Issue 4 - April 2021
Reflections
VALUES
PURPOSE
Strive for excellence Kimihia tōu ake maungaga teitei
Let Learning Enlighten Life
Working together Whakakotahitanga
Ōtūmoetai College is an inclusive learning community where identity, optimism and challenge form the foundation for all learners to flourish in a dynamic world. The learning environment will enable students to achieve their personal best in their academic studies, the arts, sporting and cultural pursuits. During their journey, our students will grow into powerful learners who embrace diversity, resilience and develop meaningful relationships with others. This is our purpose and our commitment.
Ōtūmoetai College Contacts Enrolments Greg Burnard (Deputy Principal) gburnard@otc.school.nz Office Gwen Livingston 576 2316 glivingston@otc.school.nz Friends of Ōtūmoetai College Emma Copeman pta@otc.school.nz Extra Curricular Contacts Sport - Paul Braddock (Director) pbraddock@otc.school.nz Music - Matt Bodman (HOD) mbodman@otc.school.nz Performing Arts - Mandy Rowe (HOD) mrowe@otc.school.nz Māori Performing Arts - Kuni Williams (HOD) kwilliams@otc.school.nz
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Respect one and all Whakakoha tētahi ki tētahi Standing strong Tū pakari i te ao
FEATURES 06 07 08 10 16 18 19 22 24 25 26 33 38
Education Review An Interview with Neil Harray - ERO Otumoetai College School Goals Student Leaders 2021 An Interview with Year 13 Deans An Interview with Kaitiaki Deputy Principal Whare / House System Whare Leaders 2021 An interview with Year 9 Deans Year 9’s Thoughts and Goals Senior Art Exhibition Introducing our Front Office Staff Marine Research Teacher Scholarship
REGULARS 03 From the Principal 04 Board of Trustees Chair 05 Editorial 17 Deputy Principal of Achievement 28 Sport 30 Student Celebrations 32 IT 34 New Staff 39 Staff Celebrations 40 Where are they now? 42 From the Archives 43 Calendar
Message from the Principal Welcome to our first Reflections magazine of the year. At Ōtūmoetai College we strive to provide a learning environment that enables students to reach their personal best in their academic studies, the arts, sporting and cultural pursuits. Our goal is for students to Mr Russell Gordon, grow into powerful thinkers Principal and learners who will embrace diversity, resilience as well as developing meaningful relationships with others.
It is true that what students know, can do or believe will vary across our classrooms. I believe that it is our teacher’s relationship with their students that help to bridge this gap.
2020 was certainly a year that taught us much about developing resilience, it is my hope that 2021 will be an uninterrupted year that will allow us to focus more on embracing what it is to be a powerful thinker and learner.
We want every student at Ōtūmoetai College to believe that ‘THEY CAN’, in order that they get to that place where they can look back at their time at Ōtūmoetai College and say, “I DID!”.
Because of the different needs of our students, teachers are required to be more responsive by adapting their programmes of learning to better suit our students. The following link is an example of a Year 9 programme of work that was deliberately developed to help bridge this divide. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BlB wOWhvDkQOCEigHhZ2uQI35etoIcCIs7q33YF0yhc/ edit?usp=sharing
In order to achieve these outcomes, we recognise that teaching is not simply the transfer of facts and figures. Effective teaching involves a high level of commitment to our students so as to enable them to be able to think more independently and effectively. Graham Nuthall states that effective teaching is about knowing what students believed, knew, could do before they were exposed to a new topic or standard, and what these same students believed, knew, and could do after they learnt that topic or standard. He goes on to argue that learning, of whatever kind, is about change, and unless the teacher knows what has changed in the minds, skills, and attitudes of their students, the teacher cannot really know how effective they have been. 3
Board of Trustees Chairperson COVID-19 has made an unwelcome return to our country early this year. As we change once again through alert levels, what has remained true has been the unifying mantra that ‘we have beaten this thing before and we will beat it again’, which can be heard echoing around the staffroom and classrooms of Ōtūmoetai College. Considering the year that has been, I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge our staff for their professionalism and care they have so ably demonstrated towards our students over these past few months. I appreciate the extra work it must have taken to set up distance learning programmes when we first went into lockdown. I salute your resilience in ensuring that our students would continue to learn, albeit from home. I also recognise the fact that our students have continued to receive high quality learning opportunities on their return to school, through Alert Level 2 and into Level 1. We were all getting used to life returning to normal when, seemingly out of nowhere, COVID-19 re-emerged, bringing with it new and complex challenges. Would we go back into lockdown? Would we resume distance learning? Are we ready to do so? These were the questions the board was asking of the school. What we learned was that the staff of this college didn’t have the luxury of guesswork, they were prepared, just in case. This last year has been anything but normal and I would like to express my gratitude to Ōtūmoetai College staff on behalf of the board for all that they have done, and continue to do in order to support and uphold our students learning and well-being. Thank you for navigating this ‘new normal’ and for providing an unwavering support to our students. We are proud of you and your efforts!
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Mr Matthew King Board of Trustees Chairperson
Editorial The summer holidays allow for a time of reflection on the year that was, and the year that is to be. School is a busy place, made up of so many different aspects, each of them capable of having a transformative impact on our young people. When thinking about individual students, it is a difficult task to take one aspect in isolation in order to determine its impact on that student. The same can be said of trying to define or rank a school by their NCEA results. The media love to use these statistics and put them into league tables in order to ‘prove’ the relative merits of one local secondary school verses another. Reducing the entire performance of any school to a simple number is, in my opinion, fraught with uncertainty. Certainly, a number can be used when we want to see if one person or team is performing better than another, for example in golf, sailing, cricket, netball etc. However, if we were to use similar criteria for judging a profession, that measure of comparison would be, at the very least, inadequate. I would argue that passengers on a plane would gain very little comfort if an airline pilot was to announce, “Ladies and gentlemen I am proud
to announce that my score on the aviation exam was better than my competitors, however I am still a little unsure as to how I land this plane.” In such matters, it is best not to compare pilots with pilots, but, instead, their ability to achieve required aviation standards, i.e. an equal number of take-offs to landings. On matters that are deadly serious we should base our comparisons not on a simple score, but on standards. In matters of less importance, e.g. sport, comparative measurements are more appropriate. The validity of representing schools based on raw scores devoid of some kind of school context is, for me, the crux of the matter. Presenting a school as a figure on a league table does not take into account prior attainment, student progress, or social composition. While social commentators would love to see these numbers, the Tomorrows’ School competitive model under which we currently operate could conceivably lead to schools narrowing their teaching focus, competing for the “best” students, and rejecting those who fall behind. A reliance on league tables for the public to determine the health of any school would have the effect of removing the heart of an educational institution. Whilst I believe that improving the academic performance of students is the key role in any school, this is not all that we do. Schools are driven by a moral purpose to produce citizens who contribute positively to their communities. How could a league table represent the 400 Otumoetai College students who took part in the Community Service Day last year? This event alone speaks to the folly of a mark on a league table. We must always keep in mind that schools, and especially the individuals within them, are so much more than a number.
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Education Review The Education Review Office (ERO) is the New Zealand government department that reviews and reports on the performance of early learning services, kura and schools. Ōtūmoetai College last went through an ERO review in 2016, and it is time for us to enter into a new cycle of review in 2021. This years’ review will have a different shape and feel to it. ERO’s new review format will be a more collaborative and tailored approach in order for ERO to better understand our school’s individual context, culture, strengths and needs. This review will follow a more flexible approach to ensure the model is practical and can be refined and improved over time.
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Neil Harray will be Otumoetai College’s ERO reviewer, or evaluation partner using the new parlance, and he will bring an evidence-informed approach that focuses on the things that we know from research and practice make the biggest difference to schools. ERO is committed to supporting improved outcomes and achieving equity for all learners, particularly Māori and priority learners. The principles that underpin the new model give priority to the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi through a focus on partnerships to achieve desired outcomes. Their new model has a focus on understanding the cultural context of each school in order to
best serve its needs. By building differentiation into the model, ERO provide themselves with the flexibility to work with the wider community where it is desired and appropriate.
