Taihape Area School
Tuesday 9th November, 2014
Term 4 – Newsletter Number 5
Phone 06 3880130
Website
“Leading me to lead my Learning”
Tena koutou katoa
Welcome to another very busy week. This is a huge week for thousands of Secondary School Students through-out the country who are beginning their external NCEA Examinations. For our Year 11, 12, and 13 Students, this represents the culmination of their year’s work, and is obviously a very significant test of their abilities, and in particular the effort they have made during the year. We wish them all the very best for this important challenge.
As both a teacher, and a parent, I have a very realistic view of the challenge our children face in preparing for success in the NCEA examinations. As a 15 year old my daughter flew through level 1 – she was very focused, worked hard, and tackled the challenge in a very positive and determined manner. It all seemed so easy.
Unfortunately a year later, she approached NCEA Level 2 with a more cavalier and relaxed mind set. Although in the end she was successful, it was a real battle to keep her focused as she endeavoured to fit study into her very busy life style.
In contrast she approached NCEA Level 3 with a more focused and determined attitude, and passed well. This Saturday she sits her last exam after a successful first year at Victoria University.
I therefore understand the frustrations many parents experience in ensuring that NCEA is an on-going focus for their children. And NCEA qualifications are important.
However it is also crucial that young people leave school with an array of skills, knowledge, and attributes that give them a realistic opportunity for success in life. Involvement in a wide range of activities at school can provide students with real life experiences and competencies that translate into life in the wider community – for example involvement on the School Council, or the Student Leadership Team.
Social service is almost regarded as being a communicable disease these days, but is nevertheless a special quality that often defines a person as someone of generosity, tolerance, self-discipline, caring, and cooperation – all very worthy qualities.
This year we have students who are active and fully fledged members of the Taihape Fire Brigade, members of the local Search and Rescue Group, and who are also Volunteer Ski Patrollers. We celebrate this contribution, and are very proud of these students who are so proactive in serving their community.
Anyway, the waiting is now over – let the exams begin!!
Last week was a huge week at school, with a number of major activities occurring. On Tuesday we held interviews for a Deputy Principal. 4 candidates, from a field of 14 applicants, were interviewed. The Personnel Committee followed a very rigorous process, and in the end made an appointment that best suits the needs of the school. To accommodate this the management structure has been reorganized to include two Deputy Principals’ – Barb Wallis, and Andrew Lincoln.Andrew, currently at Alfriston College, brings many strengths including ICT and Science. We look forward to Andrew and his family joining us next year – his wife is also a teacher, and they have 4 children.
On Friday Awa hosted a wonderful Celebration Assembly that showcased a wide range of school events and activities. Billy Graham was a guest speaker at this, and again, later at the Sports Awards Evening. The Sports Awards Evening was an opportunity for our sportspeople to thank their coaches and managers, and was a very enjoyable occasion.
Have a great week!!
Richard McMillan
Principal
The TASSchool WideBehaviour Expectations are: -
Rangatiratanga:
We are Learners
We show Rangatiratanga
Whanaungatanga:
We are Caring
We show Whanaungatanga
Wairuatanga:
We are Reflective
We show Wairuatanga
Manaakitanga:
We are Respectful
We show Manaakitanga
Tall Poppies
The following Taihape Area School students rose above the crowd last week as outstanding achievers, and members of our learning community:
Tall Poppies from Learning Street for Week 4
Heidi Tweedale (Room 1) - for great progress in reading.
Sarah Squires (Room 6) - for fantastic academic progress;
Emma Fellingham (Room 6) - for showing Whanaungatanga towards her class mates;
Jaymi Gorman (Room 9) - for a suburb piece of descriptive writing.
The Student Leadership Team – Josh, Ella, Alanah, Micah, Max, Tayla, and Isiah, as well as Aaran and Warren for facilitating the Sports Awards Evening on Friday;
Georgia Adams and Brooklyn Walker – picked for Maori Touch Nationals.
The Line of Life
Ownership
Acknowledgement
Responsibility
------The Line of Life ------
Blame
Excuse
Deny
You choose:
Live below the line, stay in BED, be a victim and learn nothing
Or
Live above the line, grab the OAR and start paddling!
Cash For Communities
Any farmer who purchases Balance Agri-Nutrients Fertiliser, on their PGG Wrightson Account, between September 1st and November 30th 2014, can earn cash for Taihape Area School.
When you purchaseBalance Agri-Nutrients Fertiliser please nominate Taihape Area School at
Do you know what your child/ren are doing on Facebook ???????
Quotes of the week
“Happiness is not a goal...it's a by-product of a life well lived” ― Eleanor Roosevelt.
“The worst memories stick with us, while the nice ones always seem to slip through our fingers” ― Rachel Vincent, My Soul to Save
Cricket
On Saturday a very depleted Taihape Cricket Team played perennial competition favourites Old Boys. 5 players were playing their first games of cricket!!
Taihape batted first and struggled, against a very strong bowling attack, to 102 off 27 overs. The innings was dominated by an excellent second wicket partnership of 74 between Dion Hooper (26), and James Fannin (18). Phi Hodges (12) was the only other batter to make double figures.
A spirited bowling and fielding effort made the Old Boys batters work hard for their runs, and they lost 6 wickets before they managed to chase down the modest target. The outstanding bowler was Marcus Hirini who took his first 5 wicket bag. His figures of 5 for 25 were excellent reward for an outstanding spell. Left-armer Nathan Chaney (1 for 21) troubled the batters with his developing pace and bounce. Kerran Clark and Bradley Fannin also bowled well and tested the batsmen.
