Nau mai haere mai, and welcome to Term 2

Congratulations to the cast and crew of The Addams Family

Thank you to everyone who supported the Tauranga Girls’ College-led school production of The Addams Family at Baycourt Theatre last week. On show was some fantastic talent between the two schools. Directed by Toni Henderson, producer Mal Brady and musical direction by Stephanie Geor, these three people and several other key adults did a superb job supporting students on stage and behind the scenes. Thanks also to our amazing sponsors, especially Legacy Trust and Just Sheds. What will the next show be?

Vaping

Vaping is a challenge for us at school to manage, but be assured that there are and have been consequences for students engaged in vaping at school. It is unfortunate that vape stores are selling these products to underage students. Students caught vaping will receive consequences but more importantly, it allows us to have a conversation with whānau. We want to nip this in the bud before the nicotine kick becomes a severe addiction and a health issue later in life. Your support with this is appreciated. We ask students to step up and report any vaping seen in the toilets.

Industrial Action

We apologise for the inconvenience of the nationwide strike action. Unfortunately, we cannot maintain teaching and learning on national strike days. On rolling strike days, students should have sufficient learning to support independent work from home. We will keep you up to date with any changes via social media channels.

Phones and social media

Whānau, keep an eye on your young person's social media use. The time they spend on their phone, what social media they support and their engagement with it. There are some disturbing sites, and whilst TikTok is popular amongst this group, not all content is ‘friendly’. As with anything, too much of one thing is never a good situation to be in, so encourage moderation of screen time. Your support in role modelling this at home supports us at school.

Canteen change

‘Mad Catering’ will end their catering contract with us at the end of this term. Are you interested in taking over the Tauranga Girls’ College school canteen and supporting 1400 students and over 100 staff with tantalizing foods and beverages? If you are, email our Business Manager, Maxine, today at mbird@tgc.school.nz

Visiting New World

Tauranga Girls’ College and New World have had a long-standing agreement that during school hours, unless you are Year 13 and therefore have a study period, students should be in class and not shopping. Shops can be accessed before and after school. New World staff support a learning focus and spending class time shopping, whilst profitable for them, they acknowledge is not supportive of good learning habits. Therefore, please remember, no visiting shops, including NW, during class time. The only exception is for Year 13 students who are identifiable by their shirts. Thank you, New World, for supporting learning and engagement.

Service opportunities at Tauranga Girls’ College

Whilst many of you may have watched the Kings Coronation message on ‘service’, Tauranga Girls’ College continues to support service opportunities. All formal leadership opportunities at Tauranga Girls’ College require students to have completed a minimum of 30 service hours before applying. Opportunities include Duke of Edinburgh, Referee, helping out at your local marae, supporting elderly neighbours and surf life-saving, to name just a few. Giving back is rewarding and recognises that everyone plays an essential role as a community member.

Kapa Haka

Here we go, whānau, it's Haka time again. Under the tutelage of Matua Ed and his team, a group of Tauranga Girls’ College and Tauranga Boys’ College students have signed up and have undertaken their first noho in preparation to stand at the Regional Kapa Haka Champs to be held later this term. This is always a highlight in the school's calendar, and as such, we appreciate the dedication and commitment our students and staff give over the campaign.

Lastly, thank you to the 25 students who represented Tauranga Girls’ College at one of three ANZAC services last term. They were both excellent ambassadors for our school and ensured we remembered all those who had come and gone before us and their sacrifices.

Despite the weather, learning both in and out of the classroom continues with oomph, and Tauranga Girls’ College continues to empower our wahine to make a positive impact, grow in confidence, and realise their potential.

Tara Kanji