An Interview with Neil Harray Education Review Office What is your background in education and how long have you been with ERO? I have been involved in education for 3 decades now. I have worked in a range of schools mainly in New Zealand but also a three-year stint in England. Over the 30 something years I have worked in state schools, coeducational, single-sex, state-integrated and private school settings in all types of roles from a part-time Sports Coordinator to Principal. All these experiences have really shaped my thinking about education. I have been with ERO Since leaving my principal position at Katikati College in 2017. What have been your main learnings since joining ERO? Firstly, it has been really interesting reviewing across the whole sector from Early Childhood to Primary and Secondary Schools’. The ECE curriculum, Te Whariki is a great document and I’ve seen some awesome teacher practise with these really young learners. Secondly, every school is doing some great work with their students. I have learnt so much from being immersed in each school we work with and have met some lovely people; teachers, leaders, board members and parents and whānau that all have a huge desire to do their best in supporting students. In some school’s its not always easy and they have some challenges along the way. I have really enjoyed working with those schools that have needed some extra support and seeing the progress that they have made. If you could share some valuable insight into the changing role of ERO, what would that be? This is the most significant change for ERO in 30 years. ERO has responded to the findings of the recent taskforce report and really thought about the role we play in school improvement. School leaders will find a far more collaborative approach, there is a focus on helping build the schools own evaluative capability and developing a shared understanding of the successes and challenges all schools face. One-
off evaluation reviews no longer happen now with “Evaluation partners” working alongside schools over a much longer time-frame, most likely 3-4 years now. When you begin your evaluation journey with a school, what is it that you are seeking to achieve? Really understanding the special nature of each school. Each school has a different context; different students, different teachers, different whānau so it’s about really focusing on what is most important for each community, school and the students. We want to be able to help schools make informed decisions about what they are trying to achieve and how they know if things are working or not working and why that might be the case. What are you most looking forward to as you begin this evaluation journey with Otumoetai College? I really enjoy working with large secondary schools. They are complex by their very nature of sheer size and I look forward to working with the school leaders to see how they have developed the strategic direction of the school. What is a little known / interesting fact about you? I really enjoy standup paddle boarding. I’ve got a couple of boards that let me either cruise around touring some of the interesting coastline or trying to keep up with the young ones in the surf. 7
The following are the Otumoetai College 2021 goals. ERO will partner w
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with us to evaluate our progress against these goals across the year.
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Introducing our Student Leaders 2021 Lisa Evans (Head Girl) Lisa enjoys that Otumoetai College has a wide range of opportunities to get involved in, both in and outside of the classroom. She also likes the fact that there are a lot of teachers that help you to enjoy learning. During her time at the college Lisa has been involved in Football, Badminton, Waterpolo, Tennis, and Futsal. She has completed her Bronze and Silver Duke of Edinburgh and is working towards her Gold. She is a member of the Symphonic Band and the Environment committee. Highlights of her time here at school have been the Great Barrier Island trip in Year 10, and all the tramps for her Duke of Edinburgh award. Her goal this year is to make connections with students in every year of the school in order to find out how individuals feel about their schooling life and work to make it better 10
in any way she can. Her favourite subjects are Food Technology, Outdoor Education, as well as Earth and Space science. Next year she hopes to attend University and find her calling. Daniel Weiss (Head Boy) Daniel loves that Otumoetai College has so many incredible teachers and that the school offers a lot of great opportunities within a supportive environment. He has appreciated making new friends and getting closer with his existing friendship groups. He enjoys any activity out in nature, whether that’s trying to wakeboard or navigating difficult terrain. His goals for 2021 are to help inspire students to become leaders themselves, to be approachable for every student, and to build strong inter school relations with the other
head students. His favourite subjects are Biology and English and Daniel is aiming for a career that has a significant beneficial impact on the planet - primarily the natural world. A little known fact about Daniel is that he is a Swiss citizen and has just been conscripted to the Swiss military! Chase Winder (Head Boy) As one of our head students, Chase lists his best experiences at Otumoetai College to date as being his trip to Rarotonga with the Kapa Haka group in year 9. He loved getting to know the group so well and making new friends. Chase enjoys the diversity at Otumoetai College along with the amazing opportunities for growth and the exposure to new ideas and perspectives. His goals for 2021 are to gain more confidence when speaking publicly and to be visible as he gets to know more of the younger students. He lists his favourite subjects as Chemistry, Physics and Digital Science. He aspires to work in the medical field, possibly as a research Pharmacist, or something similar. Chase loves to bake, and chocolate chip cookies are his favourite thing to make and eat. However, he doesn’t like cleaning up the mess afterwards. Rose Mayhead (Head Girl) Rose loves the amount of opportunities our school has to offer, along with the supportive environment and how students are pushed to explore their potential. Her best experience at school has been joining Poutama. She enjoys the welcoming environment and the lasting friendships made. Rose enjoys dancing and spending time with her animals. Her goals this year are to endorse Level 3 NCEA and to start conversations with new people and grow in confidence. Her favourite subjects are Te Reo Māori, Media Studies and Photography. Rose’s career aspirations will have something to do with resource management or environmental welfare. A little known fact about Rose is that she plays croquet.
Rachel Dunn (Creative Arts) Rachel rates inclusiveness, care, support, opportunities and high standards as the aspects she most appreciates about Otumoetai College. Her highlights to date have been the trips to Great Barrier Island in 2018 and for the Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award in 2020. During her time at school Rachel has been involved in Badminton (both as a player and coach), Volleyball, Duke of Edinburgh Award and tramping. Her goals for 2021 are to endorse with Excellence, complete her Gold Duke of Edinburgh, run the Creative Arts Awards events as co-leader of the committee as successfully as possible, and to involve herself in as much as she can to make the most of her last year at Otumoetai. Her favourite subjects are Soft Materials, Business, English and Sociology. Ultimately, she wants to work in an international corporate business managing the company or teach Business at college level. A little known fact about Rachel is that she has been stung by a blue bottle jellyfish. Waiari Kohu-Matika (Creative Arts) Waiari appreciates the school culture, subject opportunities and the support of the teachers and students. She is involved in Poutama, the Ruamano committee, Kapa haka and the school band. Waiari loves any opportunity to perform and entertain on stage and has set her goal for 2021 to achieve a higher learning in level 3 NCEA to improve on the chance of getting into Massey University for fashion and design is wider. Waiari’s favourite subject is Sociology and she aspires to be either a tailor, archaeologist, or to work in the area of performing arts. A little known fact about Waiari is that she has been singing for as long as she can remember, and has continued to use this talent as a way to express how she feels.
