Mauri ora e te whanau, as we settle into Term 1 it has been great to see our students immersing themselves in all aspects of school life. The last couple of weeks have been busy, with a lot happening around the school.

Athletics Day

On the 4th of March we held our annual Athletics Day, which kick starts our House Competition. Many thanks to all the staff and students who helped set up and organise the day's events. It was great to see a large number of students getting involved and enjoying the day. If you have the opportunity you can check out a video of Athletics Day, filmed and created by Year 13 students, Myles Duggan and Jayden Rosanowski, on our facebook Page.

Congratulations to the following students who won their respective divisions:

• Under 14 Boys - Will Hull Ngata
• Junior Boys - Sam Higgins Sheppard
• Intermediate Boys - Matthew Winter Cooper
• Senior Boys - Charlie Hazlett Rutherford
• Under 14 Girls - Leah Pratten Britten
• Junior Girls - Lilla Faivre Cooper
• Intermediate Girls - Esther Pratten Britten
• Senior Girls - Fritha Reynolds Britten 

Jim Moriarty visits Drama and Dance Department

This term some of our senior Drama and Dance students were invited to an enrichment workshop with Jim Morriarty and the team from Te Rakau Trust, on devising theatre through a Māori lens. Students were led through a process of bringing their own stories and whakapapa into the space and working together to create a movement piece that honored all of the cultures and stories of our Cashmere High School whanau. As one of Aotearoa's leading theatre practitioners it is humbling that Te Rakau Trust share their knowledge and skills with our students.

Celebrating successes at our assemblies

Congratulations to all of our Year 13 students who received Excellence Endorsement badges at a recent Principal’s Assembly. We also recognised success in open water swimming, graphic design, football, mountain biking, golf croquet and service. A special congratulations to our COVE Award winners - Conal Smith, Jono Blackie and Luke Bullmore. These students recently ran a marathon to raise money for cancer.

Last week we had our Year 9 Principal’s Assembly. While we had no COVE Award recipient, I did congratulate Fenella Chittock-Greenwood who was selected for the New Zealand U14 Basketball training camp.  

Kapa haka

On Saturday 13th March 2021, our inspiring young Cashmere rangatahi performed a waiata at the National March 15 Remembrance Service. This was their way to tautoko and send their love to our community and the whanau affected. Ko Te iringa o Kahukura ko te korowai matauraka ō tātou tīpuna.

Education outside the classroom - Biology, History and Geography trips

The last couple of weeks have seen a number of our senior students heading away on field trips. We had our Year 12 Biology students heading to Temple Basin, our Year 13 History students spent the night at Onuku Marae and our Year 11 Geography students had a one day field trip around the Waimakariri River. These trips are an integral part of our programmes as they provide a context and a firsthand experience of what they are learning. It is also a great opportunity for our students to enjoy learning outside of the classroom with their friends.

Pasifika

On Saturday 13th March our Pasifika students performed at Canterbury Polyfest 2021.  This was a wonderful celebration and we are extremely proud of our students.

Rugby Programme

Our rugby programme continues to go from strength to strength and we are looking forward to fielding competitive teams across all age grades this year.   

A special thanks to ex-student and recent University of Otago graduate Connor Flynn for running the first pre-season training session for our rugby program. Great start to the season and awesome to see such a strong showing in both our junior and senior training squads.

Year 9 Parents Evening

Thank you to all of the Year 9 parents who came to our parents evening last week. The relationship between our staff, students and parents is an important one and we valued the opportunity to meet with all of you.

Who's who at Cashmere?

Kia Ora, my name is Jules Schwalger-Smith and I am a Physical Education and Health teacher at Cashmere High School. Currently in my third-year teaching, I have enjoyed working in such a vibrant school full of passionate educators. Prior to my time here at Cashmere High School, I was very fortunate to receive a scholarship to Indiana State University. It was here where I studied a Master of Science Degree with a specialisation In Physical Education and Coaching. During my studies I had the opportunity to serve as an Assistant Basketball Coach for Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, the number one ranked Maths, Science, and Engineering institution in the United States of America. As the Basketball Co-ordinator here at Cashmere, I have loved sharing my experiences with our students and building upon the already strong basketball culture. 

The Fortnight Ahead ...