School news

Year 10  camp Kai iwi lakes

From the 3rd to the  6th of December we have our annual Year 10 camp at Kai iwi lakes  Over the four days students will have the opportunity to participate in range of activities including Waka ama, mountain biking, kayaking, standup paddle boarding.  Students have been given permission slips that need to be signed and returned to the school office as soon as possible.  The cost of camp this year is $120.00.  
We are wanting all Year 10 students to attend camp. There will be no timetabled classes at school during this time, but supervision will be available for students that do not attend.
Parent help is always appreciated if you would like to attend camp for all or part of the time please contact adrian.cooling@otamatea.school.nz

Senior Students (Y11-13) Examination Tutorials - End of Year 2024

Extracurricular Art

Congratulations to Araria Emmerson (year 11) and Shaka Kimani (year 8) for their involvement in the Kaipara Art Awards 2024. They each produced a 2D painting for the youth section of this competition and exhibition. 

Both students made their paintings in their own time and as you can see from the images of their work, they are both very skilled at painting.
 
Please go along to the Mangawhai artists gallery to view these and other works currently on show till October 30th. While there, you can cast a 'people's choice award' vote, and the recipient wins a bundle of high quality art products to use in their art practice. 

If you enjoy creative pursuits, do consider entering this competition next year, it's a great experience for young artists. 

‘Stills’ photography competition

Congratulations to Jade Johnson in year 13 for her successful entry in to this years ‘Stills’ photography competition.

Jade entered the ‘Life in motion’ category and has won first place winning a FUJIFILM X-S20 + lens kit. Additionally, two more of her images made the level of ‘national finalists’.

According to the judges, they had a tough job selecting finalists for each category.

The standard was exceptionally high and there were over 2200 submissions.

Jade’s work truly stood out. Jade has taken photography here at OHS for the past two years and has also built up a following on social media as she regularly photographs and videos musicians in her own time. She is a dedicated photographer and videographer.

She has a bright future ahead continuing in this career path, as she has already taken up many opportunities and gained a lot of traction.

Well done Jade!

Learners Drivers Licence Course and Test

For two days during the recent holidays 21 Year 11 and 12 students came to school for a course run by Toni Fauonuku who is an Education advisor for Safer Drivers. Very skillfully, she took the students through the New Zealand Road Code and added in some practical activities and card games which helped to reinforce the learning.
On the afternoon of the second day students did the practice test on the website and were expected to get at least 33/35 three times in a row. Students who found it challenging was given one on one support by Toni and before the end of the day all students met the requirement. Students kept the login information and could revise the information during the weekend.
On Monday morning Linda Smith from the AA came In and set up a mobile testing station in H3. All 16 students who attended the course and were 16 years old by the day sat the test and passed. The other five are turning 16 in the next two months and wear are sure they will also pass their test with appropriate revision before they go.
As this was such a great success, NZTA’s representative, Arthur Webber, who organized all the dates and made sure students’ forms and ID information was ready, promised to offer similar opportunities next year.
The goal is that every student gets their Learners Drivers Licence as close to their 16 th birthday as possible, so that they can take advantage of the Defensive Driving Course that is also offered and leave school with at least a restricted drivers license or, ideally, a full one.
Having a drivers licence make getting a part time and later a full time job much easier and give students from a rural area such as ours more freedom. But an important part to all this is to make sure students are well prepared for the responsibility of driving a car.

Alpaca Shearing 2024

Last week six members of the Level 1 Primary Industries class, accompanied by Mr Troost, went to Kerdon Alpacas to assist with shearing. The students got stuck in and enjoyed themselves and interacted well with both the alpacas and the numerous alpaca owners present. We would like to thank Donna and Kerry Tanion for hosting us as well as for the sensational morning tea and lunch that they provided. Below is feedback we received from the Tanions:

“ We are always impressed with the students who come along. This year it was Heath Hastings, Monique  Fitzpatrick, Jayden Brown, Hunter Hambrook,  Korea Birstow, and Hannah Long. They were well mannered, hard working, inquisitive and quick learners. They demonstrated a great affinity working with alpacas and worked as a team extremely well. Our alpaca owner friends who help out are highly impressed with the calibre of students from your high school as they represent their school admirably”.

DOE Gold practice Tramp Tongariro Northern Circuit

Jamie, Ben, Allistair and Hank travelled down to the Volcanic Plateau on Sunday 29th September to complete their gold practice tramp and hiked into the Waihohonu Hut on travel day.We started off at 8am the next day with our backpacks on. The weather was stunning, with sun all day and no wind. We had morning tea at the Oturere Hut and then proceeded up the Oturere Valley. The climb up to the Emerald Lakes was very slow. A snow fight was had along the way and lunch was enjoyed at the lakes. We checked out the Blue Lake, then began the tedious climb up the volcanic scree to the highpoint (1886m) of the crossing on the Red Crater. We could see Lake Taupo, Mt Tauhara and the Kaimanawa / Kaweka Ranges clearly. The descent was slow and technical, with us ensuring that every footstep was secure.It was a flat walk across the South Crater and a long descent down the Devil's Staircase and boardwalk to the Mangatepopo Hut for the night. The floor was our sleeping place as the hut was full (the reason we all carry bedrolls)

The next morning we left at 8am. The air temperature was cold, as we hiked across "the ditch" to the Taranaki Falls. Ben explored behind the falls, then we made our way to the Tama lakes for lunch. We then climbed up above the top Tama Lake and made our way off track to the top of Mt Tama (1623m). More glorious views were enjoyed before a steep,slow descent into the Waihohonu Valley where water bottles were replenished at the first stream.
Ben was on navigation and he got us safely back to the Waihohonu Hut at dusk. We were all exhausted after a long day of exploring and adventure and once our communal dinner was eaten, we crawled into our sleeping bags, with the floor again being our bed for the night.
On Wednesday, the rain arrived ,as had been forecast. We did some navigation and map work in the hut before going to see the historic Waihohonu Hut and the Ohinepango springs.
We then hiked back out to the Desert Road car park  and headed for home in the early afternoon. We had tramped 55km in preparation for the Gold Qualifier in the Richmond ranges from December 2 to 11.

