WHANGAROA COLLEGE

Tēnā koutou katoa e te whānau

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Thank you all for your continued support as we work diligently towards improving student attendance here at Whangaroa College. We understand the daily challenges many of you face, especially on cooler winter mornings, in getting our children out of bed and ready for school. Despite these hurdles, I am incredibly proud of their resilience and commitment to turning up each day, eager to learn and engage. Their dedication is truly commendable and a testament to the strong foundations you, as whanau, are laying at home.

One of the current challenges we are actively addressing regarding attendance is the increasing trend of parents and caregivers picking up our students early from school. Our consistent message to our students is the importance of being present every day possible and remaining in all their classes for the entire duration of each period. This continuity is crucial for their learning and development. We would be immensely grateful if parents and caregivers could support us wholeheartedly with this kaupapa. Every minute in class contributes significantly to their educational journey.

Another vital area where parents and caregivers can support the school is by ensuring their children are dropped off before the first bell rings. We have noticed a few students arriving at school between 3 to 10 minutes late, which, while seemingly minor, can create a disruption to their own learning and that of their peers. Your support in ensuring punctuality would be genuinely appreciated by both our teaching staff and the students themselves.

The Ministry of Education measures attendance at a benchmark of 90% in class. To align with this national standard and to foster a culture of consistent attendance, we are moving our internal target from 85% to 90%. This adjustment reflects our commitment to excellence and to ensuring our students have every opportunity to succeed.

Beyond attendance, we have also been working incredibly hard to improve our students' achievement in the Common Assessment Activities (CAAs). To bolster their preparation and confidence, we have implemented a comprehensive series of mock exams. With the right preparation and dedicated support from both school and home, I am confident that our students will perform exceptionally well in the upcoming CAAs. One of the primary barriers our students often face in the CAAs is their confidence. Therefore, any encouragement, positive reinforcement, and practical help the whanau can provide in this area would be invaluable and deeply appreciated.

 

Term 3 is a particularly critical time, especially for our senior students, as they embark on the intensive preparation phase for their end-of-year examinations. While acquiring knowledge and going into exams with confidence is paramount, it is equally important for our students to be well-rested and to have access to quality nutrition. A balanced approach to study, rest, and diet will undoubtedly contribute to their overall success. We encourage you to support them in maintaining these healthy habits during this demanding period.

 

I am sure many of you would have seen the significant changes on the horizon concerning the removal of NCEA and the introduction of a new curriculum. Like yourselves, we are eagerly awaiting the finer details of this kaupapa. This information will be crucial for us to meticulously prepare our school, our wider community, our dedicated teachers, our whanau, and our students for these transformative changes. History has shown that Whangaroa College has successfully navigated significant educational shifts in the past, and I am highly confident that, with our collective effort and collaborative spirit, we can successfully navigate our way through these upcoming changes as well.

 

Nāku iti noa, nā

 

Jack Anderson

Principal