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Millie Tisch (Special Events Committee) Millie loves the range of opportunities that Otumoetai College has to offer. Over the years Millie has involved herself in the Duke of Edinburgh award, the Great Barrier trip, athletics, the Summerhill leadership academy, as well as hockey umpiring for the intermediate. This year Millie wants to lead the Special Events committee with enthusiasm and positivity, and work together with the team to create a memorable ball for the senior students. Her favourite subjects are Accounting, Economics and English. Next year, Millie will most likely pursue a conjoint degree in commerce and law, and then see where life takes her. A little known fact is that she is obsessed with waffles. Moses Caldwell (Special Events Committee) / (PŪWHENUA Whare Leader) During his time at Otumoetai College Moses has been involved in the 1st XI Football, Senior A volleyball, and working. He enjoys all of his subjects equally, and what he most likes about Otumoetai College is the number of opportunities that are available across a wide range of activities, including sports, the arts, and academic studies. His most rewarding experience at the college was endorsing NCEA Level 2 with Excellence and the Year 10 Great Barrier Camp. He has yet to settle on a career aspiration. A little known fact about Moses is that he lived in Uganda for 5 years. Amy McAulay (Hauora Committee) Amy is involved in the Trek magazine team as well as helping to organise the school 40 Hour Famine events. She enjoys everything from her classes to making a Christmas mural with friends that spanned the entirety of 12
the Media Studies room. Amy also volunteers for the Otanewainuku Kiwi Trust, helping out our native wildlife, and spending a few weekends handling the odd dead rodent. Amy is keen to implement some health related initiatives that make a difference for the people in our school. Her favourite subject is Digital Science and she is aiming to endorse NCEA Level 3 with Excellence and is interested in working as an engineer or in the tech industry. A little known fact about Amy is that she was the 200,000th person to visit an aquarium in a small town in Japan. Hannah Walpole (Hauora Committee) Hannah rates her most enjoyable experiences to date as being the Year 10 Great Barrier trip and the Year 11 Dance Trip to Los Angeles. “No matter your strengths or hobbies, there is always something to get involved in within the school, be it educational, sporting, cultural, or the performing arts.” Hannah is involved in volleyball, netball, and tennis as a player and coach. She also works at the local supermarket. Her favourite Subjects are English, Chemistry and Elite Sports. She enjoys the inclusive nature of our school and the wide range of opportunities available to all students. Hannah would like to pursue a career in medical research, neuroscience or in veterinary science hopefully in the East or West Coast of the United States. Meg Kale (Sports Committee) / (PŪWHENUA Whare Leader) Meg is grateful for the lifelong connections and friendships she has made while at Otumoetai College. She credits the great teachers and staff that have made her learning more interesting and challenging as well as being able to take advantage of the wide range of opportunities to extend her personal growth. The Great Barrier island trip was a wonderful example of this, encompassing everything
she loves about operating outside her comfort zone and learning more about herself. During her time at college, Meg had been involved in volleyball, netball, and beach volleyball. Her favourite subjects are Sports Science, Health and Biology. Meg’s ultimate goal is to become a physical education teacher. Meg admits to being the world’s worst baker and manages to burn everything she attempts to make. Zach Reeder (Sports Committee) / (MAUNGANUI Whare Leader) Zach loves the large range of opportunities that our school offers. It has allowed him to experience a range of different sporting and academic events so that he could find out what really interests him in life. He lists being a student leader as the highlight of his time at school as it gives him the opportunity to help younger students that are trying to find themselves and in doing so, leave the school a better place than when he arrived. Zach is involved in surf life saving, swimming, water polo and lifeguarding. He enjoys Sport Science, Business and Physics. His goals for 2021 are to create a sporting attraction to the school, so that the future intermediate students say “I want to go to this school, because it is best for my future”. Zach would like to travel the world with surf life saving, but is also interested in being a stockbroker or a future in politics. Zach lives by the quote, “It is not a disgrace to be beaten, the greatest disgrace is to quit’’. Reed Parr (Publicity Committee) Reed has appreciated the wide range of opportunities that the college provides which have allowed him to enrich himself in the activities and subjects that he loves. He has found a deeper love for these things thanks to the college’s involvement in his journey. Great Barrier is listed as the most memorable and exciting experience in his college career so far. The friendships, memories and skills gained from this trip have changed his life. Reed’s
passions include water polo, sound and lighting, as well as school publicity. In 2021 Reed wants to excel in all his endeavours and help other students in his role as student leader. His favourite subjects are media studies and metal work and he aspires to working in the media or electrical industry.
Amy Charman Moore (Publicity Committee) Amy loves the diversity of Otumoetai College, whether that be the breadth of backgrounds within the student body or the wide range of opportunities that students are offered. Last summer Amy was given the opportunity to attend the annual World Vision Senior Scholarship Summit. It was here that she met 29 other inspiring young leaders and developed her skills in the realms of global justice and advocacy. As well as being involved in the symphonic band, Amy has been involved in rowing, both as a rower and now as a coach. Her goals for 2021 are to provide a space where the people around her and with whom she works with, feel safe and supported. She strives to add value to other people’s lives. Amy lists her favourite subjects as Biology, along with a particular interest in Media Studies. Amy plans on entering a biomedical science course at university, so her future career will likely be something relating to that. Sasha Solomono (Ruamano Committee) Sasha enjoys being surrounded by a variety of people and working with different personalities to create relationships and learn new things. She credits Poutama for providing her with the opportunity to get to know her teachers and fellow students at a deeper level. One of her best experiences in life, not just while at school was the Year 10 camp at Great Barrier. During her time at school Sasha has been involved in Kapa Haka, volleyball, basketball, Rugby Sevens, netball, as well as coaching volleyball and basketball. Her goals for 2021 are to be selected 13
in the New Zealand Junior Women Volleyball team, to endorse NCEA Level 3 with Excellence and to learn from her mistakes. She wants to take every opportunity to better herself as well as encouraging people to break out of their comfort zone and try new things. Kororia Solomon (Ruamano Committee) Kororia loves the bonds and relationships that she has built over the last four years at kura along with the variety of subjects that are available here. She appreciates the amount of support and awhi that she has received from her teachers. She rates the growth of her mōhiotanga (understanding) and matauranga (knowledge) on Te Ao Māori (The Māori World) as her best experience at Otumoetai College. Through choosing Te Reo Māori, she has been able to understand and develop her skills and fluency in Te Reo. From knowing different Pūrakau (Stories) on how we came to be, to learning the different aspects of our tīkanga. She finally feels connected to her people. Kororia has been involved in Kapa Haka, is a Tātāriki and is also involved in the Ruamano committee. These opportunities have developed her leadership skills and broadened her perspective on the diversity within our school. Her goal is to finish her high school years, having done everything she possibly can to empower her teina to strive for excellence and achieve their potential. Karoria’s favourite subject is Te Reo Māori and her career aspirations are in the direction of Law, Education and Politics. A little unknown fact about Kororia is that she loves seafood. Flora Clarke (Environment Committee) Flora loves the opportunities offered at school, which have given her the chance to try a range of activities and to get involved. She rates her best experiences to date as the trip to Great Barrier Island in her Year 10 year and again in Year 12 for her Duke of 14
Edinburgh badge. This year she wants to do her best academically and sportingly, and inspire students at Otumoetai College towards environmental actions and a more sustainable school! She really enjoys English and History, as well as Outdoor Education. Flora wants to study law or possibly an international relations degree. A little known fact about Flora is that she has swum in the Nile and has owned a turtle. Pipi Kendall (Environment Committee) Pipi enjoys the opportunities available to students at this school, both academic and athletic. She has always felt like there is always something new and interesting on offer. Her best experiences in the college to date are the Great Barrier island trip in Year 10 and the Duke of Edinburgh last year. Pipi loves surfing, tramping, travelling, as well as supporting the School Strike for Climate team. Her favourite subjects are Marine studies, Physics, and Graphics. Pipi wants to want to encourage others in the school to take real action in their own lives for the environment. A little known fact about Pipi is that she grew up in a tiny village called Whangapoua in the Coromandel. Her first school was both a primary and intermediate school of only 60 kids. Pipi aspires to be an environmental engineer, marine biologist, or ecologist. Rosie Gordon (Mentoring Committee) Rosie likes the fact that the teachers at Otumoetai College treat students with respect, and that they are always available to answer questions. Her highlights to date have been the ever popular Great Barrier trip in Year 10 as well as being a part of various netball teams, Chemquest, supporting the Special Olympics and Athlete Nation. Her goal is to give back to the college community in order to support student’s academic and mental well-being. Her favourite
subjects are Chemistry, English and Biology. Her goal is to study human and behavioural science at Victoria university and have a career in marketing psychology and business. Rosie is the youngest and last of three siblings to attend Otumoetai College. Harry Parkes (Mentoring Committee) One of Harry’s favourite memories of his time at Otumoetai College was the Year 10 Great Barrier trip. Exploring the Barrier with an awesome group of people was exciting, challenging, thrilling, demanding, and some of the most fun he’s ever had. Harry is a dedicated member of the Oats Robotics club. Almost every Saturday morning you will find him, along with the rest of the team, in Design Room 1 working on building, or programming robots. His goal for 2021 is to put in his best effort and to endorse Level 3 with Excellence.
He also wants to make the mentoring committee a success. Harry loves problem solving in calculus, learning how different phenomena occur in physics, programming in digital science, and spending time outside during Outdoor Education. Harry sees programming as a big part of his future hopefully with some math and physics mixed in somewhere.
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An Interview with Year 13 Deans ....
Yvonne Burmester
Richard Brown
What do you enjoy most about being a Dean at Ōtūmoetai College? Interacting with students that I do not normally get a chance to teach. Watching them (mostly) mature from Year 9 to Year 13.
What do you enjoy most about being a Dean at Ōtūmoetai College? Assisting students who are vulnerable to feel supported and empowered.
What are some of the things you have learnt about our students in your deaning role? That the youth of today are concerned for other students’ welfare and will endeavour to help out wherever they can. The majority of our students are keen to be involved in their education. What is your best experience as a Dean to date? Oh goodness. There have been many. Once experience was being able to go on a Year 9 camp and tramping through the mud and the stream. If you could pass on one piece of advice to Year 13 students, what would that advice be? To take advantage of every opportunity that comes their way. What is a little known fact about you? I have been tobogganing down the sand dunes at Ninety Mile Beach. I have two grandchildren.
