Principal's Pānui
26 May 2023
NCEA Level One
You may have seen reports of schools looking to drop NCEA Level 1. At Massey High School we see the real value in retaining the qualification for our students. It provides a valuable stepping stone to NCEA Levels 2 and 3. Our staff are working on what the programme will look like next year, ensuring that essential knowledge across curriculum areas is delivered to best prepare our students for subsequent levels and balancing this with the best assessment opportunities. It is the school’s intention to continue with NCEA Level 1, albeit in line with some changes.
Attendance
One of the discussion points with the Education Review Office is centered on attendance, more importantly on what the Ministry of Education classify as ‘regular attendance’. This is defined as attendance being 90% or higher with the recognition of the cumulative impact of non-attendance on a child’s learning (anything below 90% could potentially impact on your child’s education). With this in mind, it is a reminder to all of the importance of ensuring that our students are in attendance at school every day. Should your child not be able to attend, please remember to use our normal channels for reporting an absence.
As a reminder, our automated notifications to parents are sent out based on your child not being marked present in a lesson – be aware that at times there may be slight delays in attendance being recorded resulting in an automated message being sent to you.
Sports
As mentioned in my last Panui, our First XV travelled to Whangārei Boys High School. Riki Taingahue led the team in paying our respects to the whānau and community in the wake of the tragic loss of one of their students. I would like to thank Riki, he did his team, our school, and his whānau proud as he delivered a mihi which conveyed our condolences. The team then began the haka, Tika tonu before a generous koha and First XV jersey was presented to the whānau. The Whangārei community have expressed their gratitude and acknowledged the leadership of Riki and the team.
For those keeping score, Massey ran out as victors but remained incredibly humble at the end of the match.
They followed this up with a hard fought, and thoroughly deserved victory over Rosmini College in quite possibly the most unpleasant conditions I have ever stood in on the sidelines.
With the First XV playing at Whangārei, I was presented with the opportunity to catch some netball on the Saturday morning. Specifically, seven games being played by Year 9 and 10 Teams – all of whom played superbly. What was great to see was our senior students giving their time to coach some of those teams. Thank you to those parents that also give their time to ensure that Netball is available at a variety of grades for our students.
I also had the pleasure of watching a great afternoon of football as our Girls First XI defeated Green Bay High School 11-1. Kayleigh Kabondo scored six (her hat-trick coming up in less than 10 minutes), Taylor Vujnovich netted , with Rebekah Trew completing the scoring with her well taken goal. It was wonderful to speak with so many parents during what was a thoroughly enjoyable game.
Our younger Rugby teams have now commenced their season as well, and it was great to catch some of the Under 15s game against Auckland Grammar School at the Massey Rugby Club. Our boys played well before falling just short. Thank you to Dominic Janssen-Davis who has taken this team under his wing. They are playing in the Auckland competition this year and they are showing signs of becoming a very good team. Our Under 14s will be in action this weekend.
Could I ask our parents and caregivers to ensure that, where possible, they remain up-to-date with payment of subs and fees for sports. The funds collected are vital to ensure that not only administrative charges for governing bodies etc. are met, but they also ensure that students have access to coaches, equipment, and referees or umpires.
I am travelling to New Plymouth for the annual Secondary Schools Principal Association conference so, unfortunately, I was not be able to take in any sport this weekend.
Year 8 Days
Our contributing Schools – from Waimauku to West Harbour, Rangeview to Riverhead have been in our school over the past two days. It is a chance for our Year 8 students to experience a little bit of Massey High School, taking in classroom activities, as well as sporting, cultural, and artistic endeavours. It is the diverse range of contributing schools, what each of them bring to Massey, and how that diversity gels, that makes us such a unique and vibrant school. I am a firm believer in the value of children attending their local school and the day was a chance for our students to shine – showing Year 8 students that Massey High School really should be their school of choice. Again, our students shine on occasions like this – they are genuinely welcoming and warm. it is also a nice chance for them to see familiar faces from their previous schools.
Our Year 8 Days will be followed up by our Open Night on Monday 12th June and then our students returning to their old schools to talk about their experience here and the opportunities available to them.
Academic Excellence
Although I didn’t get along to it myself, my thanks to Hayley Garratt for travelling with some of our foremost thinkers to spend the day at an Academic Symposium with scholars from Oxford University. Our debaters leapt at the chance at locking their intellectual horns with the best the Oxford has to offer.
We presented Academic Ties to students in Year 10 (Brenna Wright) and Year 13 (Austen Head, Aurelien Lopes, and Perdita Thorpe).
Property update
Our new music block is tracking well to be completed shortly. The progress made each day being clearly visible. Our music department and students can’t wait to get into their new facility which will be the envy of others. In true Massey style, they want to bring our contributing schools in to use the facility, and also some of our notable musical alumni. We will be holding a formal opening and naming ceremony for the new facility when it is completed.
After many weather induced delays, we have been provided with an updated schedule for the completion of the new canopy over part of our courts area – this should (fingers crossed) be completed by Open Night.
Ngā mihi
Alastair Fairley, Principal