Motueka High School€¦ · Maatu. It was a proud moment to see and hear members of our local iwi Ngāti Rārua and Te Ātiawa welcome on the manuhiri (visitors). Whaea Ngāwhakaara

From The Principal

Dear Parents and Caregivers

Tena Kotou Katoa

After a summer holiday that was a little light on sun and heat we are now well

underway for the 2017 school year, marked by a powhiri for new students and staff on

Friday 3 February.

The school roll has increased and this is a real sign of the health of the school and

community. It does come with challenges and opportunities and Deans have done a

fantastic job of trying to make sure that students are in the courses they want and

need and that are the most suitable for them. If you have any concerns around your

student’s timetable it is essential that you make contact as soon as you can with their

respective Dean.

Some effects of a growing roll and more students staying on into Year 13 are that we

have made a number of new staff appointments. We welcome Thomas Clitheroe,

Linda Fern, Josh Leenhouwers and Will Theewis into Science, Amy Dalton into

Maths, Andrew Dell into PE & Health, John Foster into Engineering and Kate Hailes

into The Hub, PE & Dance. It is great to have them as part of the team. We are also

bursting at the seams in terms of rooming, with new classrooms still a little way away,

we are utilising nearly every room in the school every period.

Motueka High School Whakarewa Street

Private Bag 1001, Motueka 7143 Telephone 03 528-9050

Fax: 03 528-6906 www.motuekahigh.school.nz

[email protected]

NCEA results were strong this year, particularly at

Level One and into Level Two. While there were

very good performances in Level Three the overall

level of achievement indicated that there is some

work to do there to find out what barriers exist for

our Year 13 students in passing Level Three and

University Entrance.

Over the holiday break we lost a valued member of

our school family with the death of Rose Schieb.

Rose served in the role of Homestay Manager for

many years and had a huge impact in and around

our community. We will miss her greatly and offer

our deepest sympathies to Lyall and the family.

This year is shaping up to be a great one with

strong cohorts throughout the school, huge

numbers of opportunities on offer and new staff

bringing their schools to a solid core of

experienced and talented teachers. Into this we

have great student leaders at all levels, with Laura

Wilkinson and Ben Cudby at the forefront.

As always, I encourage you to be an active part of

your student’s time at school and if you have any

good ideas, issues or opportunities to discuss do

make sure you make contact with me, the teaching

staff or BoT members. Our goal is to provide the

best education possible for the children of this

community and a huge part of this is reflecting on

what we are doing to make sure it is effective.

This year is particularly significant in that we will

also be developing a new strategic plan which will

set out our goals and direction for the next few

years. You will all be invited to contribute to that

process so that the school reflects and delivers on

the expectations of the Motueka community.

Thank you for your continuing support and here’s to a great year. Nga Mihi

John Prestidge Principal

Motueka High School Facebook Pages

http://www.facebook.com/motuekahigh

http://www.facebook.com/motuekahighinternational

www.facebook.com/Motueka-High-School-Art-Department

www.facebook.com/motuekahslibrary

Calendar

Term 1 – 2017

February

28 Athletics Sports

March

9 School Swimming Sports

31 Teacher only day

April

7-8 Noho Marae

8-9 Shakespeare Festival, School Hall

11-13 Year 9 Camp Abel Tasman NP

12 Music Showcase 6pm

13 Last Day Term 1 – for students

14 Good Friday

17 Easter Monday

25 Anzac Day

Term 2 - 2017

May

1 Term 2 begins

10-12 Year 11 Camp Abel Tasman NP

11 Manu Korero

19 Rock Quest finals

22-26 Talent Quest heats lunchtime

31 Talen Quest final 7pm School hall

Bus Info

We are hoping to have bus pick up and drop off times

fixed in place soon for each of the ten buses that serve

the school. This will appear on the school website

and a copy will be available from the school office.

We thank you for your patience during this busy

period of change. We also hope to have a copy of the

routes, maps and times all available soon. Please note

that some of the bus routes have changed due to

buses being at maximum capacity.

Bus Rules

For the safety and comfort of students on the buses, it

is very important that these rules be observed:

1. Buses stop at the pick-up and drop-off

points only. Buses are not allowed to stop at

shops, to or from school. Driveway stops are

not always possible.

2. Students should not eat or drink on the bus.

3. Students need to be seated and facing

forwards at all times. Kneeling on seats to

speak to people behind is a safety risk.

4. Extending hands, heads or any other objects

out of the windows is not acceptable.

5. Show courtesy to each other and the driver

at all times. Bullying and bad language will

not be tolerated.

SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM

John Prestidge Stacey Fry Paul Blackbeard Principal Deputy Principal Deputy Principal

2016 DEANS

Year 9 Dean Oakley Salton

Year 9 Associate Dean Greg O’Donnell

Year 10 Dean Lesley Paxton

Year 11 Dean Dan Crossley

Year 12 Dean Heidi James

Year 13 Dean Brian Jones

ATTENDANCE

There is a strong correlation between regular attendance at

school and academic success. If a student is not in class

then they cannot achieve to their potential.

An 80% attendance rate means that a student has missed

on average, 1 day per week for the whole year.

The Ministry of Education’s expectation is that the average

attendance rate for students is at least 91%. Justifiable

reasons for absence from school are illness or bereavement.

Students representing the school in their chosen field at

regional or national events, have a justified absence.

Illness: After 3 days continuous absence parents may be

asked for a medical certificate. If there are on-going

problems that are causing a student to miss school, please

contact the Dean to make an appointment to discuss this.

Bereavement: Please advise the school as soon as practical.

Advising the Principal: If a student is going to be away

from school for any other reason, please advise the

Principal in writing, at least a week before the student will

be absent. Letters may explain an absence but if the

absence is not for the reasons above, it could still be marked

as an explained absence but not a justified absence.

Note: Any time outside the classroom affects attendance,

even if justified. Please contact the relevant Dean for any

attendance concerns.

MHS Powhiri 2017

Tēnā koutou katoa

Ko Pukeone, ko Tūaowharepapa ngā maunga

Ko Motueka ko Riuwaka ngā awa

Ko Ngāti Rārua, ko Te Ātiawa ngā iwi

Ko Te Āwhina te marae

Ko Te Maatu te whare taikura

Ko Tūrangapeke nāna te kura nei e!

Friday 3 r d February 2017 marked an historic

occasion at Motueka High School - our school

pōwhiri outside Te Whare Taikura o Te

Maatu. It was a proud moment to see and

hear members of our local iwi Ngāti Rārua

and Te Ātiawa welcome on the manuhiri

(visitors).

Whaea Ngāwhakaara called on the visitors

while the whole

school performed

a Haka Pōwhiri.

In this case our

new Year 9s, our

new staff and all

the whānau that

came to support. (Above: Whaea Ngawhakaara,

Sean Delany and Riley Toho)

Our Head Boy Ben Cudby started the

proceedings with a speech about Year 9s

taking the many opportunities that the school

offered.

