Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
Page 12, <strong>Ashburton</strong>'s The <strong>Courier</strong>, Thursday <strong>March</strong> <strong>19</strong>, <strong>2020</strong><br />
Local news at www.starnews.co.nz<br />
<strong>Ashburton</strong> College<br />
Individual Excellence in aSupportive Learning Environment<br />
News<br />
Issue 7<br />
<strong>19</strong> <strong>March</strong> <strong>2020</strong><br />
Message From ThePrincipal<br />
SmartLookCampaign<br />
This week we have started a campaign to<br />
reinforce our expectations around correct<br />
uniform.<br />
Our community and staff have made it clear that<br />
students wearing acorrect and tidy uniformisan<br />
importantpartofour <strong>Ashburton</strong> Collegeidentity,<br />
and it also acts as asocial leveler.<br />
Thereare four aspects thatare receiving particular attention.<br />
Theseare:<br />
•having correctouter garments(i.e.school jersey or plain navy blue or<br />
blackjacket/coats);<br />
•hoodies (not allowedatall);<br />
•correct footwear (totally blackorbrown, and abletobepolished);<br />
•only aplain navy blue or whitet-shirtunderthe Collegeshirt.<br />
While these are areas to be smartened first, all items of uniform will be<br />
checked. Additionally -<br />
•facialpiercingsare not allowed,and will needtoberemovedor<br />
replacedwith aclear,discreet retainer.<br />
•boys aretobeclean-shaven.<br />
Thereissupport available forfamilies regarding uniformitems,<br />
if required.<br />
We appreciateand value parental supportwith this campaign.<br />
WorldVision Conference<br />
At the time ofwriting this report, our Student Executive Committee<br />
members were scheduled to attend the World Vision Conference in<br />
Christchurch. Our Student Executive has along history insupporting<br />
various good causes,with WorldVision and the40HourFamineamongst<br />
them. We arealways inundatedwith good causes thatour students are<br />
asked tosupport, and they choose at least one charity per term.These<br />
choices are made by the Student Exec themselves and, unfortunately,<br />
we arenot abletosupport everycharitythatapproachesus.<br />
College AshDance<br />
Regretfully, this popular cultural event, scheduled for tonight, was<br />
cancelled due to Covid-<strong>19</strong> precautions and avoiding 200-300 people<br />
together in acombined space, at the Auditorium.<br />
Rebuild Master Plan<br />
The Architects appointed toconstruct our Master Plan for our new<br />
build have had aseries of huis with key stakeholders to ensure that<br />
they understand the needs ofour College staff and students. Part of<br />
this planning is to ensure that our campus is future-proofed. Weare<br />
delighted with the level of community support and interest in our new<br />
build.<br />
<strong>Ashburton</strong>College as aHub School<br />
We were approached recently to ascertain our willingness to be<br />
involved as a‘Hub’school to prepare for the future NCEA changes that<br />
will begin next year. Ten schools have been chosen from throughout<br />
New Zealand and theyrepresentavarietyofdeciles and locations. The<br />
Ministry ofEducation is keen to explore possible changes before they<br />
areimplemented, by actually talking with the staffinvolved.<br />
As aHub Schoolwewill be asounding-boardfor possible changes. The<br />
MinistryofEducation would also like to talk to aselectionofparents or<br />
whānau about some of the proposed changes. Ifyou are approached,<br />
please consider making yourselfavailable.<br />
Kind regards.<br />
Information<br />
NewStaff –Welcome<br />
RossPreece<br />
Principal .Tumuaki<br />
SarahCavill<br />
Learning SupportAssistant,<br />
CommunityEntry Programme<br />
Transition DepartmentNews<br />
Liaison Visits<br />
Various tertiary institutions and community groups visit the College<br />
during our Year 13 Ako time (Wednesdays, Period 4) to share<br />
information with students about courses and programmes theyoffer.<br />
Year 12 students are welcome to attend also, but need to register their<br />
names at the Transition Office beforethe visit.<br />
BoardofTrustees News ...<br />
The <strong>Ashburton</strong> College Board ofTrustees has<br />
endorsed <strong>Ashburton</strong>College’s Annual Plan for<br />
the <strong>2020</strong> academic year.<br />
Some of the key headlines that our College<br />
Senior Leadership Team, Teaching and<br />
SupportStaffare focussedoninclude:<br />
Rebuild focus –and working with the Ministry<br />
of Education and Architects to complete the<br />
design ofthe new school to meet the needs<br />
and expectations of the next generations of learners.<br />
Maintenance ofour school -wehave a$400,000 budget available to<br />
tidy-up the College to ensure the best possible spaces are available<br />
to teach and learn inover the next five years, preceding use of new<br />
buildings.<br />
Recognition, and meeting the challenges and opportunities of a<br />
culturally diverse college and community. We anticipate welcoming<br />
anumber of new students in July as part ofNew Zealand’s and Mid<br />
