BOARD UPDATE May 2018
At our May meeting we invited all the new staff to come and meet the Board of Trustees. We really enjoyed learning about the multitude of roles that our new support and teaching staff are involved in and to be thinking how best we can support them through our governance role. As usual Mr Congdon presented his Principal’s Report on how various aspects of the school are functioning. Each time he does this he provides a written summary of how the college is progressing against the annual goals which have been set by the Board and Management. It is good to have this update each time we meet, and the board is able to ask questions about the pace and extent of progress as we move through each year. Mrs Searle, in her capacity as manager of the administration staff also presented a verbal report on staffing and how the…
Shopping Trolley Race – Engineering Level 1
The first prototypes of the Level 1 Engineering student’s converted shopping trolley go-carts ran through some trial laps last week around the netball courts. Countdown kindly donated the shopping trolleys earlier in the year and the students have been learning all of the skills to take them from man power propulsion to engine propulsion. They have worked together in groups to explore possible designs and refine their final outcomes ready for the big race.
Designing to Survive Disaster
The Level 3 Design Technology students are working on completing their designs to create a shelter that would enable people to survive in a disaster. Jimmy has used wood, metal and textiles to create a practical, comfortable shelter to live in. He has designed everything himself, including the hinges which he made out of metal. His design enables the dwelling to be flat packed with storage inside. He is currently working on installing the solar panel to power the shelter.
House Competition Integral to College Life
Kia ora koutou, Talofa lava, Greetings all Term 1 is always full of activities aimed at inducting new students into college, welcoming back other students and holding college sports while the weather is still warm. We are now well through the term so it is the opportune time to stop and reflect on some of these activities. The Year 9 Tabloid sports aims to bond together the students from the same House. This is a great competition with fun events on the field and in the pool, and is their first taste of what it means to earn points for their House. Swimming sports and Athletics sports are always highlights for the college year. Students dress up in their house colours and aim to participate as much as possible to get House points. Our top athletes are identified and go on to compete at the Regional Athletics Competition in Palmerston…
Service Academy Induction
Article courtesy of the Horowhenua Chronicle Ten Horowhenua College students successfully completed their induction into the school’s Services Academy. One of them, Samuel Paxton, who is also the college’s prefect, was the top performer at cross country and came second in the required fitness level test during the induction course. He is set to sign up for the army. Doing the induction course has meant spending a fortnight at Waiouru Army camp and being put through various army drills. Horowhenua College is the only one in Horowhenua with a Services Academy, with students dressed in army boots, black trousers, black cap and red shirts while often sporting an army-green tin box. There are 13 such academies in the central region and all attended the induction course, said the college’s director of Services Academy, Maurice True. He’s in his fifth year at the helm and said the academy has room for…
One of NZ’s Best
Hannah Wedlock is one of the top painters in New Zealand for her age. Hannah, a Year 13 student at Horowhenua College in 2017 received NCEA Level 3 Excellence for her painting portfolio and Excellence endorsement for Painting. Now she has been identified by NZ Qualifications Authority as one of the top 15 Painting students in the country. NZQA have asked Hannah for her painting portfolio to be part of the NZQA Top Art exhibition. From March to September, the top NCEA Level 3 Art portfolios from around NZ will tour the country in an exhibition that allows the public to view the high calibre of work created by students. It also provides an opportunity for this year’s Visual Arts students to gain an idea of what they need to aim for in order to achieve excellence for themselves. The portfolios will be displayed to a range of galleries, museums…
Horowhenua College Korowai
The placing of a korowai on a person is a significant way of honouring them and acknowledging who they are and what they have achieved. For the last two years Te Uira Kerehoma and Sue Tucker have been weaving a korowai which is unique for Horowhenua College. Both Te Uira and Sue have significant ties to Horowhenua College so their weaving of the korowai was with a very real connection to our history and the important role the college plays in growing successful young men and young women. We are so thankful to Te Uira and Sue for their love for our college and the work they have put into creating this beautiful taonga. It will be treasured for many years to come and will be a significant feature at prize-givings and special events. Significant features on the korowai include the fleur de lis which is the French symbol of…
BOARD UPDATE April 2018
Our March and April meetings were held a short time apart, so this is a joint report from our last two trustee meetings. In 2018 as in 2017, we have invited different members of the school into the first part of our board meetings. This gives us a chance to learn what is working well and where we might make improvements through the school. Our March meeting visitors were the 2018 prefect team. It was great to meet these fantastic young men and women and to gain some insights into the prefects’ roles and responsibilities, and to learn about their future intentions. Most recently, we met with the Heads of Faculties and the Senior Leadership team to review student achievement in each of our seven faculties for 2017 at all levels across the school, and to look at the positive and the limiting factors in terms of lifting student achievement. …