Mary Nixon Message from our Principal - nghs.school.nz

Message fromour PrincipalThe school is settled this weekwith the juniors focused ontheir end-of-year examinations.Senior girls have put thefinishing touches on their finalassessments in Technology andArt. We know the national markers and moderatorswill enjoy absorbing these projects to determine thefinal grades. Many girls are participating in extratutorials with their teachers and most students willbegin sitting their final examinations in the next fewdays. External NCEA examinations are under way.Parents can help by ensuring the girls carefully checkand re-check their personal examination timetables.There is no allowance given for missed examinationsor extra time given for lateness. Nerves arecommonplace at this time of the year and the girlsneed reassurance and encouragement they are readyand well prepared.The PTA are to be congratulated on organising a verymemorable evening to raise funds to support studentsparticipating at national and international events.I thank the PTA for their hard work throughout the year insupporting the school to run a range of events and in raisingsignificant funds.Monetary Scholarships to assist tertiary study for studentsare flowing in. Some of these are awarded to girls for allround ability and girls performing to their best as well as ourtop academic achievers.All these girls have a good work ethic, participate in cocurricularactivities as well as doing service to others.Students do not have to be prize winners to apply for andgain these awards. They do need to maintain a balancebetween curriculum and co-curricular activities and developa habit of commitment and resilience. Those who try theirbest to be their very best can have opportunities similar tothose who are the best.Mary NixonISSUE 17Last Thursday evening with Emma Twigg was areal highlight for all who attended. Wei-Yan Fanopened the event with a beautiful violin solo. Shecaptivated the entire audience as did the NapierGirls’ High Singers (aka “Special Choir) with EmmaKatene showcased. The timing was just right forher to inspire and motivate everyone there. BrookeHurndell and Isaac Donnan from Napier Boys’ HighSchool were very entertaining doing an on the couchinterview with Emma. The sponsors spot prizes fromthe ANZ Branch and Jeffery’s Menswear were a realhit. The barbecued sausages were tasty and enjoyedby people mingling while others had photos withEmma.Phone: 06 835 1069 Fax: 06 835 8164 Web: www.nghs.school.nz Principal's Secretary Email: bhewitt@nghs.school.nz

Sports NewsSurf Life Saving New Zealand Pool ChampsThese were held in Wellington during the school holidays, and a number of students attended. Kassie Avison (Year 9) didextremely well coming home with a Silver medal in the U14 womens 4 x 50 Medley Relay. She was also 4th U14 womens 4 x 25mbrick carry, 4th U14 womens 4 x 50m obstacle relay, 5th U14 womens 100m tube swim with Patient & Fins. The photo showsKassie with her silver medal.Hawke’s Bay AMP ShowCongratulations to Courtney Mason, Year 11, who won the Under 17 Competitionfor Mounted Games at the recent Hawke’s Bay AMP Show.Kassie AvisonHawke’s Bay VolleyballCongratulations to Elise Horne who has been chosen for the Hawke’s Bay Under17 Volleyball team. During the holidays they travelled to Auckland to competeon a national scale against other provinces from all around New Zealand. Theywon against Waikato in the semi-finals and advanced into the finals. Sadly,they lost in the finals to North Harbour. This is the best placing that Hawke’sBay has achieved in years and Elise is proud to have represented this team fortwo years.Courtney MasonElise HorneJunior VolleyballJunior Volleyball is going ahead inleaps and bounds! Every week thegames have become more andmore exciting as the rallying andserving has improved.There are two teams currentlytraining on Monday’s andFriday’s and playing in theHawke’s Bay SecondarySchools’ Competition onWednesday nights at the Pettigrew-GreenArena. Each team is a mix of Year 9 and 10 students who all workextremely well together. Co-Captains for the Napier Girls’ High School Blue team areSaar Lichtenberg-Cloo and Laina Samia while Rachael Grant and Brianna Curran areCo-Captains for the Napier Girls’ High School White team. Other returning playersinclude Mae Miller, Courtney Ribbon and Grace Spencer who have been training yearround for the up and coming tournaments. There are two weekend tournamentscoming up over the next two weeks which will include seeding for the North Islandcompetition in Wellington 26th to 30th November. The girls are busy training, playingand fundraising for these events.With a group of 22 students, most are new to the sport but are keen to improveand learn. Their skill level improves visibly each week and the games are exciting towatch. Both teams will be playing at the