Kua hua te marama - We have come full cycle: time to celebrate while looking back at a successful 2023.

Kia ora koutou, Talofa lava, Malo e lelei, Ni sa bula, Kumusta and warm greetings to our Te Aratai College community.

With our Senior students gone on study leave, the junior ākonga are adapting to having our school to themselves. For our Year 10 learners this means some more learning and getting ready for their transition to Level 1 NCEA next year. It was great to see how this cohort has grown in many ways throughout 2023, which is reflected in academic, sporting and personal growth success. The Year 10 deans are proud of how most of our ākonga have demonstrated our uara (values) of Manaakitanga, Whanaungatanga, Rangatiratanga and Turangawaewae. To support our learners in making Te Aratai College their place, we continued our focus on attendance and uniforms for most of the year. Many Year 10 students wear our uniform beautifully, representing Te Aratai College with pride demonstrating our uara of Rangatiratanga and Turangawaewae. Let’s keep it up for the next couple of weeks.

Ka rawe Year 10 ākonga for your engagement in your learning. We have seen some excellent mahi in your classes this term. We were particularly impressed by how many of you took up the opportunity to sit the Literacy and Numeracy co-requisite assessments for NCEA next year. The rest of the term will be busy with more learning opportunities, including the BP Challenge run by Young Enterprise for Year 10 students. Students work in teams to develop a product and create a marketing plan over three days, which they present to a group of judges from the local business community. Congratulations to our Year 10 ākonga for gaining credits in Level 1 Te Reo Māori. All the best for your upcoming externals: Te Rina Babbington, Danielle Cowlishaw West, Atama Dixon, Kymaira Flavell, Brooklyn Kohu-Taukiri, Cassidy Maukau-Stowell, Taylah Russ, Elizabeth Stapleton-Coffey and Kruz Te Awhe.

Once again, 2023 brought many sporting successes and a show of good sportsmanship. Big congratulations to all Year 10 prize winners at our Sports Awards taking out some of the top awards:

• Junior Sportswoman of the Year - Lena Norton

• Junior Sportsman of the Year - Atama Dixon

• Contribution to Girls Sport - Lena Norton

• All around Sportswoman - Kymaira Flavell

• Team of the Year - Under 14 Boys Rugby

• Aaradhya Dahal Trophy (Positive Spirit and Demonstration of Values in Sport) - Lanz Sanorjo

• Basketball: Junior A Most Valued Player -Camdyn Jansen, Girls MVP - Lena Norton

• Netball: Mixed MVP and Best Overall Junior Netball Trophy - Kymaira Flavell

• Orienteering: MVP - Lena Norton and Elizabeth Stapleton Coffey

• O Sports T Ball: MVP - Anna Bly

• Volleyball: Junior Girls A MVP - Candes Timu, Junior Boys MVP - Toby Clark, Girls Kaha MVP - Fapiola Uasi, Junior A MVP - Atama Dixon

• Badminton: Junior Girls MVP - Veronica Stan

• Hockey: Boys MVP - Johnrick Maravilla

• Rugby: Under 15 Boys MVP - Garnett Faumuina

• Football: Junior MVP - Wyatt Va'a

• Fustal: MVP - Alain Merrylees

• Kī-o-Rahi: Junior MVP Tāne - Atama Dixon; Junior MVP Wāhine, Spirit of Kī-o-Rahi Award, Overall MVP, Wāhine - Kymaira Flavell

• Touch: Junior Boys MVP - Atama Dixon; Junior Girls MVP - Kymaira Flavell

The last couple of months were also the time to celebrate the diversity of our school community and their successes with the Rise Dance showcase and Festival of Nations as definite highlights. Here are our outstanding Year 10 performers: Danielle Cowlishaw-West, Izzy Rangihaeata, Maze Faanunumi, Lucus Beedles, Jacqs Drewery, Makylah Kauhou-Medows, Ada Shanley, Leap Kipa, Zaismin Kaur, Alexia Knights, Anihera Taumaunu-Broughton, Amber McCavitt, Karsha Togiaso, Kymaira Flavell, Te Rina Babbington, Chloe Moreland, Greer King and Brooklyn Kohu-Taukiri. 

Great to see our learners' involvement in community projects such as the Te Aratai A.K.C. (Acts of Kindness Collective) and their weekly visits at Aldwins Road Rest Home: nice work, Hamaad Naqshbandi, Nicole Lopez, Princess Xiuei Blas, Hannah Gatela, Vhinesse Vergara, Katie Nevard and Tom May. Big thumbs up to all our ākonga taking part in the Mana Rangatahi programme, a Youth and Climate Change leadership initiative in conjunction with the University of Canterbury: Montelle Amosa-Gale, Maze Faanunumi, Garnett Faumuina, Emeline Palu, Filipo Siumu, Dezyah Topia-Peneha, and Fapiola Uasi. A special mention to Lena Norton, Elizabeth Stapleton Coffey, and Emily Easterbrook, who were given the amazing opportunity to meet with a member of the Christchurch City Council to advocate for a proposed and now approved cycle lane and improved road safety in the community.

Last but not least, we congratulate all Year 10 Pasifika Achievement Award winners:

• Academic Award 1st - Wyatt Vaa, 2nd - Epifara Sila

• Attendance over 90% - Maze Faanunumi

• Cultural Contribution and Te Aratai Way within our School Values - Maze Faanunumi

We are looking forward to our final celebration of the year, the Junior Awards on Wednesday, 13 Dec 2023, when our Year 9 and 10 are recognised for their achievements this year.

Over the next couple of weeks, we will send out some information about the start of the 2024 school year. I am going to continue working with this cohort as their Year 11 Dean and look forward to supporting their transition to NCEA and learning pathways. Miss Watson is on study leave for 2024 and will return to the Year 12 Dean in 2025. Please let us know if you have any questions (koo@linwoodcollege.school.nz and pwa@linwoodcollege.school.nz). We would like to take the opportunity to thank whānau, SLT, teaching staff, kaiārahi, support staff, the 24/7 team and particularly our guidance and learning acceleration department for their support throughout the year.

To all our Year 10 ākonga and whānau, Meri Kirihimete. We wish everyone a restful break and a safe summer, and we look forward to seeing all of our ākonga at the beginning of Term 1 2024.

Ngā mihi nui

Sig Koop and Pania Watson, Year 10 Deans