Feb/Mar 2017
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MOUNT ROSKILL GRAMMAR SCHOOL NEWSLETTER FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 MOUNT ROSKILL FEBRUARY/MARCH GRAMMAR SCHOOL 2017 From The Principal’s Desk Nga mihi nui ki a koutou Welcome to 2017 at Mt Roskill Grammar School! It has been a pleasure meeting families new to the school at the powhiri and families evening. Getting the mentoring partnerships underway in the senior school for 2017 has been a great opportunity to review achievements for 2016 and to shape goals and ac- tions for this year. NCEA Our provisional NCEA results last year were our best ever at each of levels 1,2 and 3. Great achievement outcomes are so rewarding for teachers and families who work hard to support our students. The oppor- tunities and self-belief that such success provides each student is tremendous. Standout successes were the 66 students who gained an excellence endorsement from NCEA Level 2 and the 50 scholarships gained across 12 different subjects. Congratulations to Kelly Liang, Anirudh Bhatnagar, Rithvick Murali and Aditi Ramalingam who gained three or more scholarships and will have their names added to the school’s scholarship honours board. School Dux We have invited Holly Porter to join Deeksha Vijayakumar as co- Dux of the school for 2016. Their achievement was always close and a piece of achievement information that went missing made a differ- ence. Congratulations to Holly and to Deeksha on their excellent achievement. Leadership This year we welcome three new members of the Senior Leadership Team. Associate Principals Terry Storer and Janine Tupaea, and Deputy Principal Desmond Pemerika bring outstanding leadership capabil- ity and experience to our school. They are all enjoying meeting students and families. Congratulations to Ojas Shukla and Emma Thompson who are our Head Prefects for 2017. They will be ably supported by deputies TJ Apulu, Siosaia Tuitupou, Meleana Puloka and Caera Judge. We are a community of optimists, a family focused on the support and achievement of each student. Our students’ sense of pride and purpose makes reaching the heights very obtainable. Sursum! Greg Watson Principal: G. Watson, MSc (Hons), MEd Admin (Hons) Frost Road Phone: 621-0050 Mount Roskill Website: www.mrgs.school.nz Auckland 1041 SUCCESSFUL, POWERFUL LEARNERS …. ACTIVE AND RESPONSIBLE CITIZENS [TO CONTENTS] 2 MOUNT ROSKILL GRAMMAR SCHOOL NEWSLETTER FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Parental Voluntary Contribution New Staff at MRGS………………………...…...3 School donations are voluntary and may be tax exempt. The Ship of World Youth Leaders Visit……...3 funding provided by the government meets basic education New Members of the Senior Leadership costs. However this funding alone is inadequate to provide the Team………………………………………………….....5 high quality of education expected by our community. Parent New Polyfest Groups…………………………...7 contributions greatly increase our ability to provide this. MRGS NCEA results……………………..……….8 MRGS Excellence Endorsements ………...9 We are extremely grateful for your on-going support. In recent NZ Scholarship Examination Success ..11 years parental donations have assisted the school in providing Mentoring Program………..…………..... .12 class sets of chrome books to enable a wider range of stu- Prefect team for 2017……………………… .13 dents to use these devices as part of their learning. We complet- School Powhiri for New Students …..15 ed the upgrade of the hockey turf, installing drinking fountains and a practice turf facility. The senior common room was re- NZQA Fees Collection 2017…………….....15 furbished and re-branded as the Hodge Learning Commons and Family and friends Group ………………...16 provides an excellent flexible learning space for lessons and for Athletics Carnival…...………………………..16 co-curricular groups. We installed further perimeter fencing and Attendance and Punctuality...…………..17 donations also helped with the running of our afterschool Sports Update…………. ………………………..18 homework centres. Community Education Term 1 ……….....20 This year we are looking to begin a three year roll out of a new Keeping in Touch—School Contacts...21 uniform for sports teams, complete the refurbishment of the Contact Details Updates…….21 swimming pool changing rooms and performing arts classrooms. Dates for Your Diary ………..22 We will install a new CCTV system to strengthen our monitoring ASB Sponsorship ………………..22 of a safe and orderly environment. Maintaining a sufficient fleet School Sponsors ……………....23 of high quality chrome books in top condition to supple- mentYour help in enabling these improvements will lift the learning experience for all students. The Accounts Office is open from 8.00am to 4.00pm each day. Alternatively you can pay in one of the following ways. *via the parent portal link http:// kamarportal.mrgs.school.nz/student/index.php *This method is the preferred option via EFTPOS, VISA or MASTERCARD at the School Office by phone or in person. Direct Credit or Internet Banking payment can be made to Account No: 12-3033-0358045-02. Please include your child’s Student ID number in the reference