The giving tree is up; the Year 9 parents have been in; Christmas decorations are plentiful; NCEA finished last Friday; the 2019 student leaders are in having their training; the Leavers’ function is on tomorrow night and Bling my Bra is in the Atrium - it must be the end of the year!

Once again we have had an outstanding collection of bras from this year’s Bling my Bra project. Our year 10's have worked hard to produce designs that are creative, have an innovative use of technology and most importantly have a strong link to breast cancer.

On Tuesday the school was swarming with gingerbread people, santas, elves, grinches, reindeer and garish Christmas jumpers!

For the last 18 months we have been working on the school website.

Here are the highlights from this month's sporting news.

Congratulations to the following students who received this award in Term 4.

Leanne Marshall, Science Technician, discovered a bone in the Science department resources.

Following our very successful November sale, we need to replenish our uniform stock for next year’s sales. We are particularly short of skirts, pinafores, jerseys and cardigans.

You can view all your payments and receipts through My Portal (formerly Kamar Parent Portal) . If you are unsure of your password, please contact the main office.

The Year 10 Career Days which were held on 8 and 9 November were a resounding success. This year's guest speakers, who are involved in special effects and the IT industry, were very well received by the students.

The 2018 theme was: My Chinese Learning Experience.

Throughout the year there have been several opportunities for students to engage with rich mathematical tasks, including Mathswell competitions for Years 9 to 11, The University of Otago Maths Competition, The Victoria University Mathematics Competition, The Australian Mathematics Competition, The Year 9 Problem Solving Certificate and the Year 10 Extension Certificate.

This is just a reminder that library books can be borrowed over the summer break.

Did you know that drowning is the third highest cause of accidental deaths in New Zealand - after motor vehicle accidents and falls? Throughout 2018 all Year 9 Physical Education classes participated in three water safety lessons at Thorndon Pool.