Mr Prestidge, our Principal, talked about

three ideas he hoped all students of Motueka

High School would emulate: Manaakitanga

(being hospitable to one another)

Whanaungatanga (developing strong positive

bonds with one another and ako (that all

students and staff learnt together).

Then it was time to hear from our visitors

Matua Duncan, Matua Monty and Koro Tahi.

Koro Tahi beseeched the tuakana (older

students) to look after the Year 9s to make

the school a safe and enjoyable place to learn

and study.

At the conclusion, the senior students

collected the Year 9s for a sausage sizzle and

morning tea was served in Te Whare Taikura

o Te Maatu for all of our manuhiri. A great

start to 2017. Ka mau te wehi!

NCEA Endorsements

Year 13

NCEA Level 3 with Excellence

Fletcher Frater, Hayley Garlick, Hannah Gordon,

Abby Seymour

NCEA Level 3 with Merit

Jasmine Barker, Aaron Bunn, Jamie Cudby, Georgia

Elliston, Heidi Grainger, Tess Haunch, Hine

Markham, Jemima Meegan, Eden Meser, Kendall

Spark, Jack Tibbs, Rachael Wood

Year 12 NCEA Level 2 with Excellence

Jacob Bowdler, Simon Vincent

NCEA Level 2 with Merit

Noah Appleton, Zion August, Tori Binns, Lauryn

Calteaux, Jack Coakley, Ben Cudby, Will Davis, Sofie

de Blauw, Mark Dyson, Jennifer Guthrie, Molly Hiles,

Tori Holden, Sophia Motley, Shania Pascoe, Michael

Pickering-Webb, Maia Piggott, Abigail Roxburgh,

Morag Shelling, Josh Wemyss, Sydnee Wilkins, Laura

Wilkinson, Tia Winkler-Stringer

Year 11

NCEA Level 1 with Excellence Dane Chea, Hunter Chung, Pamela Currie, Cherees

du Plessis, Hannah Gale, Jemma Garland, Jasmin

Mosimann, Marlene Naude, Sarah Sowerby, Stella

Stevens, Chevy Walker, Lauren Walker, Ella Ward,

Rheanna Wood

NCEA Level 1 with Merit

Susie Adams, Imogen Agnew, Cheyenne Bailey,

Brendan Barton, Peyton Blackman, Casey Boyes,

Isabella Braxton-Baily, Emily Elliston, Molly

Faulkner, Josh Giles, Nathan Goode, Jack Gorrill,

Jade Hartlaub, Jenna Heywood, Alana Inglis-Beckett,

Brittany Iorns, Jamie Jones, Samantha Krammer,

Jan Lammers, Antonia L, Isaac MacButler, Joe

MacLennan, Lily McClintock, Zephyr McGowan,

Bright Muaengmi, Ethan Penman, Zion Perry,

Shaquille Rangi, Bryn Richards, Frankie Richards,

Cody Robinson, Lucy Roborgh, Samantha Simpson,

Tui Vincent Turner, Astaria Vink, Jack Westenra.

Scholarship

Abby Seymour (Painting), Rachael Wood (Agriculture

and Horticulture)

Student Leaders 2016

HEAD STUDENTS

Laura Wilkinson and Ben Cudby

BOARD OF TRUSTEES STUDENT REP

Tagan Stringer ARTS CAPTAINS

Lucy Johnston, Charley Tuuta COMMUNITY SERVICES CAPTAINS

Morag Shelling, Michael Pickering-Webb

ENVIRONMENT CAPTAINS

Zion August, Will Davis INTERNATIONAL CAPTAINS

Victoria Binns, Johan D’Hondt SPORTS CAPTAINS

Sydnee Wilkins, Marvin Strub KAITAUNAKI

Jayme Rae Anae, Canaan Neha-Manihera HOUSE CAPTAINS

Ahi (Red)

Tori Holden, Noah Appleton

Angi (Kowhai)

Stevie Inch, Jade Kenning

Nuku (Green)

Maia Piggott, Tate Roberts

Wai (Blue)

Ellen O’Cain, Jacob Bowdler

Above: 2017 MHS Student Leaders

Drama

Greeting fellow thespians! It is really exciting to work

with the talented students of Motueka High. I, Emily

Tait, am the (aptly named - “acting”) HOD of Drama

for 2017; whilst Robynne Jephson is on a year’s leave.

There are a number of performance opportunities for

our students with various clubs, groups and shows to

attend. Please listen to the notices for updates!

Guy Williams Comedy Show

Our students

have been

invited to

support Guy

Williams on

Saturday 4th

March at NMIT

Johnny Cash

Room (G Block)

Youth Comedy show. The show is on from 5 -

7:30pm. This is a great opportunity for our

TheatreSports experts and young comedians to

perform and see a NZ comic legend. Don’t miss this!

Sgcnz University Of Otago Sheilah Winn

Shakespeare Festival

Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th April, 2017

This year’s Shakespeare Festival is being held in our

newly painted school hall! The Year 11 and 12/13

Drama classes are performing with the latter being

assessed for NCEA credits. The Festival is open to all

students, so if anyone wants to enter the Festival (five

or 15 minute piece) please see Mrs Tait.

Left: Charley

Tuuta,

Shania

Pascoe and

Laura

Wilkinson in

“The

Tempest”

2016

TheatreSports 2017

Every Thursday lunch in the Drama room. Junior and

senior team members, to represent MHS, will be

selected by audition at the end of Term 1. Attend

regularly if you wish to be on the official teams.

Otherwise, come and play. TheatreSports is a great

way to meet new people, have a giggle, play some

games and develop confidence to respond

spontaneously to a range of situations.

Drama Club

Our newly formed Drama Club meets every Tuesday

afternoon from 3:30-4:30pm (possibly 5pm when

required). This term’s focus is the Shakespeare

Festival. Term 2 - Talent Quest and MADD. Term 3 -

production (play). All actors and crew are welcome.

Talent Quest

Heats (during lunch-time in front of the school) are

on Week 4 Term 2, with the finals on Wednesday 31

May. Develop your act… juggling, unicycle, comic act,

a skit, monologue, duologue, devised piece and enter!

MADD

Our combined Arts Evening this year is titled MADD

(Music Arts Dance Drama) with the theme of “Time”.

Actors - prepare a devised piece or work with script.

Auditions for this show are mid-Term 2. Performance

dates - Friday 18th August and Saturday 19th August.

Year 12/13 Drama

Our most senior thespians are currently exploring

drama techniques along with their selected play in

preparation for the Shakespeare Festival. Treat

yourself to some dramatic and extremely comic

interpretations of the Bard’s works.

Year 11 Drama

This year, we have a very talented Year 11 class. They

have just auditioned for roles in our upcoming play

“Judas Zoo”. This will be performed on the

Wednesday 10th and Thursday 11th May. Put this in

your calendar for these players are worth seeing!

Year 10 Drama

The bouncy Year 10 Drama class is presently

developing a role with a partner for a Duologue

assessment. Following this, they will create their own

site-specific performance whilst they explore Drama

elements and conventions.

