Kia ora koutou,

Warm greetings to students, families and friends of Waimea College. I hope that the recent term break provided the opportunity for your family/whānau to spend some quality time together. Our final term of 2022 promises to be a busy one with senior students at school for just another week before they take leave to sit NCEA examinations which start on Monday 7 November.

Achievements & Celebrations

It is so exciting to be able to invite our families and friends to join us in person to celebrate the fantastic achievements of our students at this year's Award Ceremonies.  We have already acknowledged our students at the Arts Awards and Sports Awards during week 1 and this week at the Principal's Prizegiving Ceremony.

Next week, 2 November, will be our Senior Academic Prizegiving Award Ceremony, which we will also be live streaming for those that are unable to attend in person.  An email will be sent out to parents and caregivers next week with more details. 

Parents, caregivers and friends of Waimea College are warmly invited to attend. Visitor seating is in the upstairs area of the Hall, with additional seating in the Hall foyer. Please be seated by 12.20pm. 

Student Board of Trustee Representative

Congratulations to Daniel Taplin who has been elected as the Student Trustee for 2023 on the Waimea College Board. We would like to take the opportunity to acknowledge the valuable contributions made by our outgoing student representative – Leon Caslavsky.

NCEA Examinations

Our senior students are preparing themselves for their NCEA Exams which will be starting on Monday 7 November. A copy of the NCEA Examination timetable is HERE for reference.

Learning Recognition Credits (LRC's) for 2022

Earlier this year, NZQA announced that it would offer Learning Recognition Credits to students studying NCEA Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 in 2022 in recognition of the significant disruption to the school year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

This is great news. More information about Learning Recognition Credits can be found HERE. 

Parents and caregivers can support students during this period by helping reinforce these messages:

1. Be prepared 

• Most subjects are offering exam preparation workshops and tutorials. Attend all tutorial and revision sessions that are offered for your subject.
• Have up-to-date course notes. If you don't, ask your teachers for the latest versions.
• Practise for the exams by reviewing past years assessments and examination papers.
• Know what is required for each achievement standard.

2. Planning

• Set regular routines of study.
• Choose a quiet, airy, well-lit place to study.
• Set study goals. Weekly and daily goals of what you need to study and when.
• Know your deadlines.
• Make a study timetable.
• Do a small amount of study on each subject every night.

3. Relax

• Take breaks e.g. every 50 minutes have a break for 10 minutes.
• Eat healthily, sleep regularly and exercise.
• Reward yourself for studying by doing something you enjoy after each period of study.
• Ask for help. There are subject specialists who are there to help. Don’t hesitate to reach out to them. 

NCEA Teacher Only Days 25 & 28 November

The Ministry of Education has allocated two Teacher Only Days for Secondary Schools that are scheduled for November 2022. These days have been allocated to support schools to respond to the Ministry of Education's NCEA Change Package that will result in significant revisions to the way that NCEA operates in the future. We thank you for your support and understanding as our staff prepare for these upcoming changes.

All the best for the balance of this busy and dynamic term. 

Ngā mihi mahana,

Scott Haines

Principal