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Newsletters

Index:
Principal's message
Board of Trustees
Student News
Defensive driving courses
International
Homestays
Library
Student Support Centre
Arts Department
Sports
Events calendar

March 2006

Dear Parents

Kia Ora Tena Katou Katoa

I apologise for the length of this Newsletter, but there are a number of very important things which need to be brought to your attention, and I ask that you read what is contained here carefully.

It has been a very busy, but very successful start to the year. I suspect you are aware that we have had more students return, and more students enrol than we had anticipated. (You will be interested to know that currently we have over 1240 students on our roll – in excess of 70 students more than we had originally anticipated.) While this is very positive in many ways, it has created some additional pressures, and the need for changes in some of our classes. I am confident that these are now finalised and no further changes are anticipated.

NEW STAFF:

Mainly because of the increased number of students on our roll, we have made several staff appointments since you received the first newsletter. I would like to formally welcome the following staff to the school:

• David Lemire (English)
• Joe Mahanga (Kaiawhina)
• Julie Matene (Gateway Coordinator)
• Tanea Napeka (Learning Support)
• Johnny Paotama (Dance and Physical Education)
• Geoff Prentice (History, English and Science)
• Neeru Puri (Information Technology and Science)
• Doug Smeal (Learning Support)

WILKINSON AVENUE TRAFFIC:

We have always felt concern for student safety, particularly at the end of the day, caused by the behaviour of traffic in Wilkinson Avenue. This year seems to be even worse than previously, and I would ask that all who use this road appreciate the importance of keeping to the maximum 20kph while driving past the school buses. The police are targeting speeds past schools this year, but concentrating mainly on the 50kph urban road speed. That is significantly too fast for traffic going past a large number of buses with several hundred students getting on and off them, as is the case outside our school every afternoon.

I would also request that parents avoid collecting your sons and daughters from there, at least until after 3.35, if it is at all possible. Arrange to pick them up further from the school, or a little later please. Cars stopping in bus bays, double parking and parking across driveways add to an already very dangerous situation.

VANDALISM:

For some reason we have had more vandalism over the Christmas holidays, continuing through to the present, than we have had for many years. The culprits involved in damaging our property and misusing our facilities range in age, and include those who have a direct connection with the school and those who do not. In addition to the expense caused by these people, it adds significantly to the work load, stress and distress of staff who should not have to put up with what is happening.

While we get wonderful support from the police, in too many cases there is little they can do with the culprits even when they are caught, because of their age. The only satisfactory response we as a school can make is to issue trespass notices against offenders, and the community needs to be aware that this course of action is one we will take in future. Where that involves current students it obviously compromises their entitlement to continue as pupils of this school. Can I stress with parents that it is really important you know where your sons and daughters are – and I recommend you do not assume that they are with “the friend” they say they are spending the night with unless you know the parents of that friend, and know there will be adequate supervision. There is absolutely no reason, in my opinion, for young teenagers to be wandering our streets in the middle of the night, and the consequences of their actions can be significant. They need to appreciate that, and have the message reinforced by those who are responsible for their wellbeing.

PARENT ASSISTANCE:

We are wondering if any supporter of the school would have a post rammer to assist us in erecting the boundary fence on the Eastern end of our property. The reclaiming of land there is now complete, and we are eager to erect the fence to improve the security of that portion of our grounds. If you are in a position to assist, I would appreciate you contacting Mrs Shirley Kearney, school Executive Officer.

COMMUNICATION:

Fundamental to the way in which we operate is the importance we place on open and regular communication between the school and home. There are a number of formal avenues for this to occur – these Newsletters, written reports, “Meet the Teachers” evenings, parent teacher interviews, PTA meetings are some of the main examples . It is also important that you make contact on an individual basis promptly if there are any issues which you would like to discuss. If you talk to someone in our main office about the matter you wish to raise you will be advised who would be the most appropriate person to approach, and an appointment made. The earlier we hear of concerns, the sooner we can work together to address matters, the faster and more effectively we will together be able to achieve a positive outcome.

I would also ask that parents be understanding with regarding to getting messages to your sons or daughters. You will appreciate that for the office to find a student to deliver a message, or perhaps get them to pick up their lunch, can be very time-consuming. Obviously we will do all we can to contact students in emergencies, or when there is an unexpected need, but we do ask that you keep these requests to a minimum.

CELLPHONES:

While cellphones are really useful, and for some students important for them to be able to carry, they are also potentially extremely disruptive and dangerous. The school has two simple rules:

- Year 9 and 10 students are not allowed to bring cellphones to school. Exceptions will be made in exceptional circumstances, but a request in writing from the caregiver must be made to the appropriate Dean, giving the reason. Where the need is agreed to, the student will be given a laminated pass.

