Te Pānui o Otamatea

School Notices 28 February 2025

Calendar of Events
Monday 3 March	EOTC - Futsal Y9-10 EOTC - Mountain Biking
Tuesday 4 March	EOTC Kiwi Tag Y9-10 Girls NCEA Information evening for whānau
Wednesday 5 March	EOTC Open Boys Condors 7's Qualifier
Thursday 6 March	EOTC Snorkelling Mangawhai - 11.30am - 3.30pm (QC, MJ, TB) (TBC) PHOTOLIFE - Catch up Day
Friday 7 March	Relay for life fill-a-bag clothing sale - School hall
Tuesday 11 March	EOTC Volleyball Senior Girls Champs (TBC) EOTC Financial Decision-Making Te Arai Nursery 9am-1pm (SH, MT, LK, AB) (TBC) Moving on day - all Yr 13 students
Wednesday 12 March	EOTC TBC Tennis Y9-13
Thursday 13 March	EOTC Volleyball Senior Boys Champs (TBC)
Friday 14 March - Sunday 16 March	EOTC Kapa Haka Noho
Monday 17 March	EOTC Paddle boarding 7-13 Kaiwaka 9am - 3.30pm (STH,STB,DA) (TBC)
Tuesday 18 March	Careers Roadshow EOTC Paddle boarding 7-13 Kaiwaka 9am - 3.30pm (STH, STB, LP) (TBC)
Wednesday 19 March	EOTC Northland Athletics Track and Field (STH, STB) 7.30am - 4pm (TBC)
Thursday 20 March	EOTC Surfing NSS 2 (Parents) Ahipara / Sandy Bay (TBC)
Friday 21 March	OHS Triathlon
Monday 24 March	EOTC Top Art Exhibition L 2 & 3 (RBC & TC) (TBC)
Tuesday 25 March	EOTC ESOL Waitangi trip (LM, Eric) 8.30am-3.30pm (TBC)
Wednesday 26 March	EOTC Paddle Boarding Y7-8 (STH, STB) 7am - 5.30pm (TBC)
Thursday 27 March	EOTC Kiwi Tag Y11-13 (STH, STB) 8.30am - 4pm (TBC)
Friday 28 March - Sunday 30 March	EOTC Kapa Haka Noho
Tuesday 1 April	EOTC Equestrian Combined Training (Parents) Kaikohe (TBC)
Wednesday 2 April	EOTC Hockey side (STH) 8.30am -4pm (TBC) Board of Trustees Meeting 6pm
Thursday 3 April	EOTC P Paddleboarding Y9-13 (STH, STB) 7am - 5pm (TBC)
Friday 4 April - 6 April Friday 4 April	EOTC Kapa Haka Noho EOTC Volleyball Senior Boys Cup (STB, STH) 8.30am - 4pm (TBC)
Tuesday 8 April	EOTC Open Girls Condors 7's Qualifier (STB or STH) 7am - 5.30pm (TBC)
Wednesday 9 April	EOTC Surfing NSS 3 (Parents) Ahipara / Sandy Bay (TBC) EOTC Volleyball Senior Girls Cup (QC, STB) 8.30am - 4pm (TBC)
Thursday 10 April	EOTC Swimming Y9-13 Northland Champs (STH, STB) 8.30am - 4pm (TBC)
Friday 11 April	Last day of term 1
View our full School Calendar here

From Principal's desk

Kia ora koutou,

As we reach the midpoint of term one, we are incredibly pleased with the positive start our students have made to the year.
I've been particularly impressed with the smooth transition back to school routines. Setting alarms, wearing the uniform with pride, and coming prepared for learning are vital habits that contribute to a successful academic year. I’m delighted to report that a very high number of our students are consistently demonstrating these responsibilities. This dedication is a testament to the strong partnership between our school, students, and families. The students have understood the need for mobile phones to be away during the school day, and there have been very few confiscations of phones so far.

At Otamatea High School, we are committed to continuous improvement and fostering a culture of high achievement. We are currently analysing our provisional data and Otamatea is above the national average in all NCEA 1,2 and 3 attainment results. Once the final data is out, I will provide an update on our NCEA results and other academic successes in our next newsletter.

