Kamo High School: School Community

School Community

Location

Kamo High School was established in 1960. It is situated close to the northern boundary of Whangarei and serves the Whau Valley - Kamo area as well as the rural districts to the north, west and north east. These extend as far as Ngaiotonga-Bland Bay, Purua and Whananaki. Fifty percent of the school's students must travel by bus.

The school has a catchment of over 10,000 people. Approximately twenty-five percent of the population is Maori and twenty-five percent of the population is under the age of twenty five. Less than 2% of the population is Pacifica. Some sectors in this community currently has one of the highest unemployment rates in New Zealand.

Structure

Kamo High School is a co-educational, multi-course, Year 9 – 13+ school with nine hectares of grounds providing a pleasant, attractive environment.

The school is arranged in five whanau - Moana, Kaha, Rangi, Tapere and Waima. Each whanau is made up of a group of vertical forms. Each form consists of approximately 27 students from Year Nine to Year Thirteen plus. This encourages students to mix widely and provides a family group for their support. Where practical, students remain in the same vertical form with the same teacher while they are at school.

Kamo High School has a senior management team comprising the Principal, three Senior Managers and Executive Officer. Every teacher is responsible for ensuring appropriate learning and behaviour in their classes. Where assistance is required the Dean system is the heart of the school’s discipline and also complements the pastoral support services provided by the Student Support Centre. Every subject has a Head of Department who is responsible for the preparation and delivery of the curriculum, the organisation of appropriate equipment and resources and the support of teachers in maximising student progress. There is a strong student support ethos, with extensive guidance available from a modern Student Support Centre.

School Facilities

The school has been fortunate that many of its buildings have been upgraded and extended recently. Special facilities exist for the teaching of computing, word processing, computer graphics and multimedia productions. As well, there is a state of the art Science block; a Technology block which includes design rooms; two gymnasiums, one of which was opened in 2003; a new Arts block opened in 2004, providing the most modern facilities for the wide range of “Arts” subjects offered at the school; a swimming pool; a library; a stationery shop; a canteen, three major sports fields and a new sports astro-turf.

Core Values

Academic Excellence
Innovative
Passion for learning
High personal expectations
Respect and consideration
Citizenship
Loyalty and pride
Positive learning environment

Teaching Classes

A high priority is given to keeping all classes as small as possible. Opportunities are being offered for students to work at a pace appropriate to their achievement so that some senior students study one or two subjects at a year level in advance of their other subjects. Extensive research has lead to significant changes being introduced into the junior programme. From an organisational perspective, this has resulted in a reduction in the number of teachers responsible for the core programmes of the Year 9 and 10 classes which have been introduced into the innovation. Students and teachers are far better able to know each other, and teachers therefore able to more effectively cater for the individual needs of their students. Of equal significance has been the emphasis placed on programmes which promote student thinking and independence in their learning. There is an opportunity for programmes to be cross-curricular, and an expectation that as much importance is placed on the process of learning as on the contact and product of that learning An emphasis on the use of technologies is also central to the approach expected. This approach is consistent with the requirements placed on the school to give particular attention to numeracy and literacy.

International students

Kamo High School hosts students from a wide range of countries around the world. The International Student Programme was established in 2001 and is currently working through our second “three-year business plan”. The students study a full academic programme and are able to participate in an extensive range of activities outside the classroom. Their time at Kamo High School allows them a unique opportunity to study, play and live in a typical New Zealand environment. The international staff are committed to the well-being of students and as a signatory of the Ministry of Education Code of Practice for Pastoral Care of International Students, ensure that all requirements are met.

Newsletters

Regular communication with the home is seen as an important feature of the school. Approximately twelve school newsletters are published each year, and distributed in accordance with a schedule published in the first communication with our families, posted annually in January each year. Additional newsletters are also sent home to keep caregivers informed of special occasions and events. The annual posting forwarded to all families during January includes vital information for reference throughout the year, such as the school calendar, qualifications and assessment details, and matters of an administrative nature.

Uniform

All students (except Year 13+) must wear correct uniform at all times. Every endeavour has been made to adopt a uniform which is fair, practical, inexpensive and suitable for the school. It is reviewed regularly by a committee chaired by the Senior Manager – Students, and includes parent, Board, student and staff representatives.

Fees

The Parent Contribution is a donation towards covering part of the cost of sports equipment, magazine, educational, cultural and sports activities for which Government funds are not available.

Charges are also made to cover part of the cost of project materials used in some subjects, such as specialist Technology, Art and Photography.

Extra-Curricular Activities

Students are encouraged to participate in a wide variety of sporting, cultural, leadership and social activities, as well as a variety of opportunities to provide service to others. Assistance from interested parents is welcomed and valued.

Sports:

Aerobics, Athletics, Badminton, Basketball, Beach Volleyball, Board Sailing, Cricket, Cross Country, Cycling, Diving – scuba and snorkelling, Duathlon, Equestrian, Golf, Hockey, Kayaking, Mountain Biking, Netball, Orienteering, Outrigger Canoe, Rugby, Rugby League, Sailing, Shooting, Soccer, Softball, Squash, Surfing, Swimming, Table Tennis, Tennis, Touch, Tramping, Trap Shooting, Triathlon, Volleyball,

Clubs:

Debating, Christian Fellowship, Chess.

Music:

Students have the opportunity to learn to play instruments or join singing groups. Some instruments can be hired from the school. There is a variety of choirs and instrumental groups.