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What are some of the things you have learnt about our students in your deaning role? Students come from diverse backgrounds and you simply can not apply one rule for all. What is your best experience as a Dean to date? Being part of a collegial team that makes a difference. If you could pass on one piece of advice to Year 13 students, what would that advice be? Be guided by valued based principles What is a little known fact about you? I am not married to Mrs Brown.
Deputy Principal of Achievement In what was a challenging 2020, it was wonderful to see that Ōtūmoetai College students achieved excellent NCEA results. These results show that our students are comfortably above the national averages in the six key indicators. This is highlighted in the graph below which compares our data with the National figures. Our Level 1, 2, 3 and UE results were in fact the best they have been in the last five years. The Year 11 students achieved exceptional results in NCEA Level 1, with their pass rate of 82.3% being 11.4 percentage points more than the national average. We are confident that we can raise this figure even further in 2021 by responding to student needs and offering more personalised courses. The recent appointment of Matua Bobby Ketu to the role of Kaitiaki, will benefit our achievement rates as it will enable improved focus on our Māori achievement which will in turn increase our overall school results across all three NCEA levels.
and paragraph structures, writing under pressure, editing and publishing. In addition, the use of SOLO (Structure of Observed Learning Outcomes) will develop further the way we classify learning to help students move from surface to deep learning. Mr Stephen Tisch Ōtūmoetai College continues Deputy Principal
to work with the New Zealand Council of Educational Research (NZCER), the home of research-based thinking about effective assessment practice, to build an assessment capable system where the use of the evidence we gather is driven by the decisions we want to make to improve teaching and learning. We look forward to partnering with you to achieve the best possible results for our students.
In the Junior School, writing will once again be a key focus with the Social Science and English Departments taking the lead. The Writing Tool includes planning, sentence
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An Interview with Bobby Ketu Kaitiaki Deputy Principal Tell us a little about you
He uri ahau o Ngāti Marangataua o Ngāti Tūwharetoa, me Ngāti Uekaha, Kinohaku o Ngāti Maniapoto. Te Arawa and Tainui waka. Our whanau ties travel from Taumaihi of Motītī, across to Māketu, through to Tongariro, through Kaitieke down the Whanganui, and up through Marakopa into Waitomo. He tangata ngākautia ki te oranga o te tauira me te whanau, otira mo te tangata. My dedication is to all students and whanau. Students success lies at the forefront of my focus, bringing equity in education. How do you see the role of Deputy Principal Kaitiaki? My role is to improve the outcomes for Māori learners while initiating Māori content and context throughout our kura enabling and allowing the principles of The Treaty of Waitangi to find its true form in education at Ōtūmoetai College. Who are some of your role models and why? Throughout life I have had many role models. My koro and father taught me the value of hard mahi. My mother taught me compassion. My ancestor Ngātoroirangi taught me that the trees I plant now become shade for others to enjoy, and my great great grandfather taught me that nothing is too big to overcome. What is the best piece of advice you have been given? Do everything with aroha regardless of the response.
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As you will be journeying with the 2021 Year 9 cohort through their five years at ŌtūmoetaiCollege, what are some of the goals you have for this cohort? To be a cohort that is inclusive of all by nature, aspires to achieve their dreams, and knows how to take action. What is a little known fact about you? I’m the face of the KINASQUAD on instagram
Whare / House System A house system was first introduced to Otumoetai College in 1965. The houses were named Green, Red, Yellow and Blue. In 1966 the Houses changed names, Green became Bell (named after the first Board Chairperson), Red became Mitchell (named after a foundation Board member and Tauranga mayor), Yellow became Walsh (named after the local member of Parliament), and Blue became Webber (named after the foundation Principal). This house system was retired in 1972.
The name of the houses are Ōtanewainuku, Pūwhenua, Maunganui, Manunui, and Karewa. Prominent local maunga (mountains) that frame the Ngai Tamarawaho (our local hapu) rohe (region). Our goal is to align the whare characteristics with our school values. As our understanding of what each whare could be, it is our hope that these learnings will be transplanted back into the classroom.
In the past two years we have trialled a vertical whare / house system for our Year 9 (in 2019) and then Year 9 and 10 cohorts (in 2020). The purpose of this trial was to increase our students’ sense of belonging and inclusion. Due to the success of this trial, we decided to fully adopt a whare system as from 2021.
The following are the back stories for each of the whare which will be developed over time. 19
Otānewainuku Otanewainuku, te pou rangatira ki uta hō! Otanewainuku, the inland pillar of starength and pride The chief mountain that marks the original boundary line between Waitaha/Tapuika and Te Arawa. The mountain of the parting waters, where the clouds met the land, and the rain leaves the sky. Ōtanewainuku stands tall in the Hautere forest and marks the boundary of Tapuika on the Te Puke side to the east, Te Arawa in the Rotorua area to the south, and Ngai Tamarawaho the hapū of Ngāti Ranginui locaal to our kura. He was the chiefly victor in the quest against Maunganui for the hand of Pūwhenua the maiden maunga to the west of where he stands. Because of his charisma and presence, her heart beat only for him hence the journey Maunganui made from where they are to where he now stands.
Puwhenua
Puwhenua, te rākau tapu o Takitimu hō! Puwhenua, where the mauri of Takitimu waka resided The site where the sacred tree was selected by Tamatea for the Takitimu canoe. In approximately A.D. 1100’s a great chief Waitaha gave a great tree so that the sacred Takitimu Waka could be built. The maunga that this rākau came from is called Pūwhenua and still stands in the islands of Samoa. Two to three centuries later in approx A.D 1350, Tamatea-Ariki-Nui, captained Takitimu Waka to lead a voyage comprising a fleet of sacred waka from the tropical islands of Hawaiki to Aotearoa. Upon seeing Pūwhenua he seen it resembled the maunga in Samoa where the origins of his waka came from and so named her Pūwhenua. From the peak of Pūwhenua her sight reaches Maunganui to the North and as far as Tongariro to the south.
Manunui
Manunui, Te waha o te Marangai, hō! Manunui, the mouthway to Ngai Tamarawaho The bountiful garden beds of Manunui Pā at the borders of Hangarau. Renowned for prevailing winds or turbulence of this section of the Tauranga harbour. Manunui is a significant pā site, a Pā Tūwatawata, a fortified pā. Manunui Pā gave protection and security to this part of the boundaries of Ngai Tamarāwaho from it’s high vantage point. This maunga and pā overlooks Te Waha o te Marangai down below toward Bethlehem, North West into the harbour to Hangarau, and North across to Oreanui and Matuaiwi on the end of Matua Peninsula. A significant history of Manunui talks of a Kāroro, a seagull, witnessing and singing the tale of a wāhine down below in a nearby estuary. Where she took it upon herself to avoid a great wrong being done to her and in doing so preserving what she saw as an unwanted future. From the lament of the Kāroro, her legacy of Mana Wāhine was forged for eternity. 31
Maunganui
Maunganui, kia tu rangatira i te ao, i te po hō! Maunganui, the chief mountain standing strong through day and night! From the journey Maunganui made from Hautere after leaving his quest to obtain the heart of Pūwhenua, he came to stand here at the mouth of Tauranga Moana where he could stand chiefly in his own light as he heralds the light of the dawn each morning. Here he became a beacon of safety, and a symbol of home for all who reside within his view. Upon the arrival of Takitimu waka at Te Awaiti at the base of the maunga, Tamatea-Ariki-Nui instilled two mauri stones brought with him from their home lands in Hawaiki. One at the peak of Maunganui, the other under water within Tirikawa. This deed signified the arrival of his people to their new homeland, bringing with them all the whakapapa and mana of their home and history from Hawaiki. Te Kuia me ōna kuri is a kohatu, a rock that faces out North West towards Matakana Island at the entrance to the harbour, where a great sacrifice was made by a kuia to warn her people of an approaching danger. This rock is significant to all that venture from the harbour out to sea where koha is given to invoke safe journeying and return in the same manner as Te Kuia me ōna kuri enabled her people to remain safe from the dangers that lie seaward. An acknowledgment of the big mountain, as named by Tamatea and his unwavering strength throughout time.
