a more cavalier and relaxed

mind set. Although in the end she was successful, it was a real battle to keep her focused as

she endeavoured to fit study into her very busy life style.

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In contrast she approached NCEA Level 3 with a more focused and determined attitude, and

passed well. This Saturday she sits her last exam at Victoria University, and if successful will

have completed her degree.

I therefore understand the frustrations many parents experience in ensuring that NCEA is an

on-going focus for their children. And NCEA qualifications are important. However it is also

crucial that young people leave school with an array of skills, knowledge, and attributes that

give them a realistic opportunity for success in life. Involvement in a wide range of activities

at school can provide students with real life experiences, and competencies, that translate into

life in the wider community - for example involvement on the School Council, or the Student

Leadership Team. Social Service is almost regarded as being a communicable disease these

days, but is nevertheless a special quality that often defines a person as someone of

generosity, tolerance, self-discipline, caring, and cooperation – all very worthy qualities.

Anyway, the waiting is now over – let the exams begin!!

After 111 Year the Irish were worthy winners of their first test against the All Blacks

yesterday – however the number of mistakes made by the All Blacks was a huge surprise.

However life goes on…..

Have a great week.

Regards

Richard McMillan

Principal

Tall Poppies The following Taihape Area School students rose above the crowd

last week as outstanding achievers, and members of our Learning

Community:

Micah Jacobsen and Neihana Wikitera (Room 3) - for always trying

their best in all they do;

Sophie Smith (Room 4) - for always giving 100%,and Haimona Rata-

Hoete (Room 4) for always showing Whanaungatanga (awarded by Mrs

Collings);

Poppy Fannin (Room 5) - for always showing Whanaungatanga;

Amorangi Toto (Room 4) - for showing whanaungatanga by being helpful, and Tia Marshall

(Room 4) - for always showing the TAS values;

Louise Collings, Hae'zjahn Rameka, Jordan Meadows, Matika Slade-Wipaki, Kartel Kaiou

- Certificate of Achievement for personal Academic success in Term Four;

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Keelan Kelly, Jhodi Hopa-Cribb, Emily

Waldron, Jack Waldron, Caden Turnbull

- Certificate of Achievement for personal

Sporting success in Term Four:

Hayley Maher, Gina Swanson, Serenity

Barry, Mikella Cupples, Zoe McCaughan,

Shailah Katene.- for their hard work and

efforts to revise and prepare themselves

for externals in Biology. Good Luck!!.

Tyrone Chase, Bailey Coles, Lakisha Rata-Hall, Kale McLay – for rangatiratanga in L1

Science, and Peita Law – for excellence in L1 Science;

Hayley Maher – for wairuatanga in L3 Statistics

Tall Poppies from Learning Street – Week 4

The TAS School Wide Behaviour Expectations are: - Rangatiratanga: Wairuatanga:

We are Learners - We show Rangatiratanga We are Reflective - We show Wairuatanga

Whanaungatanga: Manaakitanga:

We are Caring - We show Whanaungatanga We are Respectful - We show Manaakitanga

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Australian Mathematics Competition

Kavahn Cane (Year 4) has achieved an

outstanding result in the 2016 version of

the Australian Mathematics Competition.

This Competition involves students from

New Zealand, Australia, and South East

Asia, and is a very prestigious event,

involving over 250,000 students.

Kavahn aced the test, achieving an

outstanding Distinction Award – achieved

by only the top 15% in each age group!! Not

much more to say really except he is one

very clever boy, and we are all very proud

of him.

Planning for 2017 Planning for 2017 is well underway. It would be hugely helpful if we knew of anyone who is

intending to enrol their children here in 2017 – or if you are shifting. This makes planning

easier. An issue we face is ensuring that classes are set up as well as possible from day one

we endeavour to avoid disruption to classes, but unknown

enrolments can make this difficult at times. The Primary School

Students will find out their classrooms and teachers for 2017 in

the last week of term.

Prize Giving 2016

Prize Giving:

Tuesday 13th December @ 1.00pm

Year 9 – 13 News All course selection forms should have been returned in by last Friday.

Year 11 – 13 Course Completion and Study Leave

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All Year 11 to 13 courses finish tomorrow in preparation for students sitting external exams

(which begin on Thursday 10th November). A Timetable has already been sent home, along

with a Student Admission Slip that is needed for each exam.

Students will not be required to attend school from Wednesday, but should they wish to they

may come to school, for revision classes, and to re-sit or finish internal assessments. This is

by appointment and negotiation with their teachers, who will continue to be available to assist

them (during what would have been normal class blocks), until the 23rd November.

