School news

Student Rep for Board of Trustees

As a result of the election held for Student Rep to BOT for 2025, the successful candidate was Connor Alcock.

Eileen Parsons, Returning Officer.

Tourism Academy

Applications are still open for expressions of interest for our 2025 Te Tai Tokerau Business of Tourism Academy.  Limited spaces available, students must be in year 12 or 13 (in 2025). Application will close on Friday 18th October.
*This is a unique course option that will give students the opportunity to learn about tourism from a business point of view.  
*Held at the Whangarei Campus, North Tec in Raumanga every Friday during terms 1, 2 & 3. *
*The Business of Tourism Academy offers 30 credits at level 3.
*This academy has no cost to the school. Transport funding support available for those outside of the Whangarei area.

Maori Langauge week in the syndicate

On Friday the syndicate celebrated Maori Language week.

Some classes combined to create Poi and weave harakeke flowers. The junior syndicate were lucky enough that our school's  Manakura Margert helped with the students' masterpieces. It was rather tricky to navigate the plaiting of the Poi string until our Kaiawhina Taira stepped in and assisted- thank you Taira and Margaret. The students all managed to complete a Poi and a harakeke flower to take home.

DOE silver Waitakeres Practice Tramp

On the weekend of 13 to 15 September ,a group of DOE silver students visited the Waitakeres to complete their practice tramp/silver training. The group started at Huia and followed the Hillary trail over various tracks,with the Omanawanui track being the most scenic and challenging. They watched a pod of Orca swimming inside the mouth of the Manukau Harbour and visited a signal point on the way down to the Whatipu Campground where they set up camp for the night. The game of Five crowns was introduced to the group and communal dinners were cooked and enjoyed.Day two saw the group explore in depth all of the dry sea caves nearby. This was a highlight of the morning. The group then tramped to the Paraha Valley, up the beach to Tunnel Beach campsite where lunch was enjoyed. The afternoon was spent hiking to Karekare with a swim at the Karekare Falls for those who dared. The rain then set in as tents were erected in the dry cover of the cookhouse one by one and carried out to be pitched. 

Day three saw the rain had departed. The final stretch was to hike up to Log Race carpark at Piha exploring an old pa site along the way. 
This had been a very enjoyable practice tramp with lots consolidated from the training weekend in the Kaimais.
The qualifying tramp will be to the Whirinaki Forest Park in November.
A HUGE thankyou to Sharlene McCormick and Sheryl Cullen for volunteering their time to help shadow the group. We appreciate this very much!

Otamatea High School Duke of Edinburgh Raffle 

Tickets $20.00 each

Three chances to win one of these Kete - Colleen Nichols -  Artist Kairaranga
Drawn Friday 1st November 2024

Tickets are available by contacting:

Robyn Bruce robyn.bruce@otamatea.school.nz
or Robyn Baker robyn.baker@otamatea.school.nz

Thank you for your support

AIMS Games

After 4 months of training the year 7 & 8 boys rugby 7s team finally made it to the AIMS Games in Tauranga the week 8th-13th September.  As always the AIMS Games was a fantastic week, helped along with the amazing weather we had.  It started on the Sunday when the team headed down in time to attend the opening ceremony, an event in itself with all of the entertainment provided, plus guest speakers like Christopher Luxon and NZ sporting representatives such as Olympic speed climber Julian David, and Olympic gold medallists Michaela Blyde and Sarah Hirini.

Monday morning saw the rugby 7s competition kick off, and our boys got to see the size and skill of some of the other teams competing!  Our team had some great games in our pool and put up some great challenges, however at the end of pool play on Tuesday the team had lost to Francis Douglas Memorial College, Northcross Intermediate, Mt Maunganui Intermediate and Katikati College but also had had a very important win against Sancta Maria College.  This placed us 5th in our pool and we were then put in a grade with other teams who had also placed 5th in their pool.  From this point on, with the growing confidence and teamwork, our team didn't lose a game, making it into the semi finals of our grade against Dilworth School where the conversions were the only difference, winning 19-15.  Our last game on Friday was in the final against Whakatane Intermediate which was a real nail-biter.  Down 14-0 at halftime the boys made a fantastic comeback, with some great defence and a runaway try right on full time the team won 19-14.  With the excitement from the team and their supporters you could have thought that they had just won the world cup final!  

In their downtime the boys got to visit the Mount Hotpools, Baywave and play lots of beach rugby, sometimes against other AIMS competitors who happened to be on the beach at the same time.  Although we had some very tired boys (and supporters!) at the end of the week, it was a very memorable and successful week.  A big thanks their coach Phillip Tana who gave up his time each week to train the boys and was also a huge supporter and mentor for them during their week away.  Also a huge thanks to everyone who supported the team's fundraising efforts to help them get to the AIMS Games, from buying pies, chocolate bars, raffle tickets, doughnuts, donations from Mangawhai Community Opportunity Shop, Paparoa County Depot Trust, and several local businesses.  All of this support ensured this team could afford to attend the AIMS Games and the awesome experience that it is and the memories it creates.
Winners of our raffle were: Prize 1 - #153 Amy Fryer; Prize 2 #261 Pat Baker; Prize 3 #387 Charlotte Thomas; Prize 4 #14 Claire Eyres; Prize 5 #380 Ollie Kortlang; Prize 6 #271 Melissa Hockenhull; Prize 7 #302 Robyn; Prize 8 #539 Bee Tipene; Prize 9 #167 Jo Cotterill; Prize 10 #35 Stacey Doughty; Prize 11 #198 Lucy Hoddle; Prize 12 #480 Kate Cullen; Prize 13 #189 Sam Hoddle; Prize 14 #565 Paul & Michelle Rae.

Visual arts subjects will submit work for external standards on the following dates. 
If you have any questions, please email rebecca.clist@otamatea.school.nz for L1 art L2&3 painting & photography and tracey.christie@otamatea.school.nz for L2&3 design.

Report an absence

You can notify the school of an absence using the portal, by phone at 0800 682 628, option 1, or by email at absence@otamatea.school.nz.
The old google form is no longer in use, our school website will take you to the portal if you click on 'Report an Absence'.
Our school portal has been updated and the new address is https://otamatea.school.kiwi/
If you need help with accessing this please email Mrs Cadman alison.cadman@otamatea.school.nz

For any bus passes, after school arrangements, student needs or requests, please email studentcentre@otamatea.school.nz

Pet Day 2024

This year Pet Day will be Saturday October 19th to tie in with the Maungaturoto Primary School 150th celebrations.  Otamatea students are invited to compete with a lamb, calf or chicken.  For entries and a copy of the rules please register with Pepe ewenequine@gmail.com