NASA Trip
During the term 3 holidays, 28 Year 11-13 students embarked on a trip to Orlando, Florida to visit NASA.
During the week-long tour, we experienced what it was like to work in zero gravity, drove simulated Mars lander rovers, got up close and personal with some big rockets… as well as a bit of shopping and a couple of days at the theme parks.
Everyone had a wonderful time, some commenting that this trip was ‘the best thing I’ve ever done’.
Thanks to Mr Smith, Mr Cleland and Mrs Weaver.
Whare Champions News
This week the final Whare assemblies for 2023 were held. They were a chance to reflect, farewell leaders, and celebrate successes.
The Whare with the most to celebrate is Ōtanewainuku who were announced as champions for the third time in three years! At the end of Term 3 Ōtanewainuku had been in 3rd place, behind Manunui and Karewa who were tied for first place. However, with a flurry of events in the last week of last term there were points to be collated and added to official tallies over the break.
Once Swimming Sports points and Mental Health Week points were added, Ōtanewainuku ended up on 1st in front of their nearest rivals Karewa by a meagre 23 points! George Farrar was presented with the Whare Taonga; a toki, or adze, excavated from the College grounds that would have been used by the whenua of Ngati Ranginua as a gardening tool to till soil, to grow kai. This Whare Taonga now becomes the supreme award given to the winning Whare. It represents the tilling of the hearts and minds of our akonga so that they can grow in alignment with our kura and Whare values.
In recognition of the mighty Whare Ōtanewainuku winning the first three Whare competitions, the Whare Cup, which was presented to Zachaia Tarawa, will become the Ōtanewainuku Challenge Cup and will be held by whichever Whare won the latest challenge akin to the Ranfurly Shield. Mary-Ann Braddock was also recognised as she has been the staff mentor for Ōtanewainuku for the last three years. She will now step down from this as she steps into a new deaning role.
Ms Braddock, George Farrar, Zachaia Tarawa & Bella Ritai.
Māori Language Week Celebrations
Mahuru Māori is an important event on our calendar and we had a Teina Day celebration at school. Students had fun and they were involved in raranga, mau rakau and ki-o-rahi workshops.
We had a lot of whanau support and we’d like to mihi to the parents that came in to help run these wananga. Ma pango ma whero, ka oti ai te mahi!
Junior Art Exhibition
On Friday the 13th October, 5:30pm, the Art department invites the Ōtumoetai College Whanau to the Junior Art Exhibition being held in the People’s Art Gallery, the Incubator, at the Historic Village.
This event is a chance to showcase Junior artworks from a range of mediums from our top students and will be open to the public to view for a month on weekdays and weekends. There will be drinks and nibbles provided and the chance to also explore other exhibitions that are currently on at the Incubator.