A HUGE thankyou to our shadow party, Andrea Orchard and Robyn Bruce. Without you this tramp couldn't have happened and we appreciate you volunteering your time to help us with our adventurous journey adventures. 

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 - at Senior Prizegiving

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.

Article in the Wilderness Magazine - FMC adventure scholarship recipient Sophie Lawson

Otamatea High School student Sophie Lawson received a Federated Mountain Clubs Youth Expedition Scholarship to undertake the 55km Five Passes traverse in Mount Aspiring National Park.
“As a high school student, most of my gear is budget-friendly,” she says. “For all of my Duke of Edinburgh hikes and some additional ones, this gear has been more than sufficient, and I would recommend it for beginners. However, after my Five Passes hike there are some investments I will be making to improve the comfort and enjoyment of my future adventures.”
Pack
My Osprey Eja 58 pack is the most comfortable I have tried. It is probably the biggest investment of all my gear and was a recent upgrade. Investing in a quality pack has made my adventures significantly more enjoyable.
Clothes
For clothing I stick to the rule ‘one to camp, one to tramp’. I take two tops and two bottoms and two pairs of socks – quick-dry for hiking and merinos for camp. My socks and merinos are Icebreaker and I also carry a Macpac polar fleece. I use a Patagonia Torrentshell 3L rain jacket.
Cooking
My stove is a 360 Degrees Furno pot and cooker set. I also carry a Kathmandu bowl that folds down and has a clippable lid – great for soaking dehydrated meals as the lid prevents steam escaping and food going cold. A foldable spoon fits nicely into my bowl.
Essentials
In order to maintain sanity I have two non-negotiables when hiking: a Five Crowns card game and peanut butter to be had with every meal. Other essentials include first aid, toiletries, map, compass, headlamp and PLB.
Tent
I use the Orson Ranger two-person tent from Intents Outdoors, a New Zealand-designed and tested brand, making it reliable in our tough conditions. The tent weighs 1.95kg, is double walled and spacious.
Sleeping bag and mat
My Kathmandu Pathfinder sleeping bag is rated 5°C comfort to -15°C extreme and I combine it with a one-season Lansan light air mat. They worked well in warmer weather and were reasonably priced, but after sleeping in a tent in the snow for several nights I will definitely be upgrading. Having to sleep in all my clothes (including rain coat and pants), and still being cold, is not ideal.
Footwear
My Oboz Bridger hiking boots are sturdy with a good sole, and the arch support makes them very comfortable. I use Macpac Torlesse gaiters (because who doesn’t love that tan line?).

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.

 

Vacancy: Technology Teacher (Flexible Hours)

Are you passionate about engineering, design, or woodwork? Do you want to inspire the next generation of innovators? We have the perfect opportunity for you!
Position: Technology Teacher
Location: Otamatea High School
Hours: Flexible (Part-time or Full-time options available)
What We’re Looking For:
* Experience in engineering, design, or woodwork.
* Strong communication skills and a passion for teaching.
* No teaching registration necessary—industry experience is valued!
* Ability to foster creativity and hands-on learning in a dynamic environment.
What We Offer:
* Flexible working hours to suit your schedule.
* A collaborative and supportive team.
* Opportunities to shape practical, skills-based learning.
How to Apply:
Send your CV and a brief cover letter detailing your experience to: tracy.creighton@otamatea.school.nz
Applications close on 8 November 2024.
For any questions, please contact Lee Dainty lee.dainty@otamatea.school.nz

Chromebook return

We are missing a few school Chromebooks. Our technician has disabled them, so they can't be used. No school Chromebooks work off-site. If you have accidentally taken one home or know where one is around school, please drop it off at the library, even if it is damaged or pass on to a teacher.

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'. Please note that you need to log on to the portal before you will see the option to do this.
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

From the MOE website
Why is regular attendance important?

Attendance is linked to both student wellbeing and to attainment.

Student wellbeing is a key priority for the education system. Ministry of Education insights studies show that attending school and kura regularly is, on average, associated with more positive wellbeing outcomes. Ministry analysis found that 15-year-old students who reported skipping a greater number of days of school in the previous fortnight reported worse outcomes on average for a number of measures of wellbeing; schoolwork-related anxiety, sense of belonging, exposure to bullying, motivation and experiences of teacher unfairness.

Attendance is also linked to student attainment in secondary students. Recent research shows that each additional half-day of absence from school and kura is associated with a consistent reduction in the number of NCEA credits students subsequently attain – whether that is a student moving from 100% to 99% attendance or moving from 71% to 70% attendance. Students who are absent even 5-10% of the time (which is still considered “regular” attendance) nevertheless obtain fewer NCEA credits than those with higher attendance rates. In short, evidence suggests that there is no “safe” level of non-attendance which has no impact on student and ākonga wellbeing and attainment.