High School Corner

Poutama Day

Thank you to all parents, caregivers and students who attended interviews with form teachers or deans on Poutama Day. Feedback from all was encouraging and it was useful helping students to focus on their goals. There will be opportunities during the year for students to review the goals they set. If you are aware of an inspiring person/story, please let Mrs Goble know as we are always looking for speakers for our Poutama assemblies.

Parent teacher interviews

Reports have been posted for all students and senior students with parents and caregivers will have an opportunity to meet with teachers on Thursday 3 April from 7 to 9pm in the assembly hall. A booking sheet was posted with the reports.

Parents and caregivers of junior students will have an interview evening on Thursday 10 April from 7 to 9 pm.

Positive Behaviour for Learning - School Wide (PB4LSW)

Congratulations to Rachel Martin, Nikita Dorne, Matthew Kowalewski and Matthew Rine on their appointment as Positive Behaviour for Learning  Ambassadors. Their role as ambassadors in the PB4LSW team is to act as a student voice on the team and to put forward a student perspective on the promotion and development of PB4LSW in our school and the wider community. We look forward to working with them.

Interview evening

Interview evening and reports.
Parents and caregivers of senior students are invited to attend an interview evening on Thursday 6th October from 5 pm to 7.00 pm in the assembly hall. Interview sheets will be posted on Thursday along with the school newsletter.
The school will be posting out Graduation Report 4 to all junior students on Thursday along with the school newsletter. Parents of Junior students will have an interview evening on Thursday 27th October.

Congratulations
• Laureen Cox (Y12) competed in the TSSSA cycling champs on Sunday September 4 in Lepperton. She rode in a mixed team with NPBHS and NPGHS around a 16km course and placed 3rd in the senior girl’s individual time trial event around a 16km course.
• To Crystal Melville-Grace (Y13) who came third in the Taranaki Foodstuffs Checker of the Year competition recently.
• Taranaki Zone Chess Championships held recently with the following results for our students. James Burt 1st place Gold; Tayla Corbett 2nd place Silver, Top Girl Gold; Cameron Luckhurst 3rd place Bronze. With fourth member Rowan Meads the team won the Top team Gold medal as well. They are currently waiting on confirmation for their place in the Chess Power Interschool National Championship to be held in Auckland on October 4th.

Poutama
We were recently privileged to have Shane Jordan as a guest speaker at our Poutama assembly. A Stratford High School old boy, Shane Jordan has been chopping since he was 15 years old. He told us that he developed an interest when Bruce Reichardt from Douglas was training some young guys at school.

When he left school, Shane trained as a helicopter engineer and went to work in Taupo. He was fortunate to have a great coach and mentor who spent his days sourcing wood for Shane to chop. Shane stressed the importance of surrounding yourself with people who believe in the dreams you have for yourself. Shane cuts hundreds of training logs, spends many early mornings at the gym and late nights adjusting and perfecting his equipment. This training ensures he is physically and mentally prepared. He has kept very many people in firewood along the way.

He has competed and represented NZ in the USA, Spain, Austria and Australia. He has held numerous titles throughout the North Island and was also a member of the NZ team which set a new World record in Austria. He showed us a video of how he achieved his goal of competing in the American Stihl series. Shane told us he was planning an attempt at a New Zealand record in Inglewood in a few weeks’ time. We have since learned that he achieved his goal. In the standing block he carved close to two seconds off the previous record, set in 2005, of 18.63s. Shane's mark is 16.64s.

Shane’s advice for our students was that they can do anything they want to if they believe in themselves and set their mind to it.
P H Keenan
Principal

Latest News and sporting success

Relay 4 Life
The team of 125 students and staff are gearing up for the 24 hour relay 4 life on Saturday and Sunday. This year’s fundraising has gone smoothly with students excelling at gaining donations. The quiz night was well attended and the Easter egg raffle was won by Rowena Dyer, Sarah Mako and Simon Bailey. We look forward to a great weekend with a final total to be announced next week.

Poutama Day Thanks
Thank you to all parents, caregivers and students who attended interviews with form teachers or deans on Poutama day. We encourage you to have regular conversations about Poutama with your son or daughter.

