Sept 2015 Phoenix

FREYBERG PHOENIX
DIGITAL NE WSLE T TER, SEPTEMBER 2015
CONTENTS
Principals letter2
Sports3
Academic7
Cultural12
Social15
Notices17
Upcoming Events18
Important Dates19
FREYBERG
HIGH SCHOOL
Freyberg Street, Palmerston North 4414
Phone: +64 6 358 4971
Fax: +64 6 357 5377
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.freyberg.ac.nz
NOTICES
FREYBERG PHOENIX
From The Principal
Talofa, Malo e lelei, Namaste, Kia Orana, Bula and Tena Koutou
e te whānau.
hybridity, ecological vulnerability, wealth concentration, armed
conflict and the reconfiguration of economics and political
power require us to have new paradigm in education to prepare
students for a life in this global village.
The vibrancy of our school was well demonstrated on our
Open Night in the first week of term 2. It clearly showcased the
wide range of opportunities available at the school, our focus
on pedagogies that prepare our students for the future and the
energy and passion that our staff have for teaching. I would
encourage you to go onto our website and see the collage of
photos representing the evening. link
It was reassuring to see how well the New Zealand education
system was doing on some fronts but also clear that
establishing equity is our biggest challenge.
Property Developments
•
It is great to be finally back in our new Performing
Arts space with proper lighting and sound, changing rooms,
wardrobe and costume areas all linking to the hall, drama and
dance rooms.
•
The new Tiger Turf on the front courts is having the
finishing touches put to it and should be in operation when you
get this newsletter.
•
Building continues in E block as we develop modern
learning environments in Computing, English and Art.
International Principals’ Conference in Helsinki
I was very fortunate in the third week of term to join a
delegation of nine New Zealand Secondary Principals
attending this conference. There were 1400 Principals there
from 46 countries and an amazing range of speakers and
workshops. It also provided very valuable networking with
principals from other countries and to share how they are
preparing their students for our rapidly changing world.
I was particularly keen to go to Finland and to see first-hand
why they continue to top the PISA rankings. It is perhaps
interesting for us to reflect on how well regarded the teaching
profession is in Finland, how well trusted their professionalism
is by the government and employers and consequently how
reduced the assessment required is.
Heating
The burst pipes in the last week of the holidays has created
some cold early morning classrooms in which we have had to
put temporary fan heaters in but hopefully that is all resolved
now.
Communication
Please check our website regularly and have a look at our
Facebook page for an up to date record of what is happening.
Remember all teachers can be contacted by email if you have
any concerns and I am always happy to hear from you or meet
with you. Contact
Key speakers for me were Pasi Salberg, Andre Chaker and
Vanessa de Oliveira Andreoti. Two strong messages were
that firstly the education systems that are improving are
collaborative, creative, trust based and equitable while those
declining focus on standardizing tests, And, secondly, the
global challenges through increased migration, cultural
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SEPTEMBER 2015
SPORTS
FREYBERG PHOENIX
SEPTEMBER 2015
Sports Report (1/3)
It has been a while since the last
newsletter home and now our busy winter
sport season is fast drawing to a close.
This season has had some cancellations
due to some bad weather, which is the
first time we have had two weekends
cancelled out in one season. This has
meant that there has been a flurry of
catch up games.
Summer sport will be starting soon with
Volleyball starting in September and
touch, futsal, croquet and cricket starting
in Term 4. Athletics summer training
starts at the Massey Community track in
October through to April.
May saw the annual Manawatu Cross
Country race at Manawatu College where
our junior girls had a good showing
with the Allen sisters leading the way
of Dana Purdy, Peter Coxon and Emma
Smith won the team event and were
presented with a trophy. Congratulations.
coming in 2nd and 3rd helping Freyberg
Junior girls win their grade. Our junior
boys team came in third along with the
senior boys team. Our AWD athletes
were the winning team in their division.
Congratulations to all the students who
took part in this event. In June three girls
travelled to Dunedin in the snow and
ice to compete at the National SS Cross
country. In the Year 9 race, Caelan Allen
placed 18th and Frances Allen placed
43rd with Jess van Rynbach placed 62nd
out of 81 participants in very wet and
muddy conditions. Well done girls.
