Kia ora koutou. Talofa. Kia Orana. Malo e lelei. Bula. Fakaalofa atu. Namaste and Kumusta. Greetings to everyone at Te Aratai College and our wider Te Aratai community.

The positive busyness of the winter term continues and we have spring around the corner to look forward to. School years have a definite shape and "spring around the corner" also means the end of the year is just around the next corner after that. For senior students and their teachers, this means the existing conversations about achievement and kids being the best that they can be may have extra urgency. Our school believes in the positive power of the interweaving of wellbeing and achievement. Both are vital. Mauri Ora through Ako.

With this I am attempting to ask every senior student I chat with where they are up to with the NCEA LRCs (learning recognition credits) and then we do the sum of the number of remaining weeks in the school year divided by the credits they required for passing and for endorsement. This is usually a very positive kōrero. 

Repeating for clarity: in recognition of the Covid-disruption students have experienced, the number of credits required for NCEA success has been reduced.

These have been called learning recognition credits, LRCs.For 2022:

• Level 1: 70 credits are required, reduced from 80
• Level 2 (or above): 52 credits are required for level 2, reduced from 60
• Level 3: 52 credits are required for level 3, reduced from 60
• Merit and Excellence endorsement: 46 credits are required, reduced from 50
• University Entrance: 14 credits in each of two UE Approved Subjects, and 12 (reduced from 14) credits in a third UE Approved Subject 

Finally, schools can be complex places, so if any member of the community wishes to talk to me about anything, please contact the office to arrange a time for this to occur. My door is open.

Mauri ora ki a koutou.

Richard Edmundson

Tumuaki-Principal