Issue 5 - July 2021
Reflections Providing opportunities to shine www.otc.school.nz
PURPOSE Let Learning Enlighten Life
VALUES Strive for excellence Kimihia tōu ake maungaga teitei 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 Dave Cleland (Deputy Principal) dcleland@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 08 09 12 12 20 25 26
An Introduction and A Farewell 2021 An Afternoon with Ian Foster School of Rock 2021 Te Hau Kōmaru Matariki Art Competition A Snapshop of the English Department Introducing Vanessa Hays - New Year 12 Dean One of Our Talented Staff
REGULARS 03 From the Principal 04 Board of Trustees Chair 05 Editorial 13 Deputy Principal of Achievement 14 Sport 16 Student Celebrations 19 Head of IT 24
Introducing our Front Office Staff
25 Staff Celebrations 28 From the Archives 29 Calendar
Message from the Principal Being a teenager today is hard work. Schools are currentlypreparingstudents for jobs that do not yet exist. Thesesamejobswillbeusing technologiesthatarewaiting to be invented, and will be used to solve problems that do not yet exist.
hard to plan for change other than to be responsive to it. I sometimes wonder if the overrepresentation of teenagers in our country’s statistics is a result of the high levels of stress they find themselves under due to the increasing responsibilities and complexities of life. If we as a society are not broadening the resources that young people have at their disposal to meet the demands they are experiencing, it seems logical that their attempts to cope may become increasingly desperate and dysfunctional.
Theroleofeducationtodayistoproducestudentswho know how to respond when faced with situations for which they were not specifically prepared.To prepare teenagers to thrive in a world of constant change requiresschoolstofocusnotonlyoncontentbutalsoon character.Schoolsshouldbecommittedtoincreasing student’s resourcefulness and resilience, while, at the sametime,developingtheirabilitytobemorereflective and reciprocal in their dealings with others.
Investing in the content of a student’s character is a positivewaytocreatesomeformofsuretyintheirlives. This is not just the role of educators, but society in general.IfyouandIstrugglewiththatidea,considerhow wemightfareifweweretostartalloveragainandwere confrontedwiththesametrialsandtribulationsthatour teenagerscurrentlyface.OurGraduateProfileisourway ofcommunicatingoursharedunderstandingofwhata futureorientedlearnerlookslike.Thisprofiledescribes theskills,knowledgeandattitudesthatwebelieveour students will need to develop in order to embrace and actively participate in a range of life contexts beyond school.
Russell Gordon, Principal
It is true that life does not always play by the rules, but it wasnotallthatlongagowhenwecouldbereasonably expected to plan the direction our lives would take us. This is no longer true for teenagers today. It is
ŌTŪMOETAI COLLEGE GRADUATE PROFILE OVERVIEW
An Ōtūmoetai College powerful learner can: ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
Collaborate effectively with others Value their own and others’ hauora Be resourceful and open to possibilities Connect and apply their learning for success Be an effective and confident communicator Use a range of media to articulate with clarity Take risks in learning and persist through difficulties Demonstrate creative and critical/analytical thinking Be responsive to context, audience and environment
A citizen of Aotearoa New Zealand can demonstrate the values and principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi through: ● Identity: Kia u ki te Tuakiritanga o te Tangata ● Integrity: Kia Tika ai te Tangata. (Ngākau tapatahi) ● Independence: Kia Mau ki te Mana Motuhake o te Tangata. ● Inclusion/inclusiveness: Kia Toro Atu, Toro mai nga mahi a te Tangata (Korowai aroha) ● Initiative: Kia mohio ai te Tangata, He Tikanga to tena, to tena hei whakapakari ake. (Kaiurungi) ● Intellectual stamina: Kia Mau ki te Kura Wananga, ki te Kura Mātauranga. (Te Iti Kahurangi)
A Universal Citizen can:
● Represent themselves, whanau and their community with pride ● Embrace diversity and be intolerant of discrimination ● Participate in co/extra-curricular activities ● Make informed and responsible decisions ● Act in a respectful manner to all ● Contribute to their community ● Use resources sustainably
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Board of Trustees Chairperson It has been a busy first two terms of the year for the school, and my thanks goes out to my fellow board members,theprincipalandtheseniorleadershipteam for their leadership efforts for the first half of this year. Last year the school appointed a Kaitiaki as part of our commitment to improve outcomes for our Māori students/taiura. Bobby Ketu has been kind enough to take on this position as a deputy principal, with the blessingofourkaumatua,TūmatawhaPiahana.Bobby hasbeenreportingtotheBoardmonthlyonprogressin the following five categories: • Te Whanau • Te Tangata • Te Kanorautanga • Te Tuakiritanga • Te rangatiratanga In essence our goal is for our Māori learners to feel a strongsenseofidentity,language,cultureandbelonging withinourschool,tofeelthattheyandtheirwhanauare engagedwithourschoolandbeingheardandresponded to,tofosterpositiveengagementswithourschool,and toachieveexcellentandequitableeducationoutcomes. Bobby attended our most recent board meeting to discuss these topics with us and to advise on progress so far.We were particularly impressed with the values basedculturewithinourPoutamawhanauthatunderpins theirdaytodayengagementwithintheschoolandties in closely with our school values. In my experience, it is culture that takes an organisation from being good to great, and it was one of my main areas of focus on joining the board. OurMāoriStudent ReferenceGroupmeetregularly to discuss issues particular to Māori taiura and develop initiativestoimprovelearningandfosteropportunities for Māori within our school, including preparing for leadership roles. We look forward to discussing their ideas and initiatives going forward. Sotoo,ourWhanauReferenceGroupmeetonaregular basis.This Group brings collaboration from 3 threads, ŌtūmoetaiCollege,WhanauMāoriofourstudents,and Ngai Tamarāwaho/ Ngāti Ranginui to better the 4
Matthew King, Board of Trustees Chairperson
outcomesofourtauiraMāori.Itisopentoallwhanauof taiura Māori to bring a voice and I would encourage ourWhanau Māori to attend these hui. I was fortunate to be invited to attend the hui on 27 May to provide an overview of the Board and its functions, and to answer their questions. WehavealsoappointedaManaWhenuarepresentative onto the board, Mel Tata, who is the current CEO of NgatiRanginui,withtheblessingofourkaumatua.We arestrengthenedbyherpresenceontheboardtoguide us to improve what we do in order to strengthen the relationshipsandconnectionswithourMāoritauiraand their whanau. Finally, I wish to extend my thanks to our teachers for theirteachingeffortsandtotherestofourstafffortheir contributions this year so far – a well deserved break awaits you! To our students/taiura, thank you for your efforts as learners and I wish you a happy holiday break. Aswehunkerdownforthewintermonthsduringterm 3, let us remain kind towards each other as we look forward to the spring and summer months ahead. Ngā mihi nui Matthew King
Editorial Teacher Performance Pay Ifinditinterestingthattheissueofperformancepayfor teachers has raised its head again. At the ACT Party’s annual conference, leader David Seymour proposed thataprincipalcouldrewardatopperformingteacher withanextra,say,$15,000.Theeffectofthepolicywould betoseriouslychangetherangeorpeopleconsidering teaching. Common sense would suggest that teachers whose students perform better should be rewarded, while teacherswhopresideoverunderperformingstudents should not. On the face of it, this seems a fairly simple proposition. Where things start to get murky is when we try to define what particular part of a teacher’s performance is to be rewarded. Most people would subscribe to the notion that teachers should receive some kind of bonus if they get their students to pass NCEA. Surely this measure of student success should be a key factor in determining the success or otherwise of a teacher. The issue I have with this is that as a measure of teacher success, pass ratessetaroundNCEAonlyfocusontheoutcome,they do not measure any progress made in the teaching and learning. If all students entered the class at the beginning of the year at the same level then pass rates wouldbeanobjectivequantifiablemeasureofteacher performance.
