Week Ahead: Week 6, Term 3
Monday, 30 August – Sunday, 05 September
Headmaster’s Message
Tenā koutou e te whānau
As announced by the Prime Minister New Zealand, south of Auckland’s boundary, will move to Alert Level 3 at 11.59pm on Tuesday. Primarily, Alert Level 3 means that schools will largely continue to deliver learning via an online learning platform. Napier Boys’ High School will be open to Year 9 and 10 students who cannot be supervised at home by an appropriate person. For example, students whose parent/caregiver are essential workers and not at home. Students who attend will be engaged in supervised distance learning and will operate in a safe school bubble. Detailed information about what is involved in Alert Level 3 can be found below, and on the government’s Covid-19 website.
Our staff care about the learning outcomes of all students. They are aware of how important it is to engage students in their learning and how difficult this can be in an online environment. Time will not be on our side as the Lockdown continues, so what students do now matters. The uncertainty we face in the weeks ahead may well mean that the senior benchmark examinations, scheduled to be held at the end of the term, could be used to assess final results if NCEA external examinations cannot proceed. If we remain in Lockdown at Level 4, or 3, and the benchmark examinations cannot occur, the work done during these weeks will contribute to eventual results.
As previously mentioned, we appreciate your support in minimising the impact of this lockdown on learning. Sadly, we have students who have still not engaged. If there is a valid reason for this please connect with a member of staff, so that we can support your son in any way possible. If there is not, then please continue to support us by discussing the significance of maintaining routines with your son, as quickly as possible.
Lockdown has not only affected student academic learning but has also reached beyond the classroom, with the cancellation of Winter Tournament week. Many of our boys, supported by their families, were looking forward to representing our school with pride and commitment. For some winter sports it is the pinnacle event, where all the time, effort and training is put to the test. So, it is disappointing that these tournaments have, for absolutely valid reasons, been cancelled for the second year. I feel for our students, for our families, our coaches, and specifically our Year 13s, as we accept the reality of another consequence of Covid-19.
We must remain focused on ensuring that each young man at Napier Boys’ High School has every opportunity to feel cared for (Manākitanga), and that he is encouraged to make every effort, through these days. I have spoken to the boys about the virtue of being the best that they can be, in all aspects of life and about enhancing their mana. At this time, our young men must recognise the need to have the courage to do the right thing, the courage to commit to working with us to maximise their opportunity to continue learning, even in these difficult circumstances. Our motto reflects our approach, “Me tika te mahi, kia mataara. Do right and fear nothing. Justum perficito nihi timeto.”
We appreciate your support. We must, now, continue to share this opportunity to work together, as a school community, to face the challenges of our situation, as a whānau, and to respond to any and every situation with shared courage and determination.
We can do this working together
He waka eke noa
Ngā Mihi
Jarred Williams
Headmaster
Head Boy’s Message
Watch James Rawnsley’s message to the boys’ on Facebook
Year 9 Enrolment, 2022
Under Alert Level 4 we are continuing to take online enrolment. Families that are unable to enroll online can still submit the paper enrolment to their intermediate / contributing school.
We will be offering prospective students and families personalised tours. These can be booked here: nbhs@nbhs.school.nz Personalised tours will start when we are at Alert Level 2.
We appreciate you sharing this information in the community.
Student Wellbeing
Remember that we are here to help through this difficult time. As mentioned in earlier communication, our support team can be accessed if the need arises. Rob Silver or Tracy Courtney can be contacted on 021 1094820 or by emailing wellbeing@nbhs.school.nz Also, this is a reminder that the 1737 call-line is available if anyone in our wider community needs to talk to a trained counsellor.
Transition to Alert Level 3
As indicated by the Headmaster, we will move to Alert Level 3 from Tuesday, 21 August at 11:59pm. Under Alert Level 3 the school will be open, exclusively, to Year 9 and 10 students who cannot be supervised at home by an appropriate person. For example, a student whose parent / caregiver is an essential worker. Students who attend school under Alert Level 3 will be engaged in supervised distance learning. Guidelines from the Ministry of Education can be accessed here: https://www.education.govt.nz/covid-19/advice-for-schoolskura/guidance-for-schools-for-alert-levels-1-4/further-guidance-for-schools-for-alert-level-3/
Onsite Alert 3 Level supervised distance learning will run 9:15 am – 2:30pm. Students are required to bring their own device, snacks, lunch, and a drink.
At Alert Level 3 the school office will remain closed.
Please let the school know by Monday, 30 August if your son will be attending onsite during Alert Level 3. This will enable us to organise staffing. Please email Mr B Smith, Deputy Headmaster, bsmith@nbhs.school.nz
Mid-Term Break
The Term 3 mid-term break was scheduled for Monday, 06 September. In light of the move to Alert Level 3, this will now be a ‘normal’ school day. Learning will take place online, as per the Digital Learning Timetable. The school will open on this day to the related Y9 & Y10 students, as per the above Ministry guidelines. We will update the school community as this situation evolves.
