Ka mate kāinga tahi, ka ora kāinga rua! 

When one door closes, another will open - have a back up plan! 

This whakatauki reminds us that when plans change, our well being and success depends on our ability to adapt, and be resilient. This was certainly the case when we returned to Level 4 Lockdown conditions for three weeks during term 3. Overall, Year 10 students managed this change of context for their learning extremely well, and are commended for this.

Returning to school after the lockdown period, our students again demonstrated their appreciation for each other’s company, and for face to face learning. Having now gone through the process of selecting subjects for next year during Term 3, our Year 10 students are both nervous and excited at the prospect of being senior students. The junior examinations coming up in Week 5 of Term 4 will be another opportunity for Year 10 students to practice the skills needed for success in the senior years at Cashmere High School.

Whether students have selected courses for Year 11 which offer a mixture of internal assessments and external examinations, or predominantly internal assessments, in both cases, a solid work habit is essential for success. One of the benefits of home learning during lockdown is that our students have had the opportunity to develop their ability to focus on school work at home. Success for all students in the senior years at high school requires a strong work ethic both at school and at home. While individuals will have had vastly different circumstances and personal experiences, those who can ask for help when needed, and are developing the skill of being able to concentrate on tasks for periods of time, are at an advantage for preparing for NCEA Level 1 in 2022.

Online learning is not just limited to school work. Today our young people are learning in a complex environment, often saturated in social media and digital information options. Learning how to critically evaluate information, and keep safe with the information that you access, and share, is an essential skill - not just at school, but for life beyond school. The New Zealand based website Netsafe provides excellent guidance to young people, parents and whanau, on many apps, sites, topics and issues. If as caregivers you feel unsure about the details of things like Tiktok, Snapchat, Houseparty, Instagram, or you have concerns about your young person’s online safety, netsafe.org.nz is the site to visit, with fantastic parents’ toolkit resources. The other vitally useful site is the Classifications office: https://www.classificationoffice.govt.nz/ - which has superb guidance and resources for both young people and parents regarding challenging content accessed online. The Light Project - https://thelightproject.co.nz/ provides information about pornography. Also, the ‘Keep It Real’ site - https://www.keepitrealonline.govt.nz/ offers guidance on misinformation and other challenging online content.

We have not had Year 10 assemblies since returning to school post lockdown. In week 3 of term 3, the Year 10 and Year 12 student councils ran some Yr 10/12 competitions which were well supported by both year levels. Many members of the Year 10 cohort continue to be active on and support wider student councils’ initiative of offering service across a range of activities both within and beyond school, for which they can gain House points.

The wider Year 10 Leadership group includes individuals and small groups who have some initiatives planned to run in term 4, including the annual Yr 10 vs Yr 9 multisport competitions. Given that many sporting and arts events were postponed or cancelled in Term 3, the positivity the vast majority of our students have displayed despite such losses is heartening. It was great to see Year 10 students well represented in the brief music tour to Hanmer at the end of term 3, and to see the Year 10 A Netball team’s South Island Championship success in the Term 2 break, which was celebrated in a billboard in Term 3 on our Barrington st. gateway!

Year 10 students have now received their third graduation report for the year, and a final academic report will be issued in Term 4. The coming term will pass quickly - as always,

please make contact with me if you have any questions, concerns or feedback. Email: hvm@cashmere.school.nz and direct dial 337 4711.

Margaux Hlavac
Year 10 Head of School