Pettigrew-Green arena Friday and Saturdayin an Open Tournament on the 9th and 10th November and it would be great tosee some supporters . The next Seeding Tournament will be on the 16th and 17th ofNovember where the Blue team will be fine tuning their skills to compete againstother North Island teams in Wellington.Many thanks to coachesMr. A. Samia, Mr. P. Lichtenbergand Mr. V. Uili for volunteeringtime to coach these teams. Ms. M.Wright and Ms. S Poole for raisingtheir hands to be team managersand to Mrs. D. McKenzie formanaging volleyball at NapierGirls’ High School.Duke of EdinburghNew Duke of Edinburgh StudentsOn Wednesday, 21 November, 6pm, in the hall, there will be an informationevening for students and their parents who are interested in participatingin the Duke of Edinburgh Award programme. This is an opportunity foryou to hear what the programme involves, listen to students who haveparticipated in the awards, see the gear which the students will requireand ask any questions which you may have. Year 9 and 10 students areable to participate in the Bronze Award. Registration forms will be availablefrom Thursday evening. All students wishing to participate in Bronze Dukeof Edinburgh in 2013 must have their registration forms in by Friday 30December.Bronze Duke of Edinburgh TrampsThe final two tramps for Duke of Edinburgh are happening soon. TrampOne is 17-18 November and Tramp Two is 1-2 December. It is importantall students involved are preparing for these tramps with regular training.Once these tramps are completed it is important students get their bookscompleted and signed off quickly so they are able to register and start theSilver Award.Hawke’s Bay Secondary SchoolsSports Awards 2012The awards were at the Napier Municipal Theatre on Monday 5thNovember. We were very proud of the way our students presentedthemselves for this evening. Congratulations to Brianna Massie and AuroraAkauola for receiving Merit Awards for the Hawke’s Bay Secondary SchoolSportswomen of the year category. Our Orienteering team also received aMerit Award in the Teams category and Derek Morrison was the winner ofthe Coach of the year category. Vicky Lassen was awarded a Service Awardfor her many years of service to sport at Napier Girls’ High School.We are very lucky at Napier Girls’ High School to have many dedicated staff,coaches and managers that encourage and support our students to reachtheir potential. Thank you to everyone who has assisted us this year.Mrs VennellHead of Sport

Music NewsThe Napier Girls’ High School annual Guitar Concert was held in the school hall on Thursday 25 October.There were excellent performances from all the students and it was great to have such a large andsupportive audience. This concert always presents a wonderful opportunity to hear the students playing, ingroups, alongside their teacher, Mr Dave Boston, whose solo performance at the conclusion of the eveningwas inspiring to the students.Another annual event on the musical calendar at NGHS is the SoloSinging Competition. A large number of students participated in allthree sections ie Senior, Intermediate and Junior. Most recently, onWednesday 31 October, the Intermediate and Junior sections of thecompetition had some very confident and promising performancesfrom our young vocalists and overall, the standard was extremely high.Junior:Jamie Howse (1st place)Caitlin Heath-Anderson (2nd place)Mia Söhnge (3rd place)Intermediate:Brooke Kent (1st place)Hannah Wilton (2nd place)Elise Trow (3rd place)Thank you to Wei-Yan Fan and the Napier Girls’ High Singers (aka “Special Choir) for the musical items performed at theEmma Twigg evening last week. Wei-Yan captivated her audience with a magnificent performance of Vivaldi’s “Winter”from “The Four Seasons” alongside accompanist Adrienne van Drimmelen. The Choir concluded the evening with abeautifully fitting piece, “Hine e Hine”, directed by June Clifford and accompanied by Sally Rutgers. Emma Katene, sangthe solo line to this classic and hauntingly beautiful NZ piece.NCEA Examinations 2012Your daughter will have been working hard to prepare herself for the NCEA examinations that start on Friday 9 November. For each exam we encourage you toremind your daughter to check that she:• Has checked when her examinations are• Has remembered to pack her examination admission slip• Has the correct equipment for the examinationWe highly recommend that your daughter arrives half an hour before the examination starts so that she can check the noticeboard in the Walker building for anynotices and which classroom she is to go to.On Friday 2 November, we provided your daughter with an examination admission slip, an examination schedule and a NCEA ‘Instructions to Candidates’,information booklet. Should you wish to have a copy of the information booklet and examination schedule they can be found