House Sports Day Theatresports photos

PhysEd & Health

Kia Ora to the MHS

community!

I am excited to join Motueka

High School this year and

look forward to establishing

myself in the school

community. I have heard

many wonderful and exciting

things about MHS and within

3 weeks I have already seen

these in action! What an exciting start we have had to

the year with many events leading towards a

promising 2017. I hope the year has started well for

everyone and I look forward to interacting with the

school and sporting communities throughout the

year.

Andrew Dell, HOD PE & Health

Parent Information The school office is open Monday to Friday 8.15am to

4.15pm. Email: [email protected]

Public counter

Parents please use the public counter at the main

entrance (entry off Whakarewa St) to avoid the

student congestion at the student counter. Please do

not enter the school seeking students, check in at the

office and we will find the student for you.

Deputy Principals (DP)/Deans appointment

If you would like to see a Deputy Principal or Dean,

please make an appointment, either directly with the

person by email or through the office, leaving your

name and contact details. If you have an

appointment with staff, please check in at the public

counter and then take a seat in the waiting room

while office staff advise of your arrival.

Lockers

We have secure lockers that students are able to hire.

The cost is $50 for the year with a refund of $10 on

return of the school padlock. If a padlock is lost, a

replacement may be purchased at a cost of $15.00.

The student’s responsibilities are:

• Use the lock allocated, do not lend or use any other

lock. The caretaker will cut off non-school locks and

the contents will be removed

• Keep the locker combination number private

• Ensure that valuables/devices are stored securely

• Look after the locker/padlock for the whole year

Lunch Pass

If you live in town and your son/daughter wishes to

have lunch at home, and you are satisfied that there

will be adequate adult supervision, please complete

the form for a permanent pass. This can be obtained

from the office or online (on the Home page of the

website). Students must carry the pass when leaving

or returning to school. Students may only go home to

the address on the pass. If lost, a replacement is

available for $1. Please ask at the office.

Town Passes

All students who need to go to town require a town

pass. Please provide a note stating: the reason for

leaving school grounds and your name and contact

phone number. If the note is placed in the box on the

student counter in the morning, it will be available at

lunchtime. Buying lunch downtown is not a valid

reason for leaving the school grounds. We have a

Tuck-shop for students to purchase lunch or snacks.

The Warehouse and New World are out of bounds

during the school day.

Student absences

If your student is sick or has an appointment during

school time, please ring or email the office on the day

of the absence or prior to appointments if this is

known so staff can code the absence accordingly.

Students are to report to the office on return to school

from an appointment. The only justified absences

(other than for school planned activities) are for:

illness, medical appointments, bereavement or if

representing the school at an event. For medical

absences, a doctor’s certificate is required after 3 days

of absence. For any other leave, please advise the

Principal in writing, well in advance of the planned

absence. It is at the Principal’s discretion as to

whether this leave will be justified or not. If leave is

not justified this could potentially jeopardise NCEA

assessments.

Messages for Students

The office will not be responsible for getting

messages to students. We will do our best to locate

them only in the case of an emergency. You may leave

items for students at the student office but please text

your student to advise items are to be collected or

suggest they check at the student office if forgotten

items have been dropped off.

Parent Portal

This can be found on the MHS website under Sign in

and Links. To access this you will need a password

from school. Please contact your students form

teacher or the office to obtain this. In the portal you

will find useful information about your student

including: attendance, pastoral (discipline matters),

timetable, as well as daily student notices.

Uniforms

Uniforms are expensive so please name all your

student’s items (including shoes/sandals). We will

return named items if they are handed in to the

office. It is disappointing that we regularly have a

large pile of unclaimed, unnamed items in the office.

Unnamed items will be given either to the Clothing

Mart for resale, or for non-school uniform, to the

Salvation Army or Red Cross. Both DP’s carry spare

uniform for students not wearing a correct item of

uniform. Please send a note with the student to

explain the absence of uniform to the DP and to let us

know when it is expected that the incorrect item will

be replaced.

Uniform passes are only written by DPs before school

so your student should seek these prior to going into

class. Please help your student comply with the rules

by insisting that boys are clean shaven, students have

no visible piercings and that only the approved school

shoes are worn.

NZQA Fees

For students completing NZQA standards, the fee is

$76.70 per student, including up to 3 scholarship

subjects. If you hold a Community Services card or

are on a benefit, you are eligible for Financial

Assistance reducing the fee to $20 per student, up to

$30 for 2 or more students. A Financial Assistance

form needs to be completed and returned (on the

website, under Our School) before the fee is reduced.

I hope this information is helpful. Our office staff are

happy to provide assistance if you have any queries.

Helen Westrupp, Office Manager

MHS Tuckshop

The Tuckshop has new contractors this year: Toni,

Rachel and Matt, who are pleased to offer a large

selection of fresh, healthy food choices baked and

prepared at the Tuckshop. No fizzy drinks are

available just milk, juice or water.

Each day there is a new healthy meal option priced

between $4-$5, with oven baked wedges on 3 days a

week for $3.50. Pizza, made fresh from their own

dough, is $2 a slice with vegetarian available. They

make a wide range of sandwiches.

Prices range from $4 for wraps; $3.50 for filled rolls

and pitas; $3 for sausage rolls, toasted sandwiches

and muffins; and $2 for big scones and giant cookies.

Building Academy

In 2016 the Technology department introduced a

Building Academy course for students. This was novel

as it allowed students to study at school for 4 days a

week and to work 1 day a week with a tradesperson.

The idea was to improve links with industry and to

make the transition to the workplace easier. Students

identified a trade of their choosing and we look to

link them with a local firm. Only students with a

strong academic track record and good attendance

are considered.

For 2016, we sent 5 students out into the workplace:

Eden Beech, Jesse Charles, Jac Fry, Vito Lammers,

and Quin Vuiyasawa. They were paired with Doug

Clarke Builders, Kenny McLennan Builders, Roger

Kenning Builders, Architectural Aluminium and

Talleys Builders. Students worked one full day a week

and all gained a range of skills from their host. ITM

Motueka sponsored the program and each pupil was

kitted out with clothing and safety gear.

All of our Building Academy students gained many

new skills and three left school at the end of the

academic year to pursue apprenticeships. The

experience they had with these employers convinced

them that they were on the correct career path and

they were keen to further their training full time.

We intend to continue with this course in 2017 and

are looking to interview prospective candidates over

the coming weeks. Any student who is interested

should contact Mr Allan or Mr Stow.

FUNDRAISING

Our priority at Motueka High School is to have a co-ordinated fundraising approach to business people and the

community. To enable this, please ensure you advise Julie Tideman, our Fundraising and Marketing Manager, of

any fundraising activity that involves the school. Please also check with her before any business is approached.

Motueka High School is bound by Ministry of Education regulations that stipulate all funds raised by MHS groups,

or under the umbrella of MHS, must be accounted for and banked through the school bank account at NBS or

through the school office. This will also enable us to acknowledge all supporters of the school appropriately.

