Mangere College Term 3 Newsletter 2017 A word from the Principal It was great to see so many whanau at the recent PST’s. We always have very high numbers of families at these events and it is very positive to see all of the conversations happening. Many of our students are well on track to achieve our goal this year of 14+ credits for every student in every course and we are putting in place ways to help those students who are not on track. One of the biggest factors that help students to achieve is the support they receive from home. We really appreciate the effort that you make to support your child and we know it can make a big difference. Here are some things that you can do at home: · Ask your child how they are doing at school · Keep up to date with the number of credits they have and what is coming up · Talk to them after each exam or assessment about how it went · Support them when they have important exams and assessments The KAMAR app is very useful to stay up-to-date with how your child is going at school. If you did not receive a letter about the app at your PST then please contact the school. Tom Webb Principal of Mangere College Inside this issue: Welcome to new Staff.....................................................p2 NCEA Update/Library......................................................p3 Physical Education...........................................................p4 The Wholehearted/Wood Technology...................p5 Spirit of Adventure...........................................................p6/7 Shadow Tech Day.............................................................p8 Music......................................................................................p9 Calligraphy...........................................................................p10 Food Technology..............................................................p11 Term 4 Calendar................................................................p12 Page 4: New Fitness Room 2 Welcome to new Staff Rowena O’Neil Parwati Reddy Melissa Tualaulelei Rowena is the new Parwati joins Mangere Melissa has recently joined Operations Manager at College as the new the PE department and Mangere College. Before Accounting and Commerce teaches Health and Physical coming here, she worked teacher. Education. at New Zealand Post as She has previously worked She is a first-year teacher the Northern Regional at Auckland Girls Grammar, and has been studying Delivery Business Manager. One Tree Hill College, and teaching at Auckland Rowena’s weekends are Papatoetoe High School. University. consumed with family Parwati enjoys movies, Melissa spends a lot of first, closely followed by music, gardening, and time with family when she anything to do with All cooking. She also has isn’t teaching at Mangere Blacks and Canterbury an interest in her local College and is a Sunday rugby. She is also part of the community plus religious School Teacher in the Ulysses Motorcycle Club activities. weekend. along with her husband. Parwati is enjoying her time She has thoroughly enjoyed Rowena is really impressed so far at Mangere College her tutor class and the bond with the proactive, positive, with the rich cultural they have created since the recognition and celebration environment of students, beginning of the Term. of the cultural diversity teachers and senior within Mangere College leadership which promote and the support that has an open door policy. been provided. Important Health Notice 3 NCEA Update Our senior students are assessments. once again rising to the Parents and whānau can challenge of NCEA external support students as they exams. prepare for these exams. The level One Maths Common Discuss with them about Assessment Task has been how prepared they feel completed as have Tongan and support more time and Cook Islands exams. on homework and study However there are a number in the first four weeks of of exams still to come. We will term. NZQA have a Guide start with Te Reo Rangatira on available to download from Thursday November 9th and either the iTunes or Google finish with Samoan on Friday Play stores which explains 1st December. NCEA and also provides Next term students will be information about how have their second NCEA you can support family assembly, giving them the members studying. free to contact me with any opportunity to meet the Exam In addition we have plenty questions. Centre Manager, Ms Johnson, of booklets regarding Deborah Ward and find out about the NCEA which can be picked Deputy Principal necessary rules around these up from Reception or feel [email protected] NCEA Fees The school is required to collect these fees and send them through to NZQA. Although the deadline for this has passed we will keep collecting and sending those fees. After December 1st however NZQA imposes a $50 late fee so we want to ensure our whanau avoid this penalty. If you have any questions concerning fees get in touch with us or email [email protected]. Library On the 23rd of August, senior students volunteered to sell daffodils to staff and students of Mangere College. A total of $152 was collected and donated to the Cancer Society. The school received a warm letter of response from the Cancer Society: “The $152.00 you have raised is more than a gift of Cook Island money - it is a gift of comfort, care, and hope that will give Language Week crucial help to people whose We had our displays Daffodil lives have been affected by and various books to cancer. Thank you so very commemerate this week. Day much.” 4 Rock Climbing teaches responsibility On Wednesday the 23rd so that we could get good why it was important for us to of August our two sports grades for our assessment. make sure we demonstrated science classes went I liked the trip because it our responsible behaviours to Extreme Edge Rock helped me and others from well. It also gave us a chance Climbing in Panmure. both classes have an idea of to represent Mangere College The purpose of the trip how to rock climb and belay in a positive way. was to demonstrate our our partners. There is a level By Lathaniel Tuiatara responsible behaviours of risk in each activity that’s New Fitness Room ready for action The PE Department is very excited about the new-look Fitness room that has been created over the winter holidays. With the help of the First XV, Miss Potini, Miss McCosh and Piri we were able to decorate and fix up the room. We also got some new equipment including 10 spin bikes and 3 rowing machines from funding from The Lion Foundation. Students will get to use the room during PE lessons and can sign up to use it during Interval and Lunchtimes. By Mr Darragh 5 The Wholehearted inspires English students storytelling that explored journeys to being wholehearted. The show wove together different stories, devised by the actors. There were stories of a daughter remembering a loved one that has died, a child passionate about Dr. Who, a woman in search of love on Tinder, a boy suffering from rejection, and a character who finds his courage in Captain America. The mix of physical theatre, song, and dance made it an engaging thought-provoking performance. On Saturday the 9th Whole Hearted by Massive Thanks to the awesome of September eleven Theatre Company at Herald students, Ms Helen Nicholls students attended the Theatre, Aotea Centre. for organising the trip and Mr opening night of the 2017 Students enjoyed the Fifita for driving the mini-van. Auckland season of The heart-warming, humorous By Kyla Matatahi Wood Technology creations Anthony Ky Sivaa Talimalie, Sina 6 Spirit of Adventure 5-day trophy challenge I took 10 Year 10 students believed they were incapable students to realise that they on a trophy challenge in of completing some activities belonged on the ship, just June this year. For all of the and chose not to participate. like everyone else. The trip students, it was their first As the voyage continued, gave me the opportunity to time on a ship (or even a they started to realise that see the students in a different boat) and for some, it was they were just as capable as environment and learn their first time staying the other schools and their important things about them. away from home. confidence grew. This was It also gave the students the The students had no idea particularly evident when opportunity to learn about what to expect, or what they were praised for their themselves and what they was going to be expected of ability to do the housework are capable of. The students them. They were also placed (tidy up the ropes) after they are now looking ahead at the in an environment with had put a sail up, as one of the possibility of completing a 10- students who came from crew members said they were day voyage when they are 16 vastly different backgrounds the best at it. This allowed the years old. and cultures. Although they were nervous at first and stayed close together, by the end of the voyage they had learned to venture out of their comfort zone and had made connections with students from other schools. Our students were challenged physically and emotionally and at times, they believed that they didn’t belong on the ship with the other schools. However, by the end of the trip, they were able to overcome this mindset. At the start of the trip, they 7 We have had 4 students complete a 10-day voyage. 10-day voyages All of the students have come back and said that the voyage was life- changing for them. They undertook leadership roles and made connections with other students which continued after the trip had finished. One of the students said that she was meeting up regularly with the friends she had made on the ship.