Whāia te iti kahurangi - Aiming high.

Your perseverance paid off - The first year of NCEA is wrapped up!

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

Whāia te iti kahurangi, ki te tuohu koe, me he maunga teitei - Seek the treasure that you value most dearly, if you bow your head, let it be to a lofty mountain. Ka rawe Year 11 ākonga for showing perseverance and refusing to let obstacles get in your way in your first year of NCEA. Having to adjust not only to senior courses but also to a new Level 1 Curriculum is no small feat. I am very proud of the engagement most students have shown in their learning and of their growth this year. We were particularly impressed by how many of you were working hard this term to finish assessments and working towards gaining NCEA Level 1. Our increasing pass rates in Literacy and Numeracy co-requisite assessments are a testament to this. I wish everyone the best for the external exam results, which will be published in mid-January 2025.

Congratulations to all Year 11 award winners at our Senior Awards Prize Giving in November.

Ka rawe to Zavier Keepa, who was the recipient of the Rob Burrough Cup in recognition of his profound impact on the culture of our kura. Zavier consistently embodied our uara - school values of Manaakitanga, Whanaungatanga, Rangatiratanga, and Tūrangawaewae throughout the year. Another remarkable effort was Lena Norton’s achievement as the overall top academic student in Year 11. 

Once again, 2024 brought many sporting successes and a show of good sportsmanship. Big congratulations to all Year 11 prize winners at our Sports Awards taking out some of the top awards: 

• Julie Maxwell Award - Kymaira Flavell

• Contribution to Girls Sport - Lena Norton

• Badminton: Senior Boys MIP - Benz Limin

• Basketball: Girls Kōtiro MVP - Lena Norton, Senior Boys Pango MIP - Toby Clark, Senior Boys Whero MVP - Cole Hawthorne, Intermediate Boys Mana MVP - Ace Pajarillaga

• Kī-o-Rahi: A Most Valuable Kaitākaro Wāhine - Kymaira Flavell

• Netball: Mixed MVP - Kymaira Flavell, Senior Girls MIP - Olivia Alexy

• Orienteering: MVP - Elizabeth Stapleton Coffey

• O Sports Special Olympics: T Ball MIP - Anna Bly, T Ball MVP and Table Tennis MVP - Stephanie McNabb, Volleyball MIP and Basketball MVP - Lanz Sanorjo

• Rugby: Senior Boys MIP - Zavier Keepa

• Rugby League: Girls MIP - Kymaira Flavell

• Volleyball: G League MVP - Candes Timu, Premier A Girls MIP - Anahera Smith, Senior Boys MIP - Atama Dixon and Maze Faanunumi, Senior Boys MVP Johnrick Maravilla, Senior B Boys MIP - Toby Clark, Senior B Boys MVP - Neko Abano
  

We also congratulate all Year 11 Pasifika Achievement award winners:

• Academic Award 1st - Wyatt Vaa, 2nd - Maze Faanunumi

• Cultural Contribution and Te Aratai way with in our School Values - Maze Faanunumi

In the new year, we will send out some information about the start of the 2025 school year, and the important dates are included in our editorial notes of this newsletter. I 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. I will be taking next year off to look after my mother overseas. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with the Year 11 ākonga and their whānau and look forward to seeing their future growth and success. Ruth Keir will be working with this cohort as their Year 12 Dean and supporting their learning pathways and well-being. Please let us know if you have any questions (koo@tearatai.school.nz and rke@tearatai.school.nz).

To all our Year 11 ākonga and whānau, Meri Kirihimete. We wish everyone a restful break and a safe summer and look forward to seeing all of our ākonga at the beginning of Term 1, 2025. 

Ngā mihi nui,

Sig Koop, Year 11 Dean