Aspirations | Tournament Results | Parent-Teacher Interviews

Being Aspirational – Lessons from Melbourne

Tēnā koutou, e te whānau o Cashmere High School – Te iringa o Kahukura.

This week I had the opportunity to visit a number of top-performing state co-educational schools in Melbourne, alongside 45 other school leaders from Canterbury and the West Coast. Each of these schools had its own strengths, but a shared feature was their clear commitment to excellence in learning, culture and continuous improvement.

One message that stood out was the importance of being aspirational and supporting students to aim high, to stretch themselves, and to understand that growth is always possible. There was also thoughtful focus on students who may be “cruising” — doing well enough, but not necessarily being challenged or fully engaged. It was a helpful reminder to keep reflecting on how we can help every student reach their potential while also feeling supported and motivated.

At Cashmere, we don’t claim to have it all figured out, but we are proud of our culture of ongoing improvement. Each year, we work to raise the bar in ways that feel meaningful across academics, sport, the arts & culture and service. These areas help our students grow as individuals and contribute in ways that matter.

There’s value in continuing to reflect, refine and learn, from others and from ourselves. That’s what keeps education purposeful and engaging, not just for our students but for our whole school community.

We have five more days until term break. A big thank you to the staff for all their hard work for our students.

Ngā mihi nui,
John Stradwick

Principal

Summer Sports Tournament Wrap-up

A massive thank you to parents, staff and all our coaches across summer tournament week.

Volleyball Nationals: Held in Palmerston North, our Senior Boys came 8th in Division 1.  They are the first ever Cashmere Boys team to make it through to the Division 1 quarterfinals and the only Canterbury school to make Top 8 this year. Our Girls team came 9th in Division 2.

Rowing Maadi Regatta: Cashmere High School had an outstanding week at the Lake Karāpiro Maadi Regatta, with all crews performing to a high standard. Among 2,236 competitors from 116 schools, Cashmere reached eight A finals and two B finals, finishing 13th in New Zealand and an impressive 6th in sculling. Historic highlights included the Girls U17 eight placing 5th (a school record) and the return of a Boys eight. Eleri Clare won gold in the GU17 Single Sculls, securing a national title and a brand new single scull for the school. Cashmere also won gold in the Girls U18 Quad and silver in the Girls U17 Quad. Full results on Facebook

SISS Satellite Volleyball:   We had four senior volleyball teams compete in the South Island Satellites Tournament held in Christchurch.  This was a great opportunity for our developing players. 

SISS Mountain Biking: A team of 42 CHS riders tackled Methven’s challenging trails with grit and determination. From junior debuts to seasoned seniors, they faced mud, crashes, and fierce competition. Highlights include podium finishes for Abigail, George, Isla, Toby, Cody, Tilly, Mason, Jonty, Hannah, Alexa, Aniko, and Millie. Congratulations to all our riders.

3x3 Basketball Championships: We had both a Senior Boys and Senior Girls team who headed to the Southern Zone qualifying tournament in Dunedin at the end of March. The girls finished 5th. The boys started off with a couple of losses but then won every game until the final where they went down to a physical Rolleston College team.

NZ Schools Triathlon: Held in Glendhu Bay, Wānaka.  Abigail Junge 3rd - Under 14 Girls.

SISS Dragon Boat Regatta: The school Dragon Boating team has been training hard this season for the South Island Secondary Schools Dragonboat Regatta at Lake Rua. The team came away with Gold in the 500m final and Silver in both the 1km and 200m finals. Also, congratulations to Miss France for her selection in the Southern Dragons team attending Nationals this week! We wish you all the best.

Cricket: Some highly competitive games this week, with a mix of wins and close losses for both our boys' and girls' teams.

Golf: Held at McLeans Island, our team came in at 4th by one stroke!

Duke of Edinburgh Awards

Well done to these students who were awards the the Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award. This is an international award which involves completing four sections. These are Physical Activity, Skill, Voluntary Service and an Adventurous Journey. Students usually spend on average, one hour per week for each section for six months. The Adventurous Journey is a two day, one night tramp, bike or raft trip.

Working Together for Student Success

Building strong partnerships between school and home plays a big role in supporting student success. A big thank you to all the caregivers who came along to the recent Year 10 Parent Interview Evening as well as the Year 9 Parent evenings earlier in the term – we really appreciate you taking the time to connect with us. It was great to have those conversations and strengthen the links between school and home.

We’re looking forward to seeing more of you at the Senior Parent-Teacher Evenings in Term 2, Thursday 1st & Tuesday 6th May. An email will be sent next Thursday with instructions on how to book.

Key Dates

To keep up to date with what is happening in sport, arts and service please refer to the online calendar on the website HERE