- Senior students may have cellphones with them, but they must be turned off and left in bags at all times during lessons.

Where these simple rules are broken, the cellphone will be impounded and only returned to a caregiver who comes in to collect it. The school accepts absolutely no responsibility for the safety of cellphones, and as a general rule staff will not be expected to spend time investigating any losses.

I intend spending a little longer in the next newsletter, discussing some of the dangers that young people are exposed to, both through cellphones and computer/internet access. 

PREFECTS:

One of the really pleasant responsibilities we have at the commencement of each year is to appoint our Prefect team and the Head Prefects. I have great pleasure in letting parents know that this year our Head Prefects are:

And the prefects who have been appointed are:

A further opportunity for prefect appointments will occur towards the end of this term.

STUDENT SUCCESS:

Congratulations to Natasha Foster for her success in Redraft, the annual national competition for teenage writers. Her work has been published in “Cupid On Friday Night”, the fifth book in the redraft series of collections of teenage poetry and prose. This is a great achievement – the equivalent of a sportsperson winning a national title. Well done Natasha.

Finally from me for this newsletter, you have already received communication from the Board Chairperson about my resignation at the end of Term 2. I would like to further acknowledge that this is occurring, and I will obviously write to you with some farewell comments and acknowledgements closer to that time.

Richard L Abel

Principal

2 March 2006

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

As you will have read in my letter sent home to all families last week, our Principal, Richard Abel, is resigning at the end of Term 2.  Richard has been Principal of our school for the last 15 years and his progressive and visionary leadership has contributed significantly to the way our school meets the challenges of educating young people today and our strategic direction for the future.   Board members recognise the huge responsibility now placed upon them to appoint a new Principal and we are currently working through the appointments process in partnership with education recruitment specialists who will advise and support the Board over the next few months.  Thank you to those of you who responded with ideas and thoughts on the person description.  The position will be advertised in March and the full Board will be involved in the interviews and decision making.   We will keep you informed of progress. 

In the meantime it is 'business as usual' and for the large team of support staff who are employed in the school that means the usual busy start to the school year.   We have about 40 support persons whose many and varied roles include office reception, administration, accounts, student support, library assistance, dean's support, caretaker, grounds staff and supervisors, learning support,  curriculum and technical support, executive officer, arts and sports co-ordinators, principal's secretary -  just to name a few.  If you visit or phone the school it may well be one of these people you first have contact with, but many of these staff work mostly 'behind the scenes'.  I would like to acknowledge and recognise the huge contribution support staff make to the day to day running of the school and the essential support they provide to the teaching staff. 

  Claire Watts - Chairperson

HOMEWORK CENTRE

Once again this year the library is open after school until 4.30pm Tuesday to Thursday afternoons. All students are able to use the library facilities during this time. Teaching staff will be present to offer tutorials for different subjects. The timetable of subjects will be advertised to the students through the daily notices during form time. Students who used this facility last year expressed appreciation for how helpful it was, so we ask you to encourage your child to make use of the extra help provided – we want them to achieve highly!

SCHOOL UNIFORM

The new school uniform looks wonderful on our students. The logos on the shirts and shorts make it possible to now readily identifying students at Kamo High School. The shorts for the girls are very popular and they feel very comfortable in them. The senior uniform, especially for the boys, has been far more popular than we anticipated, with many choosing to wear the new uniform. This unexpected popularity has made it a little difficult for our suppliers, who have been working hard to meet the demand. Most students who have placed orders have now received their uniforms and by the end of next week more stocks should be readily available. We thank you for your patience during this transition phase.

Please assist us in maintaining our high standards of uniform by checking that your child is not wearing any ‘extras’. These include coloured T-Shirts underneath their school uniform shirts, hip bands, multi-coloured caps, and socks with sandals.

If you have any comments that will help us improve the school uniform even further, please let us know.

HARASSMENT PREVENTION

We do not accept harassment at Kamo High School. To improve our systems, towards the end of last year Jan Eggelton (who has done a lot of work for the Human Rights Commission) facilitated workshops for all our staff on harassment prevention. She also trained about 15 staff as ‘contact people’. Last Monday Jan returned to Kamo High School and trained 17 students and three more staff members as contact people.

If a student or staff member is being harassed, they can approach a contact person. The role of the contact person is to let a complainant know that they will be treated appropriately in accordance with our procedures, and protected against victimization. The role of the contact person is to listen to concerns and complaints, and assist complainants to find ways of resolving their issue. The procedures for our harassment prevention will be advertised to all students over the coming weeks. If you would like to view a copy of our harassment prevention policy, please contact the school office.

Kaiawhina

We welcome Mr Joe Mahanga who we have recently employed as a Kaiawhina. He will work at Kamo High School from 11.30am each day. Mr Mahanga’s role is to support and awhi selected Maori students to ensure that they are successful at school.