After nearly two years of fundraising, a
Freyberg rugby team travelled to the Gold
Coast in Australia in the July holidays to
compete at a tournament and enjoy some
exciting times at the theme parks there.
They all had a marvelous time and huge
thanks needs to go to the Bidois family
for their huge effort in ensuring that the
team had every opportunity to raise the
necessary funds to get to Australia.
During July Frances and Caelan Allen
and Jasmin-Marie Voermanek competed
at the NZ National Rollersports
Championships in New Plymouth where
the girls competed so well winning some
firsts, 2nds and 3rds. Well done girls.
For the first time, Kyrewood Equestrian
centre held an inter- secondary school
competition. Freyberg entered 8 girls who
all thoroughly enjoyed the day.
At the Manawatu Secondary School
Triathlon Champs, the Freyberg team
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We had our two annual sports exchanges
with Taradale High School and Kapiti
College. Unfortunately, Kapiti managed
to turn up at our school two weeks
early, then it was a mission to find an
alternative date. We finally managed to
arrange for the first Tuesday back after the
holidays, not a good idea as it turned out.
The students were still in holiday mode I
think and the boys from the Aussie tour
were still battered and bruised, so our
Kapiti Exchange was not a huge success
this year. The students all played well, but
just couldn’t do it!!
At the Taradale exchange, we travelled
to the Hawkes Bay and almost took the
trophy back home with us, but were
pipped at the post. The squash team
were terrific winning their games and
the 1st XV rugby boys beat the Kapiti 1st
66-10. The junior boys football worked
SPORTS
FREYBERG PHOENIX
SEPTEMBER 2015
Sports Report (2/3)
hard for the full game, only to lose on
penalty shootouts. Our girls hockey and
basketball came through with strong
games and wins to both teams – go girls!!
We have been working hard developing
a Netball Umpiring Squad at school and
with great help from Saskia the following
girls have achieved their umpiring
badges (Congratulations girls!!) Mykaela
Fairbairn, Tasha Picking, Tiana Moon,
Heidi Thomson
And Alicia Nelder-McCormick has
passed her Zones theory exam and has
been asked to umpire the Intermediate
schools final this year.
Zealand Junior Squash team and travelled
to Holland to compete in early August.
She got to play the world No. 1 which
was an amazing experience for her. Her
squash talent is taking her to some more
tournaments before the year is out. Well
done Kaitlyn!!
We entered a girls and boys teams in
the National Secondary School Squash
tournament held in Palmerston North
early August as we have two very talented
squash players, so this was a chance for
them to compete in a school nationals,
with it being a team event, we put some
of our more junior squash players in the
teams for experience. Cameron Foster
had a great tournament winning all his
games and Olli Dunn winning a few
also, the junior boys grew in confidence
and skill as the tournament progressed.
Kaitlyn Watts was in Holland competing
in the New Zealand Junior Squash team
and arrived back in NZ in time to play
from day 2, she won all her games and
helped cheer on our learner girl players
who also grew in skill and confidence.
Thanks to Grant Watts for helping coach
our students, it was much appreciated.
Our 1st XV Rugby team has been a strong
presence in the local competition and this
year we have the following boys selected
to the Manawatu U16 Representative
team – congratulations boys: Rawiri
Bidois, Bryan Arnold, Jordan RonayneRobinson, Tamatea Marsh and Tobias
Manuel.
The following students have also been
selected to Manawatu Representative
teams – Paige Charlton, Julie Smith
Charlotte Noakes and Liam Craw.
Congratulations to these students!
Kaitlyn Watts was selected to the New
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Our annual Central 6 junior one day
tournament took place on the 18th
August in Palmerston North, the day was
sunny which was a huge relief after so
many wet days. We had junior students
in netball, hockey, football, basketball
and rugby. Our hockey girls team won
their section of the tournament and our
boys hockey placed 3rd. Girls basketball
placed 3rd also, with our girls football and
our little rugby boys placing 4th. Overall
Freyberg placed 4th on the day. It was
amazing to see so many big boys playing
in rugby and basketball, don’t know
where these schools find these students,
but it certainly gives them an advantage!!
