Tēnā koutou and warm greetings from Karaka House.

Term 1 is drawing to a close and what a busy 11 weeks it has been. In the junior block we have had school trips and summer sports in full swing. Please ensure all your ākonga are encouraged to get involved in winter sports. Trials are underway and teams will soon be finalised. During the holidays this is also a good chance to sort the winter uniform. Please use the website as a guide to what your child should be wearing for school uniform.

Please be aware of the attendance system, if your child is going to be late or absent from school then you must let the school know. This can be done by phone call to the office or by email to your child's Dean or Kaiārahi. In Week 3 of Term 2 we have our Wā Whakanui and Academic Conferencing. Please ensure you have made a booking with your child's Ako teacher, these are online and open. If you are having trouble doing this then please contact the school office.

As this term draws to a close we acknowledge that our seniors are almost one third of their way through the academic year. Term 4 typically has 3-4 weeks and this is usually revision for external exams, so most internal assessment work is completed during terms 1-3. It certainly has been a busy term for Years 11-13. Most of our senior Karaka students are working hard in classes, attending well and are engaged in their learning. If your son/daughter feels that they aren’t quite reaching their full potential, it is not too late to come back to school with increased focus next term.

Most seniors have now gained their first credits towards NCEA. They all have access to the KAMAR student portal so can regularly check their academic progress. In addition to this, they will soon start receiving a tracking sheet every two weeks in their Ako class showing their credits to date.

Lastly, seniors who gained NCEA last year have been awarded a badge to wear on their school uniform. It is great to see so many of our learners wearing them with pride, particularly when they have earned an endorsement.

For now, enjoy your well earned break, take time to rest and recharge, and we look forward to seeing you next term.

Amelia Painter: ptr@linwoodcollege.school.nz

Robbie Timo: tmo@linwoodcollege.school.nz