Staff morning tea fundraising is available to MHS teams or students fundraising for nationals, but must be booked in

advance. A booking system is now available through the school office for a maximum of two days a week. Please

check with the office and book in before bringing any baking into school for fundraising. If you have any questions

about grants or fundraising for school groups please contact Julie by email [email protected]

Cellphone Recycling

Please remember to bring in your old cell phones for recycling as it raises funds for Sustainable Coastlines. There is a collection box in the school office.

Selected Key Dates for the Calendar

Year 11

Friday 28th July Formal and/or Creative Writing

final due date at 9am.

Friday 28th September ‘Connections’ final due

date. 9am

Year 12 (External)

Thursday 1st June Personal Reading final due

date.

Friday 30th June Connections final due date.

Year 12 (Internal)

Fri 5th May Personal Reading final due date

Fri 26th May Connections final due date

English Kia Ora Koutou and welcome back to English at

Motueka High School.

2016 was a really successful year for the English

department at MHS and I hope that this year

continues in that vein. In the three terms since I have

become Head of Department, I have been thrilled

with the attitude and effort that our students and

staff have towards not only the study of literature but

also towards reading and writing in general. The

students have a genuine understanding of the

importance of literacy and what it takes to succeed in

this subject. This year, our classes have started in a

very positive way and I am sure it will continue.

There have been some very subtle changes in our

programmes this year. We are shifting our focus in

the junior programme to concentrate on improving

the skills of the Year 9 students in 6 key strands:

Listening

Reading

Writing

Viewing

Presenting

Speaking

These are the six key areas of the English curriculum

and we hope to make these the corner-stone of our

Year 9 and 10 programme.

For the seniors, the courses are very similar to

previous years although we are focusing on only two

standards for the end of year exams: Written Text

and Unfamiliar Text for Year 11; Visual Text and

Unfamiliar Text for Year 12. We expect this will allow

the students to have more focus on fewer standards

and hopefully produce even better results.

Writing Competition

Entries are open for the Charles Brasch

Young Writers' Essay Competition, an annual award

open to writers aged 16 to 21. If interested, see Mr

Campbell.

I wish all our students a successful year and I look

forward to working with our students and their

families.

Nga Mihi Nui,

Nich Campbell

Above: Jade Heath Keen in action during a debate

MHS Term dates 2017

Term 1: Monday 31 January – Thursday 13 April

Term 2: Monday 1 May – Friday 7 July

Term 3: Monday 24 July – Friday 29 September

Term 4: Monday 16 October – Friday 8 December

Teacher only days: Friday 31 March & Fri 2 June

School Holiday: Friday 8 September

Senior Prize-giving: Tuesday 7 November 1pm

NCEA exams start: Thursday 9 November

Junior Prize-giving: Friday 8 December 9.30am

Music

The Music department is geared up for

another busy year. Most of the instrument

lessons have started but there are still a few

places for cornets, tenor horn and

saxophones.

Above: Esther and tutor Izaak

The all-comers choir rehearses on Monday

lunchtime and everyone is welcome. Other

groups have also started rehearsing for

upcoming concerts and competitions. The

Music Suite is also being used by individuals

and bands at lunchtimes and it is great to

hear the department humming with music.

Above: Saskia and Kei lah

Activities planned for this term include two

primary schools ’ music tours , and

‘Showcase’ is on Wednesday, April 12 at

6 pm.

Other important events in the first half of the

year, include Rockquest and a visit from

jazz musician Rodger Fox during May,

followed by the Talent Quest, Chamber

Music Competiton and Big Sing . An Arts

Faculty Fundraiser is scheduled for

August, watch out for details in Term two.

Above: Primary schools’ tour & below Rockquest 2016

Tutors available for this year are as follows:

Singing Hilary Sinclair

Brass Craig Starrenburg

Woodwind Simon Williams

Guitar Arrion Love

Piano Julie Rodgers

Violin Barbara White

If you have any enquiries please contact Hilary

Sinclair by phone on 528 9050 x 8226 or by email at:

[email protected]

Technology

Motueka High School EVolocity Programme

In July 2016 we became involved in the EVolocity

programme, designed to raise awareness to students

and the general public of the changes taking place in

the motor industry.

In 1904 New York was full of horse driven vehicles

but within one year vehicles were driven by the

combustion engine. While the change from the

combustion to electric won’t be as fast, the time has

come for the electric vehicle to take over. NZ is in the

best position to take advantage of this as we have well

over 80% of natural generated electricity whereas

other countries are lucky to have 20%.

The programme also introduces students to other

areas of the curriculum and widens their knowledge

base. To build an electric vehicle requires not only the

mechanical construction of the vehicle, but also the

electrics, electronics, programming of computer

chips, design, website design and maintenance; skills

from Engineering, Maths, Science, English,

Computing, Graphics, Art, Media to learning about

Fabrics to put sponsors logos on to uniforms.

The 2015 team was Kendall Spark (Engineering),

Lawrence Parry (Computing), Hannah Gordon

(Science) and Dale Carter (Engineering).

They worked well together and learnt many new

skills. Under the banner of Spark Racing they

competed in Nelson and then in Christchurch where

they took out 5 awards including overall winners.

In 2016 only Dale and Kendall remained but we also

put together another team called Triumph Racing

that went on to make an electric bike. The team was

Jack Lightwood, Michael Pickering–Webb, Mitchell

Rowling and Quinn Vuiyasawa. Dale and Kendall

were able to build a new cart using aluminium, a big

learning curve in design and manufacture and their

own electrics, electronics and chip programming,

learnt the previous year.

Team Triumph progressed well, their learning gave

them confidence and skills whilst their friends

seemed to fill the engineering shop every lunch time.

We raced in Nelson in October and Triumph Racing

won one award and Spark Racing took out 3 awards.

Later in Christchurch, Triumph Racing was pipped at

the post in most areas with Spark Racing winning 3

awards including the Supreme Award.

School was over but the team toured Mapua,

Mahana, Upper Moutere and Parklands primary

schools showing students their vehicles and

spreading the message.

Jack, Mitchell and Michael are at school working on

the 2017 challenge. Quinn has an apprenticeship in

painting and plastering, Dale an apprenticeship in

Engineering, Kendall is at the School of Engineering,

Canterbury University studying electric vehicles and

electronics and Hannah was 2016 Dux of MHS and is

now studying Science at Otago University.

For 2017 in Triumph Racing are Jack, Mitchell,

Michael and Ben Harvey working on a new bike, and

Holly, sister of Kendall Spark, taking over the reins of

Spark Racing along with Rheanna Wood and some

other students to be confirmed, racing in a cart.

Without the support of the school, our sponsors and

the aid of the parents this would not have been

possible and for this the teams are truly grateful.

We welcome John Foster who is

teaching Engineering. John is

originally from Yorkshire and

was an electrical engineer

specialising in power stations.

Since coming to NZ 13 years ago

he has taught in the Hawkes Bay

and at Nelson College. John is a

keen golfer and loves electronics.