SPORTS
FREYBERG PHOENIX
Sports Report (3/3)
The annual national secondary school
winter tournament week saw us sending
girls and boys hockey teams to Taupo
and North Harbour to compete. Our
Girls Senior Netball team competed at
the LNISS Netball tournament here in
Palmerston North and our 1st XV rugby
boys played in Hawkes Bay. We thank
the coaches and managers for their
organisation of the teams. They enjoyed
their week of sport learning heaps and
representing our school with pride.
We ask parents to please keep us up to
date with any achievements that their
children have gained in their chosen
sports. We like to acknowledge these
students and of course this information
can be used for prize giving and
Manawatu sports awards. Our email
is [email protected]. Manawatu
Secondary Sports Awards entries are
now open and we are looking for full
the season. We provide these uniforms to
ensure that students are able to take part
in our sports teams and we need them
back for other teams to use. Thank you.
information from parents/students of
students’ high achievement in sports.
At the annual Wanganui Around the Lake
relay, our junior girls team of Frances
& Caelan Allen, Jess van Rynbach and
Nicole Costello placed 4th in a large field,
well done, great effort.
During Tournament week we had two
teams entered in the National Secondary
School Table Tennis nationals where our
team of Scott Lochhead, Kim Woosung,
Johnny Vuong and Tuarea Pere-Wetere
won their grade and the girls team
made up of Faith Molina, Sharni Taylor
and Samantha Lark placed 4th. Scott
Lochhead also won a bronze medal in the
U15 boys open. Well done to our teams.
Unfortunately, there is a down side to our
sports teams participation, and that is the
payment of sports fees. We are charged
fees by the sporting organisations who
run the many sports our students are
involved in and we must charge these fees
on. So PLEASE if you child plays sport
ensure that their fees are up to date. We
have automatic payment facilities at our
school to help with this. Sadly, if fees are
not paid, students will be unable to play a
sport until these are sorted. Contact us if
you have any queries.
Now that our winter sport is over, parents
please make sure your child’s sports
uniform is returned clean and complete
as soon as his/her sport is finished for
Rosemary and Saksia
Freyberg’s Sports Co-ordinators
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SEPTEMBER 2015
SPORTS
FREYBERG PHOENIX
SEPTEMBER 2015
Kapiti House Junior and Senior winning teams
Kapiti House Win Nail-Biting Interhouse Football Final
Dana on the way to winning the Intermediate Girls Race
Kapiti House have won the 2015
Interhouse Football competition, after
a nail-biting extra time, double penalty
shootout in the Senior Final.
Freyberg Cross Country Continues in Mud and Rain
Freyberg’s annual cross country had a few
extra obstacles as the weather added mud,
wind and sidways rain to the hills and
tracks as part of the local loop.
enough strong senior runners to come
first overall. Overall House Results: 1st
Manawatu, 2nd Tararua, 3rd Kapiti, 4th
Ruahine.
A record number of teacher’s participated,
with several running more than one race.
Regional athletic champions, Frances
and Caelan Allen easily came first and
second in the Junior Girls Race. Triathlete
Dana Purdy won her race shortly after
her cousin Theo took out the Junior Boys.
Amy Chamberlain and Netra Ghimire
won the Senior races for the second year
in a row.
Ironically, Ruahine House had the first
place runner in four of the six events, and
yet faded to last place, while Manawatu
House didn’t win any races but had
Race Winners
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Earlier in the day, the Kapiti House Junior
team avenged their pool-play loss to
Ruahine House by beating them 3-2 in
their final.
Junior Girls: Frances Allen (Ruahine)
Junior Boys: Theodore Purdy (Kapiti)
Intermediate Girls: Dana Purdy
(Ruahine)
Intermediate Boys: Soe Bai (Ruahine)
Senior Girls: Amy Chamberlain
(Ruahine)
Senior Boys: Netra Ghimire (Tararua)
The five a side, quick scoring indoor game
has been a popular lunchtime attraction,
with hundreds of people attending the
event.
As the final shot at goal was deflected
onto the post and away, Kapiti House’s
senior team ran together to celebrate the
close victory. Goal-Keeping hero, as well
as scorer of two goals in the final, Jake
Benseni had more reason to celebrate
View Gallery
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than most. Jake identified “solidarity” and
“working hard as a team” as the secret to
their success. The team is also notable for
it’s international flavour with Europeans,
Asians, and even an Australian in the line
up.
This win evens out the Interhouse
Competition rankings, with all three
houses making ground on front-runners
Manawatu House.