at:http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/assets/qualifications-and-standards/qualifications/ncea/candinfo.pdfDerived grade (compassionate consideration)Your daughter may apply for a derived grade if:• She was not able to sit the examination because she was sick, had an accident or there was some special situation beyond her controlor• She thinks that she did not do as well as she could have in the examination because she was sick, she was injured or there was some special situation beyondher control.Either you or your daughter can email or collect an application form and information sheet form from the school. Please read these carefully. Hand in thecompleted application form, supporting evidence and your admission slip, to me as soon possible but no later than Monday 3 December. If you do not meet thisdeadline you will not get grade derived results.Please note that your daughter must see a health professional within a day of each examination for which a derived grade has been made. The health professionalneeds to examine your daughter and describe the nature, extent and timing of the illness or impairment.Should you wish to know more go to: http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/about-us/our-role/legislation/nzqa-rules/secondary-schools-supporting-information/derivedgrade/derived-grade-guidelines/There is no derived grade for Scholarship examinations.Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any queries or concerns.Evert van FlorensteinPrincipal’s Nominee (NZQA)

International NewsUniformWith examinations underway for all levels,our three non-NCEA seniors are completing aSchool Service week. They have enjoyed actingas “runners” for the office and helping in thelibrary and other departments around the school.A highlight was the delicious pizza and jelly lunchthey cooked this week to help the juniors with theirstudying!Sue FullartonInternational DeanSCHOOL SANDALS AND SHOES 2013AND BEYONDThis year the school received feedback from parents who were concernedabout the low quality of sandals and winter shoes available at local shoestores. Many shoes have worn out after just a few weeks and some parentswant a healthier option for sandals. After considerable research, the schoolhas sourced a supply of quality sandals and shoes.To ensure these are affordable, parents may purchase these through theuniform shop. Delivery takes approximately six weeks to arrive, from the dateordered.We are aware some students may have purchased footwear for 2013 but mostparents will not have done so yet.The school will allow students who have already purchased footwear thatmeets the current criteria, provided parents inform the school about this. Theycan do this at the interviews in the next couple of weeks when they purchasethe rest of the school uniform.Students who have not yet purchased sandals and shoes for 2013 shouldobtain the following:Sandals - 2 options:• Black Roman sandals (to be purchased from local shoe stores)• Black Birkenstock Rio sandals - these cost $85 at the uniform shop. Thereis currently no shop stocking these in Hawke’s Bay.ShoesMcKinlays Molly black shoe–these cost $85 through the uniform shop. Thereis currently no shop stocking these in Hawke’s Bay.2013 is the final transition year from the old uniform to the new one. All Year9 students in 2013 should be in the new school uniform. In 2014 all NapierGirls’ High School students are expected to wear the new uniform, includingthe shoes.It is a bit messy having combinations of old and new but we understand thatthis is necessary to avoid excessive costs for families.The new uniform looks really smart except for the footwear so by 2014 itshould all look great.The New Zealand CurriculumLEARNING LANGUAGESWhat is learning languages about?Learning a new language provides a means of communicating with peoplefrom another culture and exploring one’s own personal world.Languages are inseparably linked to the social and cultural contexts in whichthey are used. Languages and cultures play a key role in developing ourpersonal, group, national, and human identities. Every language has its ownways of expressing meanings; each has intrinsic value and special significancefor its users.This learning area provides the framework for the teaching and learning oflanguages that are additional to the language of instruction. Level 1 of thecurriculum is the entry level for students with no prior knowledge of thelanguage being learned, regardless of their school year.Why study a language?Languages link people locally and globally. They are spoken in the community,used internationally, and play a role in shaping the world. Oral, written, andvisual forms of language link us to the past and give us access to new anddifferent streams of thought and to beliefs and cultural practices.Te reo Māori and