Karewa
Karewa, te whenua ahurea o Taurikura hō! Karewa, the sacred lands of our guardian Taurikura. The sacred sanctuary of our guardian Taurikura nestled in Te Moana a Toi competing against the elements. Still today Taurikura’s paradise is somewhat untouched enhancing this precious land. This island is the home of Taurikura and her descendants of tuatara. Taurikura once lived as a young woman in the midst of her people in Taumata below Ōtanewainuku and Pūwhenua. Her story begins with her koro asking her to fetch water from the spring below the pā to which she refused leaving him having to make the journey himself. Upon his return she partook of the water and emptied the calabash. In his frustration her koro scolded her for her misdeed. As a result she left Taumata and her people. Taking on the essence of tuatara, she went to live on Karewa where it was said nothing could survive. Her story is one of growth, change, and resilience to turn what others disregarded into her own path forging her own legacy.
Introducing our Whare Leaders Hadley Murray (KAREWA Whare Leader) Hadley appreciates the friendly and positive atmosphere at Otumoetai College that has allowed him to grow into the person he is today. His best experience to date was the 2018 winter tournament where he played for the Senior A Boys Basketball Team, a big deal for a Year 10 student! It was a positive experience, especially for someone having just moved to Tauranga and adjusting to a new area. Currently Hadley is involved in playing and coaching basketball, he is also a STARS Peer Mentor, and goes to the gym. His goals are to maintain a consistent focus in all subjects throughout the year, endorse NCEA Level 3, as well as to be a positive influence around others. His favourite subjects are Business and Sports Science and he would love to combine these passions as a profession. A little known fact about Hadley is that he won the Kim Barrett Award for Computers in both Year 7 and 8 while attending Murrays Bay Intermediate. Amelia Farrar (KAREWA Whare Leader) Amelia loves the huge range of opportunities Otumoetai College has provided over the years, from fun trips and sporting events to leadership roles. Her best experiences at Otumoetai College were the Great Barrier camp and going away for hockey tournaments. Her hobbies include hockey, skiing, wakeboarding and orienteering. This year Amelia wants to endorse NCEA Level 3 with Excellence as well as successfully integrating the Whare system into Otumoetai College by inspiring people to get more involved in school events and creating a better sense of community. Her favourite subjects are maths, science, and accounting. Amelia plans on going to university next year, and studying a double degree which will involve commerce. 22
Emily Mahon (MANANUI Whare Leader) Emily appreciates the ‘great people’ that she has met and learnt from in her time at Otumoetai College. She credits her trips to Great Barrier Island in year 10 as well as in Year 12 as part of the Duke of Edinburgh programme as being a highlight of her time here. Emily is involved in swimming and surf lifesaving, as well as hiking and exploring around New Zealand. She hopes to have a great final year and balance her academics and sport, as she prepares for university. As a leader, Emily wants to help implement the new whare system into the school and to be a good role model. Her favourite subjects are Maths, Economics and English and she is hoping to pursue law or engineering in the future. Ashton Gordon (MANANUI Whare Leader) Ashton enjoys the opportunities provided by the school and he rates his best experiences to date as the various sport tournaments he has attended over the years. Ashton plays hockey as well as beach volleyball and his favourite subjects are Sports Science and Marine Studies. When Ashton leaves school he wants to do something involving the ocean and the environment. In his spare time, he enjoys hunting , fishing and playing sport. Monique Aitchison (MAUNGANUI Whare Leader) Monique likes the opportunities Otumoetai College provides for its students, with so many different sports and activities available for students to get involved in. She credits
Otumoetai with a strong school spirit and always feels that the students love to get involved and support their school with pride. Her best experience at Otumoetai College was her involvement in the school musicals, specifically High School Musical. The bonds that grew between the student cast members, tech crew, band members and the teachers is something that she will always cherish. Monique has been involved in Hockey, school musicals, cross country running and playing electric and acoustic guitar. Her goals are to gain the results she needs to get into University and to apply herself in all school activities available to her. She also wants to encourage and support students to try to the best of their abilities and to set a good example for the future Whare Leaders at Otumoetai College. Her favourite subjects are Drama and Calculus and Monique aspires to be recruited into the NZ defence force, be it Police, RNZAF or be a Search and Rescue officer. Joel Cory (OTANEWAINUKU Whare Leader) Joel appreciates the opportunities presented to students such as the wide range of subjects, extracurricular activities and trips. His favourite experience was the Great Barrier Camp because of how he was pushed outside of his comfort zone. His
hobbies include swimming, football and lifeguard patrol. Joel’s favourite subject is Outdoor Education because It includes some of his favourite hobbies and activities. Joel aspires to study Civil Engineering at university. A little known fact about him is that 5 members of his immediate family are born on the 24th and he also shares a birthday with his mum. Taila Rikirangi (OTANEWAINUKU Whare Leader) Taila appreciates the diversity of the kura and the many cultures we have in our school as well as the whakawhanaungatanga within the kura and how all students find their own place. She has found her own space within the school where she feels comfortable and knows that she can thrive. School has given her a family outside of home and supports her with endless pathways and opportunities. Taila is involved in Kapa Haka and rugby for both the 7s, and the First XV Girls, while also representing the Bay of Plenty in Rugby. Taila has always aspired to be a leader/lawyer in which she represents and is a kaikorero for her whanau, people and whenua. A little known fact about Taila is, when she was younger, she entered a singing competition and came third in the North Island.
Back row left to right: Moses Caldwell, Hadley Murray, Ashton Gordon, Zach Reeder, Joel Cory Front row left to right: Meg Kale, Amelia Farrar, Emily Mahon, Monique Aitcheson, Taila Rikirangi
An Interview with Year 9 Deans.... Carolyn Reynolds
Mark Williams
What are your areas of teaching expertise and how long have you been a teacher at Otumoetai College? I have been at Otumoetai College for 3 Years, My area of expertise are Junior Science and Senior Physics.
What are your areas of teaching expertise and how long have you been a teacher at Otumoetai College? This will be my 12th year at the college. I teach Geography and Sociology at the senior level, however, I’m becoming more and more interested in New Zealand history and I really enjoy teaching this in Social Studies.
What were the reasons for you choosing to become a dean? Be more actively involved in this fabulous school, and to get to know the students better, and hopefully shape their high school journeys in positive ways. What are your hopes and aspirations for the 2021 Year 9 cohort? We get through the year, without another lock down! I hope that every year 9 this year feels they have had a successful year, that they have found love and enjoyment in their learning and have found their place at Otumoetai College. If you could share some valuable wisdom to our Year 9 students as they begin their secondary college journey, what would that advice be? Give everything a go, don’t say no, don’t let opportunities pass you by. What is a little known fact about you? I enjoy tramping. And I try to get off grid with my husband most weekends and holidays.
What were the reasons for you choosing to become a dean? Having had previous experience as a dean, one of the most rewarding aspects is being able to help facilitate solutions for all sorts of scenarios that arise in the students’ lives. This is a big motivating factor in choosing to do this role. Seeing students mature and develop over 5 years. What are your hopes and aspirations for the 2021 Year 9 cohort? To see school as more than just a place where one gathers knowledge and becomes ‘educated’. My hope is that our cohort sees Otumoetai College as a community that they have an active role in shaping. I would like for them to come to appreciate that what they do here and how they see their school matters not just to them but to the wider community as well. If you could share some valuable wisdom to our Year 9 students as they begin their secondary college journey, what would that advice be? If you come into college with a positive attitude, focusing on the good things about college life, that will be reflected in your enjoyment of school during these short 5 years. What is a little known fact about you? I support West Ham United (but only for their song)
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Year 9’s Thoughts and Goals .... What has been your impression of Ōtūmoetai College over the past term? It’s quite scary but once I got used to it I already know I’m going to have the best time. What are some of the things you are looking forward to? Sports. I’m looking forward to get into some of the best teams (if I’m good enough). What goals have you set for yourself? Sport teams hopefully the best one and getting good grades. Isabella What has been your impression of Ōtūmoetai College over the past term? It was better than I expected. Everyone I’ve come across has been super nice and welcoming. I can’t wait to learn and grow as a person. What are some of the things you are looking forward to? Sports, events, making new friends. What goals have you set for yourself? Put myself out there. Make more friends Elle What has been your impression of Ōtūmoetai College over the past term? Some good, like my whaikorero. What are some of the things you are looking forward to? Maori (my culture). What goals have you set for yourself? Try to do better in more subjects. Taiawatea What has been your impression of Ōtūmoetai College over the past term? A lot of high standards. What are some of the things you are looking forward to? School camp. What goals have you set for yourself? To achieve. Pania What has been your impression of Ōtūmoetai College over the past term? My impression of Otumotai College for the past term has been really exciting for me. My classes have been amazing. I have also made new friends. Maths for me is good. I’m learning new stuff about it. What are some of the things you are looking forward to? I’m looking forward to being on the school volleyball team and I’m also looking forward to signing up for the rugby team as well.