wouldbeundulypenalisedeventhoughtheirstudents may have made greater progress than students down the road who just happened to gain national norms or NCEA. As a college, we support the notion of a well-rounded individual, which we see as encompassing Academic, Sporting,andCulturalspheres.Shouldwethenextend performance pay to take into account teachers who coachsportsteams,whoorganiseschooldances,school fairs,artexhibitions,athleticdays,orchestras,fieldtrips, swimmingsports,classcamps,assemblies,moderation days,professionaldevelopmentprogrammesetc.?My point is, teaching is so much more than what happens within the four walls of a classroom.We are preparing ourkidstobeproductivemembersofsociety.Yes,good gradesdomatter,butifthisbecomesthesolenailupon whichweplacethehatofteacherperformance,weare in danger of making our schools callous institutions devoidofdiscoveryandjoy.RobertFrost,theAmerican poet, put it well when he wrote,“I am not a teacher, but anawakener.”Thisisthekindofperformancethatpays!
However, the reality for most teachers is that at the beginningoftheyeartheyarefacedwithstudentswho possess a range of needs and abilities that is anything but uniform. If teachers were to be judged on their students’performance,whatincentivewouldtherebe forateachertowanttoteachinaschoolwhereanumber ofstudentsentertheschoolbelowtheirexpectedlevel? Despite his/her best efforts, even though the student makessignificantprogress,theycouldstillfailtoachieve the National norms or NCEA. Teachers such as these
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An Introduction and a Farewell We said goodbye to Greg Burnard this term but welcome Dave as his replacement in Term 3
Dave Cleland Tell us a little bit about your background? Born and raised in Canada, but I left there as soon as my university training was complete. I was originally trained in Electrical Engineering, with a mechatronics andcontrolsystemsspeciality,butquicklyrealisedthat I like working with people as much as I liked maths and science, so pivoted towards a teaching career. I moved to London, England, and worked in a school in westLondonfor2.5years.Metmy(now)wifethereand moved back to New Zealand with her in 2007. Spent the first 8 years in NZ teaching in West Auckland, and thenmoveddowntotheBOPin2014. Mytimeteaching in NZ has now been split between teaching Science and Physics for the first 8 years, and the last 7 teaching Maths and Calculus. We have 1 daughter, who is now 5 years old and just starting a school adventure of her own.
Principal are reasonablynewtome, I am looking forward toworkingcloselywith thosethathavegained lots of experience already. I hope to learn as much as I can from those around me in the Senior Leadership Team. I am also excited about getting to know a new group of teachers and spend as much time as I can picking up new ideas and skills. Ōtūmoetai is a large, strong school, with a great reputation, and I look forward to working with those people whose hard work has created this reputation.
When will you begin your role at Ōtūmoetai College and what school have you come from? IwillbestartingmyroleatthebeginningofTerm32021, after havingspent thelast4.5yearsasHeadofMaths at Mount Maunganui College.
What is your best experience to date as an educator? I am not sure I can isolate a single best experience. I have always taken huge joy in small wins. Most of whichhavebeenfocussedaroundstudentsmakingkey discoveriesaboutscienceormathsthattheyseemedto find on their own through a guided experience. I think what keeps me passionate about being an educator is watching the joy that is felt by students that gain some skillorknowledgetheydidn’thave,ordidn’tthinkthey could figure out.
Why did you choose to become a Deputy Principal? I was given an opportunity last year to fill in as a DP for 6 months. This gave me an increased sense of what it takes to be an effective leader, both in my department and at the whole school level. It allowed me a chance tousemyskillstosupportthewiderschoolcommunity. I love maths and science, but am far more interested in how they fit into the lives of our young people, and felt that working at the senior management level will allow me to have a greater impact on the big picture of a student’s time spent in highschool. What are you most looking forward about being a Deputy Principal at Ōtūmoetai College? Iamreallyexcitedaboutjoiningastrongandexperienced team. As the role and responsibilities of Deputy 6
There have also been a select number of individual students and teacher colleagues that I have taught or workedwithovertheyearsthathavebeenextraordinarily curiousandhavechallengedmyownunderstanding. I feelsuperluckytohavebeengiventheopportunitiesto have spent time with these people. If you could pass on one piece of advice to students, what would it be? Be curious, and chase after understanding. Learning ‘how’ is great, but learning ‘why it works’ is so much more rewarding.
