Outstanding Numeracy and Literacy Results

On Monday we received the results of the literacy and numeracy assessment pilots our Year 10 students have sat as part of a nationwide pilot programme.

The new literacy and numeracy standards are a part of wider changes to NCEA that have been introduced in response to concerns regarding basic reading, writing and numeracy skills. You may also note there has been extensive media coverage about the low national pass rates in the literacy standard, particularly the writing standard in which only 34% of students passed. However, I am pleased to report that our students have achieved excellent results in these assessments.

In terms of the writing standard:

• National average - 34%
• Decile 9 - 42%
• Decile 10 - 62%
• Cashmere High School - 79%

We also achieved 79% in reading, well above the national average of 64%. In numeracy we achieved 83%, again well above the national average of 56%. This is a great achievement from our students and our staff. I believe these results are a reflection of excellent teaching practice which has a strong focus on the fundamentals of literacy and numeracy. Congratulations to both our English and Mathematics and Statistics faculties. 

NCEA Examinations

We are now a couple of weeks into our NCEA Examinations. Anecdotally, around the school it appears that the students are confident and happy with how everything is going. There is a huge amount of logistical work that needs to be done to ensure these examinations go smoothly. A big thanks to our NZQA team!

Auckland University National Economics Competition

Congratulations to our students who competed in the Auckland University National Economics Competition. These students earned placements that ranged from top 5% to top 25%. This achievement is a result of hard work and dedication shown by these students over the course of the year in our Economics Scholarship programme.

Artists of the Month - November 

Congratulations to our Artists for November Charlotte Clatworthy and Katie Chinn.

Year 13 Graduation

Our Year 13 Graduation was held at the Christchurch Town Hall on Thursday 10th November. This was a wonderful occasion that celebrated our Year 13 cohort. Congratulations to Lucy Watt who was awarded the Dux of Cashmere High School as well as the All Round Excellence Cup. Congratulations also to Jack Gormley, our Proxime Accessit.

Te Tū o Kahukura

Last week we held Te Tū o Kahukura (Māori Prizegiving) congratulations to all the recipients and farewell to our Year 13s. Thanks to all the whanau who came along to support, it was great to be able to host all of you onsite again. Ko Te iringa o Kahukura ko te korowai matauraka ō tātou tīpuna.

Te Pukenga Amazing Race

The Te Pukenga students have been getting into the Christmas and summer spirit this week with an Amazing Race around the local community. We all love excitement and a challenge in our lives; the students loved the competition between teams, wearing their house colours and taking part in a number of tasks set up around the block. Halfway through the morning, the students came back for their morning tea al fresco style. It was a fantastic day for all and we have our fingers crossed for another fine day next week for our Scavenger Hunt and a few team games to burn off any excess energy students may have.

Board of Trustees

Last week we had our last Board meeting for the year. I would like to take the opportunity to thank our trustees, both past and newly elected, for their support and contribution to our school. In particular, I would like to thank James O'Connell, our Chairman. James has led the governance of our school superbly through what has been a challenging year and has been a huge support to me and the Senior Leadership Team.

Who’s Who at Cashmere High School - Taka Kuze

Kia ora koutou, or Minasan kon’nichiwa. こんにちは。

Japan, rugby and my family. These 3 have shaped my life in Aotearoa/New Zealand for the last 30 years.

I have been teaching Japanese at Cashmere since 2001. I was a trained PE teacher in Japan, but when I wanted to teach in New Zealand, Japanese became my main subject. I thoroughly enjoy teaching the language and culture of mine to the students of the country that became my home.

Ko tōku nui, tōku wehi, tōku whakatiketike, tōku reo.

(My language is my greatness, my inspiration, that which I hold precious.)

Rugby is my religion. I came to New Zealand because I wanted to play rugby here. This was my answer when asked about my thoughts on Christianity at a job interview in 1995, “My family is Christian and pray to the cross. But I play to the cross bar.” When he laughed at this joke, I knew I got my first teaching job in this country. I’ve been refereeing in Christchurch since 2000 and have also coached my son’s rugby team for 9 years in the Lyttelton Rugby Club. This year, I was the assistant coach for the CHS U14 Aoraki Team and had the best season ever for me as a coach, as well as for school in this grade.

I met my wife on 29 August 1992, the day I arrived in Christchurch. We worked together in a souvenir shop in town for a few months. After being friends for a long time we married 15 years ago. Now we have 2 kids, one in Year 9 and one in Year 6. We try to maintain our heritage, by making our children speak only Japanese at home. They are fluent in both Japanese and English and love Japanese food!

家族（KAZOKU), the spelling of family in kanji (Chinese characters in Japanese), means house tribe. I can, and want to be, stronger for my tribe, with my tribe.

No reira tēnā koutou katoua, Dōzo yoroshiku onegai shimasu.　どうぞよろしくお願いします。

From the Archives

Aerial of Cashmere circa 1999

The Fortnight Ahead