column of the bank statement. SUCCESSFUL, POWERFUL LEARNERS …. ACTIVE AND RESPONSIBLE CITIZENS [TO CONTENTS] 3 MOUNT ROSKILL GRAMMAR SCHOOL NEWSLETTER FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 New Staff Members At Roskill At the start of this year we greeted a number of new staff at the Powhiri—we welcome them to our community of learners and look forward to the contributions they will make as they settle into their Roskill classrooms! Mrs. Janine Tupaea Associate Principal Ms. Aileen Chen Mathematics Mr. Terry Storer Associate Principal Ms. Stephanie Fraser Science Mr. Desmond Pemerika Deputy Principal Mr. Chris McGirr Science Mr. Kyle Rika Sports Director Mr. Finnian Webber Science Ms. Fiatamalia Clark International Ms. Nandita Katira Mathematics Office Ms. Margaret Va’aelua Languages Ms. Helen Netshidzivhani Design Mr. George Wolken Mathematics Ms. Beatrice Schumacher Community Education Mr. Tyler Benson Mathematics Mrs. Gillys Miller English Ms. Alda Chan International Office “Ship for World Youth Leaders” visits Mount Roskill Grammar School On Valentine’s day, 50 delegates from all over the world from the “Ship for World Youth Leaders” (SWY) visited MRGS to hear about MRGS’s Peer Mediation Service and NZ’s peace initiatives. This SWY programme is operated by the Japanese Government involving youth from Japan and many countries around the world. SUCCESSFUL, POWERFUL LEARNERS …. ACTIVE AND RESPONSIBLE CITIZENS [TO CONTENTS] 4 MOUNT ROSKILL GRAMMAR SCHOOL NEWSLETTER FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 “Ship for World Youth Leaders” visits Mt. Roskill Grammar (continued) It was an honour for MRGS Mediators to host this visit where we had presentations from the Peace Foundation, SOUL ( Save Our Unique Landscape campaign) and the MRGS Mediators past and present. The room was a buzz of conversations about peace, respect and social justice. As one Advanced Mediator, Bhavisha Punja says: “It was an amazing experience where we were encouraged to ‘BLOOM’ by Matt Renata, which stands for: “Be a Leader that Opens Others Minds”. That we can lead from the front, the back and the side. That we are today’s Leaders, and that everyone and anyone can make a change if you put your heart, mind and soul into it.... The event was like being with family where we all wanted the same things of peace and love for the world. It was also great hearing from the Ex MRGS Mediators as we learnt how mediation had changed their lives and how they still use the skills in their careers and life”. Ajay Ravindran who was a MRGS mediator in 2010 brought the delegates to MRGS. He states: “The powhiri was beautiful, and definitely served as the perfect introduction to Aotearoa, to Tāmaki Makaurau, and to Mt Roskill Grammar. The mihi by Mr Watson on behalf of the school and by Matt Re- nata on behalf of the manuhiri and participants also set the tone for the rest of the visit... I think the biggest round of applause has to be given to the MRGS students. I loved how open and eager they were with SUCCESSFUL, POWERFUL LEARNERS …. ACTIVE AND RESPONSIBLE CITIZENS [TO CONTENTS] 5 MOUNT ROSKILL GRAMMAR SCHOOL NEWSLETTER FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 Meet the New Members of the Senior Leadership Team Principal, Greg Watson (2nd left) welcomes Ms Janine Tupaea (far left), Mr Terry Storer (2nd right) and Mr Desmond Pemerika (far left) to the MRGS senior leadership team. Mr Terry Storer joins Mount Roskill Grammar School as Associate Principal after over 25 years in edu- cation. His career has taken him all over the world and he has worked in some of the most prestigious International schools in South America, Africa, the Middle East and Asia. Currently studying for a Doctoral degree, Terry is passionate about student leadership, providing op- portunities and pathways for every student and holistic education. In reflecting on his first few weeks at Mount Roskill Grammar School Terry said “Schools are often ex- ternally measured by exam results. These are already good at Mount Roskill Grammar and continue to improve. There is an underlying intangible for why students perform at these levels however; it is the heart and soul of the school – is the school a place where people want to come, are happy, feel safe and valued? Mount Roskill Grammar is all of those things and more. The diversity of the student body is a strength in a globalising world and is embraced and celebrated; it has become as much part of the fabric of the school as the buildings themselves. It is a fantastic place to come to every day and I am excited to get to know and understand the students, staff, parents and community even more over the coming weeks and months.” Terry is married and has two sons in year 8 and 10. SUCCESSFUL, POWERFUL LEARNERS …. ACTIVE AND RESPONSIBLE CITIZENS [TO CONTENTS] 6 MOUNT ROSKILL GRAMMAR SCHOOL NEWSLETTER FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 Meet the New Members of the Senior Leadership Team Mrs Janine Tupaea moved with her husband, 10 year old daughter and six year old son from the Wairarapa to take up the Associate Principal position at Mount Roskill Gram- mar.