COVID Alert Level 4:

Ko Te iringa o Kahukura, Ko te korowai mātauraka ō tātou tīpuna.

It is my sincere hope that you and your family are in good health and are coping with the complexities and challenges associated with this pandemic. I wish to offer you my deep gratitude for your support, communication and understanding of our school community over the last week.

I have spoken many times to our students about Cashmere’s educational philosophy and values being the foundation that helps build resilience in young people. The structure that supports this philosophy has been overturned recently, as we have responded to the Delta strain of COVID 19. What we have learnt from past experiences is that we can remain true to our vision and values while changing structures for the conditions we face. The success that follows will come down to the commitment and cooperation of our people; you, our staff, our students and our parent community.

On Monday all our students will be learning through our online learning programmes on Google Classroom. Please refer to last Friday’s email for these guidelines.

School Formal

We held our annual Formal on Friday 6th August at the Wigram Airforce Museum. This event was a special occasion and was attended in large numbers by our Year 12 and Year 13 students. The theme of the Formal was The Lost City of Atlantis. Special thanks to Mr Hayden Beaumont, Mrs Aysha Beer, Mr Tom Wilkinson and the Formal Committee for their superb organisation.

School Examinations

Unfortunately due to COVID Alert Level 4, our senior examinations have been cancelled. We could have extended the examination time period, however on balance we felt that it was more productive to get our senior students back into learning. We will look at other ways in which to assess our students during their regular timetables when they return onsite.

Subject selection

At this stage of the year our students will be thinking about which subjects to choose for the 2022 academic year. These decisions can be challenging at times, and therefore, the more thought and consideration given to these choices the better. I would recommend that students talk to their subject teachers and the Careers Advisor, Mr Mike Bennett, if they have particular questions. I believe that students should choose subjects that they find engaging, intellectually stimulating and in an area they are interested in pursuing further. Students do not need to have a career pathway all mapped at this stage, a pursuit of their interests will lead them to a suitable career path.

Please note that the last day for 2022 subject choices to be made is Friday, 3rd September 2021. For any questions you may have about this process, please contact your child's Head of Year in the first instance.

Staff Only Day

On the 10th August we had our Staff Only Day. This was an opportunity for our staff, particularly our teachers to work on the new NCEA standards that are being put in place as part of the NCEA change programme. A significant part of these changes is the engagement of Mātauranga Māori in subject and assessment planning

Outdoor Education

One of the great aspects about our curriculum is the flexibility to get out of the classroom and make the most of the beautiful country that we live in. Education outside the classroom provides students with the opportunity to see first hand the wonders of nature and often provides our students with authentic learning experiences. These photos were taken on the Outdoor Education Alpine Trip and the Duke of Edinburgh Tramp. 

Recent Student Achievement

Over the last couple weeks we have seen some outstanding student achievement. Congratulations to Charlie Hazlett who became the NZ U18 Cross Country Champion after a superb race at the Nationals in Dunedin. Charlie has already had an outstanding season this year and we look forward to following his successes in the years to come. 

Year 12, Elizabeth Milne, has also achieved national successes recently, winning the junior open section of the New Zealand Poetry Society International Competition 2021 for her poem 'Ekphrasis'. Elizabeth has previously had many poems published in the Re-Draft magazine.

While not a recent achievement over the last fortnight, I wish to take this opportunity to congratulate the following students, Nicolae Didenco, Abigail Wheeler, Tristan Dunlop, Orla Dunlop, Leila Dunlop, Joel Graham, Will Hanlon and Reuben Clarkson, who have been selected for the New Zealand Secondary School Symphony Orchestra.

It was great to see our Cashmere students competing in the 2021 Waitaha Secondary School Regional Kapa Haka Competitions as part of Kimihia. Kimihia is a collaborative group of 5 Christchurch Schools who placed third in the overall standings - an outstanding achievement.

At Cashmere we believe a big part of positive wellbeing is the opportunity to give back to others and serve our communities. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all students involved in the World Vision, 40 hour Famine Fundraiser. A particular mention to Willow Cook who painted Steve McCurry's "Afghan Girl" (National Geographic 1984) to help raise money for this cause. We were lucky to secure a portrait of our own to put up in the school.

At our last Principal’s Assembly we awarded our COVE award to Charlie Cadillac in Year 12. The COVE Award is our most prestigious award as it recognises the students who exemplify our school values of Citizenship, Opportunities, Vibrancy and Excellence. Charlie is an outstanding student who last year gained NCEA Level 1 with Excellence. Outside the classroom, Charlie has been involved in the regional swimming championships and the open water swim team. He has participated in Mainland volleyball champs and has been a dedicated member of the Senior A volleyball team. Charlie has also been a team member for Fencing, junior boys football, social mountain biking and junior social basketball.

Additionally, Charlie has been involved in Chess Club, the writing group, the Japanese trivia night and the University of Canterbury Japanese Day. Humble, polite and consistently demonstrating our school values, Charlie is well respected by his peers and staff alike, and therefore is a worthy recipient of the COVE award.

Science Fair

On the 5th August we held our annual Science Fair. However, this was the first year we invited parents and whanau in to view the students' amazing projects, made possible by the completion of our new science block. We introduced the Science fair for Year 9s and Year 10s in 2012 in response to the new science curriculum introduced in 2010 which required a greater emphasis on the Nature of Science. These projects also give students a chance to practice the skills needed in our modern world, skills needed not only by those going on in the sciences but needed to make informed decisions about the big issues we all face. Congratulations to the winners of the top projects:

1st LED there be light - Ida Scott

2nd Opawaho river water health - Mia Aramowicz and Auraeyah Harris

3rd Drastic Drag - Niamh Cooper and Alice Vetcher

These and many other outstanding projects will now be entered into the Canterbury-Westland Science Fair to be held at the University of Canterbury in September.

From the archives…..

That was then this is now! Since 1956 our staff has grown to over 200 staff, supporting our vision of empowering communities through the development of intellect and character.

With the uncertainty associated with the current lockdown we have not posted the next fortnight's events. We will keep you updated!