Greg Burnard Why are you leaving Otumoetai College? While I have really enjoyed the brief time spent here at ŌtūmoetaiCollegeinthebeautifulTaurangaMoana,it alsobecameapparenttomywifeandI,thatwewanted tobeclosertoourchildrenwholiveinAuckland.Wehad hoped they might follow us down to the Bay of Plenty, however this was not to be! The COVID lockdown period was a turning point, where we reflected more on the importance of family. When my fatherpassedawayin October, I knew that wewouldbemoving back within a year.
What is your best experience to date in this role? In my role of DP Day to Day Management, the best experience in general, is when I am able to streamline a process so that it is simpler and easier for staff to follow.ThequestionIaskmyselfis,“Willthisbeteacherfriendly?” (If not, then they won’t thank me for it!) It has been gratifying to receive feedback that the systems around areas such as Relief, Fire Drill, Colours Day and so on have improved. ‘Making life easier for staff’ is my mantra. If you could pass on one piece of life advice to students, what would that advice be? Weallwanttobetreatedwellbyothers,butthisbegins with us. Showing kindness and respect will make your world a better place.
What have been your biggest learnings as a DP? My time at Ōtūmoetai College has been memorable for a number of reasons. Firstly, the quality of the staff. Therearehighlycapable,subjectspecialistswithinthe staff which enhances the academic strength of the school.The staff in general are wonderful people who are dedicated and caring towards their students. It is noticeablehow‘tight’thestaffare,duenodoubttothe long-standing relationships that exist. I have been impressed too by how well resourced the schoolis,forexampletheplentifulaccesstocomputers, heavily resourced tech department, the outstanding library facility, top notch sporting facilities including beautifully manicured sports fields to name a few. Finally, I have appreciated the commitment to Maori achievementthattheschoolBoardandleadershiphave embarkedupon.Thisisimportantworkwhichwillclose gaps and strengthen the fabric of the school. He waka eke noa. Kia kaha! 7
An Afternoon with Ian Foster Ōtūmoetai Barbarians, 1st XV made a flying start to theirsuccessful2021rugbyseason,andaddingtothat momentum was All Black Coach Ian Foster, who made a return visit to spend some time with the team on Wednesday the 2nd of June. Ian Foster had visited last year for rugby training and it was a privilege for our young men to have the All Black coach back passing on his wisdom. He was relational,engagingandhumorous. Ourplayersfound him truly inspirational. The training was watched by many students and athletes from the school as well asstudentsfromŌtūmoetaiIntermediate.Parentsand whanau of our community were also in attendance.
Later that same evening, The Barbarians Advisory Committee held their annual, corporate fundraising event with: “The Big 3 of NZ Rugby” – Ian Foster, Sam CaneandMarkRobinson. Thefunction,heldatMount Maunganui Golf Club was an overwhelming success, raising approximately $40,000. Money raised goes towardsgrowingourgame,viaouracademy,hardship grants,internaltours,replacinggear,providingapparel for all players and importantly giving some back to the community. Some of this evening’s proceeds went to Good Neighbour.
Head Coach, Richard Brown explains that our rugby programme is not just about on field results.We aspire to promote rugby, grow numbers, foster a love for the game, connect with our community, give back and embed life-long values into our players. Naturally on fieldsuccessisimportanttoo,butourprogrammesare bigger than that he explains.
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The Barbarians are looking to develop quality rugby players and good young people. We have partnered with local charity, GOOD NEIGHBOUR and our players andparentssupportthecharitybyofferingsupportfor community projects.The team wants to do well on the field,butwewanttocontributeoffthefieldandmakea difference.
School of Rock 2021 A teacher’s perspective by Petrina Chisholm The curtain has fallen, the costumes put away, and School of Rock 2021 has shown me many things... students are in class. All seems back to normal after the success of the School Show that was School of Rock, the • That working with like minded colleagues benefits next Generation! everyone involved. • Thatallofthesleeplessnights,theconstantrepetition, But nothing is the same… tears, sweat and pressure, are things that create the best memories. The reality is that students have created memories that • That successful teaching is a 24hr, 7 day a week job, will forever be kept, new friendships have been formed and not just limited to the classroom. that span across • Thatstudentswhocommittoextracurricularactivities all 5 year levels, areoftentheonesthatlookbackontheirschoolyears teachers have withthefondestofmemories.AndIamlivingproofof gained skills that, and am now simply paying it forward. outside their classroom If I can leave you with anything, it would simply be this… content and Ōtūmoetai “Withoutthearts,theworldwouldbeaverydullplace,so College has havesomecompassionforit,andthestudentsinvolved. placed itself Neverunderestimatethem.Fortheyaretheonesthatare back on the busycreatingtheflavourthatenhances life.Theyarethe PerformingArts onesthatknowhowtomanagetheirtime,commitments Map of the Bay and dedication. They are the team players, risk takers of Plenty!!! and great communicators. They are the ones that are becomingwellroundedandthoughtfulhumans,willingto In one’s think and give outside of themselves. educational That, to me, is the essence of a lifelong learner, and a true career, a teacher always hopes that students will learn benefit to society.” new skills while in their care. But to experience students who were genuinely kind, caring and respectful as well as being eager to learn, is something that any teacher would be extremely proud of. And that is the stance that I now find myself in. School of Rock will forever be locked in as a successful moment of Ōtūmoetai College history for me; for the professional performance it was, for the comradery of colleagues it solidified, and for the quality of students it showcased.
