Wairarapa College

Dear Parents/Caregivers

After another busy term it is time to reflect on the year and think about what is coming towards us in 2018. We have had a very busy and full on year with visits of a large number of staff to other schools around the country in May. This has really helped to refine our thinking about how we can be thriving, student centred and future focused. We are looking forward to the introduction of Academic Mentoring in 2018, which is our response to what we see as a number of needs in our school. Each teacher will have a small LEAD group, which will be a group of students who they will work with every fortnight to counsel around their pathways, help them set goals, to review their progress against those goals and to also get to know their family or whanau. Term One, 2018 we will be introducing parent and student conferences and we really hope that as a community you will support us in this. The School will be open so that parents and students can come in at a scheduled time throughout the school day and have an interview with their young person’s group teacher or Lead Teacher. That person will have very detailed and useful information about the goals and also the achievement and attendance and engagement of that young person and there will be time to have a really useful conversation. We understand that scheduling these through the day will present some difficulty to parents but we really ask that you support us in our endeavours to make learning something that parents and whanau can become part of. We are very excited about this new initiative within the school because we believe it will really add value to what we are doing and what we are trying to achieve in terms of being student centred, and improving outcomes for our students.

We have Activities Week this week. I would like to thank the staff in advance for the week. Their support and their willingness to involve themselves outside of the classroom and outside of classroom teaching hours, really does mean that our students will get a variety of experiences to challenge them, to excite them and to engage them and without teacher good will this would not be possible.

I would also like to acknowledge the hard work of our support staff throughout the year. 2017 has been a big year for Wairarapa College in terms of beginning the process of the School’s Stage 1 Redevelopment. We have also been upgrading facilities as we go and we have now completed the upgrade of two sets of toilets for students. We will be continuing on this pathway over the next year or so. We are looking forward to the beginning of the gym refurbishment at the start of 2018.

We are also very grateful to be able to work with our parents in partnerships such as with the Sports Foundation and our Hostel Parents to look at some serious fundraising towards better facilities for both the Hostel and the School. One of our key projects over the holidays will be the improvement of the boys’ ablutions in the hostel and we have already begun an improvement in the boys’ dormitories. We also are also looking forward to beginning the process of fundraising for a new all purpose turf at the front of the school.

I would also like to acknowledge the support and help of our wider community and parents. While there are many things that will present themselves as challenges over the next two to three years for us as we journey forward, we know that with the support of our community and with the partnership with our parents there are many things that we can achieve which will truly make outstanding outcomes for our young people and that is really what it is all about.

The re-establishment of a Board in Term 1 2018 will be a milestone for the College. It is vital that our parents and community are well informed and take an active role in this process. This term we had two information evenings for our parents and community. In order for our new families and parents to be part of this process there will be an additional information evening on Wednesday February 14th at 6.30 pm in the College Library.

I would like to take the opportunity to wish all of our community, parents, students and staff a very happy Christmas and New Year, a safe and enjoyable holidays season and I look forward to welcoming you all back to Wairarapa College in 2018. Shelley Power, Principal

Important Dates

2018 School Year

January

Mon 29th - Teacher

only day

Tues 30th - Y13 8.40—

12.30; Y9 10.00—3.05;

International Students

8.40; New students

other than Y9 9.15 to

10.15 am

Wed 31st - Y10, 11, 12

begin at 8.35 am

Newsletter Volume 7 , November 2017

Start-up arrangements for 2018:

Thursday 25 January 2018 – Course Confirmation Day This is for students to confirm their courses for 2018, especially after they have received their external examination re-sults. There will be a letter sent out closer to the time with more details. Outlined below are the times each year level meets with the HOD’s in the Hall to confirm courses.

9-10.30am Year 13 11am -12.30pm Year 12 1.30-2.30pm Year 11

Year 13 Peer Support training - 10.45 – 12pm in the Hall. ALL Year 13 students participate in this training. The purpose is to support the Year 9 students in their Group class to help transition them into WaiCol.