Students can come in mufti, and will be required to sign in and out, at the Office as part of the

usual Health and Safety Procedures. Students who are not engaged in learning will be asked

to leave, as the remainder of the School is still involved in learning, and do not need

distractions.

Year 11 -13 Students are expected to attend Top Town on Friday 9th December, and for

Prize Giving (in full School Uniform) on Tuesday 13th December, at 1pm (they need

to be seated before 12.45).

Leavers Forms

All students who intend leaving at the end of the year, must complete a ‘Leavers Form’. to be

signed by all teachers. Please see Cathy for a form.

Year 9-10

Classes remain the same for Year 9-10 students until Tuesday 13th December – this is the last

day of school for the year.

End of Year Reports for Year 11-13’s will be sent out at the end of this week. Reports for

Year 9-10 will be posted at the end of the term.

Best wishes to all students sitting externals – study hard, and be the very best you can be.

Kia kaha

Barb Wallis

Student Trustee The new Student Trustee (Board of Trustees) is current Year 11 Student John Geraghty. John

is a popular member of our School Community and, in a very hard fought election,

campaigned actively and creatively for this position.

The (mock) google search particularly impressed:

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On another poster, with the title “Running for Election”, John’s head was super-imposed on

the shoulders of Usain Bolt leading the 100m at the Olympics. Very clever - congratulations

John.

Thanks A huge thanks to Hautapu Rural who have donated stakes for supporting the trees recently

planted as part of the Wetlands Project.

Sports Teams 2017 Planning ahead we are on the lookout for enthusiastic adults who are interested in coaching

or managing one of our (many) sports teams next Year. This is a very rewarding and

enjoyable opportunity – our Sports Teams traditionally perform at a high level, are well

behaved, and are fun to be involved with.

If interested please contact Head of Sport and PE, Jason Fellingham, Sports Coordinator Jude

Hardwidge, or the School Office.

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Supporting Your Child - The Importance of a Regular

Bedtime Children who do not have a regular bedtime are more likely to suffer behavioural problems.

Erratic bedtimes can cause a similar effect to jet lag and the longer youngsters go without

regular bedtimes, the greater the impact on their behaviour, experts have found. They believe

going to bed at different times could disrupt natural body rhythms and cause sleep

deprivation. In turn, this undermines the way the brain matures and the ability to regulate

some behaviours. But they also found the effect is reversible - parents who started putting

their children to bed at consistent times noticed an improvement in their behaviour, as did

teachers.

The study on more than 10,000 children was carried out by experts at University College

London (UCL). The data was collected via the UK Millennium Cohort Study, with bedtimes

noted at age three, five and seven, and information on behaviour collected from parents and

teachers. Irregular bedtimes were most common at the age of three, when around one in five

children went to bed at varying times. However, by the age of seven, more than half of

children went to bed regularly between 7.30pm and 8.30pm and just nine per cent went after

9pm. The experts found that those youngsters who experienced erratic bedtimes throughout

childhood displayed progressively worse behaviour. But those children who went from

varying bedtimes aged three or five to a regular bedtime by age seven displayed a notable

improvement in behaviour.

Professor Yvonne Kelly (from UCL's Department of

Epidemiology and Public Health) said: "Not having fixed

bedtimes, accompanied by a constant sense of flux,

induces a state of body and mind akin to jet lag and this

matters for healthy development and daily functioning.”

"We know that early child development has profound

influences on health and wellbeing across the life course.”

"It follows that disruptions to sleep, especially if they occur at key times in development,

could have important lifelong impacts on health.”

"What we've shown is that these effects build up incrementally over childhood, so that

children who always had irregular bedtimes were worse off than those children who did have

a regular bedtime at one or two of the ages when they were surveyed.”

"But our findings suggest the effects are reversible. For example, children who change from

not having to having regular bedtimes show improvements in their behaviour."

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The types of behaviour studied included hyperactivity, repetitive bad behaviour, problems

with peers and emotional difficulties. Children whose bedtimes were irregular or who went to

bed after 9pm came from more socially disadvantaged backgrounds. They were more likely

to have poor routines such as skipping breakfast, not being read to daily,

Quotes of the Week “Happiness is not a goal...it's a by-product of a life well lived” ― Eleanor

Roosevelt.

“The worst memories stick with us, while the nice ones always seem to slip

through our fingers” ― Rachel Vincent, My Soul to Save.

TAS Behaviour

Expectation

Manaakitanga We actively listen to others. This looks like:-

We look at the person who is talking;

We wait until the person has finished

speaking before we respond;

We ask questions if we do not understand;

We may ask for instructions to be repeated

if we do not understand.