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SSchool o
of Rock
Te Hau Kōmaru Wednesday, May 19th 2021, a very crisp morning with a trickle of rain known as tomairangi, a good sign for the beginning of the Te Hau Kōmaru wananga. This is the firstwakawanangathatencompassestheworldofwaka hourua,wakatauaandwakatete.TewakaTaakitimuand twowakateteweretoguide5wakahouruaintothewaters of Tauranga Moana Harbour. The waka Taakitimu sent salutesofwelcometoeachwakahouruaandtheircrewsas apartofthewelcomingceremony.Icouldheartheproud voicesofkaihoechantingandperformingkarakiaasthe wakacameintoshore.Fromheretheanchorsdroppedand the waka tied off.This then allowed for the public to get a closer look at the double hulled waka, and get to know thehistoryandmataurangathattheyhold.Thekaihautu
of the Waka Hourua then went on to explain the differences and unique aspects that their waka holds. Afterakarakiaandakōrerothatcamefromthekaihautu of Te Waka Taakitimu, everyone was welcomed to WhareroaMaraewherewesang,celebratedandunited as one. JackThatcher referred to this wananga as a‘new beginning for theWaka world’. An awesome event that gave new learnings to all who were involved. Nga mihi mahana! Kuni Williams Te Whare Māori
Matariki Art Competition Onthe17thJunetheRuamanoCommitteeheldanArt Competition for Matariki. The winners were:
Special mention to : Charlotte Spearman People’s Choice with “Tiny Feet” Sarah Carter - Committee Choice with “Wahine o Matariki” 1st - Aroha Stock “Maumahara”
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2nd - Rose Mayhead “Connection”
3rd - Liv Hawkins “Tirohanga”
Deputy Principal of Achievement “Let learning enlighten life”is an aspirational line in our school song. To enable that enlightenment to happen we want learning to be as visible as possible.With that in mind, our reports have been designed to focus on what our students can currently do and, then, what their next learning steps are. This is in addition to indicating how frequentlyweobservethedesirablelearningbehaviours that lead to powerful learning. Hopefully there is an improvement between terms 1 and 2!
so that there are two eveningswhenteacherswill be available. Instructions forbookinginterviewswill follow the junior reports in Term 3. These days are a vital component of the partnership between home and school and we encourage both parents and students to attend.
StephenTisch DeputyPrincipal
Senior reports were emailed on July 2nd and junior reportswillbesentonAugust13th.Subjectteacheremail addresses are included in the report so you can contact In the Junior School, Ōtūmoetai College has worked teachers directly if you have subject specific questions. with the New Zealand Council of Educational Research (NZCER), to build an assessment framework where the There are two Parent-Teacher days scheduled forTerm 3 useoftheassessmentinformationwegatherisdrivenby -Wednesday25thAugustandThursday9thSeptember. the decisions we want to make to improve teaching and Inresponsetofeedbackfromsomeparents,bothdayswill learning.The outcomes of this work will inform our next run from 10:30am till 7:30pm steps.
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Student Sport Badminton
Badminton is a growing sport with growing numbers in teams representing the school. This term we had the Western Bay of Plenty Secondary Schools junior and senior qualifiers. We have two junior teams and three senior teams who have qualified for the BOP Secondary Schools finals next term. We wish these teams the best of luck. We have also had 11 students named in BOP Rep teams: Lachlan Shefferd, Jack Ouwejan, Macy Donaghy, Deep Kaur, Jemma Stewart, Charlotte Spearman, Bethany Lake, Jonte Watkins, Azmi Hirota, Rachel Dunn and Megan Lake. Congratulations to all these students on such an outstanding achievement, we wish you the best of luck for your rep campaign.
Cross Country The BOP Secondary Schools Cross Country was held on Monday 17th May at Waipuna park in Tauranga. We had nine students register to run and all raced very well. Highlights are as follows: Junior Girls: Alex Rawlinson – 1st Rebecca Parkes – 2nd Senior Girls: Charo Heijnen – 4th We had 12 students travel over to compete at the Waikato Secondary Schools Cross Country which was on Wednesday 17th June held at Kihikihi Domain in the Waikato. It was a fabulous day and all the students competed very well with some standout results from Alex Rawlinson who finished 3rd in the junior girls and Charo Heijnen who finished 3rd in the senior girls’ event. Congratulations to all the students that competed at these events, some great personal results were achieved.
Volleyball
After a long and tough weekend of Volleyball our students achieved some great results at the National InterprovincialVolleyball Champs. Callum Stewart was part of the U17A Boys team that made it through to the semifinals, but after a close loss went on to win their playoff to finish 3rd overall.
Canoe Slalom
Ashton Blair has had a very successful season with his Canoe Slalom. After competing well at the Nationals, Ashton has been given the highest ranking in NZ for the junior C1 men (junior is U18).This is an outstanding achievement Ashton and amazing to see your hard work in training pay off.
Lucy Lloyd, Hazel Blissett and Melany Sinclair were all part of the U17A team that, after a very close 5 set match against Canterbury, made it through to the final butdidn’tmanagetotakethematchfinishing2ndwhich was a fantastic achievement.
Meg Kale and Ella Kidd were both part of the U19A girls team who had an outstanding tournament. The girls played two exceptional games to beat Canterbury in 5 sets and Wellington in 4 sets to make the final against Waterpolo Congratulations to Amelia Edgecumbe who has been NorthHarborwhereafterdroppingthe1stset,theycame named in the Bay of Plenty U16 Water polo team. This back to win in 5 and take the championships. Meg Kale an awesome achievement Amelia and we would like and Ella Kidd are U19 National Volleyball Champions. to wish you the best of luck for your representative campaign.
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Futsal
We would like to say a huge congratulations to all of the following students who have made the Bay of Plenty Representative teams for Futsal. We wish you all the best for your season.
Squash
The BOP Secondary Schools Division one team championships were held in week seven of this term. We had one girls team compete at this event with Hope Kennerley, Gen Kennerley and U14 Girls: Erin Wyllie. We also Mackenzie Kamo had Kayla Bowles Grace Duncan attend the event as Miah Smith a reserve but she ended up playing for U16 Girls: U16 Boys: the Katikati team!The Danielle Fowler Cameron Paratene girls had a great day Kiera Bourgeois and all of them played someamazinggames, U19 Girls: U19 Boys: some they won easily, Isabella Wilton Flynn Mulligan and others were very Niamh Carter close and exciting. Makensie Metzger This is a very talented groupofstudentsand we look forward to Gymnastics seeing how well they We had two students compete at the NZSS Rhythmic do at the National Champs later in the year. Gymnastics Championships in Auckland, Bobbi-Rose Holmes and Isabella Chaney. Both girls competed Hockey extremelywellatthisNationaleventindifferentGrades. TheTauranga Hockey representative teams have been Bobbi-Rose competed in Level 10 and finished 2nd training hard in the build up to their tournament in overall and Isabella competed in Level 5 finishing 3rd these July Holidays. We have had a number of students overall. This is an outstanding achievement from both selected into these representative teams in the girls,andwelookforwardtomorefromyouinthefuture! different age groups.
