We are now in our last week of term, and it seems so strange being in Alert Level 3. Once again, thank you for the work you are all doing within your bubble, supporting learning and keeping our community safe by testing if you or anyone in your bubble has cold or flu like symptoms - and of course, taking the opportunity to get a vaccination.
The Covid case numbers are trending down which is the only time a ’positive’ is a good sign in these times.
LEARNING
In Alert Level 3 Online Learning From Home continues in its current form, as the College remains closed with the exception of Year 9 and 10 students, children of essential workers.
Year 9 & 10 Children of Essential workers. The College is open this week for any Year 9 or 10 child of essential workers to have a supervised classroom in which to do online learning. Students attending must be in school uniform, bring a packed lunch, a water bottle/drink, online learning device,and a face mask. No school buses operate under Level 3. The supervised classes are from 8:30am - 3:00pm and students can enter the College through Gate 1 by the staffroom/bikebay.
As outlined, the opportunity for good learning continues and will be ongoing until the end of this week, the end of term.
Weekly Report Cards will still be issued this Saturday to end the term.
NCEA Update On return to school in Term 4, we will still be holding our Internal School Practice External Exams, starting on Tuesday 26 October, finishing on Tuesday 2 November. These will occur in Periods 1 and 2 with normal classes running Periods 3, 4 and 5 daily.
These practice exams are important for students to prepare for the actual external exams. They are also the opportunity for teachers to gather evidence of student understanding and achievement, in case the national external exams were not to take place and a derived grade or Unexpected Event Grade was necessary. This is a ‘safety net' put in place for students for the external exams this year.
The Learning Recognition Credits (LRC) have been adjusted to recognise the work and mahi students are doing.
Level 1 NCEA now has 1 LRC for every 4 Credits achieved. Up to a maximum of 16 of the total of 80 credits needed.( So students will actually only need to achieve 64 credits )
Level 2 &3 NCEA now have 1 LRC for every 4 Credits achieved. Up to a maximum of 12 of the total of 60 credits needed. ( Students will only need to achieve 48 credits)
University Entrance (UE) students have to achieve 12 credits per subject including Level 3 with Literacy and Numeracy.
The External Exams start on 22 November, 2021
NCEA College Workshops If we move into Level 2 or Level 2.5 on Wednesday 6 October, there will be the opportunity for NCEA College Workshops in some subjects on Monday - Wednesday 11, 12, 13 October. Details of workshops and tutorials will be emailed on Thursday 7 October.
Year 9 new Option Changes will occur on Thursday 21 October for Term 4.
Remember that each teacher provides the learning for the week every Monday via your tamariki and mokopuna’s Google Classroom. Support your son or daughter by discussing the work they are receiving.
Students, make sure you engage in your Google Classroom work to your best level as teachers are using every opportunity to gather evidence of aspects of Senior Assessment. If you engage and take control of even small aspects of your learning it has positive outcomes.
Congratulations to students in the Learning-from-homeClass(es) of the Week:
SocialStudies 10C Ms Gardyne,Mixed Materials Levels 1, 2 & 3 Ms Hine, Classical Studies 301 Mr O’Malley, Business studies 201 Ms Kelsey, Social Studies 10I Ms Parboo & MrCampbell (student Teacher) Well done and the profiles are on the website HERE
CARING & HAUORA Dr Hinemoa Elder and neuroscience specialist Nathan Wallis talk about how best to support your whānau in times such as these. You can watch this HERE
The ‘Tips from Waitak students for Waitak students’ is now on our websiteHERE. Check it out.
Also check out our instagram page HERE for all the activities that are going on.
Once again I refer you to Our College counsellors who are available via email [email protected] and I include the Youthline number 0800 376 633 for your reference, or text 1737 for any guidance needs that may occur.
Flexibility is the key to how you and we all operate at this time. So students, please use your Online Learning Planner to manage your workload as you go through each week and manage breaks for physical walks and activities away from learning. Take regular breaks.
Year 10 - Choosing Subjects for Year 11 2022 While focussing mostly on the present situation we would like Year 10 students to complete choosing 2022 subjects this week. A reminder that this is done online via the school portal.
An email has been sent to parents explaining how choices can be made. The same information was also shared with students via Google Classroom.
Our Celebration Events such as Sports Awards, Arts and Culture Awards, Mana Maori Awards, Pasifika Awards and Senior Prizegiving will still be held in some form and will be confirmed as we go through Alert Levels. The Senior Dinner has been shifted to 18 November, 2021.
FOODBANK ACCESS
With so many of our community in self isolation it is important to know some of our local agencies who can, at present, provide support for contactless drive-in food pick up. Some that we use as a College are:
The Waitakere College Foundation is a Charitable Trust formed by community leaders and past pupils of the College to:
provide opportunities for our kids to succeed in education by reducing barriers
The Foundation accepts donations of any size from individuals or businesses, who would like to enhance the educational outcomes for students of the College in a variety of ways, to support classroom learning, and provide better opportunities to succeed educationally, thus to become positively contributing community members.
For instance, challenges faced by some students currently include inequity in areas of:
Government funding to enable access to equipment and programmes that would allow them to participate fully in school life
Access to family resources for transport, camp fees, or uniform being barriers to participation in sports, performing arts and extra-curricular activity
Home access to broadband and digital learning facilities, which then puts them behind for furthering their education beyond secondary school and limits their career choices
Funds for scholarships and mentoring programmes to guide and develop them in school and in pathways beyond school
Our approach is to work with charitable donors to secure new and sustainable sources of funding for equipment, resources and activities to meet needs as above.
The Foundation Trustees will meet regularly to discuss and debate options for use of any donations raised and agree on measured outcomes of activity. The Trustees have a connection to the school via representation from the School Board of Trustees Chair, the Principal, and Business Manager. Other Trustees are past pupils or other community representatives.
Waitākere College
42 Rathgar Rd