From left: Jack Lightwood, Michael Pickering-Webb (Triumph Racing), Peter

Allan (Teacher) Dale Carter, Kendall Spark (Spark Racing) Christchurch 2016

Dance 2017 is going to be full of opportunities for Dance

students. I encourage all students to make the most

of both curricular and extracurricular activities that

are on offer at Motueka High.

We welcome back to the Dance

department Mrs Kate Hailes

who returns to Motueka High

School after taking a break to

have her son. Mrs Hailes will be

teaching Year 9 Dance and we

are very excited to have her back

in the department.

Footnote Dance Company

New Zealand Contemporary dance company

Footnote will be bringing their show ‘The Rebel Pink’

to Nelson at the end of March. They are coming to

Motueka High the following day to put on a

Contemporary class especially for our Dance

students. Dances learnt in this session will be

showcased at Momentum.

Royal New Zealand Ballet

In week 5, dance students will have the opportunity

to work with an educator from the RNZB who will

teach students repertoire from the company. This will

include phrases

from recent

choreography and

from dances that

students will study

for their external

examinations.

Students will also

get the oppor-

tunity to attend an

event titled ‘Ballet in a Box’ which is a free event for

school students. Students will get to sit in on a

rehearsal and watch the dancers from the RNZB go

through their daily routine. Students will get to

experience the life of a professional dancer.

Senior dance students will learn a dance from ‘The

Anatomy of a Passing Cloud’ A dance performed by

the Royal New Zealand Ballet.

Save the date!

Momentum: Friday June 30th 2017

Vast: Thursday 10th August

“MADD”: Friday 18th, Saturday 19th August 2017

Move: Thursday 28th September 2017

French

Introducing Stéphanie Saulnier

We are pleased to welcome

French student Stéphanie

Saulnier to Motueka High

School. Stéphanie is a post-

graduate student at the

University of Artois and she is

studying teaching French as a

foreign language. She will

spend the month of March as

an “assistante”/ intern at the school, observing

French lessons, helping students with their speaking

and also running some of the activities in the classes.

French evening classes

As part of her internship Stephanie is proposing to

run a course of French conversation classes for

adults. These classes will run twice a week for the

month of March and will be held at Te Whare Taikura

o Te Maatu. If you are interested in enrolling for

these classes please contact French teacher Michele

by email [email protected]

Above: Members of 7030 before their performance at Shake

down 2016. Below: Year 10 students perform at Cabaret 2016

Outdoor Education

Welcome to Outdoor Education 2017. The Outdoor

Programme goes from strength to strength with

nearly 300 students undertaking some Outdoor

Education experience this year!

Above: Ms Cumming ‘directing’ her Yr 11 OE class in the

school pool

Sarah Cumming joins us and her enthusiasm will

be a valuable addition to the department and her

Years 10, 11 and 12 classes. We also welcome Wendy

van den Berg who brings her energy, passion and

skills via Holland, Outward Bound, Whenua iti

Outdoors, adventure tourism companies, Adventure

Therapy and a Masters in Counselling! It has been

great to hear of all the adventures and see many past

and present students (including Internationals!) out

and about in the area working and playing, tramping,

climbing and kayaking.

A big Kia Ora to the new International students and I

hope they get to enjoy the remaining summer and

water based activities on offer this term. The focus for

senior students is social responsibility (“not just good

paddlers but good people to go paddling with”) via

kayaking, waka paddling, SUP and other water based

activities in the pool, at Kaiteriteri, on the Motueka

River and in the Abel Tasman NP. For the Year 13

class, they are working hard on their kayak roll; a

‘must have’ as the focus is on preparing for the

white-water rivers around Murchison later in the

term. Junior students are doing adventure based

learning and then a variety of camp-craft skills and

activities as they prepare for camps later in the term.

N.B. Outdoor Education Course Information letters

including the 2017 schedule, health and risk

acknowledgement and fee payment information have

been distributed. Can these be read and discussed

with your child, then signed and returned. If you have

any questions about this please contact the school

and your OE teacher.

Outdoor Education Trip Dates:

Yr 9 Adventure Camp, Abel Tasman NP, Tues 11th

- Thurs 13th, April

Yr 10 Outdoor Education camp, Abel Tasman

NP, Wed 10th - Fri 12th, May

Yr 11 Overnight expedition, Abel Tasman NP,

Mon 3rd - Tues 4th, April

Yr 12 Sea Kayak Expedition, Abel Tasman NP,

Tues 21st – Thurs 23rd, April

Yr 13 Whitewater Kayak expedition, Murchison,

Tues 4th – Thurs 6th, April.

Above: Yr 13 OE students upright and safe in the eddy at

“Blue Gums’ Motueka River

Above: Year 12 OE heading out in the waka enjoying another beautiful summer day at Kaiteriteri!

Above: Simon Vincent with the Jackson

Trophy for first in Year 12 Mathematics

Mathematics

A very special welcome back to Ms Amy Dalton. Amy

has rejoined us after some time out with her young

family and active involvement in the café she owns

with her husband, Brad – the renowned Ginger

Dynamite! Amy is teaching 3 Maths classes (9FT,

9GV and 10MB) – we are simply delighted to have

Amy back on board.

Above: Amy Dalton working with George Faulkner 9GV – the

class are working on angles and the correct use of a protractor

HOMEWORK BOOKS AND WRITE-ON BOOKLETS All students should now have their books – Y12 is

the only year level that does not require students to

purchase a write-on booklet (the expense of a

graphics calculator means we sacrifice a homework

book at Y12 level). All payments should be made

through the school office.

Thank you for the great response – nearly all

students have organized their payments.

NCEA RESULTS 2016 Special congratulations to these students who

gained an Excellence Endorsement in Mathematics:

Y13 - Level 3

Statistics: Jack Tibbs, Fletcher Frater, Hine Markham-

Nicklin

Y12 – Level 2

Jacob Bowdler, Simon Vincent, Josh Wemyss

Y11 – Level 1

Casey Boyes, Pamela Currie, Ethan Penman,

Rheanna Wood

Trophy Winners

Simon Vincent was awarded the Jackson Trophy for

top student in Y12 Mathematics. The π crafted

trophy is a masterpiece from Mr Peter Allan’s

workshop.

Peter also

helped put

the

finishing

touches to

our new

Y10 trophy.

Thomas

Pearson is

the first

name on

this trophy

which was

crafted by

Franziska

as part of her Y10 Art programme. Although

Franziska had not intended it as a trophy, the

Mathematics Department was on the lookout and

spotted her art piece at the auction that was part of

the 2016 Cabaret.