Prefects Camp - depart at 1pm from the front of the school. They will return on Friday 26 January at 4.30pm

Tuesday 30 January 8.40am Year 13 meet in the Hall. They will finish their day at 1.05pm, except there will be a Prefect

meeting at 2 – 3pm in the BOT room. 10am Year 9 meet in the front of the Hall to be welcomed into school with a Powhiri.

Parents are welcome.

Wednesday 31 January Year 9 and 13 students do not attend on this day.

8.35am Year 10 - Meet in the Gymnasium 8.35am Year 11 - Meet in the Hall 8.35am Year 12 - Meet in the Common Room

These students will have classes during period 3, 4 & 5. They will finish at 3.05pm.

Thursday 1 February Full school day beginning at 8.35am for all year levels.

The Stationery and textbook lists will be on the website by mid-December. This is available at Warehouse Stationery.

School uniform School uniform can be purchased from the New Zealand Uniform shop in Masterton. All students will be in summer uniform for term one 2018. Please take some time to make sure your child’s uniform meets our requirements. Some key areas of importance:

• A new designed blazer is now available at the uniform shop. This is optional.

• Students are only able to wear the summer uniform shirt (boys and girls) in summer. This means they are wearing the short sleeve shirt not the long sleeve shirt

• Year 11 students will move into wearing the white shirt. Boys with the crest and the girl’s white shirt.

• All boys are expected to wear the school socks

• All girls are expected to wear ankle white socks without any company markings

Please note that these will be the only style of footwear that is permitted for the whole school as shown below

School Regulation Footwear

KAMAR portal - the KAMAR portal will be closed as we build our new timetable for 2018. It will be made

available to students and parents on Monday 5 February 2018. A letter will be sent out to all families with new

access information around this time.

Wairarapa College HOCKEY Well, as another year ends it behoves me to thank the generous sponsors of our college hockey – RIVAL

Wealth (1st XI Girls), Property Law (1st XI Boys) and Trust House, via the Wairarapa College Sports

Foundation, for money towards equipment. JNL also donated firewood that we sold. And to all the other

supporters of individual teams – thank you for your kindness.

Thank you, also, to this year’s Coaches and Managers – your hours of sacrifice and dedication are great-

ly appreciated.

A special mention of the 2nd XI Girls team who were nominated in the Times-Age Team of the Year

category for their very successful first year playing in the Wellington competition.

A belated congratulations to Imogen Bird, Amy Bunny, Sarah Byl, Abby Crawley, Molly Donald, Grace

Hancox, Laura Hartwell, Reese Robertson (captain) and Ana Whitehead who represented the Wairarapa at

the U15 girls’ tournament. Also to William Brown, James Nelson, Craig Pankhurst and Sam Silvester who

were selected in the U15 boys’ tournament team to represent the Wairarapa. Well done, all of you!

We farewell our Year 13 players who are moving on: Bridey Kiernan, Katie McAnulty, Caitlin Pepperell,

Annabel Butterick, Amy Nikolaison, Abbie Sawkins, Alex Hare, Frank Dickson and Wills Taylor. Thank

you for your years of service to WaiCol hockey.

Thanks to those Coaches, Managers and parents who attended our end-of-season debrief meeting. Along

with the feedback forms we have some good, clear messages about what can be done better. Next year will

see Mr Schaefer have a Coaching overview role, assisting all teams to have meaningful practices and

trying to unify our playing formations so that players can transition more easily up through the teams as

their skills improve. The 1st and 2nd teams will train together down at Clareville. An upgrade of the college

turf is being priced but probably will not happen in 2018 so 3rd and 4th XI teams will still need to train

off-site. A huge THANKS to Masterton Intermediate School, Hadlow Preparatory School and Doug-

las Park School who, so generously allowed us to use their turfs free-of-charge. Collegiality at its very

best! Thank you.

My sincere thanks to the many, many parents who volunteered to manage a team next year. However, we

are still in need of a Coach for each of our 1st XI Girls and Boys teams – if you know someone who has

hockey experience and would like to help, please get in touch. Hockey is incredibly well resourced with all

the necessary playing strips, training gear & medical equipment and there will be great support from Mr

Schaefer on the drills & skills side of things – your coaching will be developed, for sure. So, please come

and join the WaiCol hockey “team”.