Indoor Bowls
The BOP Secondary Schools Indoor Bowls event was held in week 8 of this term and two Year 9 students competed at the event, Keira Mewis and Anae Garratt. It was the first time these students had competed at a BOPSecondarySchools event and they were exceptional.Competing in division two with 28 other teams the girls showed their skills throughout the day to finish 3rd. This is an outstanding achievement and we wish Keira and Anae the bestofluckfortheNorth Island competition in the school holidays.
U18 Girls: Brooke Comeskey Ayla Johnson Neisha Moore
U18 Boys: Ashton Gordon
U16 Girls: Kara Blackstock Rebecca Parkes Brea Miller Olivia Hays Rachel Wahab Aela Willoughby
U16 Boys: Shane Purser Riley Hodge
A special mention to Brooke Comeskey who has been named as the captain of the U18 girls which is an outstanding achievement as a Year 12 in the team and shows the amazing leadership qualities she portrays. Congratulations to all our girls’ teams who won their divisions, and to the boys 1st and 2nd XV who both came 3rd in their divisions. 15
Student Celebrations Synchronised Swimming
Dance Troupes
We have 4 Dance troupes at our College. Students from all year levels were encouraged to audition for these troupesinterm1andthesuccessfulstudentshavebeen rehearsingeversince,undertheguidanceofMrsHarnett. senior students Alex Jeffery, Elodie Corin and Bethan Gilbert De Rios lead the troupes and choreograph the dances. Recently three of the Dance troupes competed in the Tauranga Dance competition (T.D.I.). Our Troupes looked The Artistic Swimming North Island Championships amazingdancing were held at Baywave on 2-4 July with over 130 in the schools Junior Lyrical Troupe at T.D.I competitors taking to the pool during the competition. open category. We are pleased to announce the results of two students They danced the best we have seen them. Our Lyrical from Ōtūmoetai College as below: troupewon,withourjuniorcontemporarytroupeplacing 3rd and our junior hip hop right behind with VHC. Chloe Boyt (in a team of 2) – Junior Tech Duet, 2nd place Congratulations to year 11 student Chloe Boyt who has been selected to be a member of the New Zealand Artistic Swimming team that will compete at the 2021 FINA Junior World Championships. She is one of eleven athletes from around the country chosen to represent New Zealand in the August competition, which is likely to be a virtual event. this year.
Then on the 13th July the senior lyrical troupe won a nomination to compete at nationals representing Tauranga Performing Arts Competitions. Ōtūmoetai Chloe Boyt (in a team of 9) – Open Combo, 1st place College was also awarded the Most Jersie Ottaway (in a team of 7) – Aqua Combo, 1st place OutstandingSchool Troupe because all four troupes stood out against the other schools competing. Chloe Boyt (in a team of 6) – Junior Tech Team, 1st place
Congratulations to all students who were involved, you fully deserved your success!
Senior Lyrical Troupe peforming at the PACANZ 16
Toi Wearable Arts On the 9th June a group of students competed in the TOI Wearable Arts awards at Baypark Trustpower Arena. Jade Newton in Year 11 was awarded a Toi Trophy for the overall prize ‘Star of the Night’ she was also awardedwith‘OutstandingShowPresence’.Herdesign (pictured below) was inspired by a Tornado with the title “Going, going, gone”
Year 9 students involved: Madison Duncan Rhea Lal Paige Martley Mia McGrath Charlotte Reid
AgroupofYear9studentscollaboratedonaproject. Their Futuristic design was awarded with‘Excellent Garment Construction’ and again awarded with ‘Outstanding Story Telling’. They did such a great job and should be so proud of their achievements. Some talented super stars!
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Student Celebrations Manu Kōrero Ko te kai a te rangatira he kōrero! The sustenance of chiefs is words! OnFriday4thJuneŌtūmoetaiCollegeparticipatedinthe55thanniversaryof theManuKōreroRegionalSpeechcompetition.Ourspeakersandsupporters who attended this event represented our kura with great pride. A big mihi to Taiawatea Matika andWairaka Ormsby (pictured top right) for their courage and tremendous efforts in competing in the Junior Maori and Junior English categories.Wealsoneedtoacknowledgetheirwhanauwhoencouragedthem to speak on behalf of their own hapu and iwi. Ka mau te wehi kōrua! It was a very successful day in Ruātoki as Haylee Van Herpen-Jacobs won the overall 1st prize in the Korimako Senior English category.“Let me be the rangatahi today and I’ll be the rangatira tomorrow”was her winning speech topic.Herpowerfulmessagetooktheaudienceandjudgesawaywithaweand admiration.ShewillberepresentingŌtūmoetaiCollegeatthesecondaryschool nationalcompetitionthatwilltakeplaceinPalmerstonNorthSeptember21-23. Wehopeherkōrerowillcontinuetoawakenandinspireallpeopletowardsthe growth of Te Ao Māori. Ngā mihi nunui ki a koe Haylee Van Herpen-Jacobs! Congratulations e hine. Tiria ō kupu ki te ao! Wairaka Ormsby and Haylee Van Herpen-Jacobs
Big Angry On May 29th Big Angry won the BOP Regional Final of the Smoke Free Rockquest. They also won the ZM Best Song Award. They are in the running for the national final of the Rock Quest to be held in Auckland in September. We wish them all the very best. Big Angry are: Nixon Ririnui, Noah Davis, Jack Baker, Ashton Blair, and Ben Watson. Big Angry are not big, and I have never seen any of them get angry, well, not BIGANGRY but I’ll tell you this, this right here, what I have seen is 5 young men refuse to give up their dream of playing rock and roll music and writing songs together, imagine that, and they have been knocking away at it for longer than I have
had a moustache, refusing to give up on that dream, the one that floats about in the ether and pops into their head when they need an exit, the beat that no one else can hear, they have chip, chip, chipped away the bits of stone that don’t look like the dream, until all they are left with is a thing well made, the invisible becomes the visible, the emptiness becomes the everything, the hollow becomes the whole, then people smile, then people dance, then people stand back and say to whoever is lucky enough to be standing next to them at the time ‘I love this band’, unreal, amongst all the silliness we have created to keep ourselves stressed and scared, people still find the time to smile and dance and say to a stranger ‘I love this band’. I love this band. Long. Long. Long may it last. Matt Bodman - Head of Music 18