Above: Thomas Pearson with his trophy for first in Y10

Mathematics. Alongside is the artist, Franziska

Sciences

Endorsement congratulations

We are extremely proud of the following students:

Scholarship Agriculture and Horticulture: Rachael

Wood;

Level 3, Biology: Simon Vincent and Hayley Garlick

Physics and Chemistry: Hannah Gordon

Ag/Hort: Rachael Wood

Level 2, Chemistry: Josh Weymss

Physics: Simon Vincent

Level 1, Science: Rheanna Wood, Casey Boyes,

Jasmin Mosimann, Ella Ward, Hunter Chung, Susie

Adams, Jack Gorrill and Karen Sangha

Agriculture/Hort: Lauren Walker, Hannah Gale

Otago University Advanced School Sciences

Academy

Shania Pascoe describes her experience: “Last year

as a Yr12 student I attended the Otago University

Advanced School Science Academy. With a record

300 applicants and only 62 accepted, I felt very

proud to be there. OUASSA is an Otago University

Academy which promotes a higher knowledge of

Science for up and coming scientists. It provided a

taste for university life living in the University’s

Halls of Residence. I was astounded with the passion

that resonated from teachers and staff. The

information and guidance from them was

invaluable, I would not trade this experience for

anything. OUASSA offers a number of exciting

projects and seminars such as Anatomy and

Physiology, Genetics, Chemistry, Zoology, Sports

Science, Marine Science and exciting activities like

laser tag, cruises, scientific explosions, etc. Over the

week I developed a confidence for the future, as well

as gaining many new lifelong friends. In July is a

virtual academy when I will contribute ideas and

give a 10 minute presentation to a large audience. I

would recommend this experience to anyone with a

passion for the Sciences and I encourage anyone

who is keen to talk to me and learn more about this

amazing experience.”

Big Science Competition

Win one of hundreds of

prizes. This is a one-hour

competition of 30 multiple

choice questions and is held

at school on Wed 17th May. It challenges students to

think critically and solve scientific problems using

everyday examples. www.asi.edu.au Please pay $8 at

the office for the Big Science Competition by the end

of Term 1.

Cawthron Science and Technology Fair

All students are encouraged to enter this, an online

search will give you more details. It is perfectly

acceptable for parents to help their children. Some

classes will be expected to work on projects both in

class and at home. There are some great (financial)

prizes to be won and categories are:

· Science experiments (Using classical scientific

method)

· Technology Project (using technological process)

· Science/Tech Investigation (a more descriptive

style project where an investigation or observational

study is conducted-no end product or measurable

response is required). In addition to the categories

they are also inviting schools/classes/groups or

individuals to enter Art in Science-displays of art

inspired by Science or Technology.

Senior Biology field trips

Level 2 Biology will be collecting data at Anchorage in

the Abel Tasman NP on the 8th of March as part of a

standard investigating a pattern in an ecological

community. Many thanks to Project Janszoon for

funding travel with Sea Shuttle and hosting the day.

Students will be required to pay for transport to and

from Kaiteriteri.

Level 3 Biology will visit Kina beach on two half day

trips to conduct a field study of the rocky shore. Dates

to be confirmed.

Brain Bee

Some of our top Y11 students, Isabella Cranshaw,

Jade Heath-Keen, Kimberly MacLean, Thomas

Pearson, Lottie Stow and May Takahashi are reading

some pretty hefty material in order to learn more

about the brain. An online test for Round one takes

place on Friday 17th March.

Skydiving

Senior Physics students learn the principles of

projectile motion. With this in mind we are

organising a trip to the local skydiving outfit. The cost

for a jump is at a reduced rate of $200 and a jump

date will be confirmed shortly. There are some good

free apps for recording acceleration, altitude and

gyroscopic action available through the student pages

of Moodle.

Other Opportunities

The Royal Society of New Zealand would like to bring

to your attention the wonderful international Science

opportunities they are offering senior secondary

school students. Students are required to be

achieving highly in the Sciences and have a passion

for that area of learning. For further information:

www. royalsociety.org.nz/.../international-science-

opportunities

Science capabilities

The New Zealand Curriculum says all students should

become “responsible citizens in a society in which

Science plays a significant role”. Each capability

below encapsulates something that is needed for that

ambitious goal to be met. We will be endeavouring to

cover these aspects in various contexts from Forces,

Genetics to Chemical Reactions.

Use evidence

Science is a way of explaining the world. Science is

empirical and measurable. This means that in

science, explanations need to be supported by

evidence that is based on, or derived from,

observations of the natural world.

Critique evidence

In order to evaluate the trustworthiness of data,

students need to know quite a lot about the qualities

of scientific tests.

Interpret representations

Learners think about how data is presented and ask

questions such as: What does this representation tell

us? What is left out? How does this representation

get the message across? Why is it presented in this

particular way?

Gather and interpret data

Science knowledge is based on data derived from

direct or indirect observations of the natural physical

world and often includes measuring something. An

inference is a conclusion drawn from observations –

the meaning you make from observations.

Understanding the difference is an important step

towards being scientifically literate.

Engage with Science

This capability requires students to use the other

capabilities to engage with science in “real life”

contexts.

Finally, a very warm welcome to our new Science

staff: Linda Fern (Science technician), Thomas

Clitheroe, Josh Leenhouwers and Will Theewis

Above from left: Thomas Clitheroe (Science & Biology); Josh

Leenhouwers (Science & Hort); and Will Theewis (Science)

READING RESEARCH AND RECREATION

Your library is open between 8.40 am and 4 pm

weekdays. Find us on the school Moodle webpage

under support services or on the library Facebook

page @ www.facebook.com/motuekahslibrary

What’s happening in 2017?

Try the Good reads Reading Challenge

https://www.goodreads.com/challenges/show/5493-

2017-reading-challenge

Watch for Book Day 5 July 2017. Lots of visiting

writers, fun and competitions.

Student Wellbeing

Looking for some extra help or support for your

young person? Our Deans, Form Teachers and Class

Teachers are usually the first people on hand to offer

advice and guidance to help students reach their full

potential. More specialist help is available at Te

Whare Pora, or “The House”, as it is known to the

school community.

Services at The House include individual or group

counselling, and guidance programmes provided by

our professional counsellors - Lorraine Mullings, who

oversees the Student Support Services, and Simon

Field, new to us this year from Nelson College.

Tena Koutou Everyone, my name is

Simon Field and I have the honour of

providing counselling and student

support for the Motueka High School

whanau on Fridays. Like Ms Mullings

I will be based at The House.

I currently live in Nelson where some

of my forebears landed from the Martha Ridgeway in

April 1842. Being active out in wild beautiful places is

important to me. At school I love to see people

stretching toward their goals and aspirations and NOT

being held back by problems. The warm heartfelt

welcome at Motueka High School has really left a mark

on me and I look forward to meeting more people.

Carol Fowler, the Truancy Officer, also has an office

at The House and is another ready source of care and

assistance. Similarly, Jan Trafford, SENCO, is happy

to provide testing and assistance for students who

find elements of their learning difficult.

The House is a

“Safe Haven” for

any students in

distress, what-

ever the reason.

We can refer

students and parents to other sources of help if

needed. Some

regular helpers

who provide a

service at the

House include

Andrew Brown, an

Alcohol and Other Drug Counsellor; Karl Ross and

Jane Coleman, the SVS Living Safe Youth Workers,

and Tracey Pickworth, the sexual health nurse.