A purpose-built, water-based turf is the million dollar project that is quietly being mulled over. We have

the room to position such a facility within the College grounds. We have the pedigree and history to justify

such a facility. WaiCol could become the hockey hub of the Wairarapa region – a real bonus for all

Masterton colleges. It would be such a boon for the local Association which could then, rightfully, ask

Hockey NZ for the hosting rights of Tier One competitions (where 3 water turfs are necessary within 30

minutes drive of each other). However, a Project Manager is needed. Can you help? Do you know some-

one with experience in driving such a project whom you could approach? Would you like to be part of a

team to see this become a reality? Please drop me a line.

And, finally, MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR to you all. See you again next year.

Mike van Woerkom, TiC Hockey, E: mvanwoerkom@waicol.nz

YOUTH HEALTH PROVIDER I would like to take this opportunity to thank the students and families of Wairarapa College past and pre-sent for their support and trust over the past twenty years that I have been employed at the College.

The journey has been an incredible one, and one that I have been so lucky to have had. I know I will miss Wairarapa College as I settle into retirement, but will take lots of good memories with me. Cara Laing and Liz Seymour will be your Youth Health Providers in 2018, with Kuini de la Mare covering Cara while she is on Maternity leave until March 2018.

Enjoy the Holidays, take care and keep safe.

Best wishes Julie Booth, Youth Health Provider

Senior A Girls MVP-Paris Potangaroa Most Improved Player- Millie Moser Senior B Girls MVP- Georgia Atkinson Most Improved Player-Teagan Andrews Paul Junior A Girls MVP- Charlize Carson-Butler Most Improved Player-Mya Chesmar

Senior A Boys MVP- Tairawhiti Apiata-Puharu Most Improved Player- Bhulvhai Forward-Taua Senior B Boys MVP- Freedom Ward Most Improved Player- Bailey Downing Junior A Boys MVP- Dhylan Taua Most Improved Player- Tarquin Karaitiana Junior B MVP- Lucciano Blundell Most Improved Player- Zac Vainu

On Thursday 21st September the following students were awarded certificates for Basketball - achieving either Most Valuable Player or Most Improved Player:-

Thanks given to coaches and managers - Dylan Walsh, Phil Roach, Patch Nelson, Wendy Jacobson, Esther Lanser, Dayle Clarkson and Beth Pottinger.

A & P Show 16th 17th, 18th February 2018

MASTERTON AGRICULTURAL & PASTORAL ASSOCIATION 131st SHOW Solway Showgrounds

HOME INDUSTRIES SCHEDULE PLEASE NOTE: This year is a One Day Show on Saturday plus a half a day for Home Industries on Sunday. Horses still going on Sunday.

Entries Close: Tuesday 6th February 2018 at 3:00pm Entries Must be paid for—no late entries accepted

Except FLORAL & VEGETABLE SECTIONS

Deliver to under the Grandstand at Solway Showgrounds between 11:00am to 1:00pm Friday 9th, Monday 12th, Tuesday 13th, Wednesday 14th February 2018

Someone will be there to collect Or POST TO

Home Industries Section, Masterton A & P Show c/- 320 Upper Plain Road, RD 8, Masterton 5888

Home Industries Contact: Joy Sutherland, Ph (06) 377 4546 Email: fjsutherland@xtra.co.nz SPONSORED BY TRUST HOUSE

COMMUNITY ENTERPRISE

(coming soon………….)

In 2018 Wairarapa College will be introducing an Academic Mentoring programme called ‘Kaiarahi Ako-

ranga’ (Kaiarahi = guide/mentor, Akoranga = academic, lesson, learning focus).

Kaiarahi Akoranga has evolved from a desire to improve our results and to get to know our students better, in regard

to their academic goals, interests, strengths and weaknesses. Kaiarahi Akoranga invites and encourages whānau to be an integral part of the process, building connections between the school and their families, with the student’s

learning at the centre of all conversations.

Twice a year Whanau meetings will be held. Parents will be encouraged to book time to for them and their students

to meet with the Ako teacher on this day. Whanau meetings for 2018 will be on February 20th and July 31st –

so please note these dates. The Ako teacher is the first point of contact regarding your student’s learning.