Head of IT The use of digital technology for teaching and learning is becoming more and more the norm in classrooms around New Zealand. Providing enough devices for everyone can be challenging for schools for lots of reasons - the number of devices needed, the speed at which the devices become out of date and need replacing, and the wear and tear that the devices suffer due to their continuous use by multiple students on a daily basis. This is one of the reasons why Bring Your Own Device came into being a number of years ago - to ensure that as many students as possible could access the benefits that using devices could bring to learning. And there are many benefits. Here are some of them. • • • • • • • •
Students becoming more engaged in their learning due to staff having more options for how they deliver their courses Students and teachers having access to more content, resources and materials that wouldn’t have been available to them in the“offline”world The opportunity for all students to participate in the learning, even when they are not physically in the classroom. Access to writing tools that can really accelerate the progress of reluctant and unconfident writers Access to a range of digital tools that students can use to demonstrate their capabilities and understanding of content A range of ways for students to discuss, collaborate and help each other Greater access to subject area experts globally through webinars and teleconferences Helping to prepare students for a digital future by upskilling them in the use of digital tools
There are of course drawbacks. Here are some of the issues we see at school. •
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Some students are easily distracted from their learning and find it hard to stay on task. To mitigate this, if necessary, we can use digital tools to look at students’ online activity and restrict access to help them focus on a particular activity. Some students use the tools in ways that can be
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harmful to others. To mitigate this, we block access to certain categories of websites including most games and social media sites except where these are being used in a teachingandlearning Mrs Ros Lee, Head of IT context. Some students find it hard to put their devices down. To mitigate this, students are not allowed to use their phones in class unless they have the express permission of the teacher. Other digital devices are only used where there is a benefit to the student’s learning in doing so.
Whilst there are systems we can put in place at school to address some of the potential issues, learning to manage themselves is an important part of our students’ learning and one of the key competencies that we reinforce within the education system. Parents and school can all play a part in helping our students to develop good habits when it comes to the care and use of their devices and being a responsible user of the tools that technology has provided.
A Snapshot of the English Dept... Andrea Ward Tell us a little about your background? I’ve taught here at Ōtūmoetai for six years now. Originally from Taupo, I attended Victoria Universitybeforeheadingoffoverseasfortenyears. On my travels, I discovered teaching, loved it, and pursued it on my return. What is your best experience to date as an educator? Lots of small little moments make the job worthwhile!
What is a little known fact about you? I like to spend my free time in the winter snowboarding and skiing the South Island’s superb backcountry slopes.
If you could pass on one piece of advice to students, what would that advice be? Don’t spend all you make. Save and invest, and your future self will thank you.
Ash Lack Tell us a little about your background? I’ve taught here at Ōtūmoetai for six years now. Originally from Taupo, I attended Victoria Universitybeforeheadingoffoverseasfortenyears. On my travels, I discovered teaching, loved it, and pursued it on my return.
What is your best experience to date as an educator? Lots of small little moments make the job worthwhile!
What is your best experience to date as an educator? Watching my Poutama form class graduate and be celebrated at the Māori and Pasifika Awards in 2019.
A little known fact about you: I have recently become a fan of gardening.
If you could pass on one piece of advice to students, what would that advice be? “Takeeveryopportunityavailabletoyouwhilethey are on offer.”
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Dave Shefferd - Head of Department Tell us a little about your background? I’vebeenteachingfor21yearsandduringthistime I’ve been lucky to work at various schools, in the Bay of Plenty and overseas. Before that, I worked inaJobCentre,theInsolvencyService,soldpower transmission, and spent a memorable summer pickingtomatoes.AtschoolIwantedtobeasports journalist, but while traveling in Norway a friend suggested I should try teaching (Godt Valg!) What is your best experience to date as an educator? Any time I receive a ‘thank you’ from a current, or ex-student.
to students, what would that advice be? “Remember that Shakespeare said”, (insert advice here) What is a little known fact about you? I met my future wife the day after winning a prestigious singing competition.
If you could pass on one piece of advice
Diane Hose Tell us a little about your background? Prior to becoming a fully qualified teacher I had a supporting role as a teacher aide for 10 years through which I developed a range of skills and techniques which prepared me for managing my own classes in later years.
What is a little known fact about you? I ran the 49th Rotorua marathon.
What is your best experience to date as an educator? My best experience as an educator is seeing students thrive and gain confidence, on a daily basis, which all contributes to enhancing student agency. If you could pass on one piece of advice to students, what would that advice be? Anythingispossibleinlifeifyouaredeterminedto succeed, therefore embrace every subject and be fully engaged. 21
Josh Buxton Tell us a little about your background? My dad and grandparents on both sides were teachers, so naturally I tried to resist the urge to adhere to this lineage for as long as I could. After beingaBeekeeper,anArtStudent,aPhotographer, Paparazzi,Pastor,PartyHireguyandConstruction Worker, I found myself back in the classroom preparing to go back into the classroom. I have been teaching for a decade now and think of it as a meaningful vocation. I have just finished five yearsofDeaningandamenjoyingbeingbackinthe classroom full time.
learning as much as you can. Money isn’t real either, but that’s a lesson best left till your 30’s. A little known fact about you? I am a qualified Dogman.