What goals have you set for yourself? My goals are to include myself with as much as I can and to gt into university after finishing college. Kalan What has been your impression of Ōtūmoetai College over the past term? For this term it has been pretty fun with all the topics. And heaps more homework than last year. But overall it’s been good. What are some of the things you are looking forward to? I’m looking forward to the math and science I’m about to learn. And next year it’s gonna be all about sports and athletics. What goals have you set for yourself? My goals are to learn all the maths and memorise the periodic table. And also play rugby for my brother. I would be very smart. Marcus What has been your impression of Ōtūmoetai College over the past term? Otumoetai College is an amazing school for learning. PE is really fun and is really good exercise. What are some of the things you are looking forward to? I’m looking forward to being able to use the gym and learning more about culture, maths and science. What goals have you set for yourself? To get better at subjects / learning and to get into activities and sport. Thomas What has been your impression of Ōtūmoetai College over the past term? So far, my impression of Otumoetai College is great – it is a great school. What are some of the things you are looking forward to? This term has been great with all my class’s and that. What goals have you set for yourself? I haven’t set many goals for myself, but would be to work hard school. Alizay What has been your impression of Ōtūmoetai College over the past term? It is different that the school I have at the past. What are some of the things you are looking forward to? Different subject, sports, school events. What goals have you set for yourself? To find my passion Tony 25
Senior Art
Exhibition
Student Sport Futsal
BOPSS Athletics
Our Girls and Boys Futsal teams travelled to the Nationals in Wellington over Summer Tournament week. The girls went on to finish 4th at the National tournament and the boys went on to win their division.
As a school we had 36 students compete at the BOP Secondary Schoools Athletics Championships held at the Tauranga Domain on Tuesday 9th March. The following are the students with top results which qualified them to compete at the Waikato Athletics Champs.
Triathlon
Junior Girls: Grace Duncan – 1st 1500m Greta Stripling - 4th 100m, 2nd Long Jump, 2nd Triple Jump Miah Smith - 3rd High Jump Lily Frieswyk - 3rd Triple Jump, 2nd Hurdles Junior Girls Relay - 4th
We had one student, Sophie Garrett, who won the BOP Secondary Schools Triathlon, travel to the New Zealand Secondary Schools Triathlon in New Plymouth in the final weekend of Summer tournament week. Sophie competed extremely well but unfortunately had a fall on the cycle but managed to carry on and finish the race which was awesome. Congratulations Sophie.
Intermediate Girls: Danielle Fowler - 4th 100m Charo Heijnen - 2nd 1500m, 3rd 3000m Senior Girls: Kiana Rae – 1st 200m, 2nd 100m, 2nd Long Jump, 3rd Triple Jump Millie Tisch – 1st 400m Flora Clarke - 4th 400m Senior Girls Relay - 3rd Junior Boys:: Zion Samuels - 3rd 200m Bradley Wiessing - 3rd 300m Lewis McGrath - 4th 300m Nicholas Reeder - 4th 1500m Luca Henderson - 22nd Javelin throw
Rugby Academy The Rugby Academy is a values based programme. attended by 50 young men and women each Wednesday during term 1. These young people work hard under the watchful eye of a professional trainer. The Academy concept has been an overwhelming success for our school’s rugby programme while also developing wonderful human-beings. Student engagement has been incredibly high and all intended outcomes have been achieved. The Academy will begin again in Term 4 and will include our Intermediate students. 28
Intermediate Boys: Eric Yoo - 2nd 100m Robert Unsworth – 1st 200m & 400m Zachaia Tarawera - 4th Javelin throw Intermediate Boys Relay - 2nd
Swimming
The Bay of plenty Secondary Schools Swimming Champs was held on Tuesday 30th March. The best outcome from the day was that Otumoetai College took out the BOP Swimming Championship. Junior Boys: 1st – Devlin Langton 3rd - Nicolas Reeder Intermediate Boys: 1st= - Mason Kritz 3rd= - Zac Baveystock Senior Boys: 2nd Zac Reeder
Volleyball
The National Secondary Schools Volleyball Championships were again held in Palmerston North this year. Our A Boys and Girls both qualified for division one. Our A girls finished 8th in division one, A Boys 10th division one.
Badminton
Congratulations to Matthew O’Connor who has joined the Waikato Elite performance Badminton Squad where he will play for the Waikato u19 team.
Mountain Biking
We had four students travel to Auckland to compete in the NI Secondary Schools Mountain Biking Championships. Abby Miller was our only female rider and rode extremely well, she finished 2nd in the Enduro event. Tyrone Laurent-Stokes 4th of 50 u17’s , Sebastian von Brause 18 of 48 u16, Felix von Brause 21 of 33 u15 Boys
Canoe Slalom
Congratulations to Ashton Blair who in Canoe Slalom, placed 3rd in NZ Open 2021 C1, under 18 men, and 1st place in Oceania 2021, C1 under 18 Men. Kiarni Sperling, Ashton Blair and Eva Guccione attended the New Zealand Secondary schools Canoe Slalom championships. Eva took away three silver medals for K1 women’s C1 women’s and shared a medal with Kiarni for C2 women. Ashton placed 1st in C2 men’s.
Rowing
The college rowing team this season finished with 14 rowers including 4 novice girls and 3 novice boys. who were invovled in the the biggest Maadi Cup ever with 2623 rowers from 123 schools competing at Lake Karapiro. Our rowing team did us proud with silver medals in girls U16 single (Jenna Brangwynne), girls U17 single (Emma Averill) & girls U17 double (Jenna & Emma) as well as girls U16 double 1st in B final (Chloe Wright & Sarah Laban-ten Dam), boys U18 novice double 2nd in B final (Jack McClutchie & Loui Alexander), girls U16 quad 2nd in C final (Chloe Wright, Sarah Laban-ten Dam, Sarah Paterson, Nina Turner, cox Zara Brangwynne). Our school placed 9th in the Presidents Scull & 19th overall for the Star Trophy. Congratulations to all our rowers for another fantastic Maadi cup. Bring on 2022!
Waterpolo
Congratulations to our Girls Waterpolo team who came a very credibe 10th in the Waterpolo National Tournament held from the 17 - 20 April.
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Student Celebrations Scholarship Winners
Football
We would like to say a huge congratulations to We would like to congratulate our academic champions, outstanding athlete Lisa Evans who has been selected to attend the New Zealand Woman’s Football u20 five of whom gained a scholarship whilst still in Year 12 * camp at the end of April. From this camp they will be selecting a NZ Woman’s u20 team. We would like to Yul Ry Kim Biology wish you the very best of luck Lisa and hope you have Gijs van Gorp Biology and Calculus an awesome time. Alexander Freeman * Calculus Siddartha Furung * Calculus Congratulations also goes to Danielle Fowler who, Azariah Hill Earth and Space Science after a weeklong training camp in Rotorua, has been Madeleine Cunliffe * English selected into the Youth u16 NZ Maori Football team. Hannah Walpole * English Danielle’s selection was after a game played as Emily Ardern Painting North vs South after the camp where she impressed Anya Hawkins Photography selectors. This is an outstanding achievement Okko Kausalainen Photography Danielle, well done. Micaela Steed Physics Caitlin Reid * Spanish Bethany Lake Statistics Frances Smith Statistics
Netball
Outstanding Scholarship Winner Bijou Johnson
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Classical Studies
Congratulations to Emily Muspratt who has just been selected into the Tauranga Netball Centre u18 representative Netball team. We would like to wish you the best of luck for your upcoming representative season.
Rowing
The school is thrilled to announce that we gained three silver medals in A Grade Finals at Maadi Cup. Jenna Brangwynne won a silver medal in her A-Final of the girls u16 single sculls.
Emma Averill won a silver medal in her A-Final of the girls u17 single sculls.
Emma Averill and Jenna Brangwynne won a silver in the A-Final of the girls u17 double sculls. Due to the cancellation of the North Island and South Island Secondary Schools rowing champs, NZ Rowing officials gave out these medals at the Maadi Cup, meaning Jenna gained a NISS gold medal, and Emma gained a NISS silver medal.