New School Video
We have created a new series of school videos. The latest school video captures activities from across Term 1 – Term 3, in and out of the classroom. It does include a number of your sons, especially the Y9 group. You can view the new video here:
Upcoming Events – Stay Informed
We will continue to review upcoming local events. It is too early to determine how some local events may be impacted. We will continue to push out updates via the School App and by email, where applicable. We appreciate your adoption and use of the School App. The School App does enable us to send out information and updates in a timely manner. As we have collectively experienced through the past week Covid-19 Alert Level updates are not necessarily Monday – Friday, 9 am – 5 pm.
Progress Reports
Progress Reports are emailed to parents / caregivers twice a term. The most recent progress report was emailed today, Friday, 27 August. If you did not receive your son’s progress report please contact Mrs J Gourdie jgourdie@nbhs.school.nz to update your contact details.
If you have any questions or concerns about the grades and results reflected in the Progress Report, please contact your son’s tutor or subject teacher.
KAMAR Parent Portal
A reminder that parents / caregivers can access results and school reports through the KAMAR Parent Portal. Log-in details were posted by mail at the start of the school year. If you have difficulty accessing the portal, please contact Mrs J Gourdie jgourdie@nbhs.school.nz
You can access the KAMAR parent portal here: https://kamar.nbhs.school.nz/
Senior NCEA Internal Assessments
The due date for any senior internal assessment that is due at Alert Level 4 or Alert Level 3 may be renegotiated as necessary on a case-by-case basis. We will make every effort to ensure no student is disadvantaged. The NCEA’s flexibility is its strength. Schools can adapt how they deliver NCEA to reflect their environment – including distance learning where necessary. The resources and information NZQA have previously provided to support assessment and the gathering of valid, standard-specific evidence can be found here: https://www.nzqa.govt.nz/about-us/publications/newsletters-and-circulars/covid-19-updates/teacher-resources-for-assessing-during-covid-19/ and on the related subject pages: https://www.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/subjects/
School Benchmark Senior Examinations
The school benchmark senior examinations are scheduled to commence Thursday, 23 September. The benchmarks run through to Friday, 01 October. This is Week 9 & 10, Term 3. Students should continue their preparation for these benchmark examinations.
If a student is unable to complete their external NCEA examination(s), and requires a derived grade, we do use their result(s) from the school benchmark examination. If by chance the school benchmarks are unable to proceed we do have, for the most part, alternate opportunities to generate a derived grade.
NCEA External Examinations – Date Change
As you may have already heard, NZQA has announced that the NCEA and NZ Scholarship examinations have been moved back two weeks. The examinations will now commence on Monday, 22 November and finish Tuesday, 14 December. The changes to assessment dates apply to all students. The changes give students and schools more time to prepare for the end of the year assessments.
The NCEA Level 1 Mathematics Common Assessment Task (MCAT) will be delayed for two weeks.
NCEA subjects, like Design and Visual Communication, where students prepare a portfolio instead of undertaking a final examination will have the due date for their portfolio pushed back by two weeks.
The updated 2021 National Secondary Examination Timetable can be found here: https://www.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/ncea-exams-and-portfolios/external/national-secondary-examinations-timetable/
Course Selection 2022
Course selection packs were distributed earlier this term for students going into Y10 – Y13 in 2022. The packs include details related to completing course selection through the KAMAR Parent Portal. https://kamar.nbhs.school.nz/index.php
Thank you to the students and families that have made their selections. This does help us to plan for 2022. We would appreciate any students / families that have not made their selection doing this via the KAMAR Parent Portal. If you are unable to do this online, please contact your son’s dean.
National Winter Sports Tournaments – Update
School Sport NZ, in conjunction with its sport partners, have announced the cancellation of all sanctioned events on its calendar through to Monday, 06 September. This includes all events scheduled within the Winter Tournament Week window. This is a regrettable yet understandable decision.
Cornford Cup
The Cornford Cup road race, the last inter-house competition for the year, was run Tuesday, 17 August. It seems an eternity ago, now. For some students this was an opportunity to contribute house points. For others it was an opportunity to run some very slick times. In particular, the Y9 & Y10 placegetters were very impressive.
Congratulations to Scinde House on taking out the final inter-house competition for the year.
House
1st Scinde
2nd Napier
3rd Clyde
4th Hawke
Individual
Y9
1 Sam McHale (2nd overall)
2 Saul Barker
3 Charlie Schaw
Y10
1 George McHardy (1st overall)
2 Max Wildbore (3rd overall)
3 Connor Harvey
Y11
1 Logan Margerison
2 Quinn Redpath
3 Charlie Nash
Y12
1 Finn Barker
2 Harvey Trent
3 Jonty von Dadelszen
Y13
1 Nate Anderson
2 Gene Court
3 Tom McFetridge