If you could pass on one piece of advice to students, what would that advice be? NCEA isn’t real. It’s just a story we teachers made up to trick you into learning stuff. Don’t worry about credits, instead, pretend you are earning fifty bucks an hour while you are at school (which is true, given the likely impact on your potential earnings over a lifetime) and earn that money by
Julie Secker Tell us a little about your background? GrewupinTaranaki,wenttoUniversityofAuckland where some awesome lecturers changed my direction towards teaching. Lived in Japan for 7 yearsandtravelledextensively.Ihavethreechildren, like being active and growing my own food. I also have big plans to travel more. What is your best experience to date as an educator? I will never forget onetimewhenadifferentfruit or vegestartedmysteriouslyappearingonmydesk… It took me a while to realise that some trickster was following the alphabet (A = apple, B = banana etc, eventually going all the way to ‘z’). I never caught the student in action! I did find out
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later in the year (it was the destined-to-befamous Micah Winiata) but in the meantime I really enjoyed some interesting food. If you could pass on one piece of advice to students, what would that advice be? That this is but a short time in your life and it need not define you. You can change your life in the future, and become who you should become, at any time. A little known fact about you: I have five brothers. No sisters. Fact.
Lisa Sushames Tell us a little about your background? This is my eighth year teaching English, and my secondyearatŌtūmoetaiCollege.Priortoteaching, IworkedasaStudentLiaisonAdviseratuniversities in Wellington and Palmerston North. What is your best experience to date as an educator? Accompanying a small group of students to a poetry writing workshop taught by SelinaTusitla Marsh.
What is a little known fact about you: When I attended Ōtūmoetai College, back in the day, my favourite subjects were Classical Studies and Drama.
If you could pass on one piece of advice to students, what would that advice be? Done is better than perfect.
Suzanne Kirk Tell us a little about your background? I’ve been a teacher since I was 22. This is the 7th school I have taught in, starting in Gisborne then teaching at international schools in Venezuela, Tanzania andThe Philippines before returning to NZ to teach in Wellington and now here, where I have been for 10 years.
What is a little known fact about you? Maybe it is little known for a good reason and best to keep that way!
What is your best experience to date as an educator? It is such a great career for anyone who wants to travel,loadsofopportunities–butteachinginyour owncountry,contributingtoandfeelingpartofthe community is perhaps more rewarding. If you could pass on one piece of advice to students, what would that advice be? Do what you love.
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Introducing our Front Office Staff
Neroli Sole School Administrator
Karen Raikes Office Administrator
How would you describe your role? I have a very busy role and no two days are ever the same! I co-ordinate the school calendar, all the enrolments into school during the year, the yearly Open Evening, parentteacher interviews twice a year and prizegivings.
How would you describe your role? My role as Office Administrator in reception is varied work as I need to help with requests from staff, parents, students and visitors.The role is busy with different tasks for each school term and“behind the scenes”organising for events.
What is the thing you most enjoy about your role? I enjoy helping people – no issue is too big or too small. It is such a pleasure to watch students grow through school, from enrolling them inYear 9 through to when they graduate in Year 13 and then to learn of their many successes in their chosen professions. What is the most interesting thing that has happened to you in this role? This wasn’t directly in my role, but I have been involved with some of our school productions over the years - costuming for both Hairspray and Annie and being involved with Junior and Senior plays. As I love Musical Theatre, I thoroughly enjoyed this - we have such incredible talent at our school. What is the biggest learning you have gained in your role? To look at everything from all sides – often things are not what they seem!
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What is the thing you most enjoy about your role? Not one thing but many things - the variety of work, the friendly staff. I love being part of a hugely skilled team to supportthestudents’learning.Withworkingalongsideso many, no two days are ever the same here and anything can happen. What is the most interesting thing that has happened to you in this role? I was involved in the process of uploading the Course Selection information to Schoolpoint. This hugely advanced the Subject Selection procedure - from our printed manual, student booklets and forms to online access. It was so much easier for students and parents toviewlearningareas,accesscourseinformationandfor students to decide their subjects for the following year. What is the biggest learning you have gained in your role? Confidence in my decisions dealing with various and ever-changing situations. I came from a totally different background (graphic design) to commence work at ŌtūmoetaiCollegethreeyearsago-itwasahugechange but definitely a great one.
Staff Celebrations
CongratulationstoAnnaMacDiarmid(nowKayes)and Dannywhogotmarriedearlierthisyear.Theyhavebeen travelling around the South Island and love it so much theyhavedecidedtostay!FarewellAnnaandallthebest!
CongratulationstoHollyWilsonandherhusbandNick who welcomed baby Mac Nicholas into the world on 23rd of May!
Introducing Vanessa Hays New Year 12 Dean
What are your areas of teaching expertise and how long have you been a teacher at Ōtūmoetai College? Astrong interestinSociology,Psychology,Geography,Sport Science, Physical Education and Health as a young person have led me into the areas I now teach in. I began teachingin1997andstarted here at OTC in 2016. What inspired you to become a Dean? I have had experience as a Dean teaching in London in 2002 and at Katikati College 2003 and I really enjoyed it. I was also filling in for Mrs Boubee in 2019 for this year group in Year 10. I felt it was the right time to step into this role again and use the expertise and experience I have to assist our kura in a Dean’s capacity. What are your hopes and aspirations for the 2021 Year 12 cohort? Year 12 is such an exciting year as a senior student.
I hope that all students realise what amazing opportunities they have at school, not only in pursuit of academic success butalsoinleadership,citizenship,andvolunteering.Thatthe growth and learning that takes place in these settings can better prepare them for the future. Myaspirationsfortheseakongaaretochallengethemselves to be the best version of themselves, through connecting and contributing and through their efforts being rewarded with success. If you could share some valuable wisdom to our Year 12 students, what would that advice be? Words are powerful, use them wisely. You are doing enough even if it doesn’t feel like it. Failure is when you don’t try. Random acts of kindness make everyone feel better, including the giver. What is a little known fact about you? I’ve cycled over the French Alps from France into Italy, via one of the Tour de France routes. 25
One of Our Talented Staff - Introducing...
