Week Ahead: Week 10 Term 4
Monday 11th December – Sunday 17th December
End of Year Organisation
We will be finishing at the earlier time of 1:10pm on Monday, 11 December. Buses will depart at 1:20pm. Feeder buses will still run at the normal time.
Our final celebration of the school year, the Junior Prizegiving, is Tuesday, 12 December. The Junior Prizegiving will commence at 10:30am. Parents/whānau should arrive at 10.15am. This is the last day of school for Y9 & Y10s.
Following prizegiving, Parents / whānau of prize winners will receive a link to photographs taken on the day.
We will have a late start on this day. Y9 & Y10 students will go to their first class, starting at 9:00am. Students will be dismissed following the prizegiving. Buses will depart at 12:00pm.
Holiday Wishes
Next week we will send out an end of Term newsletter. As this is the final Week Ahead for 2023, we would like to take the opportunity to wish our community a relaxing and enjoyable holiday season.
The next Week Ahead will be sent Friday, 26 January 2024. We look forward to welcoming everyone back in 2024.
BYOD Recommendations
In 2024, all year levels will use a blended learning model. This means using the right ‘tool’ at the right time, just like a modern workplace. At times, your son will be using a laptop for his learning. At other times he will be using a pen and paper.
We are mindful of the financial cost associated with purchasing and maintaining a device. Similarly, we are conscious of a device’s longevity. For many families and students, it may be advisable to carryover their current laptop from Y8 and purchase a new device as they move into the senior school.
If you do intend to purchase a laptop ahead of your son starting in 2024, we encourage you to select a mid-range product that, hopefully, lasts through to the end of their secondary schooling. A mid-range device should have the following minimum specifications:
- 8-hour battery life
- i5 processor
- 13-inch screen
- 8 Gb ram
- 250 Gb hard drive
The device when purchased should come with Microsoft Windows Home Edition.
The school will provide a license for Office 365. The school does not consider a cell phone as a device for learning and should not be used instead of a laptop.
The security and maintenance of the device is the responsibility of the student. We encourage you to engrave or label the laptop with your son’s name. The laptop should be stored in a protective bag or sleeve. You should ensure that the device is covered by your personal insurance.
You can purchase directly through New Era if you wish, information can be found here.
Start of Year 2024
We can confirm the following dates for the start of school in 2024.
Monday 29 January Y12 / Y13 course confirmation
Tuesday 30 January Pōwhiri – Y9, Y13 & other students new to school
Wednesday 31 January Y9 & Y10 – Y12
Thursday 01 February Full school. First day of timetabled classes
Friday 02 February Full school. Timetabled classes
Monday 05 February Full school. Timetabled classes
Tuesday 06 February Waitangi Day
We are moving to a digital / live calendar in 2024. This will be accessible for parents / whānau via the KAMAR Parent Portal and School Bridge.
More information about the start of school and digital calendar will be made available in the coming weeks.
Junior Reports & Accessing Results
The final junior report will be emailed to parents / caregivers in Week 10.
A reminder that parents / caregivers can access results and historical school reports through the KAMAR Parent Portal. Junior exam results are accessible here.
You can access the KAMAR parent portal here: https://kamar.nbhs.school.nz/ or via the School Bridge app.