CONTINUAL DISOBEDIENCE

The large majority of our students are well behaved and comply with the basic expectations and rules we have at Kamo High School. Their attitude, behaviour, and relationships with others make our school community a positive place to learn.

Unfortunately there are a few students who continue to push the boundaries and repeatedly not follow the rules. This year we are implementing a system whereby breaches of the school rules and basic expectations will result in demerit points. Demerit points have been allocated dependent on the offence, and these range from five to 25 points.

If a student receives 50 points, their Year level Dean will telephone parents and inform them of the continual misbehaviour.

If a student reaches 75 points, the Year Level Dean will meet with the student and his/her caregivers.

If a student reaches 100 points, the Senior Manager will meet with the student and his/her caregivers. Further disciplinary action will be decided at this meeting.

It is hoped that through closely monitoring these students they will be able to find the maturity to bring about the necessary positive change.

Karen Crowe – Senior Manager Students

DEFENSIVE DRIVING COURSES

Kamo High School offers to their senior students the opportunity to participate in a defensive driving course. These courses are held three or four times a year, with approximately fourteen places in each course. When a course is advertised in the student notices, the student must collect a form from the front office, have their parent or guardian sign the form, fill in all their details and return the form to the front office with their payment. Courses are subsidised considerably by the school, so students are able to do this valuable course at a reduced cost.

Students must have held their restricted licence for at least six months before being eligible to do a defensive driving course.

If your son or daughter would like to participate in a defensive driving course through the school, ask them to keep watch in the student notices.

Dawn Dahlberg – HOD Assistant

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT DEPARTMENT

Another diverse group of students have commenced studying at Kamo High School. They are:

We are busy this term with promoting Kamo High School to our overseas agencies. Obviously, competition is fierce, but, we believe we present a very attractive option for International Students. New Zealand students and Whangarei residents can, and do, gain huge benefits from their presence. We thank you for your support in welcoming the students.

Gaylene Sanford - International Student Coordinator

HOMESTAYS REQUIRED!!

Due to a great response to recent marketing we are expecting new international students in both terms 2 and 3 from Asian countries, in particular; Korea, Japan, Thailand and Vietnam. This is really exciting for our school community as it further adds to the richness and diversity of our school culture. These students are looking for homestay who will give then a taste of “Kiwi” life and include them in their families. These students come from cultures that value study and hard work. They have been excellent role models at Kamo High School, including prefects, and also representing the school in different sports. If you think you would like to find out more about hosting an international student please complete the form at the back of this newsletter.

Michelle White – Homestay Co-ordinator

LIBRARY

There are quite a number of people who still have library books from last year. We would appreciate the prompt return of these either to the library or the school office.   

Alyson Gates – Library

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STUDENT SUPPORT CENTRE

We welcome new students to the school. If any of your sons and daughters are feeling confused or overwhelmed by the new school environment, remember that there are friendly support staff available to assist. Tell them to make an appointment at the Student Support Centre.

The sick bay is also in the SSC. We do not give out any medication to students unless we have received a signed medication form from you with the medication. If your child requires antihistamine for stings, panadol for headaches, or any other medication, please give me a call in the Student Support Centre so that we can arrange this.

On these very hot days many students get headaches if they do not drink enough water, so please parents remind your kids to bring a drink bottle or drink lots of water from the taps at school. Wear sunscreen and your hat in the sun.

Lynette Patterson – Student Support Centre

ARTS DEPARTMENT  

The new school year has begun with a great start. We welcome to our Arts’ Team Johnny Paotama. Johnny comes to us with a wealth of experience in all aspects of cultural, formal and contemporary New Zealand dance.

The 2006 Arts Council has had its first meeting and a number of groups have been formed to arrange up and coming events. We welcome them all on board for 2006 and thank them for their dedication to the arts.

We have a number of trips in the pipe line, starting with a visit to Auckland University to watch the outdoor performance of Comedy of Errors by university students. This is available to Year 11, 12 and 13 Performing Arts students. Year 11 Art classes will visit the Whangarei Art Museum to view two exhibitions: “Kupe Sites”, photography by Michael Hall, and “Shadow on the Land”, by Eric Lee Johnston. A group of Year 12 and 13 Photography and Art students will visit the Auckland Art Gallery.

In the Dance area a group will once again be attending the Pacifica Festival in Auckland. Th is year we have set up weekly visits for any student interested in visiting local art galleries. At the cost of $5.00 the school mini bus will collect interested persons outside the Arts Department at beginning of lunch and will return before the end of lunch. A great opportunity for students to view local art works.

The Rockquest Festival is on again - the heats start on Sunday 11 th June - all interested be in.