Canterbury’srole in accepting refugees.<br />
Continuing to build on the success to date for innovative learning for<br />
Year 9and 10 students, extensions of this, and catering for different<br />
learning styles and suiting the individual needs of all our students.<br />
Continuedfocus on the 'AshColl Way', encompassing Pride,Qualityand<br />
Respect, and ensuring <strong>Ashburton</strong>College is aschool our communityis<br />
proud of.<br />
Ongoing support ofstudents in arapidly evolving space, including<br />
resourcing, and engagement with key providers and supporters in our<br />
region.<br />
Student achievement –ongoing academic tracking and support of<br />
students, including communication with parents and caregivers on<br />
their child’s progress.<br />
Aspecial mention is giventoour Pasifikacommunity. In 20<strong>19</strong> the NCEA<br />
Pasifika student Level One pass rate sat atavery good 92.3%, above<br />
average forour College.Team-work between the community, teachers,<br />
parents providing homework study nights, ESOL (English for Speakers<br />
of Other Languages), and hardworkfromthe students has all combined<br />
to achieveagreatresult.<br />
JeremySavage<br />
Chairperson<br />
Information<br />
COVID-<strong>19</strong>: IMPACTS ON ACTIVITIES<br />
As at Tuesday 17 <strong>March</strong> the following<br />
additionalinformation wastohand.<br />
SuspensionofEvents<br />
School Sport NewZealand has suspended all events on its<br />
national calendar,includingrowing’sMaadi Cup.<br />
This decision cameafter the Government advised against holding events<br />
thatwould bring more than 500 peopletogether.<br />
School Sport NZ’sdecision will be reviewedon06April.<br />
This willnaturally have an impact on many sporting events<br />
College studentswerescheduled to be involved in.<br />
Theholdingofcultural events will also be reviewed on adaily basis.<br />
Anumber of Regional Events arelikely to followthis process.<br />
Continuing Events: On aCase-by-Case Basis<br />
At College weare committed to continuing toprovide as rich and varied<br />
curriculumdeliveryasispossible.<br />
Thereare somescheduledeventswhich cancontinue.<br />
Wherenon-continuation is decided on, this is relatedtothe ‘how’students<br />
will be transported, the nature of the event and the ability tomaintain<br />
logical personal distances, the number of peopleinvolved.<br />
For instance Senior Management has decided to stop the use of the<br />
Auditorium for large groups –this meant the regretful cancellation of<br />
AshDance, andcurrently we arenot holdingYear LevelorHouse Assemblies,<br />
because they involve large numbers of students and staff in one enclosed<br />
space.<br />
Future Information<br />
Obviously this situation is evolving daily. The College will continue to<br />
adheretothe MinistryofHealth and MinistryofEducation information and<br />
advice, and advise families and students accordingly.<br />
Currently the Ministry ofEducation is instructing schools to explore the<br />
feasibilityofproviding distancelearning should this be required.<br />
The following visits remain scheduledfor Term Oneand into Term Two:<br />
25 <strong>March</strong> Ara Institute<br />
01 April Otago University<br />
08 April CanterburyUniversity<br />
24 April(Term 2) Lincoln University<br />
06 May VictoriaUniversity<br />
13 May Auckland University<br />
Events<br />
StudentExecutiveMembers Help at County<br />
Swimming Sports<br />
College StudentExecutivemembers (pictured above,lefttoright):<br />
Lucy Moore, Jonty Small and PoppyKilworthassisted as timekeepers at this<br />
year’s Mid Canterbury Primary Schools’County Swimming Sports held on<br />
Tuesday03<strong>March</strong>,atthe EA NetworksCentre. Competitors came from the<br />
majorityofthe MidCanterburyDistrict’sschools.<br />
Jonty said they all thoroughly enjoyedsupporting the best swimmers from<br />
around the district, and helping out with the 2½ hour programme.<br />
(Pictured below): Theteam recording afinisher.<br />
(Pictured left,<br />
leftand right):<br />
Lucy and Poppy<br />
recording the<br />
times.<br />
Year 13 GeographyClass to HakatereRiver<br />
Mouth<br />
On Tuesday03<strong>March</strong> College's Year 13 Geographyclass took atripdownto<br />
the mouth of the Hakatere River. Teacher Annie Lees said that, currently in<br />
Geography, students arestudying Coastal Processes and looking at coastal<br />
features like spits,and also the process of Long ShoreDrift (LSD).<br />
(Pictured right, back<br />
row,lefttoright):<br />
Estēe Aiolupotea,<br />
Josh Ackerley,<br />
Ryan Gosling.<br />
(Middle row,leftto<br />
right):Ronan Kenny,<br />
Jestena Raj,<br />
Harriet Leverton,<br />
Paddy Dekker.<br />
(Front row, lefttoright):<br />
Lachlan Kingan,<br />
Isaac Bazley,<br />
Henrik Tawatao.<br />
Themouth of<br />
the Hakatere<br />
(pictured left)<br />
shows well how<br />
Long ShoreDrift<br />
and the Hakatere<br />
Rivermoves<br />
sedimentalong<br />
the coastline.<br />
This visit wascompared against photos taken on 21 July last year when the<br />
riverwas in full flood,and theriverbed looked very different.