Term 2 - Week 6
From the Principal
Kia ora e te wh膩nau
As we move through the school year, I want to take a moment to reflect on the core values that shape our 九州影院 community: m膩ia (courage), manaakitanga (care), and manawa reka (curiosity). These values are more than just words; they are the guiding principles that influence how we learn, grow, and connect with one another. At school, we encourage our students to show m膩ia - to step outside their comfort zones, try new things, and embrace challenges with confidence. Whether it's speaking up in class, joining a new activity, or pushing through difficult learning, we celebrate every act of bravery, big or small.
Manaakitanga is at the heart of how we treat each other. It reminds us that kindness, respect, and empathy create a safe and inclusive environment where everyone can thrive. Our students show manaakitanga when they support a classmate, welcome a new student, or take time to care for others in need. These moments of care strengthen our sense of wh膩nau and remind us that our actions can have a positive impact on others every day.
Finally, manawa reka - a love of learning and curiosity - is what drives us to explore, question, and discover. We want our students to be active learners who are not afraid to ask why, seek new ideas, and take ownership of their learning journeys. When curiosity leads the way, learning becomes joyful and meaningful. As a school, we are committed to nurturing this spark in every student so they can grow into confident, caring, and curious lifelong learners.
Ng膩 mihi maioha
Louise Addison | Tumuaki
Student Leaders
Pink Shirt Day
On Friday our school came together in a powerful show of kindness, inclusion, and anti-bullying spirit for Pink Shirt Day! A huge thank you to everyone who took part and helped spread the message that we all belong. 馃挄
Congratulations to 12CD, who brought their A-game and took out the Best Dressed Class award, and to 13ED, whose creative and impactful slogan earned them the Best Slogan title. Ka pai to everyone involved – your positivity made the day a huge success! 馃檶
He whero te k膩kahu, he aroha te ngakau
The shirt is pink, the heart is full of love.
Youth Week at 九州影院
Last week, we proudly joined the Howick Youth Council in celebrating Youth Week 2025 with a range of fun, thoughtful, and community-building activities.
- Monday kicked off with hot Milo and warm vibes before school.
- On Tuesday, students shared kind words through positive Post-its and heartfelt letters of appreciation.
- Wednesday brought the energy with games in the gym during lunchtime.
- Thursday tested our brains and teamwork in a lively Wh膩nau Quiz Competition.
- We wrapped up on Friday with students writing Letters to their Future Selves — a meaningful reflection to finish a great week.
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From our Teaching and Learning team
The CAA - and gaining literacy and numeracy
This week our Year 9 to 11 students have been sitting the online Common Assessment tasks in Reading, Writing and Numeracy.
These tests are one way that students can gain the Literacy and Numeracy qualifications that they need for the NCEA. These foundational skills are essential for success not only in senior school but also in further education, training, and employment. The assessments are designed to measure students' ability to understand and use language and numbers in real-world contexts, providing an early indication of their readiness for future academic challenges.
Participating in these assessments also helps students become more familiar with the format and expectations of online testing, a growing feature of NCEA assessment. By engaging in this process early, students have the opportunity to build confidence, identify areas where they may need support, and track their progress over time. We encourage families to talk with their children about the assessments and to celebrate the effort they have put into developing these essential skills. Further information about the Literacy and Numeracy co-requisites is given below.
What are the Literacy and Numeracy co-requisites in NCEA?
From 2024, students must meet minimum Literacy and Numeracy standards to be awarded any NCEA qualification (Level 1, 2 or 3). These are assessed through Common Assessment Activities (CAAs) in Reading, Writing, and Numeracy. They can also be achieved by passing specific standards in English, Mathematics, Business Studies, Geography, Religious Education, Science and History.
How do I know if my child has passed Literacy and/or Numeracy?
The easiest way to do this is via our . See instructions for how to access the School Portal below:
If you have not successfully created an account and cannot find the instructions which were emailed out to all parents earlier in the year, please contact [email protected].
