Term 2, Issue 1, 2 May 2018

A Word from Fraser

Welcome back to Term 2 everyone. I hope that you have all had time over the term break to enjoy having the young people in your house around some more.

At the end of last term we farewelled two staff who have moved due to promotion. Amy Hudson has taken up the position of Teacher in Charge of Visual Art at Ngā Taiātea wharekura in Rotokauri and Anna Pratt has started in her new position as Deputy Principal at Te Ao Mārama school in Flagstaff. I want to thank them both for their contribution to our school and wish them all the best as they embark on the next challenge in their career.

We have welcomed Angus Jones and Blair Cocks to our team this term in fixed term roles to fill the gaps left by Amy and Anna respectively. We are fortunate to have teachers with their level of experience and capability join our team. Congratulations to Louise Graafhuis also who will take over Anna’s leadership responsibilities as Learning (Community Partnerships) and Iwi leader and Beth Williams who will take over Louise’s vacant Mathematics and Statistics Curriculum Leader role until the end of the year.

At the end of last term all students will have completed rich learning experiences in each of their three modules. These will have been submitted via our online learning management system, Schoology and then their teachers have assessed. An important part of this assessment is the feedback passed on to the students identifying their next learning steps. This feedback we know can make a huge impact on the success of future learning.

Have you had the opportunity to sit down with your child/ren and review the tasks and comments left by their teachers? If you haven’t then please take the time to do this as we have no doubt that your support can assist with further learning. It will also inform you of what learning is happening and we encourage contact with module teachers if you have any queries or concerns. We also welcome positive feedback!

As we head into the winter term I want to wish all students the best for their winter sports and encourage them to give it their best always, this includes turning up to all scheduled trainings and during games. I look forward to hearing about our successes over the coming weeks. If you have signed up to manage or coach, you are a legend! Enjoy the experience.

Staff Spotlight

Kia ora, my name is Sian van Heuven. I started at RHS at the end of Term 1 as the Student Well-Being School Nurse. I qualified as a Registered Nurse in 2006 from Cardiff University in Wales, where I worked for a year in acute medicine, then moved back to Winchester, England where my passion of nursing stemmed from and was lucky enough to work in an old hospital where Florence Nightingale had chosen the hospital site in 1868 and the region I am from in England.

Winchester is where I worked before doing my nurse training.  I was a healthcare assistant on a stroke rehab ward and as a qualified nurse in Accident and Emergency in 2007 before leaving England in 2008 with a Kiwi to start a job as a Emergency nurse and a part-time farmer, in the Waikato region (Tokoroa, Matamata and Hamilton). I have been qualified for 12 years as a Registered Nurse but have worked in the healthcare setting since 2001 and was brought up in a hospital environment (mother was both a Sister and Midwife).

I now have a shift in my life and am very excited to start a new role to not only help, support and care for our youth but to learn, gain experience and opportunities that these amazing new schools provide.

I am excited to be back in a city and experience the walks, art and eating places of Hamilton whilst travelling the country/world when my 3 year old allows!

Please feel free to introduce yourself to me so I can support the health and wellbeing of our tamariki.

"Ko te ahurei o te tamaiti arahia o tatou”

Upcoming and Important Dates

8 May - ICAS Digital Technology Exam

10 May - RHS Pathways Expo 11:00 - 5:30pm

14 -18 May - Anti-bullying Week

18 May - Anti-bullying Week Mufti Day (no donation, wear pink)

21 May - Teacher Only Day (school closed)

23 May - PPTA Paid Union Meeting (school closed at 12:55pm)

24 May - Foster the Love of Reading Parent Seminar

25 May-22 June - Dental Caravan on-site

29 May - ICAS Science Exam

04 June - Queen's Birthday (school closed)

14 June - ICAS Writing Exam

28 June - Photolife Class Photos

Digital Citizenship - Social Media Use

Have you ever wondered how much is too much social media use? One UNICEF study has found some use to be beneficial. However with too much time, screens can become damaging to our mental health. Teens spend on average 9 hours a day. Just two hours have been contributed to anxiety and unhappiness among teens. Tim Elmore recommends a 60-90 limit and the rest to be filled with face-to-face interactions.  This ratio has been shown to produce happier kids, better students and more satisfied adults.

At RJHS we have put in place many supports and initiatives to encourage the appropriate use of digital devices such as:

• Managing our network environment which includes website filtering and security         measures.
• Encouraging students to ‘unplug’ during break times and not use primary devices       for extended periods of time.
• Learning about positive digital communications and appropriate use of devices           through our Learning Advisory Curriculum.
• ‘Attitude’ parent presentations to help parents cope with the ever changing               dynamic of teenagers, device use and the social media environment.

For more useful tips and information about handling these issues and what we have put in place at RJHS please read the full blog post on our school website HERE.

RHS Pathways Expo

The inaugural Rototuna High Schools Pathway Expo will be happening on Thursday 10th May from 11am - 5.30pm. During the Learning Advisory time students in Years 9 and 10 will have an opportunity to engage with over 40 providers including Tertiary, Armed and Social Services, Travel abroad opportunities and other Industry specialists in Te Rangimariekura (Large Theatre). We then warmly welcome Parents and Whanau to visit the Expo between 3.30pm - 5.30pm. Please follow our Pathways Facebook page for more details.

ICAS Writing

Entries for the Writing ICAS competition are now open. Please fill in the Google Form below to indicate that your child would like to enter the ICAS Writing exam.

Playground Opening

On Monday we blessed our new playground. It was awesome to see so many students enjoying this space after so much planning.

Feel free to come down and check it out some time after hours!

