Making Te Aratai College our space - off to a great start in 2023.

Kia ora koutou, talofa lava, malo e lelei, ni sa bula, Kkumusta and warm greetings to our Te Aratai College community.

As Term 4 comes to a close and the summer holidays are fast approaching, it is time again for a recap of the year. 2022 brought challenges and interruptions, particularly at the start of the year with long periods of distance learning and our return to the Aldwins Road site and the opening of our new kura. The Year 10 deans are proud of the resilience our ākonga have shown with most of them settling well into the new learning spaces and demonstrating our uara of Manaakitanga, Whanaungatanga, Rangatiratanga and Turangawaewae. To support our learners in making Te Aratai College their place, we focussed on attendance and uniform for most of the year. It is great to see that 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. The year also brought many sporting successes and a show of good sportsmanship. Congratulations to all Year 10 prize winners at our Sports Awards:

• Junior Sportswoman of the Year: Leah McCallum Simon

• Junior Sportsman of the Year: Isaac Beedles

• Team of the Year - Kī-o-Rahi A including the following Year 10 students Isaac Beedles, Ebony Burchett, Henare Chambers, Jovahn Latham-Waikato, Leah McCallum Simon, Anahere Moffat, Bradley Price, Reimana Ruri and Mana Te Maari.

• Badminton: Mechaela Abano - Girls Most Improved Player, Gian Manguerra - Junior Boys B Most Improved Player, JC Tolentino - Junior Boys B Most Valuable Player, Bryce Delos Reyes - Junior Boys A Most Improved Player, Recca Brimon - Junior Boys A Most Valuable Player and Most Valuable Player for Badminton (Year 9-13)

• Basketball: Christian Apiti - Intermediate Boys Green Most Improved Player, Gelo Abad - Intermediate Boys Green Most Valuable Player, Leah McCallum Simon - Junior Girls Most Improved Player, Conway Andrews - Junior A Boys Most Improved Player, Isaac Beedles - Junior A Boys Most Valuable Player

• Hockey: Taorai Tihore - Boys Most Improved Player

• Kī-o-Rahi: Leah McCallum Simon - Kī-o-Rahi Junior Most Valuable Kaitākaro Wāhine,

• Anahere Moffat - Kī-o-Rahi A - Most Improved Kaitākaro

• Pool: Charlotte Williams - Pool Most Improved Player and Pool Most Valuable Player, Bryson McKenzie - Pool Most Valuable Player

• Rugby: Porourangi Manawatu - Under 14 Most Valuable Player, Isaac Beedles - Under 14 Most Valuable Player

• Touch: Bradley Price - Mixed Most Valuable Player and Ross McAuley Outstanding Touch Player Trophy, Jovahn Latham-Waikato - Junior Boys Most Valuable Player

• Volleyball: Leah McCallum Simon - Junior Girls Most Improved Player, Mechaela Abano - Junior Girls Most Valuable Player, Raul Bethell - Junior Boys Most Improved Player

All the best for our Kī-o-Rahi team, who are off to Kirikiriroa (Hamilton) to compete in the Junior Nationals Kī-o-Rahi Tournament this week. Thank you to Jesse Harding and everyone involved for your mahi with our Year 10 ākonga around leadership and well-being development from the Māui Te Tauira kaupapa.

Term 4 was also the time to celebrate the diversity of our school community and their successes. Thank you to our Pasifika students showcasing their Fiafia during the Pasifika Fiafia evening. We congratulate all Year 10 Pasifika Achievement award winners:

• Shekinah Aiolupo - Cultural Contribution and Excellence in sport (Volleyball)

• PJ Alavisi - Cultural Contribution

• Kirisimasi Falemalu - Cultural Contribution and Demonstration of school values

• Minoneti Mahoni - Cultural Contribution

• Eani Tavilione - Demonstration of school values

• Davontae Uri - Demonstration of school values and Excellence in attendance

• Izzy Carruth - Demonstration of school values and 1st Place Overall Academic Award (Year 10 Pasifika)

• Urima Enosa - Cultural Contribution, Demonstration of school values, Excellence in attendance, 2nd Place Overall academic Award (Year 10 Pasifika), and the Award for the Top Overall Pasifika Student in Year 10.

We are looking forward to our final celebration of the year, the Junior Awards on Tuesday, 13 Dec 2022, when our Year 7 to 10 are recognised for their achievements this year.

Over the next weeks, the Senior house deans will start conversations with the Year 10 students in preparation for their transition to Year 11. Please let us know if you have any questions (koo@linwoodcollege.school.nz). Nicole and 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.

To all our Year 10 ākonga and whānau, Meri Kirihimete. We wish everyone a restful break and safe summer and look forward to seeing all of our ākonga at the beginning of Term 1, 2023.

Ngā mihi nui,

Sig Koop

Year 10 Dean: koo@linwoodcollege.school.nz

Nicole Eastwick

Jnr Asst Dean: neas@linwoodcollege.school.nz