Head of IT As a parent myself, I understand what a concern it can be when our children spend a lot of time online. The internet can be a blessing and also a curse. That is why I am a huge fan of the work being done by Netsafe, New Zealand’s independent, non-profit online safety organisation. Netsafe has been helping Kiwis stay safe online since 1998.
2. Learning how young people are using their devices, what apps and sites they like and why, what information they are sharing
On their website, www.netsafe.org.nz, you will find a wealth of information designed to help parents and whanau talk to their young people about online safety.
3. Exploring the apps, websites and technologies that young people are Mrs Ros Lee, Head of IT using, and knowing the age limits and privacy policies of these.
One particular resource that is worth looking at is Netsafe’s Online Safety Parent Toolkit. It includes 7 steps that have been designed with parents in mind. 1. Understanding the online challenges that young people face. These might include online bullying, unwanted contact from people they don’t know, using social media, sexting and dealing with upsetting content
4. Agreeing on what your child can do online and what is appropriate behaviour. Also talking about where young people can go for help and advice 5. Teaching your child how to use the tools available within these apps, such as privacy settings. Most social media organisations have a safety centre that can help with this. 6. Being a role model for your family in the way that you use technology. 7. Making a plan together so that your child knows what to do, where to go and who to talk to when they are facing online challenges. Check out the toolkit at https://www.netsafe.org.nz/ online-safety-parent-toolkit/ For free online safety advice and help you can contact Netsafe in the following ways: • Call toll-free on 0508 NETSAFE (0508 638 723) • Email help@netsafe.org.nz • Complete an online contact form (http://netsafe.org.nz/report/ • Text ‘Netsafe’ to 4282
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Introducing our Front Office Staff
Pip Palmer Business Manager
Gwen Livingston Receptionist
How would you describe your role? Full of variety would be the key words. The Business Manager role has a wide range of responsibilities. I not only look after the budgeting and financial reporting, but also oversee the managing of property and equipment and property projects, the canteen, and all the Human resource aspects of the colleges support staff.
How would you describe your role? Often busy, with a mix of everything from meeting and greeting visitors, answering parent enquiries over the phone, face to face and via email, along with sorting and handling incoming and outgoing mail. Add to this receipting payments and tending to students with grazes, aches and pains! No two days are the same, some starting slow and steady and others on the run before you have even had time to sit.
What is the thing you most enjoy about your role? I love the variety of my role and I have a wonderful team in the administration/finance area who are champions in their roles and are very supportive of me. What is the most interesting thing that has happened to you in this role? Firstly, modernising the school’s financial systems which includes the implementation of Xero. We are now working towards being paperless – this has already occurred for our Accounts Payable. Secondly, visiting our Oteora Camp and doing the tramp that our Year 9’s are so lucky to experience when they start their journey through Otumoetai College. What is the biggest learning you have gained in your role?
Being a qualified accountant and having worked in the corporate world it has been a huge learning curve to not being driven by profit. My main task is to ensure that we spend money received wisely, always looking to provide the best for our students.
What is the thing you most enjoy about your role? I enjoy meeting so many different people, students, parents and visitors to the school, and the varying stories they come with. What is the most interesting thing that has happened to you in this role? I’m not sure about most interesting, but I have really enjoyed seeing the talent that our students have. Watching the school performances, talent quests and especially the production put on by the special needs students, it sometimes seems so amazing to see this talent coming from such young people. It is fantastic to watch their self confidence grow. What is the biggest learning you have gained in your role? To stay calm no matter what is happening. 33
New Staff Profiles James McMartin Why did you choose teaching as a career? I chose to teach because I wanted to work with young people. List your extra-curricular activities / hobbies: I’m a sporty guy and enjoy keeping fit. Going to the gym, cycling and playing football are my usual go to activities.
What you are looking forward to this year: Getting settled back into NZ life and enjoying some normality after nearly 10 months of lockdowns back in Scotland.
What is your best experience as a teacher to date? This is difficult as there have been many… Helping to start a brand new school 1 year before it officially opened was pretty cool.
A little known fact about you: My parents got married 9 days after meeting each other and could only communicate through an English - South Korean dictionary. They are still together 39 years later! Aaaaw!
Brittany Walker Why did you choose teaching as a career? For the variety and challenge - no two days are ever the same when the centre of your job is people. List your extra-curricular activities / hobbies: Snowboarding, hiking, running, reading. What is your best experience as a teacher to date? Getting to take a group of students to Phuket, Thailand for an Athletics competition. What you are looking forward to this year: Enjoying the first year of my journey at Otumoetai College with my lovely year 9 form class 9BRW. 34
A little known fact about you: I recently lived and taught in Vietnam for two years. Unfortunately and fortunately COVID brought me home to the beautiful Aotearoa!
Corisha Hitchcock Why did you choose teaching as a career? I enjoy working with people and always regretted not doing my teacher training when I first went to University. As such, I took the opportunity to retrain two years ago between having children. List your extra-curricular activities / hobbies: Music, travel and plenty of beach time with my family. What is your best experience as a teacher to date? My teaching placements coincided with the assessment of solo and group music performances and it was amazing to see so much great local talent.
What you are looking forward to this year: Learning the ropes of teaching and getting to know our students. A little known fact about you: The choir I sang with in London recorded at Abbey Road Studios (only once, but what an amazing experience).
Ella Jacob Why did you choose teaching as a career? For the ceaselessly enjoyable staffroom banter. But on a more serious note: I’ve had some amazing teachers who have completely changed the way I think about things. I’d love to be that person for someone. List your extra-curricular activities / hobbies: Bridge (it’s a card game that your grandma might play), Music, Pub Trivia (keen to get a team together if there are any enthusiasts!) What is your best experience as a teacher to date? Well, on my first day, in front of half of the staff, I took a nice tumble. Great first impression.
What you are looking forward to this year: A bit of a change in scenery for my family. We’re Aucklanders who have discovered the good life that you all beat us to. This is my first year of teaching too, so I’m also just looking forward to the year. A little known fact about you: I have been playing bridge for about 10 years now. Because I got into Bridge at a young age, I have been lucky enough to play in World Championships all over the place. If you know any young card sharks, send them my way, we’ll get them on the national team in no time. 35
Kendall Harrington Why did you choose teaching as a career? I chose teaching because I had a really awesome PE teacher in Y13 who gave us ownership of what and how we wanted to learn and allowed us to make mistakes and learn from them with no judgement and I thought that was really awesome. List your extra-curricular activities / hobbies: My hobbies include anything that involves the outdoors, both on land and water. Trail running. Learning to skateboard and surf. What is your best experience as a teacher to date? Planning and organizing a successful market day in a very uncertain year that was 2020!
What you are looking forward to this year: I am looking forward to getting involved with the Duke of Edinburgh award program and getting to know all the students and staff at Ōtūmoetai College. A little known fact about you: I competed in surf boat rowing for Muriwai SLC and won a few medals.
Mark Thomas Why did you choose teaching as a career? I chose teaching because I was attracted to a career offering challenge, opportunities to learn as well as work with people. List your extra-curricular activities / hobbies: Mountaineering, rock climbing, white water kayaking, running and biking What is your best experience as a teacher to date? Leading a Year 10, five day tramp around the Mt Ruapehu circuit, was an awesome experience that stretched everyone physically and mentally.
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What you are looking forward to this year: Finding my feet at Otumoetai College. Getting to know the students and staff. A little known fact about you: I used to teach English in Berlin
Stevie-Jane Mutu Why did you choose teaching as a career? My Mum was my main driver and told me to do something with Te Ao Maori. My passion comes from her and I enjoyed watching her teach Kapa Haka and run after school programmes with kids. List your extra-curricular activities / hobbies: Kapa Haka, boxing, running and taking my son for walks at Mauao. What is your best experience as a teacher to date? Taking my students to perform and welcome back the All Blacks from Rugby World Cup 2015 was awesome. The same year we also got to perform and meet Lydia Ko. I think the best experience for me personally was when I received a TeachNZ scholarship. It helped pay for my fees and I was able to purchase my first car.
What you are looking forward to this year: Being a part of the Poutama whanau. I want to learn as much as I can from our department in order to satisfy my own personal and professional goals. I look forward to growing the use of Te Reo Maori with students and staff. A little known fact about you: I volunteered to teach in Ghana for about a month. It was a very challenging experience because I had never worked in a school that had no toilets or electricity. I like to take risks and I believe that is where the real learning happens.
