Latest news - Teacher Only Day

Teacher only day
With the recent Ministry of Education announcement for professional development days, SHS will be having a teacher only day on Monday July 11th. This means that students will not be required at school.

Year 8 Open Evening
The school will be open for Year 8 students and families to visit. The SHS Assembly hall will be open from 5.00pm with the evening to commence at 5.30 pm. Tours of the school will be followed by supper provided by the Australian Netball Touring team.
Members of the community are welcome to attend to have a look at our school.

Junior graduation excellence
The second junior graduation report has been sent to parents and two top students were found. Rachel Martin in year 10 scored 100% while closely followed by Joshua Hunger (99%) and Tayla Corbett (98%). In year 9 Sarah Kowalewski scored the top mark of 99% while Jacinta Frost and Monica Jones were close behind on 98%. Congratulations to all students who received a merit or excellence mark.

Senior reports on the way
Teachers are completing senior reports after the recent assessment week. These reports will be posted out next week and an interview evening will be held on July 13th in the assembly hall.

SHS Rockquest
The SHS Rockquest band “Peregrine” gave a good performance on Saturday afternoon but unfortunately were not selected for the final performances that evening. Well done to the band and to those who supported them on the day.


TSSSA Sports seminar for adventure racers

Four SHS senior students Sarah Rohe (Maadi Cup Rower), Laureen Cox (Flanagan Cup Ocean Swim winner and road cyclist), Matt Simpson (cross country and Triathlete) and Cameron Johnson (basketball rep) travelled to Opunake High School to join with the successful Opunake High Hillary Challenge team for a seminar with Nathan Fa’avae, World Champion Adventure Racer.
        To start the students thinking he wrote on the whiteboard, “Diminishing in Comparison”, very relative when Nathan started to tell us of his team competing in many far regions of the world. With world titles since 2002, his team competes in races of over 700 kms in length, over vast terrain, from kayaking to mountain biking. Anything that is physically man made can be added to the five day programme. In this extreme sport completing is everything, especially when only 10% of teams finish.
        During the day students looked at goal setting and motivating influences in their chosen sports, especially those designed to get them over the road blocks and walls. An amazing insight into the mental aspects of our own sports at high school level right up to coping at international level. Researchers state that it takes 10,000 hours to be an expert at anything, Nathan reckons his often six hour training runs and mountain bike events certainly cut into this time.
       For the frequent couch sitter, the adventure racer competing on the world stage seems totally crazy with how far they push the human body. But Nathan Fa’avae enjoys the challenge of not being normal and has the world titles to prove this.

TSSSA Boys Golf Championships
The SHS team of William Arnold, Kyle Cook, Stein Caskey and Jahvis Gotty completed at the Stratford Golf course on Friday 17th June. Congratulations to Stein Caskey had the best Nett score on the day with 65. A fine effort as Stein has played consistently well in the inter-school Southern competition in the first term where SHS narrowly missed the winners podium.


P H Keenan
Principal

Weekly news

Parents taking students out of school
This is a perennial concern that raises its head regularly throughout the year. Parents have every right to withdraw their student for good reason. It does, however, become an issue when parents expect work to be set while their student is out of school. The general guidelines are as follows:

• If a student (at whatever level) has a serious illness and is expected to be off school for an extended period then we will most certainly set work and assist in their education as much as we can while they are convalescing.

• If parents decide to take extended holidays to benefit from lower fares and rates, then the school takes a slightly different view. While parents can withdraw their student on such occasions, students must take responsibility for the work they will miss by individually approaching their teachers to find out what work they should do in order to catch up.

These are just general guidelines and commonsense must prevail. Parents must always send a letter at least a week prior to the expected absence to The Principal, Mr Keenan to ask permission to take their student out of school. I ask that if you have any concerns about these guidelines. Please do not hesitate to contact me.
Mr P Keenan
Principal


Careers news
Victoria University Information evening Follow this link http://www.stratfordhigh.school.nz/careers/index.html
Faculty of Engineering, University of Auckland Information Evening
New Plymouth: Monday 15 August, Quality Hotel Plymouth International from 6.30pm to 8.30pm
You can link to http://www.engineering.auckland.ac.nz/uoa/home/events/template/event_item.jsp?cid=393416 for more information and the registration form (which will be up shortly).

Latest Newsletter
The latest newsletter has been sent home to parents and caregivers of junior students. Senior students without a junior sibling will receive a newsletter on Friday 10th June. A copy can also be viewed on the school website. http://www.stratfordhigh.school.nz/newsletter/index.html#1