Twenty-two senior

students were trained

in their roles as

Student Contacts last

term and are available

at the House on a

rostered basis to

provide mentoring,

mediation and

support for any

students who request

help. Requests or

referrals for any of these services can be made

through Lorraine at the House, by telephone or

email, or by students themselves through

appointment request slips. All services respect

confidentiality, within ethical limits.

The Base

Term 3 has congratulations to Michael Tideman and

Liam Goodman who completed their National

Certificate in Work and Community Skills (Supported

Learning) at the end of 2016. While gaining the

required 40 credits they learned many valuable

numeracy, communication, personal care, and

interpersonal and social skills through lots of

practical, real life experiences.

The highlight for both of them was the opportunity to

prepare and serve a light meal. This included inviting

guests of their own choosing, planning the menu,

setting the table, cooking, serving, cleaning up.

During the course of this unit Michael became more

adventurous about trying new food and increased the

repertoire of dishes he is able to prepare

independently while Liam gained the confidence to

cook meals at home for his family. They learned

about personal hygiene and selecting the right clothes

for the occasion. Both students made lots of progress

around answering the telephone and taking

messages. The handling money unit provided plenty

of learning opportunities; using bank cards, pins and

money machines, purchasing items and comparing

prices and keeping cards and money safe.

A huge thank you to Trish who supported Michael

and Ellie who supported Liam. Not only did they

learn important life skills, Michael and Liam had a

great time

doing it as well,

thanks to the

extra effort,

enthusiasm

and

compassion

Trish and Ellie

put into their

work.

In November we were lucky enough to spend a

second incredible day with Project Janszoon in the

Abel Tasman National Park. Again, the weather was

perfect, the boat trip smooth and the students

wonderful.

Everyone participated in a number of different

activities including fish monitoring, weta hunting,

weka spotting, learning about the life cycle of trees

and sand castle building. What a great experience for

the students and what a great place for the teachers

and the teacher aides to do a day’s work!

Above right: Trish and

Michael and Below right:

Ellie and Liam

International

We are delighted to

welcome our new

intake of

International

students and those

who have returned

after their summer

holidays. We have

students from

Columbia, Japan,

Brazil, Hong Kong,

Switzerland,

Austria, Italy and

Germany.

Our sincere

thanks to the

many host

families who have

welcomed our

students into

their homes.

We are also

delighted to

welcome back

students who

were with us 3

plus years ago,

and are now

renewing old

friendships. It is

awesome having

you here.

If you feel that

you would like

to host one of our International students, please

contact Naomi, through the school office.

Food & Nutrition

The junior classes have made an excellent start with a

good dose of enthusiasm and organisation. Pizza

snack smells permeated the

corridors in Week 2 as the

students acquainted

themselves with the equipment

and safety procedures.

Left: Bayleigh and Dallas cooking

The senior classes have baked over 400 organic plum

and rhubarb breakfast muffins for the Breakfast Club

in the first week of school. Ingredients were donated

by Fonterra, Sanitarium, Mrs Fowler and Mrs

Coppell. The muffins are all frozen down for the term

ahead and they are already going down a treat with

the Breakfast Club!

Yr 11 are now learning about the nasties that make

food unsafe and practising their food handling skills.

Yr 12 are investigating the benefits and limitations of

sustainable food practices from a variety of different

perspectives. We have

checked out the Motueka

Community gardens and

scavenged for fresh

apricots to preserve in the

dehydrator by the end of

week 3.

Yr 13 is gearing up to put

the microscope on the

overconsumption of sugary

and caffeinated drinks and

what that means to society.

We welcome Miss Wells back into the team for the

first half of the year teaching a Yr 10 class.

Left: Jennifer

making

profiteroles

Right: Freya,

Lucy & Leia

making

zucchini slice

We always welcome donations of fruit or vegetables

that are excess or going to waste in your

garden/orchard. We always like to utilise locally

grown fresh produce as much as possible. Please get

in touch [email protected]

Sports Report

Here are results from the end of 2016:

Moto-X 30th-31st October 2016

– Roma Edwards has just taken

out her first official New

Zealand Title 3rd NZ Junior

Ladies under 17 in

Mosgiel. This was a very tough

competition in extreme weather conditions.

Cricket 2016/2017 Our 1st X1 Cricket team which

play in the College A grade won their final game for

2016 by 8 wickets over Nelson College Seniors. Alex

Brogan, Fergus Puklowski and Logan Ogilvie made

the Nelson Under 15 team representative team that

travelled to Levin on 11 December. Harsh Kansara

and Liam Hobbs also made a development team. Our

boys have made a good start to the 2017 season with

Liam Geddes scoring 102 retired against Nelson

College for Girls. This is the first century our team

has scored. Winning this match was not an easy feat

as Nelson Girls included players from the Central

Hinds. Keep up the good work!

TSS Rugby 7’s 2016 Our Girls team qualified for

the Condor 7’s in Auckland in December by beating

Waimea College 32-10 and 32-5.

NZSS Condor 7’s Rugby Our team were undefeated

on the first day which put them in the top 8 and the

quarter-finals. They played Howick College and won,

going into the semi-final against HGHS. This was a

nail biter with HGHS winning 19-17. There were no

3rd/4th play-offs. Fantastic effort girls and well done

to Mark Kelly (coach), Lisa Brown (Manager) and to

the support of family to help these girls fundraise a

huge amount of money to attend the Nationals.

Congratulations to Risaleaana Pouri-Lane for her

selection into the NZSS 7’s team from her

performances at this tournament.

TSS Volleyball Report 2016 The girls had a

fantastic start to the competition winning 2 of the 3

pool games and only losing the last marginally to

Waimea Gold. They lost the quarter final game

against a very strong Nelson Girls team (the eventual

winners of the tournament). Our team finished 6th

behind Waimea Gold (who narrowly beat us in the

pool play). A bit of a nemesis team for us both in this

tournament and Thursday night’s college comp-

etition. The girls have come a long way skill wise and

understanding the technical aspects of the game,

since the start of the term. Special thanks to Jess

Anderson for coaching the girls. Great to see the

team spirit, commitment, support and smiles.

Congratulations to the MHS Junior Boys team for

winning their final against Waimea Green in the

College B grade at Saxton Stadium in December.

SISS Jnr Volleyball tournament Nov 2016

Thank you to our Junior Boys Coach Mr Allan Brodie

and Manager staff member Andrea Phillips, the

Junior Girls Coach Jess Anderson and Manager Mrs

Fiona Bryan. What a superb job they did with results:

Girls - finished 13th (went in seeded 15th) beat Otago

Girls, Lincoln High School. Finished top of their final

pool, but had 2 losses on day one and placed

13th. They played 8 games and only lost 2.

Our Junior Boys Volleyball team had extremely tough

competition in the SISS Volleyball tournament but

secured some sets off other schools.

2017 - Our Senior A Girls team will be competing at

the Satellite Volleyball tournament to be held in

Christchurch from the 27/30th March. Thank you to

Mr Bernard Enoka for coaching our team.