New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) are official languages ofNew Zealand. Because of New Zealand’s close relationships with the peoplesof the Pacific, Pasifika languages also have a special place.By learning an additional language and its related culture(s), students cometo appreciate that languages and cultures are systems that are organisedand used in particular ways to achieve meaning. Learning a new languageextends students’ linguistic and cultural understanding and their ability tointeract appropriately with other speakers. Interaction in a new language,whether face to face or technologically facilitated, introduces them to newways of thinking about, questioning, and interpreting the world and theirplace in it. Through such interaction, students acquire knowledge, skills, andattitudes that equip them for living in a world of diverse peoples, languages,and cultures. As they move between, and respond to, different languagesand different cultural practices, they are challenged to consider their ownidentities and assumptions.As they learn a language, students develop their understanding of the powerof language. They discover new ways of learning, new ways of knowing, andmore about their own capabilities. Learning a language provides studentswith the cognitive tools and strategies to learn further languages and toincrease their understanding of their own language(s) and culture(s).How is the learning area structured?This learning area puts students’ ability to communicate at the centre bymaking Communication the core strand. This strand is supported by twofurther strands, which are directed specifically at developing the linguistic andcultural awareness needed for communicative competence.In the core communication strand, students learn to use the language to makemeaning. As their linguistic and cultural knowledge increases, they becomemore effective communicators, developing the receptive skills of listening,reading, and viewing and the productive skills of speaking, writing, andpresenting or performing.In the supporting language knowledge strand, students study the languagein order to understand how it works. They learn about the relationshipsbetween different words and different structures, how speakers adjust theirlanguage when negotiating meaning in different contexts and for differentpurposes, and how different types of text are organised. This strand helpsstudents to develop explicit knowledge of the language, which will, over time,contribute to greater accuracy of use.In the supporting cultural knowledge strand, students learn about culture andthe interrelationship between culture and language. They grow in confidenceas they learn to recognise different elements of the belief systems of speakersof the target language. They become increasingly aware of the ways in whichthese systems are expressed through language and cultural practices. Asthey compare and contrast different beliefs and cultural practices, includingtheir own, they understand more about themselves and become moreunderstanding of others.

Australian National Chemistry QuizCongratulations to the following students who did exceptionally well in the Quiz:HIGH DISTINCTION GRADE (top 10% in Australasia)Kendra RyanDISTINCTION GRADE (top 20% in Australasia)Julie WhiteheadLiezl SöhngeClara WilsonCREDIT GRADE (top 30% in Australasia)Anna CallinicosKendra ForshawAmber HelliwellHolly MiddlemissEmma KateneEllie CoyleWei-Yan FanStacey LambertFortnightly Term CalendarDay WEEK 51 November Mon 12 Junior Exams conclude2 Tue 133 Wed 14 Interhouse Junior Netball4 Thur 15 Interhouse Junior Hockey5 Fri 16Sat 17 Duke of Edinburgh Bronze final tramp6WEEK 6 Mon 19 Paid Union meeting - School finishes at 12.25pm7 Tue 208 Wed 219 Thur 2210 Fri 23 Year 8 Hostel Orientation DayElearning Champions meeting (H7)HBDHB Adolescent Oral Health ServicesIf you have recently moved to Hawke’s Bay - You could be missing out on free oral health care!Adolescents are entitled to get free basic dental care every year until 18 years old, no matter where you’re at.....High School, course or couch! This applies toNew Zealand residents and citizens. For full eligibility criteria visit the Ministry of Health website.Which Dentist should I go to?Choosing a Dentist is like choosing a hairdresser. Whether you follow the advice of a family member or health professional the choice is entirely up to you.Taking care of your teeth.... for life!It can be as simple as 5 minutes a day brushing your teeth in the morning and before going to bed.Tips for taking good care of your teeth:• Brush teeth with a fluoride toothpaste, twice a day - morning and night• Floss daily• Visit your Dentist• Have a healthy diet that is low in sugar• Stop smokingFor help finding a Dentist, contact the Adolescent Oral Health Co-ordinator on 0800 TALK TEETH (0800 825 583) or 878 8109 ext 5766.