Kay Haigh - Arts Co-ordinator

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SPORTS

What an awesome start to the sporting year at Kamo High School when we can share in the wonderful recent achievements of some of our students at national level.

SIMONE ACKERMANN - 2 nd Junior Girls 1500m at NZ Secondary

Schools Athletics Champs in December 2005.

STACEY MICHELSEN - Selected in NZ Under 18s Hockey Team to go to tournament in Singapore later in the year, AND placed 4 th Junior Girls 400m at NZ Secondary Schools Athletics Champs in December 2005.

AMY REEDER and

SIOBHAN MacDONALD - Selected in NZ Junior Tae Kwon Do to compete

at the World Champs in Honduras later this year.

SAMANTHA PETERS - won 3 North Island Show Jumping

Championship titles (Junior Rider, Rookie

Rider, Pony 1.20m speed champion)

There may be other achievements that I have not heard about, so please contact me with any sporting news.

Our SWIMMING SPORTS DAY was held last week and results of Whanau points and Swimming Champions are:

1 st         Waima              330 points

2 nd        Kaha                 315 points

3 rd         Moana              305 points

4 th         Tapere              285 points

5 th         Rangi                225 points

School Champs:          Junior Boys      Simon Phillips

                                    Junior Girls       Kelly Durham

                                    Senior Boys      Matthew Bodman

                                    Senior Girls      Simone Ackermann

It was a great day, with huge participation from students and staff, loads of cheering and laughing, and generally everyone having a good time.

Congratulations to all those students who participated. Further congratulations to our Champions and those who represented us at the Northland Secondary Schools Champs at Bay College on Tuesday 28 th Feb.

The boys’ and girls’ senior VOLLEYBALL TEAMS played in the recent NSSSA preliminary tournaments and both qualified top seed for the finals day on 17 th March. The Senior Boys are travelling to Christchurch to compete in the nationals at the end of the month. Under the guidance of former staff member, Jason Woods, they are practising 5 times a week (including 2 early morning sessions) and are working very hard to emulate the result most of these players had when Juniors (NZ Division 1 bronze medals in 2002). Any sponsorship businesses can offer would be much appreciated as the costs involved (air fares, accommodation, vans, etc) are extremely high. Please phone the Sports Office if you are able to assist.

The 1 st XI CRICKET TEAM (coached by Quentin Cherrington) has just started the Robertson Shield competition, their first game being against WBHS last weekend and their next two games to play against Northland Secondary School teams over the next few weeks. Saturday competition in the Men’s Reserve Grade continues. The Under 15s Team (coached by Steve Goddard) are competing in the Saturday morning competition and the Girls Cricket Team will play in the Leaf Cup Tournament on 12 th, 13 th & 14 th March. Cricket subs for the Feb-April season, which cover the cost of balls and team registration to Whangarei/Northland Cricket Assn, are $40 for the 1 st XV and $20 for the Under 15s, payable to the school office as soon as possible please.

HOCKEY - Trials are presently underway for the girls striving for the 1 st XI, 2 nd XI and 3 rd XI teams and Collegiate rallies will be following shortly. We have fewer boys keen to play, but will hold a rally and finalise grades etc. shortly. There is now a 1/3 rd size sand turf at school which will be used for some trainings so this could help reduce the subs for 2006. Some parents have already put their hands up for coaching, but more are required along with keen managers. Phone me, please.

Games begin: Premier Women Saturday 1 st April

Reserve Men & Div 1 Men Thursday 23 rd March

Div 1 & 2 Women Saturday 1 st April

Collegiate Girls Monday 1 st May

Collegiate Boys Tuesday 2 nd May

NETBALL - Trials have been held and teams are currently being sorted. The season will start on Saturday 1 st April with two weeks of grading, followed by a two week break for school holidays and then recommencing on Saturday 29 th April. From the number of players who have signed up, it is possible that we will have 7 or 8 teams. So far we have only 4 coaches, so volunteers are definitely needed to ensure all our teams can compete. All players should have paid their $10 trial fee by now, which secures them a team place and is the first instalment on their sub.

RUGBY - Prospective 1 st XV players are into training already with their coaches (Tim Eves and Brad Kini) Fitness trainings for all rugby players are being held each Wednesday after school. Numbers are looking good for a JB7s, JB8s and JB9s teams also, but more players are welcome. We have some good coaches and managers ‘ready, willing and able’, together with a staff liaison person for each team.

IMPORTANT EVENTS DURING TERM 1:

It’s very exciting looking ahead to all the events our students can be involved in during the next few weeks. Reminder to some students that there are a number of uniforms still to be returned from last year, and a few sports overdue payments which need to be cleared before this year’s sports begin.

More results and news next month!

Gloria Miller - SPORTS COORDINATOR

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