Kia ora whanau

I would like to dedicate this newsletter to the memory of Neville McNee. Neville passed away on February 27 at the Ngaio Marsh home in Christchurch. He is best known for captaining the North Otago Rugby team that beat Australia in 1962. Last year he was made a life member of the North Otago Rugby Union and is the only person to have captained, coached and referred North Otago. He also had a very strong association with Waitaki Boys’ having attended here from 1950 to 1953 and he also helped coach the 1st XV for 14 years during the 1980’s and 90’s. On a personal level, Neville has been in to visit on a number of occasions, most recently last September and he always spoke highly of the school and wished us well. Our condolences go out to the McNee family.

As you will all be aware Covid 19 has arrived in the Waitaki district. We currently have 5 students who have Covid 19 and another 20 who are at home isolating as household contacts. Having been at an Otago Principal’s conference on Friday these numbers are very typical of schools our size in the Southern region, and we expect these numbers to grow in the coming weeks. We are one of 110 schools in Otago-Southland that have students with Covid 19. I would like to reiterate that school is the best place for your son to be if he is not required to isolate. It is in his best interests to continue his education with a teacher in front of him along with the social and well-being benefits of being with friends in a supportive environment. Our attendance rates have remained high, and we truly appreciate your support with this. To remind you that if your son is not feeling well please do not send him to school and we would encourage you to have him take a Covid test and if he does test positive or is a household contact please contact our covid officer Roger van Booma by email rogervb@waitakibhs.school.nz immediately.

At our school assembly last Monday, we had the opportunity to celebrate a number of our young men who achieved bronze, silver and gold He Ara Tika badges. These badges recognise those boys who exemplify our school values of respect, resilience and motivation. To receive a bronze badge you have to get 20 He Ara Tika ‘cards’, for a silver badge it is 40 and for a gold badge – 60.

The following students achieved their bronze badge - Mitchell Bradford (Year 10), Noah Fifita (Year 10), Cameron Harrison (Year 10), Ricki Palmer (Year 10), Jett Rogers (Year 10), Hunter Tuffrey (Year 10), Jack White (Year 10), Ryan Worth (Year 10), Chris Baird (Year 11), Connor Morahan-Scott (Year 12) and Daniel Scrivener (Year 12)

The following students achieved their silver badge - Rowan Blair (Year 10) and Sione Pouha (Year 12).

The following students achieved their gold badge - Hunter Frith (Year 10), Jackson Ormandy (Year 10) and Dom Walsh (Year 12). This is an outstanding performance. Congratulations, boys!

Changes in Sporting staff – we are extremely pleased to announce that Ian Cathcart is now Head of Sport at school. Ian has been the driving force behind the success of the school’s Basketball programme and will bring his expert set of skills to this role and work in tandem with our fantastic Sports co-ordinator Mel Lewis to ensure that all Waitakians are provided with the opportunities and support to both participate and excel in their sport.

Also, Matt Plunkett has taken over as the Head of Cricket. Matt is an avid Cricket follower and with previous experience in this role he will do a fantastic job. He will be working with both Ian and Mel to ensure any boys playing Cricket will be well looked after. His email address, if you need any queries answered concerning Cricket is mattp@waitakibhs.school.nz

Whilst we are on a sporting theme it is our intention (Covid permitting) to hold both our Athletics and Swimming Sports early in Term 4. As always, our boys excel in the sporting arena. At the recent New Zealand club rowing champs, the following boys received silver medals – Harrison Weir (Year 12), Harry Kelland (Year 12), Lachlan Graham (Year 10), Lochlan McLaren (Year 10), Scott Hay (Year 11) and Finn Strang (Year 12). Awesome effort boys!

At the South Island school’s duathlon champs held here in Oamaru yesterday - Ben O’Sullivan (Year 12) won gold in the senior duathlon, Mason Kingan (Year 9) won silver in the junior duathlon and Sam Edmondston (Year 12) and Cade Hamilton (Year 11) won the senior duathlon teams event. Well done boy’s – a great effort in tough conditions.

The healthy lunches programme is now becoming a well-established part of the school day. Thanks to the school council who have put together a survey to provide a forum for student feedback. They have come up with some great suggestions, which Ethan and I look forward to sharing with the catering company tomorrow.

With that in mind a focus of the school at this present time is on reducing litter around the school grounds. Our whakatauki is manaaki whenua – caring for the land.

We are thrilled to announce that Mr Daniel Childerley has accepted an offer to become a full-time permanent Technology teacher. Daniel is currently the Head of department at Anderson High School in the Shetland Islands. We very much look forward to Daniel and his family joining us at some stage during Term 2.

As always, thanks for your continued support of our school.

He waka eke noa

We’re all in this together

Whakaohooho taitahake marohirohi

Inspiring young men of outstanding character.

Darryl Paterson