Alesha Ridealgh Why did you choose teaching as a career? I discovered my love of history back in high school as a student at Otumoetai College. It was here that I decided to pursue Classical Studies and History at University. Finishing off my final year of my Bachelors, I chose to look into careers in education where I could share my love of history with others. Since then, I have not looked back. List your extra-curricular activities / hobbies: I enjoy swimming and the occasional run. I am a keen reader of all genres and would love to get lost in the sights of foreign countries.
What you are looking forward to this year: Getting involved within the school framework. A little known fact about you: I used to be a student at Otumoetai College, graduating in 2013. Throughout university I worked two jobs, one of which, as a medical laboratory assistant at Tauranga Hospital.
What is your best experience as a teacher to date? Big class debate with senior history students regarding the Cold War. 37
Marine Research Teacher Scholarship Kim Beaton is a Science Teacher at our college who was awarded a six month scholarship through the Royal Society of Science for the Science Teaching Leadership Programme. The following are some of her experiences to date working at the Coastal Marine Field Station at Sulphur Point. Heading off for some deep sea ‘drop camming’ action to observe the reef system off Motiti Island may sound more like a David Attenborough episode than a day’s work. However, for the scientists and researchers of the University of Waikato Coastal Marine Field Station this is just one of the many cutting edge environmental research projects they are currently undertaking in partnership with local iwi, council and community groups.
When asked, ‘What does science mean to you?’ my fellow scientists and researchers answer’s range from “curiosity and exploration” to “science is a tool, it is useful to guide ways to help our environment”. For me, science is about questioning, inspiration and discovery. There are ample helpings of all three here! My placement at the Coastal Marine Field Station for the Science Teaching Leadership Program will enable us to enhance our Science programmes at
On board ‘Tai Rangahau’
Otumoetai College, lift the science engagement of the school community and develop and maintain leverage linkages within the ‘science ecosystem’. I would like to give a big thank you to all the individuals and organisations that have generously given their time, expertise resources and support to make this learning journey possible, in particular The Royal Society Te Apārangi, University of Waikato and Otumoetai College. Noho ora mai, Kim Beaton
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Staff Celebrations Congratulations to Eleanor Clark and Daniel Ellington, who were engaged over the Christmas holidays
Congratulations to Stephanie Townsend and Darren Whetu-Marama Kiwi. Steph and Darren got engaged over the Christmas holidays at the Hotel Britomart.
Welcome to the world baby Gaia. Born 7 December 2020. An early Christmas present for Sam and Kezia Loudon.
Where are they now? It’s always exciting to learn about what happened to past students of Otumotai College. Matt’s story show that an Otumoetai College education provides an important grounding for future endeavours.
Matt Lee What year did you graduate from Otumoetai College? 2009 Current job title / role? Performer How long have you been in this role: 12 years!! What is a lasting memory you have from your time at Otumoetai College? I have many fond memories from my time at Otumoetai College. One of my highlights will always be Drama with Sean Gaskell and Mandy Rowe. Both of them have a passion for the arts that was definitely transferred to me as a student, and I have no doubt that their high level of training set me up with strong foundations for my performance career. I adored being in the school productions each year, and have particularly strong memories playing Jekyll & Hyde in Jekyll & Hyde in 2009. My favourite drama memory is definitely of our trip to the UK with the year 12-13 drama classes in 2008. During our week in London we were lucky enough to see several shows. After seeing Jersey Boys we had the opportunity to speak with the cast in the Theatre after the show. It was a fantastic and inspiring experience for me, and one I really hope to be able to give back to students when I join the cast of Jersey Boys New Zealand this April. 40
What was your most valuable life lesson(s) learnt during your college years? Hard work definitely pays off. I don’t think you need to know your exact direction or have specific goals in place when you’re navigating your college years, however if you decide to give something a go, go for it with everything you have. That dedication you put in will quickly help you to find yourself and your passions.
How well did you feel Otumoetai College prepared you for tertiary study / the workforce? Interestingly I actually didn’t continue onto fulltime tertiary study, but that’s all due to the nature of the industry I work in. There’s no doubt that Otumoetai College prepared me to join the performing industry. Funnily enough being involved in a school production is not much different to being involved in a professional one. The audition process at school really gives you a taster for what auditions are like in the field. You also quickly gain an understanding for the passion you need to succeed in this industry. You work long, high focus hours. I believe it’s important to experience that environment before you enter the workforce. The school is lucky enough to work with other different departments for the shows too. You get your first taste at working with a musical director, with choreographers, set designers and costuming teams. It really functions like a professional show. I actually have been spending my days lately learning my show music for Jersey Boys. I never took music theory outside of school, so I’ve been drawing on that schooling knowledge daily. Did you know what you wanted to do when you left college? I absolutely knew that I wanted to perform, but I wasn’t sure in what capacity. There are lots of pathways for performers to take depending on the aspects of performance they trained/are interested in. I’m lucky enough to have transitioned within my industry across multiple facets of performing. There’s no black and white path for performers, even if they decide to go to full time training.
Why did you pursue your current area of work? Ironically enough performing in front of people can be very difficult and intimidating for me. The main reason I got into it was my love of the craft itself. I love the rehearsal process, building a character, expressing myself in different ways and building something amazing with a group of like minded people. Of course when you actually stand on stage and feel/hear the applause, that gives you a buzz too. How did you get into the field you are now currently working in? Originally I was chasing screen acting work. I was lucky enough to book a few auditions and I felt like that was the way the industry was pulling me. As it turns out, most of my recent work has been back to my roots of musical theatre. That’s doesn’t surprise me I guess as it’s where I really excelled as a kid. I got back onto that path through working for Disney in Tokyo, Japan. I just attended an open audition and was contacted a month later with a job offer. I ended up working there for almost 3 years. That kind of work is really back to my foundations of acting, improvisation, dance and singing which are the pillars of good musical theatre. What is one piece of advice you would give to current Otumoetai College students? Don’t be afraid of what other people think of you, and do things for yourself first. If you have a dream to chase then go for it. The minute school ends and you’re out on your own, you’ll be glad you did.
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From the Archives Here are delightful images of students involved in the Otumoetai College Talent Quest in 19977.
Contrast this with today, where students will again be sharing their talents this time in the “School of Rock” being held at BayCourt from the 25 May to 29 May 2021
Otumoetai College
TION PRODUC SCHOOL BASED ON THE PARAMOUNT MOVIE WRITTEN BY MIKE WHITE MUSIC BY
LYRICS BY
SCRIPT BY
ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER GLENN SLATER JULIAN FELLOWES © 2016 RUG LTD
BY ARRANGEMENT WITH ORiGiNTM THEATRICAL ON BEHALF OF THE REALLY USEFUL GROUP LIMITED
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Baycourt Theatre 25–29 May
MAY 2021 Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday 1
30
31
2
3 FORM TIME FIRST for Year 9s to collect their new timetables
4
5
6 Period 2 Competitive Cross Country. Periods 4&5 Junior Fun Run/Walk
7
8
9 Mother’s Day
10
11
12 Tertiary Awareness Day
13
14
15
16
17 Junior EL Camp
18 NCEA Accord Teacher Only Day
19
20
21
22
at Totara Springs
24
25 School
26 School
27 School
28 School
29 School
Production at Baycourt
Production at Baycourt
Production at Baycourt
Production at Baycourt
Production at Baycourt
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JUNE 2021 Sunday
Monday
Tuesday 1
Wednesday 2
Thursday 3 Year 10
Friday
Saturday
4
5
Market Day 6
7 Queen’s Birthday
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16 Matariki Celebration
17
18 Blood Drive in PAC
19
20
21
22
23 Kapa Haka Showcase in PAC - 6pm
24 Senior Art
25
26
27
28
29
Exhibition - 5.307.30pm
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JULY 2021 Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday 1
Friday 2
Saturday 3 School Ball 7.30-11.30pm
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5 FORM TIME FIRST to collect new timetables
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
23
24
30
31
S C H O O L H O L I DAYS 18
19
20
21
22
S C H O O L H O L I DAYS 25
26
27
28
29
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105 Windsor Road, Bellevue, Tauranga p. 07 576 2316 f. 07 576 8903 www.otc.school.nz