Reports
The first junior graduation report and senior interim reports will be posted out to parents and caregivers over the next two weeks. There will be an interview evening for each group of students.

Congratulations
Basketball success
Blake Cheer, Alex Taikato, Dayle Bailey and Will Rohe will be playing in the Taranaki Country Basketball team in the Basketball New Zealand Zone 3 Under 17 Regional tournament in New Plymouth on April15-17. This will qualify the team for the nationals held in June.
Coach Angelo Hill

Swimming Success
Ryan Cooper had a successful trip to the National Age Group Championships in Wellington at the beginning of this month. He broke the Taranaki record and became the National Champion in the 14yrs boy 200m Backstroke, for which he was given a Gold medal. He also gained Silver in the 1500m Freestyle, Bronze in the 100m Backstroke, 5th in the 100m Fly, 7th in the 400m Freestyle and was 9th in the 50 Backstroke. These results mean that Ryan is currently ranked 6th overall in the country for 14year old boys.

Mr P H Keenan
Principal

Poutama Day, Student Council announced.

 A newsletter was sent home with students on Wednesday 9th March.

Poutama Day

Thursday 17th March is Poutama Day where all parents and students meet with teachers or Deans to set goals for the 2011 academic year. Your son / daughter should have arranged your interview time which will be confirmed in a letter to you this week. Mr Keenan is encouraging all students to set three goals; academic, personal and community. We look forward to meeting you on Poutama Day, 17th March 2011.

  

Student Council Announced
The 2011 student council was elected last week and elected members received their badge at Monday’s assembly. The reps are:
Amess House: Daniel Stieller, Laura Lambkin, Alex Taikato, Mhirron French.
McAllister House: Shade MacKay, Hayden Hendry, Josh Hunger, Kyle Stewart
Trimble House: Matt Simpson, Cameron Johnson, Faith Fleetwood, Jayde Nahi

Tyrer House: Logan Marks, Harmony Blake, Lewis Marchant, Shayna Heal

 

 

Congratulations

 Congratulations and thanks to all the students who participated in the recent school swimming sports. Amess House were the winners on the day while the Year 13 vs staff relay was hotly contested and narrowly won by the staff with a minimum of adherence to the rules. Trophies will be presented at an assembly later this term.

 Joshua Robins won the High Point Senior Youth Trophy at the American Quarter Horse Nationals. He also won the Senior Youth Reining competition and had numerous other placings during the event.

 Ryan Cooper: won the 200m backstroke with a record time at the NZ National Age Group Swimming Champs last week. As well, Ryan was a member of the winning Taranaki team in the 5 x 50m that set a new Taranaki relay record.

Congratulations to all students who took part in the TSSSA Beach Volleyball at Ngamotu on Sunday. The senior boys played well and were runners-up in the senior boys’ fours.

Congratulations to Simon Terry who was nominated as the Volunteer of the Month for the Lake Rotokare Restoration Trust.

 

Mrs Rachel Neild, who was a member of the Canterbury Masters Hockey team, that won gold at the recent NZ Masters Tournament in North Shore. Mrs Neild has also been selected as a reserve for the NZ Masters team.

Mr P Keenan, Principal


 

SHS Ball Committee requests help!

The ball committee are asking the community for assistance.
Do you have any ferns, pungas, trees, fairy lights, pinecones, solar lights we can borrow or hire for our ball. The ball committee need you to get in touch as we are having an enchanted forest ball and would appreciate any help with the objects listed above.
Please contact the SHS ball committee by 4th June at 765 6039 or email mail@stratfordhigh.school.nz. Many thanks from all our students for your assistance.

Poutama May Form Challenge

Since our Poutama goal setting initiative began three years ago we have, from time to time been fortunate to have inspirational guest speakers address the school family in assembly and recently Olympic champion board sailor, Barbara Kendall spoke to the school. A fortnight later we held an inter form class quiz based on what she had shared with us and form MJ, ably lead by their form teacher, Joan McLellan won the prize for the best result. Congratulations MJ!