Cheerleading 2016 MHS Cheerleading team

competed at the NZ Cheer Union competition held in

Auckland in November with 21 members of the team.

Results: Lucy Johnston placed 2nd in Senior Solo

performance, Fran 3rd in Jnr dance solo, a 3rd placing

in the team division and a 5th placing for the Senior

duo of Lucy Johnston and Julia Todd.

NZSS Athletics 13 students competed in Auckland

in December with Izzy Neal winning silver in 400m,

Amanda Fitisemanu won Bronze in 400m and Snr

Girls Bronze in the relay. A number of athletes

posted PB’s in their events.

NZSS Touch tournament December 2016 –

MHS Mixed touch team finished 16th in the Mixed

division. The young Yr9 and Yr10 players now know

what it is

like to

play in

such an

awesome

tourn-

ament

and will

be

training

very hard for their first TSS tournament on the 26th

February 2017. Risaleaana is in the NZ U18 Girls

Touch team to play in the Trans-Tasman event being

held in January.

Sports Report

Tennis 2017 Alex Brogan, Year 11, competed at

various tennis tournaments with resounding success.

Well

done

Alex! His

results

are as

follows:

Canterbury Junior Open (December) Singles = 4th

Doubles = 1st. NZ Nationals (January) Top 50 for

singles. Won three matches out of 6

Marlborough Open (January) Singles = 2nd (in a

combined age group). Doubles = 1st

Current NZ ranking (14 and Under) Singles = 35

Doubles = 30

Above from left: Bennett Latosinszky, Alex Brogan, Constantin

von Segesser, Logan Ogilvie & Mats Wohlers.

Sport for 2017 has begun with our tennis team

competing in the Tasman Secondary Schools

competition. This year Motueka High School has

introduced a 20/20 Cricket competition with all the

other colleges. Schools involved are Queen Charlotte,

Nelson, Garin, Nayland and Waimea Colleges. We are

playing a two day tournament with some very

exciting cricket to be played. Thank you to John

Ogilvie the 1st X1 coach and Ms Stacey Fry their

manager who have put this together.

Congratulations to Sydnee Wilkins and Marvin Strub

for their selection as our Sports Captains for 2017.

They are very motivated and passionate on sport and

have some great ideas they will be putting in place.

The Winter codes will be upon us soon so we will be

looking for volunteer Coaches and Managers for our

Netball and Basketball teams. If you are interested in

being involved with our sporting students please

contact me: [email protected] or

phone 035289050 extn: 8226. The Sports

Registration night is in March - date to be decided.

Events coming up are:

23/24 Feb 20/20 Cricket

29 Feb TSS Snr Touch tournament

3 March TSS Futsal tournament

10 March TSS Athletics

17 March TSS Volleyball Championships

22 March TSS Mountain biking Championships

27/30 March Satellite Volleyball Championships in

Christchurch

29/30/31 Mar Top of the South Sailing Regatta

10 April TSS Golf

We look forward to all the results in the next Insight.

Adrienne Fry Sports Coordinator

‘SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE’ STUDENT TRUSTEE COURSE

by Tagan Stringer, Board of Trustees

Representative

“On the first day it was pretty nerve wracking not

knowing anyone that I was going to spend the next

6 days out at sea with. However after a few hours

of learning names, I found that the crew were very

friendly as well as the other trustees that were

joining me on this voyage, from all over New

Zealand.

There were above 50 of us on board, 40 being

students. Having so many of us on board we got

split into 4 groups so when setting the sails and

doing chores it was easier, and yes, each group

ended up scrubbing the deck.

As well as setting the sails, having a blast jumping

off the boat plus doing random activities, we (the

student reps) had to attend two 1 hour

lessons/classes a day to learn about our role as

BOT student representatives and what to do in

different situations whether at school or during a

BOT meeting.

Overall the whole experience was life changing,

helpful and really fun. If anyone wanted to go on

the ‘Spirit of Adventure’ for any reason, I would

highly recommend it. I have gained more

confidence in my role and have made life-long

friends”.

Godzone This year I have been lucky enough to be part of

Team Motueka who are competing in the Godzone

2017 event. This international adventure race is a

must do on an athletes wish list and teams will be

flying in from all over the world to take part. This

year the event is based in Queenstown, but as with

the race last year we will not know the course route

until 6 hours before the start!

Our team comprises myself and Brent Steinmetz as

well as Dave Quested and Cheryl Keen. We are all

local athletes and we are all proud to represent the

Motueka community. Brent is an ex-rugby player and

is strong in the kayak, Dave is our main navigator,

Cheryl is an ultra-runner and is strong at most things

and I am there to survive.

The race comprises of kayaking, rafting, trekking and

mountain biking. This year the course is 450 K’s long

and will finish in Queenstown. We do not know

where the start is but we have heard rumours that it

may be in Fiordland somewhere. Once the gun goes,

the team has to navigate through checkpoints and

work their way to the finish using the different modes

of transport. Teams rarely stop for rest and have

limited sleep time. The winning team will take 4 days,

we hope to be back in 6 days.

Team Motueka have had fantastic support from the

local community and we are so grateful to local

businesses who have supported us financially or with

products. It really is amazing how the township

comes together to look after its own. The following

firms have made the event really happen for us. New

World, Talleys, Guthrie Bowron, Coppins Cycles,

Merrell, Outfitters NZ, Whitwells, Whenua Iti, Toad

Hall, Bay Pharmacy, Mot Bike Company, Wildside

Travel, Tineli and Marahau Sea Kayaks. Our team

philosophy is to ‘Inspire others to have their own

adventures’. These could be a simple walk in the Abel

Tasman Park, pedal the Taste Trail or undertake an

event of their own. We want people to realise that

with preparation they can move way out of their

comfort zone and achieve great things. Just like our

students at Motueka High School.

The race will be streamed live at

http://godzoneadventure.com/. Anyone can follow

our progress and see how the race unfolds. We are

Team No 50. We have a Facebook page up and

running and would really appreciate messages of

support during the event. This can be found on

Facebook at Team Motueka. Last year we received

heaps of messages which were handed to us on the

last trek up Mt Owen. It was wonderful to receive

positive energy from those following our progress and

the messages certainly kept us going over the final 36

hours. We have a team monitoring the page during

the event so questions can be asked also. As long as it

is not too complicated you should get an answer.

Our final aim is to finish with a smile. Last year we

made it into the top 10 teams, but as with any event

the standard of athlete improves each year. As long as

we perform as a unit we should be competitive.

The big day is very close and we are travelling down

to Queenstown on Wednesday evening / Thursday.

Kia Kaha

Jake Stow

JOIN

Motueka High School

‘FRIENDS OF THE SCHOOL’ The MHS ‘Friends of the School’ is an informal

group that meets to support and co-ordinate

upcoming events at school.

Meetings take place at the Sprig & Fern and the

next meeting is scheduled at 7pm on the third

Wednesday in March.

Everyone is warmly welcome to come along and

meet the other parents and find out more.

Any queries please ring Gabrielle Bell

ph 744-1102 (local Motueka number)

House Sports Day