A huge thank you to the team of students, Jabin King, Ethan Buchanan, Jimmy Crawford, Siobhan Mcdonald, Megan van Zyl and Luka Hendrikse who worked alongside staff, Terry Beech and Anna Pratt to get this project completed. This is a fantastic example of a student led project being initiated in a learning module coming to reality.

A special mention to Ainsley Leslie who was successful in getting $10,000 of trust funding from the NZ Community Trust. 

Thanks to the team at Playground Creations too who have been awesome to work with too. They relished the opportunity to take the students ideas and turn them into a reality.

The annual nationwide Bullying Prevention Week is to raise awareness of how to prevent and respond to bullying and provide an opportunity for schools to highlight their everyday work to counter bullying.

Bullying-Free NZ Week 2018 starts Monday 14 May and ends on Pink Shirt Day Friday 18 May.  The theme for the week  this year is "Let's Talk about it".

There will be a range of activities throughout the week culminating in a pink shirt mufti day on Friday 18th May.   

Your child can only wear a PINK shirt/top for mufti on Pink shirt Friday. No other coloured shirts/tops please.

PPTA Paid Union Meeting

We have been officially informed, this morning, of a PPTA Paid Union Meeting, for all Waikato PPTA members to be held on Wednesday 23rd May at 1:30pm. As a result, the school will be closed for instruction from 12:55pm (start of lunchtime).

We will be able to provide supervision at school for the afternoon for any students who require this. Please fill in the Google Form at the button below to indicate if you would like your child/children supervised at school for that afternoon.

We apologise for the short notice, and that it falls in the same week as our Teacher Only Day. This date and time is mandated by the PPTA head office, and this information has only just arrived to us.

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PTA News

Election of Officers: A huge thanks to those who attended our last PTA meeting. The election of officers was held with the following appointments made:

• Chairperson - Sharnyn Haseltine
• Deputy Chairperson - Shelisha Smith
• Secretary - Emma Sweetman
• Treasurer - Dynelle Smallwood

Results from Market Day 2017: This event was a huge success last year with the PTA raising a total of $6578.13 which is a great start for its first fundraising event. $5500 has been donated towards the new school playground along with donations of unused food on the day to The Serve and RHS overnight camps, Sausages for Megan Hodgkinson and 2018 RHS school camps.  

Sausage Sizzle May 12: We are seeking volunteers to assist with this at The Peak Open Day. RHS PTA will have a stand.  If you are able to give some time please email pta@rhs.school.nz with your availability and preferred method of contact.

Entertainment Books: A 2018/19 book will be sent home with each student in the coming weeks - if you wish to keep the book please follow the payment details included with the book. If you do not wish to keep the book please return in the envelope it was sent home in so we know who has returned the book.  A return box will be in the reception area at School. If you wish to purchase a digital edition - you can purchase them through the link below and start using it immediately.

We really appreciate your support with this.

https://www.entertainmentbook.co.nz/orderbooks/929j366

Next Meeting May 2: Our next PTA meeting will be held on Wednesday May 2 at 7pm in the staffroom. We are hoping to have the Constitution signed at this meeting so appreciate attendance from all those available.​​​​​​​

Business Mentors Wanted

for Yr 9 & 10 Dragon's Den

Mentors from the local business community are needed in Semester Two to support students through real-world learning as they develop and sell their own products and services through the Dragon’s Den business studies module.

As part of the Smart Waikato Secondary School Employer Partnership (SSEP) programme students also visit their mentor’s workplace to find out about their mentor’s business and see first-hand how what they were learning in the classroom applies in the real world.

Anyone with some business or managerial experience who would like to help our entrepreneurs of the future please contact levinia@smartwaikato.co.nz for more information.

High School Musical

Waterpolo

First term done and dusted and what a great term it has been.

The senior team - made up of year 9 and 10’s entered the open competition in the boys/mixed grade. This means that our team plays against boys teams and those teams with boys/girls. In addition, the open competition has players up to year 13. Matt Forest and Toni Snowball have helped mold a competitive and enthusiastic team. They placed 5th in their competition beating St Peters Juniors 6 - 5.

The intermediate team has topped division 2. They won every game they played. It is a team of mostly new players and through hard work and determination and excellent coaching they have developed some amazing skills. As a result of their success they have been elevated to Division 1 for Term 3 and 4.

A big thank you to the parents who have put their hands up to Coach: Matt Forrest and David Wilson and Managers: Toni Snowball and Naomi Hathaway. We appreciate your time and efforts immensely.

The Peak - Open Day

Wai/BOP Equestrian Inter-Schools Show Hunter Championship Event

If any students are keen to enter the Inter-Schools Show Hunter Championship event being held on  Sunday 13th May at St Peter's, Cambridge, please contact the RHS Sports Department at sport@rhs.school.nz. Entries close on Monday 7th May. Please see link below for more details.

https://s3.amazonaws.com/EquestrianEntries/Schedules/SS%20Show%20Hunter%202018.pdf

Procedures for Absences

Sickbay/Lost Property

Please report all absences to the school by calling (07) 8540541 - press 1 for absentees, or by emailing absences@rhs.school.nz preferably before 8:30am on the day of the absence. You will need to provide a reason for the absence for our records.  

Absences are unjustified unless the student is too sick to attend school, or has suffered a family bereavement.  After three consecutive days of medical absence a medical certificate must be provided to the school.

Reminder:  When students are feeling unwell, they are to go to their teacher to get a sickbay referral.  The nurse/first aider will then contact home if necessary. Students are NOT to contact their caregivers directly.  Please DO NOT come to collect your child unless you have heard from the school.

Lost Property:  there are lost property bins in Hapus and in Student Services.  Therewas quite a number of items picked up yesterday, if your child has missing items please check with Student Services.