Kia ora koutou, welcome to the first newsletter of 2023.

I hope you have all had a refreshing Summer, and are ready for the new school year. A particular welcome to whānau of new students to the school, to Year 10 Mōhua students who previously had Mr Mitchell as their Dean, and to any students that have moved from one of the other two Kāhui to join us.

We have a great group of teachers in the Mōhua Pastoral team this year. There are five Mōhua Year 11/12/13 Wānanga classes, whose Learning Advisors are Miss Abernethy (class AyM), Mrs Clark (CkM), Mr Liu (LuMs), Miss Taylor (TrMs), and Mr Williams (WlM). There are also four Mōhua Year 9/10 Wānanga classes, whose Learning Advisors are Miss Bennett (BtM), Mr Liu (LuM), Miss Taylor (TrM), and Mr Wilkes (WsM). These teachers will be your first point of contact for issues such as attendance, uniform, and general academic issues. As the Dean, I have an overview of all of these classes and can hopefully step in for any issues that require it.

The two Wānanga classes being taught by Mr Liu (LuM and LuMs) are new initiatives we have this year. These classes are for students in those year levels of Pacific Island descent, with the aim of encouraging engagement and improving academic results, while promoting pride in their culture. I am excited about this new addition to our school, and look forward to seeing this grow in future years.

I want to share with you part of the message I gave the Mōhua students on the first day of school. The main idea was that it is your attitude to learning that is the most important factor in what you achieve at school, not your abilities in any particular subject. Those who are punctual and attend regularly, who are prepared for their lessons, and who give everything a go even when the work is tough, are the ones who are always the most successful. It is the effort that students make now, in whatever year level they are in, that affects their results in the future.

New Yr 11 students will be sitting NCEA for the first time this year, although they may have already gained a few credits last year to give them a head start. Understanding NCEA can be a bit overwhelming at first, but I will work closely with them throughout the year to cover at least the basics. One particularly important point for all senior students sitting NCEA is that they need to get stuck in early to avoid the “scramble for credits” at the end of the year. I have already heard of a few students saying they don’t need to sit some assessments because they are “only” worth 2 or 3 credits. This is a dangerous attitude to have in terms of their qualifications. Many times in the past, towards the end of the year, I have had students panicked because school was nearly over and they were still a few credits short of what they required. Every credit matters!

If you have any questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Ngā mihi nui.

Phil Daines

Years 10 - 13 Mōhua Kāhui Dean

(03) 349 5396 ext. 923

da@hornby.school.nz