A big thank you to Matt Browne for donating his time and machinery to place Bedding dust on G and K block quads. Any community help is always appreciated.

Year 7 overnight camp at Otamatea marae was held in beautiful weather and a great time was had by all. A big thank you to all the staff and parents that were involved. Camp paperwork and regulations are getting more and more complex, but with community help we can hopefully keep running camps for the benefit of all our tamariki.

Athletics and swimming events were run over the last few weeks and were outstanding. I commend all the contestants for their energy and enthusiastic participation.
It’s a testament to our community that the presiding member of our BOT takes time out to work at these events- Thank you Llew! I would also like to give my thanks to all the community members who came down and contributed in some way.

Key Messages and Reminders:

Attendance: Regular attendance is crucial for academic success. Please ensure your child attends school every day, unless they are unwell. If your child is absent, please notify the school promptly. The expectation is students achieve at least 85% attendance at school to be able to attend the school ball. There is also an expectation that any student wishing to attend Tournament week (or any major school sporting event) that their attendance is a minimum of 85% and they have completed their schoolwork to a satisfactory level (SLT will make the final decision on these)

Uniform: Thank you for your support in ensuring our students wear their uniform correctly. It fosters a sense of unity and pride within our school community.

Communication: We encourage open communication between home and school. If you have any concerns or questions, please don't hesitate to contact your child's teacher or Dean.

Buses: Our bus network is getting very busy. Students must use the bus route that they are allocated. Students are unable to use the bus network to visit friends and extended family (unfortunately almost all seats are allocated on our bus network).

Upcoming Events:

Please check our school website and Facebook pages for the most up-to-date information. You can access our school calendar on the school website to see any upcoming events.

International program: We are once again dipping our toes in hosting international students at Otamatea. We may have a group over for 2-3 week in July/August. Please See the Homestay ad under community notices if wish to be considered for hosting international students at your house.
We are proud of the progress all our students have made so far this term and look forward to a successful second half. Thank you for your ongoing support and partnership.

Todd Malcolm
Principal

School news

You are invited to... an NCEA information evening

When? Tuesday 4th March 6:30-7:30pm
Where? Otamatea High School Library.
Who? This is for parents/caregivers wanting to learn more about Level 1-3 NCEA, including the literacy and numeracy, endorsement and university entrance (UE) requirements.
Students are not expected at the event, but you are welcome to bring them if you feel it would be beneficial.
The session will include a small segment on careers and the gateway programme.
There will be opportunities for questions.
We will conclude with a cup of tea and informal chat.

Endorsements for 2024 Academic Year

We have a number of students that have achieved some outstanding results in NCEA last year. Below is a list of students that have gained Merit or Excellence Certificate Endorsements - this means they have achieved 50 credits or more at merit or above, or excellence respectively, across their courses last year. There are also lists of students who have gained Excellence Course Endorsements. These are awarded when a student achieves 14 or more credits at excellence level in one subject - three of these credits must be externally assessed, except when there are no external assessments in that subject area e.g. in Physical Education. There were also 156 Merit Course Endorsements awarded to our students. We are very proud of all of these students and encourage our learners to strive for these awards.

School Swimming Sports Day

Year 7 Camp

On the 4th of February, our new Year 7 students embarked on an overnight stay at Otamatea Marae. This experience provided a wonderful opportunity for them to build connections with local iwi and hapū while also forming new friendships with students from different schools.

Throughout the stay, students explored the local environment, went for a swim in the moana, and gathered kai moana. They also learned about the rich history of the area, including a visit to the urupā to pay their respects.

A huge thank you to our prefects, who embodied the tuakana-teina relationship, offering guidance and support to our new Year 7 students. Their leadership was evident as they encouraged and participated alongside the younger students in a range of activities, including mau rākau, tabloid sports, sand sculptures, and ki-o-rahi.

We also extend our gratitude to Blue Light for providing an exciting shooting and archery experience.

The evening concluded with a delicious shared kai, followed by a movie in the whare nui—an enjoyable and relaxing way to wrap up such a meaningful experience.

