On Friday 15 November there is a staff only day. This is one of the allocated Ministry of Education days to allow for further learning about the changes to NCEA Level 1.

For the staff at Te Aroha College, we, along with 11 other schools from the Eastern Waikato, Thames Valley and Coromandel areas will be meeting at Waihi College. While there is a focus on teaching and learning it is also a chance for all our staff across all aspects of school life to meet.

There are 13 secondary schools within this area and we are developing a foundation to work more collaboratively. The ultimate goal is ensure that we are able to provide the best education possible for our students. There is a great deal of expertise with our region and we are trying to make things as practical as possible, without having to constantly travel large distances for access courses.

There are also opportunities to develop systems to support the development and moderation requirements for NCEA. As the complexities and changes of NCEA continue, this is a really good chance to address these issues.

We are also working on strengthening Thames Valley sport as well. Once we get up and running we will to look to provide specific workshops and opportunities for our students staff.

This day is an important first step in establishing those connections across the region and establish systems for 2025.

Thank you for your understanding.