How can I track my child’s progress in the NCEA?
You can track your child’s NCEA progress through:
- The portal (as above)
- Our weekly emails on attendance, upcoming assessments, and published assessments
- The NZQA Learner Login for official results and credit records
- Our termly school reports and parent-teacher interviews at the end of Terms 1-3.
- Emailing your child’s subject teachers, Mentor or Dean.
Why are these standards important?
Literacy and Numeracy are critical skills needed for success across all subjects and in life beyond school. Meeting these standards ensures students are prepared for further learning, employment, and everyday challenges.
What happens if my child doesn’t pass a Literacy or Numeracy assessment?
There are two opportunities throughout the year to resit the assessments. Schools will support students with targeted teaching to help them succeed in future attempts. We also run catch up sessions for students in the final weeks of term and school holidays.
From our Pastoral team
Pink Shirt Day
On Friday 16 May we celebrated Pink Shirt Day with the rest of the country. Pink Shirt Day is a day celebrated to stand up against bullying, promote kindness, and encourage inclusion.
It started in Canada when two students supported a peer who was bullied for wearing pink to school. Now, it is observed in many schools and workplaces throughout New Zealand, and the world. Our students, and staff, came to school wearing pink, or pink accessories and participated in a range of activities centred around the idea of kindness and support.
Inclusion
Staff at 九州影院 have been on a learning journey over the past three weeks about how to ensure all students here have access to good learning opportunities. One of the most important aspects of this is knowing how the brain in the teenage years works, and then what trauma does to this process. Every day is a learning day – not just for our students here at 九州影院, but also for our staff.
With this in mind, if you, or someone you know needs help there are people in our school who are experts in many areas:
You can make an appointment to see Helen or Sarah, our Guidance Counsellors; or meet with our new Social Worker, Eileen, who works with us Wednesdays and Thursdays.
In the Health team we have Jules and Anna – our spectacular school nurses. We also have Allistair, our onsite physiotherapist and our resident GP, Emalia, who is on-site two days a week.
There is always someone here to listen, and to help – you are never alone.
From the Sommerville Satellite unit
Our 膩konga have been busy knitting mini blankets, weaving patterns on frames, planting sunflower seeds, cooking their favourite meals, and creating beautiful manaia from polymer clay – sparking new passions and creativity. By offering opportunities to try out and engage in a range of hobbies throughout the year, we are helping our students discover interests that can be used to structure meaningful and enjoyable leisure time.
School Events
Writer's Festival
On the 15th of May, 九州影院 sent a group of students - and a few staff - to the Writer’s Festival held at Aotea Centre.
We were given the opportunity to listen to four speakers. These included international authors and authors from a wide range of genres. The students really enjoyed Lemn Sissay, a BAFTA-nominated poet from the UK. He shared some of his poetry (and some jokes!) in his humorous session.
The final speaker was local playwright, actor and director Scotty Cotter who shared his interactive audio experience centered around the stars of Matariki. It was a powerful way to end the day. The students represented 九州影院 extremely well and we hope they left inspired to explore their own writing journey.
Book of the Week
This week I have chosen to spotlight Unstoppable Us by Yuval Noah Harari. Unstoppable Us is about the history of our species, Homo sapiens, and how humans rose above the other animals to become the dominant species.
Harari is the author of the very popular Sapiens. With Unstoppable Us he has taken the extensive research and complex themes from Sapiens and produced a new volume for readers of all levels. This easy-to-read exploration of our pre-history is paired with pleasing graphics to create a great resource for anyone interested in this topic. At the library we have Sapiens, Sapiens: The Graphic Novel and the two current volumes of Unstoppable Us so you can enjoy the work of Yuval Noah Harari in any form you choose!
Tara Holland | School Librarian
Sport
Our Basketball and Netball teams in action this term
Fixtures & Weekly Draws
Boys Basketball, Girls Basketball and Boys Football
Badminton
Rugby