Ngā mihi to everyone who contributed to making this event so special!

Clay Target

Aaron competed in the Whakatane 300 skeet weekend held in Whakatane. This happened on the 15th and 16th of February. With 24 competitors from around the country Aaron placed 1st in A grade. This was an impressive weekend, congratulations Aaron Westlake.

Kevin Reade Memorial swimming

NZ Grappler SummerSlam

Willow Joyce competed in Auckland at the Barfoot and Thompson stadiu. at Selwyn College in the NZ Grappler SummerSlam where she placed 2nd. Congratulations Willow.

Marae Trip

On Tuesday morning the Level 1 Art students combined with the Level 2 and 3 History students and spent the morning at Ōtamatea Marae learning about the history and importance of the marae as a cultural space and historical landmark. We were warmly welcomed by Matua Kim Phillips and shared many stories about origins of the Whare Tūpuna and Kākaraea Church, and the many events our ancestors have faced and overcome over the years. One special highlight of the trip was the way two student really shone in taking up extra responsibility - Wairua Nathan did a wonderful job as kaikaranga, and Ethan Gowland kaikōrero, and we were all inspired and grateful for their contribution.

Year 8 and 9 Food Technology

With the year getting off to a great start, the junior Food Technology students worked on the theory of safety in a kitchen as well as the basics of food safety. Then they got the opportunity to get hands on cooking. The Year 9 cooked omelettes and the Year 8’s made burgers with self-made patties.
Mrs Nikola Kemp and Mrs Elizabeth van den Berg are the teachers for all the Food Technology classes this year.

Otamatea High School Athletics Sports 2025

This year athletics was held on Thursday 20th February. The day was hot and sunny with very little breeze. The students showed great athleticism in both the track and field events.
Congratulations to the following students for breaking records.

Pyper Buxton for breaking the senior girls shot put record with a distance of 10m 80cm. The record was held by Leayah Buxton (2024) with a distance of 10m 50cm
Denika Clooney for breaking 2 records. Senior girls 800m with a time of 2.33.57. The record was held by Natalia Orchard (2022) with a time of 2.39.07.
Beating her own record set in 2024 in the Open girls 1500 with a time of 5.09.73m, improving her time of 5.13.04.
Niko Ulisala for breaking the junior boys high jump with a new height of 1m60cm. The record was held by Johnny Daley, set in 1996 with a height of 1m58cm.

Thanks to all the fantastic parents/whanau who made this championship event possible by stepping up and timekeeping the running events. Thank you to all the staff and students who helped throughout the day in the many jobs to keep the day running smoothly. Lastly thank you to all the athletes who gave all competitions their all to make a very enjoyable day.

Tina Holst
Sport Coordinator

Senior Girls Futsal Team

The OTA girls futsal team played 4 amazing games winning 3, and coming 2nd in the Final. It was an amazing day with great teamwork and they had a lot of fun.

ID/Class Photos

ID and class photos were taken on Monday 24 th February.
Photo life will send you an access code to view photos to order online. You will receive this access
key approximately 2-3 weeks after the last photo day (6 th March).
Please note there are no sibling photos this year as Photolife no longer do these through colleges.
They are only done through primary school.

Reporting

Otamatea High School is reviewing its reporting structure.
Please provide us with some feedback as part of our review. Please click here

Y10-13 Chromebooks

At Otamatea High School, it is expected that all students from years 10-13 bring a Chromebook to school each day to assist with their learning. The Chromebook should be charged and in a protective case. See here for more information: https://www.otamatea.school.nz/our-school/student-chromebooks

If you are not able to provide a Chromebook, please contact Mrs Cadman at alison.cadman@otamatea.school.nz, who can assist.

Report an absence

You can notify the school of an absence using the school parent portal, by phone at 0800 682 628, option 1, or by emailing attendance@otamatea.school.nz
If you need help with accessing the parent portal please email Mrs Cadman alison.cadman@otamatea.school.nz

Come along to the fundraiser for relay for life "fill-a-bag" of good quality second hand clothing. Pay the $, get a bag, browse and take your new threads!.
Questions, email jessica.baker@otamatea.school.nz