Drama:

The Performing Arts department produces evening performances as part of their curriculum programme. There is a school production every second year.

Leadership:

Prefects, Ambassadors, Arts Council, Sports Council.

Service to Others:

Environment Committee, Kiwi Buddies, MUNA, SADD, STAB, Welcoming Committee.

Socials/Ball:

A student leadership committee arranges socials, and the School Ball.

Culture:

The school provides an opportunity for a variety of cultural activities including a strong Kapa Haka group. Language week highlights the uniqueness of the many diverse cultures we have in our school.

YES/YEP:

Students have achieved national success in the Young Enterprise Scheme, which is now an integral part of the Enterprise Certificate of Management course at Years 11 and 12, and we have been one of the few schools participating in the Young Entrepreneur Programme, an international first in this area of student business opportunity.

Students are encouraged to participate in a wide variety of sporting, cultural and social activities. Assistance from interested parents is welcomed and valued.

Duke of Edinburgh:

The Duke of Edinburgh Award is a non-competitive programme of activities designed to challenge the individuals taking part. There are three main levels, Gold, Silver and Bronze with each level having sections on: Expedition, Service, Skills and Physical Recreation. There are a wide range of different activities offered for the expedition including Mountain Biking, Horse Trekking, Cycling, Kayaking, Boating, Tramping and many more.

Community

Parents/Caregivers

Kamo High School values a close liaison with families and encourages all sections of the community to see the school as their school. All parents and caregivers of Kamo High School students are welcome in the school and are greatly valued for the support they offer.

During the year students are issued with written reports which detail progress and comment on attitude and work habits. There are also regular meet-the-teacher days organised for parents to discuss the progress of their sons and daughters with the teachers. In addition, parents who have particular concerns about matters affecting the progress of their sons or daughters are urged to discuss these with staff.

Maori Community Involvement

Kamo High School has a strong commitment to the Treaty of Waitangi and actively pursues enhanced educational opportunities for its Maori students. A Maori Parent Support Group works voluntarily in the school. They provide advice and support for Maori students and their whanau. The volunteers’ contribution and dedication is greatly valued by the school and avenues for further strengthening this service are always welcomed. The Kaumatua of the MPSG also provide guidance and leadership in ensuring the school manages important occasions in a way which is culturally appropriate.

Board of Trustees

This is the governing body of the school to which are elected parent, staff and student representatives. These elections are held every three years (except for student representatives who are elected annually). The current Chairperson is Mrs Claire Watts. Monthly public meetings are held at the school, and notification of the dates are included in the regular school newsletter.

Parent-Teacher Association

An energetic PTA works hard to support the activities of the school to provide ideas and feedback and assist in future planning where appropriate. The Annual Meeting is held early in the year at which time the key officers are elected. Parents are urged to support the PTA in its worthwhile work. The current Chairperson is Mrs Jenny Powell. Meetings are generally held on the first Wednesday of the month.

Community Education

For many years Kamo High School has been seen as the provider of programmes for adults to experience educational opportunities outside normal school hours through the management of what has become known throughout the city as Community Education-Whangarei. Over 3000 tutorial hours per year have enabled people to access the resources of the school and improve their occupational skills, enjoy recreational activities or more effectively learn how to cater for the services they are offering in our community. There are also many occasions on which local industry utilise the resources and expertise available to increase effectiveness through staff training.

In 2004 the way in which Community Education is managed underwent significant changes from central government, and these will continue into the next three years, potentially impacting in ways which will affect the opportunities the school has to continue this valuable service.

The Community Education-Whangarei programme is co-ordinated by Shona Hill of Kamo High School.

Shona's email: cew@kamohigh.school.nz

CEW's website: www.cew.ac.nz

Industry in Whangarei

The economy of Northland has enjoyed a strong upturn in the last two years growing by 4.5% in the year ending March 2004 (National Bank of New Zealand). It is one of the strongest areas of growth in New Zealand. This has been accompanied by a significant increase in the numbers of people in employment and a corresponding decline in the numbers of unemployed.

The key areas for growth are identified as forestry, agriculture, horticulture and aquaculture, tourism, hospitality, retail, building, construction and transport.

An exciting development for Whangarei is the successful gaining of the Tenix Naval contract which recommences in 2005.

Skills shortages are the main concern facing the Whangarei economy with employers experiencing difficulty finding workers with skill and experience in the sectors which are growing.

These issues are widely acknowledged as of concern and there have been a number of responses, the most relevant for us being the Youth Transition Service to be implemented in 2005.

Gateway

In 2003 Kamo High School instituted a “Gateway” programme through funding specially received for this purpose. The need for students to understand the relationship between their school learning, and business and employment has long been recognised as important. The school is fortunate in being part of the "Gateway" initiative, in which students have a variety of opportunities to experience the commercial environment. A feature of the Gateway programme is the inclusion of work-based assessment from which there is the opportunity to gain unit standards. A significant number of senior students now spend time in work situations organised in close consultation with the appropriate staff. While this sees a continuation of the experiences those involved in the past have had through courses such as Hospitality and Tourism, it also provides opportunities for others not enrolled in courses which have such a direct employment link become familiar with employment possibilities in line with their skills and interests.

The staff involved in administering the Gateway programme are constantly looking at ways in which even greater numbers of students can benefit, and even wider post-school opportunities can be offered.