Celebrating Te Ao Māori

Not only did we congratulate Te Tauranga O Ngā Waka (The Tauranga Girls’ College and Tauranga Boys’ College combined Kapa Haka Group) for reaching the National Kapa Haka Competition in the last newsletter, but by the time you receive this update, our Colleges, Haka and Waiata House Competition will have happened. This year, our staff opened the event with waiata, E Hika. Not only do our students learn and develop their Te Ao Māori skills and knowledge, but so do our staff through karakia, waiata and mātauranga Māori in the curriculum.

Poetry Success

Congratulations to our talented poets!!

Victoria University National Schools Poetry Competition

Layla Hoskin My tears stream down the Uretara (Finalist)

Massey University Poetry Aotearoa Yearbook

Layla Hoskin Mature (Highly Commended)

Sarah Smith An extended metaphor of the circulatory system (Highly Commended)

Ash Bryne - 1st Place in the Bay of Plenty Sonnet Competition

Winter Sports Tournament Successes

Congratulations to all the teams, Basketball (Jnr and Snr), Netball (Prems), Hockey (1st and 2nd XI), Rock Climbers, Footballers, Indoor Bowls and Equestrian members who represented Tauranga Girls’ College recently. I had the privilege of supporting day one of rock climbing, some junior basketball, two days of netball in Hamilton and then back to Rotorua for the senior basketball. It was a fabulous roadie, in which I bumped into many other principals also out supporting their sports teams.

Special congratulations to Basketball, who took out both the Junior and Senior Competition, Hockey 2nd XI, who came second, and Indoor Bowls, who gained 3rd equal in the pairs and another 3rd in the plate. To all the coaches, managers, parents and supporters, thank you for your ongoing support to realise the success of our wahine through sport.

Music Success continues

A huge congratulations to Mr. Brady and Ms. Geor for the following results:

String Ensemble - Silver

Symphonic Band - Gold and a Merit Award

Percussion Ensemble - Gold

Elodie Broad - winner of the Orchestral Composition award

And all of this to add to Gold for Luminosa Armonia Chorale, as announced in the last newsletter

Derived Grade Examinations (DGE)

Our important DGE begins on Friday, 8 September. Students will be aware of these upcoming examinations as they are used to derive grades when students are unwell or encounter (as approved by NZQA) an event that prevents them from sitting their formative NCEA examination in November. There is no school for all students on the senior-only day of that examination week, Friday 15 September.

Need to contact us?

Who to contact if you have any questions? If your young person comes home and voices a concern, take the time to speak with them to ascertain the context and to triangulate the story. If you wish to talk to a staff member about the matter, then raise that with the learner's coach, subject teacher, dean, etc., depending on the context. Please make the time to do this. Email (addresses are on our website) or phone to make an appointment.

Cameras at school

I remind you again of the cameras in use at school. A sign that reads ‘camera operating’ indicates where they are positioned. You will see this at reception too. Our cameras are also helpful in capturing vandalism. Cameras are being trialled in some new sites, including those spaces where students should not be.

Winter bugs and staffing pressures

There are several nasty flu and other illnesses at the moment, which is putting pressure on students and their learning and on staff who are away supporting their family illnesses. With relief shortages being well-publicised, we, too, are not immune from this. Where staff absences exceed classes that need cover, we will always prioritise relievers in the junior school, pairing up smaller classes or, where necessary, having a senior class without a teacher but having a check-in teacher nearby. Students will always have work to do as relief is set via Google Classroom. Please support us by ensuring your daughter or young person has a fully charged Chromebook (our preferred device) or laptop and are using their Google Classroom. You can ask them to show you their Google Classroom space, too.

Parking Challenges

We acknowledge parking is a problem, especially as more senior students travel to school by vehicle. Unfortunately, we do not have sufficient car parking for staff, let alone students. The matter will only worsen as the Tauranga City Council looks to remove more car parking spaces off Cameron Rd. We are already in talks with them regarding this challenge, and one of the solutions is better bike/scooter/cycle parking for students.

NCEA in 2024

As you will be aware, some schools have opted out of offering the national qualification of NCEA in 2024. Tauranga Girls’ College supports this qualification and will continue to provide a rigorous academic programme that supports NCEA. High-stakes qualifications like this are known to motivate students, and without them, there is a tendency for some students not to be as fully engaged in learning for learning's sake. Whilst this is disappointing, we believe that the four levels of judgement (Not Achieved, Achieved, Merit and Excellence) offer rigour and challenge for all students and provides the pathway into Levels 2 and 3 of the same qualification. A qualification that is accepted around the world. Tauranga Girls’ College will continue to offer opportunities for students to engage and excel in competitions like those celebrated in this newsletter - Writing, Poetry, Music and in other areas as celebrated previously, STEM-based Epro8, Debating, University Papers and Maths, Science and English competitions as well as those in other subject disciplines like Technology. Academic success continues to be at the forefront of what we do, but so too do opportunities for all learners to experience success in terms of belonging, academic and extra-curricular success and leadership. We believe in our inclusive approach and our passion to hear and grow the voice of wahine. Our dedicated Board of Trustees supports this vision and view, which is realised through our Strategic Plan.

Finally, it is only a short time before the end of term break, so enjoy the last few weeks of the term. I will be heading away with our International Director later this month and, in particular, look forward to celebrating with our Japanese schools, especially Kunei School, with whom we have had a 30+ year international student relationship despite the COVID-19 disruption. This trip will also be the last for our current International Director, Mrs Clifford, who is retiring. Mrs. Clifford has done an outstanding job supporting our international students, their agents and homestay families over the last seven years. Mrs. Kylie Valentine will be the Acting Principal during my short absence and will present our final newsletter for Term 3.

Tara Kanji