Although the game was lost, the resilience of the Taihape players was commendable, and indicated a growing spirit and confidence within the Team.
Summary
Taihape 102 (James Fannin 18, Dion Hooper 26, Phil Hodges 12) lost to Old Boys 103/6 (Marcus Hirini 5 for 25, Nathan Chaney 1 for 21).
Rotary Invitation
This Tuesday 11th November we have Trevor Shailer coming. He is currently CEO of Sports Manawatu but has represented NZ at two Commonwealth Games as a boxer, and this year went with the athletes as Chef-de-Mission. Some of us have heard Trevor speak before and he is very entertaining, and very motivating, particularly for young people. He has whanau roots back to Utiku, so was very keen to come up and speak at Taihape and to young people.
Please come and bring any young adults you have in your house!!!
Gold coin donation. Supper to follow.
-Ruth Rainey (President Taihape Rotary)
Rangitikei Under 55kg Rugby Meeting
When: Thursday 13th November
Where: Taihape Area School
Time: 7.30pm
Who: Anyone interested in the future continuation of the Rangitikei Under 55kg rugby team.
Why: At this stage we have two coaches willing to continue next year but need volunteers to take on some administration roles. If we can’t attract some new people this opportunity for our country kids will no longer be possible.
Shane Smith
President Rangitikei Primary Schools Rugby Union
021 264 0519
Head Lice
The bane of many parents, the head louse is a tiny, wingless parasitic insect that lives among human hairs and feeds on extremely small amounts of blood drawn from the scalp. Although they may sound gross, lice (the plural of louse) are a very common problem, especially for kids ages 3 years to 12 years (girls more often than boys).
Lice aren't dangerous and they don't spread disease, but they are contagious and can just be downright annoying. Their bites may cause a child's scalp to become itchy and inflamed, and persistent scratching may lead to skin irritation, and even infection.
It's wise to treat head lice quickly once the diagnosis is made because they can spread easily from person to person.
Signs of Head Lice
Though very small, lice can be seen by the naked eye.
Lice eggs (called nits). These look like tiny yellow, tan, or brown dots before they hatch. Lice lay nits on hair shafts close to the scalp, where the temperature is perfect for keeping warm until they hatch. Nits look sort of like dandruff, only they can't be removed by brushing or shaking them off.
Unless the infestation is heavy, it's more common to see nits in a child's hair than it is to see live lice crawling on the scalp. Lice eggs hatch within 1 to 2 weeks after they're laid. After hatching, the remaining shell looks white or clear and continues to be firmly attached to the hair shaft. This is the stage when it's easiest to spot them, as the hair is growing longer and the egg shell is moving further away from the scalp.
Adult lice and nymphs (baby lice). The adult louse is no bigger than a sesame seed and is grayish-white or tan. Nymphs are smaller and become adult lice about 1 to 2 weeks after they hatch. Most lice feed on blood several times a day, but they can survive up to 2 days off the scalp.
Scratching. With lice bites come itching and scratching. This is actually due to a reaction to the saliva of lice. However, the itching may not always start right away — that depends on how sensitive your child's skin is to the lice. It can sometimes take weeks for kids with lice to start scratching. They may complain, though, of things moving around on or tickling their heads.
To remove lice and nits by hand, use a fine-tooth comb on your child's wet, conditioned hair every 3 to 4 days for 2 weeks after the last live louse was seen. Wetting the hair beforehand is recommended because it temporarily immobilizes the lice and the conditioner makes it easier to get a comb through the hair.
Wet combing is also an alternative to pesticide treatments in older kids. Though petroleum jelly, mayonnaise, or olive oil are sometimes used in an attempt to suffocate head lice, these treatments have not been proven to be effective.
Keep in mind that head lice don't survive long once they fall off a person. So it's unnecessary to spend a great deal of time and money trying to rid the house of lice.
Preventing Re-infestation
Here are some simple ways to get rid of the lice and their eggs, and help prevent a lice re-infestation:
- Wash all bed linens and clothing that's been recently worn by anyone in your home who's infested in very hot water (130° F [54.4° C]), then put them in the hot cycle of the dryer for at least 20 minutes;
- Have bed linens, clothing, and stuffed animals and plush toys that can't be washed dry-cleaned. Or, put them in airtight bags for 2 weeks;
- Vacuum carpets and any upholstered furniture (in your home or car);
- Soak hair-care items like combs, barrettes, hair ties or bands, headbands, and brushes in rubbing alcohol or medicated shampoo for 1 hour. You can also wash them in hot water or just throw them away;
- Because lice are easily passed from person to person in the same house, bedmates and infested family members will also need treatment to prevent the lice from coming back.
AFS Student Exchanges
Can You Help?
AFS Student Exchanges are looking for host families for High School Students from Europe, Asia, North,Central,and South America arriving in January 2015 for 5-10 months.
This is a fantastic opportunity to learn about another country and culture while your student becomes part of your family and learns about Kiwi life. This relationship can last a lifetime. AFS provides full support for both students and families.
For more information and to see Student Profiles visit the AFS website call 0800 600 300 or email Helen Walker
Term Four
November
Monday 10thNCEA Exams Begin
Tuesday 18th – Friday 21stYear 9 Camp- Whakatane
Thursday 20th – Friday 21stRoom 1 Zoo Trip
Saturday 22ndAnnabelle White ( Food Tech Fundraiser)
Friday 28thYear 7 & 8 Softball Tournament
December
Tuesday 2ndNCEA Exams End
Wednesday 3rdTop Town
Friday 5thPrize Giving
End of School Year