Each student will be put in a LEAD group and conversations will centre around our LEAD values. Each LEAD

group will have an Ako teacher who will meet with them to discuss their learning. Ako time will occur every ten

days for 45 minutes.

Academic Mentoring is a new, exciting programme that puts students at the centre of their learning. It is a three-way

connection between whānau, students and the school. For it to be the most effective, we all need to invest in improv-

ing the learning of each and every student. As a staff, we are working very hard to make this programme a valuable

part of what we do at Wairarapa College to support your son or daughter. We look forward to your support and to

working with you.

Jo-Anne Bisset, Assistant Principal

2017 Cricket Report

The 2017 cricket competitions have come to an end and it was a very successful cricket year for Wairarapa

College. The Boys 1st XI, were very competitive in the CS Wellington Competition, eventually being knocked out

through a tie with St Pats Silverstream. The 2nd XI Boys were also very competitive, finishing second in their

newly formed Wairarapa Secondary Schools grade. They had wins over all other teams which included Rathkeale

2nd XI, Rathkeale Colts and Kuranui 1st XI.

The Girls 1st XI deserve a special mention after going through their

Wairarapa Women's Premier League competition unbeaten for all of

2017. This included 3/3 wins against rivals St Matts. A newly formed

exchange with Palmy Girls 1st XI, unfortunately ended up being aban-

doned due to poor weather. However, the girls were in a handy position

at 44/4 looking to chase down 114 for the win.

Another highlight from 2017 has been the growth of junior cricket at

Wairarapa College. WaiCol Blue dominated their season only losing one

game throughout the year, leading up to the final. Mark Steventon should be commended for his three centuries

scored for this team in the calendar year which is a remarkable achievement. After qualifying top of the table, they

played against Rathkeale Green in the final. WCA are looking into player eligibility from the Rathkeale side

which effected the outcome of the match. A decision is due this week. WaiCol Gold also rounded out the season

with wins against Rathkeale and WSS Girls. There has been a huge amount of development within this side and

this is evident within the results.

The Junior T20 side which plays on Thursday night consisted of many

converted backyard cricketers as a result of Simon Roseingrave’s work within

the Year 9 PE programme. The team was in a tough competition, however wins

in their last three games against Rathkeale, Kuranui and Makoura put them on

top of the table, winning this competition.

I would like to thank the fantastic coaches for their hard work throughout 2017,

as well as the parental support we have had at games. Cricket will conclude this

week with our annual Town vs Country game on Saturday at 11am. This will

be followed by our cricket prizegiving in the Gym. All cricketers and families

are invited. There will be a BBQ following the game.

From our seven cricket teams at Wairarapa College, four teams won their respective

competitions:

Girls 1st XI – Wairarapa Women's Premier League Champions (Unbeaten)

Boys Junior Blue – Trevor Martin Trophy (top qualifier for final, awaiting WCA

decision)

Girls 2nd XI – Lonestar Girls Champions

Boys Junior T20 – Junior T20 Champions

Gifted & Talented Education:

Historically, the Masterton Principals’ Cluster coordinated a One Day Class for children identified as being gifted or talented. The funding for this initiative was provided by Trust Land Masterton as part of its educational support pro-gramme for the Masterton primary schools. Last year, as part of the Trust’s funding review, it decided that it would no longer fund the gifted and talented education programme, and so there is not a specific gifted & talented pro-gramme available for school children in the Wairarapa. A new group, Wairarapa Gifted & Talented, was formed by a group of parents and educators to help facilitate inclu-sive educational opportunities for all gifted & talented children and their families, in collaboration with schools throughout the region. They have provided the following information and request.

'Wairarapa Gifted and Talented' (WGaT) is an organised group of local parents and educators committed to facili-tating inclusive education opportunities, and support & resource networks - in co-operation with schools - for all gift-ed and talented students in the Wairarapa. WGaT is also establishing a local branch of the NZ Association for Gifted Children (a recognised national organisation that has operated for in excess of 40 years) to launch early in 2018.