Melissa Nicholson You will know her as an English Teacher and a Dean but did you know she was a talented peformer as well? Back in May she played the role of Carlotta in Phantom of the Opera. Tell us about Phantom of the Opera - did you have to audition? The process for auditioning for a show comes down to three things: music, movement and a lot of waiting around,pretendingthatyou’renotnervous.Phantomof theOpera,likemostamateurproductions,hadanopen casting call and as soon as I saw the advertisement for Phantom,Ibookedanauditionimmediately.Ididn’tcare what role - if any - I was going to get. I couldn’t let a show like Phantom get this close to my home and not do it.
First up was the movement. The dance audition was done as a group - kind of like a cattle call! Standing in front of a panel of people with a number on your shirt whilst you were taught a section of choreography and brought forward line by line.This is my least favourite part of the process because even though it is nice not to be alone, you can’t help but feel the pressure of the ‘competition.’ Next comes the music.The singing audition was done individuallyandwewereaskedtopreparetwopiecesof music;onesongweselectedourselvesthatshowcased 26
our vocal ability as well as learning one of the main songs from the show. I had spent weeks trying to find the perfect song and I think I sang something from a Cirque du Soleil show. I’m not a trained singer (I have never had a singing lesson in my life) so my thought process was if I sang a random song that they probably didn’tknow,theywouldbenonethewiserifIbutchered it. I had also learned Think of Me and Prima Donna, songsfromPhantomthataresungbytheshow’sfemale leads. It went much better than I could have imagined andtheauditionpanelgavemeacallback.Acallbackis asecondaryauditionyou’reaskedtodoifthedirectoris considering you for a particular role. Then comes the waiting around. Callbacks are a good sign as it means the director wants to see more of you but it is a lot of sitting, waiting, and stressing but pretendingthatyou’resuperchill.Luckily,Ihadbrought my marking with me so I had something to keep me preoccupiedbutit’sastressfultime.Iwaitedinthefoyer of the theatre for four hours; they would call me in, ask me to sing with someone, then send me back out but tell me not to go home.“We want to see more of you.” I watched as the crowd of people who had also been called back had thinned out and by the end of the day, there was just me and three other girls left ready to vie for one of the coveted roles. At 5:30pm, six hours after my original audition, I was summoned back into the roomwhereIwasofferedtheroleofCarlotta-theprima donnaoftheoperahouseanddivaextraordinaire.The chancetoplayabossy,vain,delusionaldivawhowears extravagantcostumesandthrowsirrational,petulant tantrums is a role that just speaks to me on a deeply personallevel.Iacceptedtheroleimmediatelyandcried happytearsthewholedrivebacktoTauranga.Itookthe roleinDecemberof2019andwassolookingforwardto performing it in April of 2020, but the world had other plans. How did you first get into music and singing? I fell into musical theatre almost by accident. I was an earnest little weirdo at high school; tall, gangly, had braces,andshortspikyhair.Iwassuperintodrama,and
deeplycommittedtoapunkrockaesthetic-thinkAvril Lavinge meets Green Day. My teenage angst saw me silently recuse myself from my PE class quite regularly to focus instead on music and my piano teacher - bless her soul - would let me hide in the Music Department instead of going to class. She was the one who told me that I had a good voice, and she suggested that I audition for the upcoming school musical. I had done a small school show before but I didn’t think I would be good enough for a big musical. I was dubious, but I am also stubborn so I gave it a go and ended up being cast in the lead role. And that was it - I was hooked! For the first time in my life, I had found a place where I felt truly safe, a place where I could be someone different and tellastorythroughmusic,movementandsong.Icaught the theatre bug way back in 2003 and now, nearly twenty years later, I have been very lucky to perform in morethan25differentshowssuchasChicago,Cabaret, Hairspray, Evita and Mary Poppins.
werenotabletocommitforthefollowingyearbutafter 18longmonths,PhantomoftheOperaopenedtoafull house on April 28th, 2021. What advice would you give to a young person who is interested in performing in musical theatre? Just go for it! Being able to be part of a show is so much more than just singing or having a dance. You get to meet a lot of like-minded people who share the same passionandartistryasyou.Itisahugetimecommitment but there is no greater feeling than taking that bow at theendoftheperformanceknowingyouhavehelpedto entertain hundreds of people.
What is your favourite performance/show to date? PhantomoftheOperaisashowIamsoincrediblyproud to have been a part of. Not only did we have a sell out seasonthat brokeboxofficerecords,westillmanaged to stage this show safely and publicly following the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns.The show was put on hold in March of 2020 and we had to justwaittoseeifbringingPhantomtolifewouldevenbe possible.Thankfully,TheatreWhakatānehadaplethora ofwonderfulsponsorsandpeopleworkingreallyhard behindthescenestoallowustodelaytheproductionby ayear;ourseasonwassetforMay2021instead.Wehad to re-audition and re-cast some roles as some people 27
From the Archives Before Reflections we had the Ōtūmoetai College Bulletin. Check out this front page from 1986!
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AUGUST 2021 Sunday
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4 Ōtūmoetai Intermediate Showcase
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10 Open Evening for 2022 Enrolments
11 NCEA Accord Teacher Only Day
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13 Mathsmind Competition
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Pin’d Fashion Showcase
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17 Starsopoly
18 Starsopoly & Future Pathways afternoon
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25 Parent Teacher 26 Interviews Day 1
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WINTER TOURNAMENT AND MUSIC ASSESSMENTS WEEK
SEPTEMBER 2021 Sunday
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9 Parent Teacher Interviews Day 2
10 Senior Exams Start
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NZ AIMS GAMES TOURNAMENT 12
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SENIOR EXAMS AND MAORI LANGUAGE WEEK 19
20 FORMTIME FIRST to collect Timetables
21 Talent Quest
22 Talent Quest
23 Talent Quest
26 Daylight Savings Starts
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DANCE AND DRAMA ASSESSMENT WEEK
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S C H O O L H O L I D AY S 10
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25 Labour Day
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20 Year 9 Options Afternoon
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27 6.30pm Sports Awards
28 6.30pm Maori & Pasifika Awards
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Creative Arts Awards
Special Needs Production
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105 Windsor Road, Bellevue, Tauranga p. 07 576 2316 f. 07 576 8903 www.otc.school.nz