15 October 2023

It’s wonderful to be back at school for what will be a very busy Term 4. Whilst a break for all is good, the return to the bustle of life at school reminds us all why we entered this profession. 

We have only a few weeks left with all students in, as our senior students depart shortly for their NCEA Exams. The message to our seniors at assemblies this week has been about making the most of the time they have left in class, and best using the support mechanisms that they have available to them.

Attendance of course is key, for all students. Elsewhere in the newsletter, and over the coming weeks, will be reminders of the refined attendance procedures (including students late for school). Thanks to DP Jonothan Taura, our Deans, and Jenny Marshall for the work on attendance.

Property

Over the holiday period, several buildings received brand new roofs, and work continues on the refurbishment of the interiors of those buildings. 

Thanks to Matua Josh, a ceremony was conducted to fell the Pou that stood on either side of the driveway approaching Te Mahanahana. The Pou were showing their age, with significant rot meaning they had become a health and safety issue. On completion of karakia, they were removed and then buried deep in a spot where they will not be disturbed in future.

Te Mahanahana received some long overdue attention, with the whakairo (carvings) on the māhau (porch) of the whare being removed, restored, and re-instated. Whilst they were being restored, the māhau was completely repainted. The ceiling inside has also been repaired and repainted.

Landscaping and beautification of the surrounding area continues as does painting of other classroom blocks – thanks to our property team for their mahi over the past two weeks.

Exam Leave

Tuesday 31st October is the last day that most of our senior students will be on-site before they embark on study leave and NCEA Examinations although we do have a number of events planned for our Year 13 cohort through the course of that week.

However, we are aware that a number of our Year 11, 12, and 13 students will not quite be ready to leave the structured support of the classroom. Over the next two weeks parents, caregivers, and students will be receiving further information on the credits gained to date and the credits still on offer via external examinations. For some, there will be further information on assessments that have yet to be submitted or that can be re-submitted together with a plan for support being offered to complete/re-submit such assessments. It is only after completion of such work that those students will be released for study leave.

Having said that, our senior students should be making the most of the next two weeks in class to complete any outstanding work, engage in structured revision, and make the most of the support that their teachers offer.

Attendance Report

You will have received the first of our new attendance reports – as mentioned, these will come out each week, providing you with an insight into the attendance of your child(ren) over the past week. Following feedback received to date, the next report will reflect some minor changes which will hopefully make the report even more user friendly. Remember, these reports are complementary to the fortnightly Massey Way report, together they hopefully provide meaningful information to parents and caregivers which will enable you to better understand and support the educational journey of your child(ren).

Black Ties 2024

As you are aware, the two ties worn by students through their time at Massey are the bronze (Years 9, 10, and 11) and black (Years 12 and 13). From the beginning of 2024 our Year 11 students will also wear the black tie – signifying the start of their NCEA journey and identifying them as senior students.

This means that from next year, our junior students (Years 9 and 10) will wear the bronze tie and our senior school (Years 11, 12, and 13) will all wear the black tie.

We would ask that parents of children moving from a bronze tie to a black tie at the beginning of next year please consider donating the bronze tie to the school (provided it is not needed for younger siblings of course) as we like to have a stock of ties on hand to provide to any of our whānau who may encounter difficulty in purchasing them.

Rugby Tour to France

Our touring rugby players returned from France on Saturday 7th October, and it was great to see them all back at school on Monday (albeit looking very tired). They had a superb three weeks touring the South of France and were lucky enough to receive complimentary tickets to a World Cup match in Toulouse (Manu Samoa vs Japan). Our students embodied our Massey High School values on the trip and left lasting impressions with the French families that billeted them. A huge thank you to all staff and families involved in fundraising and the trip itself. A special thanks to DP Jonathon Taura for the organisation of a truly unforgettable experience for the 26 young men who took part.

Upcoming Events

As mentioned, the next few weeks will be incredibly busy, particularly as we gear up to farewelling our Year 13 students. Events of note are:

Thursday 19th October                 Senior Sports Awards

Tuesday 24th October                   Te Angitu o Le Moana Pasifika

Wednesday 25th October             Academy Showcase

Thursday 26th October                 Po Whakanui

Tuesday 31st October                   Year 11 Prizegiving

Wednesday 1st November           Senior Prizegiving

Thursday 2nd November               Foundation Lunch to farewell Year 13

Friday 3rd November                     Year 13 Graduation

Monday 6th November                 First day of NCEA External Examinations