To help establish the highest priority needs Wairarapa Gifted and Talented are seeking responses to a survey they've created from educators and families of gifted and talented students in the Wairarapa. You'll find the survey at http://www.tinyurl.com/Wairarapa-Education-Needs or linked from the top of the Wairarapa Gifted and Talented Facebook page at; https://www.facebook.com/Wairarapa-Gifted-and-Talented-173…/

Advice from the Wairarapa Police on staying safe over the holiday period

It’s that time of year again when young people’s minds start turning to how they are going to celebrate New Year’s Eve. For many Wairarapa teens, the night will include a visit to Castlepoint or Riversdale beach.

Liquor bans are in place at the two beaches from 6pm on 30 December to 12pm on 1 January – this means that there is to be no drinking or possession of open containers of alcohol in public places.

Police would very much like to avoid a repeat of events of last year, when we were called to respond to issues with a large crowd of young people on Jetty Road, Castlepoint. There were several disorder incidents during the night, and at least one serious assault, where a teenage boy’s jaw was broken.

We were especially concerned with the number of young people aged 14-18 that were in the street drinking, despite the liquor ban and many of the people there being too young to be legally drinking alcohol.

If your children are attending New Year’s events, please ensure that they have a safe way home or that they have ac-commodation arranged, and that they can contact you if they need to be picked up during the night.

If we do locate anyone aged under 17 in circumstances we consider unsafe, we will be contacting their parent or guardian and asking for them to be collected – and let’s face it, nobody wants to spend their New Year’s Eve with the Police waiting for their mum or dad to pick them up!

If your kids are going to a private party or celebration that is being supervised by an adult and you are happy to for them to be drinking, the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act requires that you provide the responsible adult with written consent for your kids to drink alcohol, just remember that your consent only allows them to drink at a private address and not in public areas.

We’d also ask that you have a chat with your kids before they head out, about drinking safely and looking out for their friends. The following advice from our website might come in handy for these conversations:

Watch your friends

• Keep an eye on your friends. • If a friend is drunk, feeling sick, uncoordinated, confused or faint, stay with them. Don't leave them alone.

• Take them to a safe place and tell someone else if you are worried (such as your other friends, the bar or security staff). • If someone collapses and is unconscious call 111 immediately and ask for an ambulance. • Keep in contact with your friends throughout the evening.

Getting home at the end of the night

• It could be unsafe to go home alone or with someone you have only just met. Ask a party host to let you stay over. • Let your friends know you are leaving so they don't worry if they can't find you. • Keep to main streets and well-lit areas. • Don't get in a taxi if you are uneasy about the driver. Sit in the back seat.

• Don't walk by yourself – walk with a friend or in a group.

WAINUIORU SCHOOL

TRAIL BIKE RIDE

Sunday 10th December 2017 Bowlands Farm

1973 Te Ore Ore-Bideford Road, Bideford

20 minutes north east of Masterton (Signposted from Castlepoint Rd Masterton)

Quads welcome Main loop 25kum+ with total loop close to 50 km

East loop 10km Kids Track and Peewee track A and Expert Enduro Loops

Jumps loop Bulldozed Tracks, Farmland and A loops in forestry

Carry fire extinguisher if able

Sign in from 9am Rider Briefing 9.45am Start time 10m

$34 Adults, $15 School kids, $55 family (1 Adult and 2 kids) Ticket price includes a gourmet burger or a sausage, and a can of drink

Other food available for purchase: Bacon & Egg Pie, chocolate bars, cans of drink (No eftpos available)

DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT

The digital technology department would like to make use of used smartphones—those with a touch sensitive front screen and which apps can be downloaded onto. If you have an Android or Apple phone you no longer need, please could you wipe it and hand it in at the school office. If you have the charger took that would be a bonus. Thank you

Richard Swallow, Digital Technology Department

Our Grateful thanks for the support from the following businesses this year who placed

advertisements in both our Production programme and our annual magazine:

• Ziggy’s Glass

• Sold on Jude

• BW O’Brien & Co Ltd

• Express Café

• Pete Nikolaison Photography

• CE & R Ltd

• Woodnet

• Mitre10 Mega

• Café Anatolia

• Masterton Plumbing Services Ltd

Trust House (each of their five Eateries)