SPARC Sports Ambassador

SPARC Sports ambassador, Barbara Kendall was at SHS on Tuesday this week to motivate and challenge sports leaders from secondary schools within south Taranaki. Barbara who has been a sports ambassador for 13 years, motivated, challenged and inspired students to unlock their potential in their minds so that they could use their abilities to follow their dreams and goals and achieve. Thinking positively, Barbara was an Olympic and World Champion windsurfer, went to five Olympics and gained a set of Olympic medals. She discussed with students the importance of setting goals and working through road blocks that occur during training and game times.

Each secondary school in Taranaki had the opportunity to send 4 or 5 sports leaders to hear Barbara speak and she spent yesterday at Sacred Heart Girls College with students from the north Taranaki schools. Junior sports leaders will have an opportunity later this term to hear Cory Hutchings on May 18th at NPGHS. Barbara will once again be back in Taranaki to speak to sports captains and elite sports people on the 25th May at Spotswood College.

Before she left SHS Barbara spoke the whole school and showed how having a dream at 10 years old resulted in her appearances on the Olympic and world stages. Students were impressed with her enthusiasm and encouraged by her to set goals and follow dreams.

Photo caption:

Olya Albot, Barbara Kendall, Kelly West

Zack Taitoko, Taylor Bailey

High School Corner

High school corner for Thursday 25th March 2010
Poutama Day
Thank you to all parents, caregivers and students that attended interviews with form teachers or deans on Poutama Day. Feedback from all was encouraging and it was useful to assist students to focus on a few goals rather than many. If you are aware of an inspiring person/story please let Mrs Potter know as we are always looking for speakers at our Poutama assemblies.

Newsletter
A newsletter will go home next week with all students. Check out the school blog on www.shsinfo-centa.blogspot.com for weekly happenings.

Congratulations
• To all students who participated in the Relay 4 Life over the weekend. Tracy Kivell did an amazing job of organising students into teams and our four batons were continuously on the track. A total donation has not yet been finalised but Mrs Potter reports that it will be close to $4000 this year.
• At TSSSA Swimming on Tuesday the school team received 13 places in various races. Many thanks to staff and parents who support this event.
• TSSSA Rogaine, Triathlon and Orienteering are events we are waiting to hear results from. Our Rogaine team was the biggest team with over 80 students taking part in this annual event.

Interview evenings
Parents of senior students will be making appointments to see teachers for the report evening on Wednesday 31st March from 7pm. If you do not have an appointment sheet please contact the student office, between 8.30 am and 3.30 pm.
Junior parents will be able to meet with teachers at an appointment only evening on Thursday 23rd April from 7pm – 9pm.
P H Keenan
Principal

News of the Week

Athletics sports
Athletics sports will be run on Tuesday 2nd March on the school athletics track. Prelims have been held in a number of track and field events so parents come along for an exciting day of competition. students support your house – bring your colours along.

Beach volleyball success
Congratulations to the Junior Boys pair of Alec Tolland and Ryk Ferguson who won this section on Sunday 21st February. This is one of the biggest events in the TSSSA calendar and is held at Ngamotu beach each year.

Poutama – stairway to success
Once again this year, all students and staff will be involved in Poutama, “Stairway to Success”. The purpose of Poutama is to encourage all students to set realistic, manageable and attainable goals in their academic and personal lives. A major focus for SHS in 2010 is raising student achievement. The program involves all members of the SHS community: students, parents/caregivers and staff. Together, goals will be set and ways of reaching these goals will be explored.

On Thursday March 18 the day will be devoted to this program. Interviews will take place from 8.45 am to 3.30 pm. This week your student will be bringing a form home for you to complete and return detailing your preferred time for the interview. We look forward to meeting with you and working with you in supporting your child’s success and development at our school.

Newsletter
A newsletter will be given out to students and posted on the school website later this week. Also check out the school blog on www.shsinfo-centa.blogspot.com for weekly happenings.

SHS Triathlon
The school triathlon was run on Tuesday this week. The results will be on the school website next week and certificates presented at assembly later this term.

P H Keenan
Acting Principal