Year 9 and 10 - Finishing the year strongly

Things will seem a little quieter around the school campus over the next few weeks as the Year 11 to 13 students undertake their external exams for NCEA while on study leave.

It is important that we support our senior students to be able to do their best in their exams which begin on Monday 16 November and end on Wednesday 9 December.

Our Year 9 and 10 students will be wanting to finish the year strongly and it is important we are all reminded that the values of the Riccarton Way continue to guide our students right up until the final day of the year which is Wednesday 9 December.

The Riccarton Way promotes our caring, supportive, learning culture which is focused on progress and achievement. We are very proud of this in our school. We strongly emphasise the values of commitment, honesty, respect and excellence in the ways we think, act, and feel and in the ways we treat others.

Manawanui: Students commit to their learning journey

Ngākaupono: Students are honest in their approach to learning

Manaakitanga: Students respect the process of learning

Kairangi: Students continually strive for excellence and to be "better than before"

In order to finish the year strongly Year 9 and 10 students will continue to be expected to:

  • Show a positive attitude
  • Meet our high expectations of behaviour, effort, punctuality, wearing of the school uniform, and preparedness for learning
  • Take pride in their work and the school
  • Keep achieving to the best of their ability
  • Treat others respectfully and with courtesy

Year 9 and 10 students can help our senior students achieve well in their exams by making sure they keep quiet and don’t interrupt them:

  • NCEA exams will run mainly in the Hall and L, C, B blocks and in T9. Exams run through our interval time and continue into the afternoon when Year 9 and 10 students are leaving school. We ask they are considerate at these times and stay away from these areas as much as possible. Unfortunately this means no after school basketball on the court between the Gym and G/H block. It also means being SILENT when leaving school down the Main South Road driveway past L Block.
  • Some classes will have room changes during exams so Year 9 and 10 students will need to take note of these and turn up to the correct classroom
  • We don’t have school bells ringing during exams so Year 9 and 10 students will be expected to manage themselves to get to their classes on time
  • We are going to shorten the lunchtime on Mondays and Fridays so that Period 5 classes will start at 1.50. School will finish at 2.50 on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursday and Friday. Wednesdays will continue to finish at 2.40.

The end of Term 4 often provides opportunities for different learning experiences in classes and a few other activities – including the remaining outdoor education camps at wonderful Orohaki. 

So, while the next few weeks may not exactly be “school as usual” they will be underpinned by our usual expectations. 

We will continue to send out our fortnightly attitude to learning reports and achievement reports will be sent in the last week of the term.

He whānau kotahi tātou – we are one and we share and live our values. 

Let’s all finish strongly on Wednesday 9 December.