View Gallery
ACADEMIC
FREYBERG PHOENIX
Academic
Aiming for Stars, Landing in Awards
Jimmy Carter Quiz team
Tessa Hiscox recently received a
Distinction Award for her study of
luminosity variance in stars at the
Fonterra Science and Technology Fair.
The project however was only a stepping
stone in her ultimate goal of reaching
space camp in Alabama 2016.
Freyberg’s team pitted their wits against
other high school students in the region
again this year in the annual Jimmy Carter
Quiz. With a specialist topic this year
of “Weather and climatic conditions in
New Zealand”, there were plenty of tricky
questions, such as ‘what is the second
windiest city in New Zealand?’ No, not
Palmerston North; Invercargill!
The ambitious 15 year old astronomer
opted to do this project on top of her
usual school Science Program, and sought
mentoring through local experts like
Carl Knight from the Palmerston North
Astronomical Society. Fascinated by the
nature of stars whose size and brightness
constantly vary back and forth. The
project saw her camp out in her back
yard every night for two months, taking
light (luminosity) readings of her adopted
star named “UU Mus”. Tracking these
variations she accurately calculated an
11.6 day cycle for UU Mus, a member
of the Musca constellation. To start with
measurements would take up to two
hours a night, but her proficiency in
taking photometry readings gradually and
gladly increased.
Tessa has spent many hours illuminated only by
the moon.
speaking beginner Russian and diving
courses.
“It might seem strange for a teenage
girl, but space is what I’m into” said
Tessa passionately. “I find this stuff
so intriguing, and I’d love a career in
Astronomy. It is such an important field
of study for man-kind.”
This is one student who has taken the
school song “Whaia te Iti Kahurangi”
seriously – she is indeed “reaching for the
stars”.
Her long term goal is to win a scholarship
to Space Camp in Alabama, and she has
several other projects in mind as part
of this application. She has also started
accumulated ‘space camp skills’ like
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SEPTEMBER 2015
ACADEMIC
FREYBERG PHOENIX
Freyberg’s Own ‘Million Dollar Boy’
Floodgates Burst at Open Night
Freyberg Head Boy Ollie Dunn,
was recently made a member of an
international company’s top sales club.
Competing with fully qualified marketers
and sales people, the 17 year old is one
of only 13 New Zealanders to be chosen
for Dick Smith’s CEO Platinum Club
for selling over $1 million dollars a year.
This achievement is even more incredible
considering he has only worked part
time and only for the last nine months.
Added to these achievements is also the
fact that he is the youngest member of
Dick Smith’s CEO Platinum Club in all of
Australasia.
Freyberg Open NightWith more than 600
people in attendance, tour parties, class
rooms and even the hall were packed full
at Freyberg’s 2015 school Open Night on
Wednesday. Parents, Year 8s and more
than a few older students looking to
change schools got a taste of Freyberg’s
subjects, extra curricular groups, and
culture.
In between various school commitments,
Ollie was flown to Australia to receive
his awards, where he enjoyed five star
accommodation, renowned chefs,
banquets in the Sydney town hall, and
“lots of free stuff ”.
The talented young man, who
clearly already has numerous career
opportunities, actually hopes to use his
talents for the benefit of others. “Whilst
marketing is really cool and you can
make some big money, I want to make a
real difference in society, and contribute
back to community” said Ollie, whose
career goals are more noble – becoming a
police officer and working in Youth Aide.
SEPTEMBER 2015
Talking points included the Year 9
students bringing a digital device instead
of stationery, the four options Year 9s
could take and the various academies
catering to academic, sporting and
cultural talents.
Freyberg Head Boy Ollie Dunn with
Dick Smith’s Australasia CEO Nick Abboud
“I’d like to thank the school for being
flexible with juggling my school
commitments and to my teachers for giving
me the confidence to reach my potential.
Finally I’d like to thank my parents who
have always believed in me and supported
even if they disagreed with what I was
doing.”
Principal Peter Brooks welcomed parents
to the school at the start of the evening,
and talked about how Freyberg attempts
to be the best secondary school for each
of our students. Year 13 Student Leaders
introduced themselves, and talked about
their experience of the school. Student
run tour parties were then form. For
some the highlight of the tour was the
Carrot Cake in Food and Nutrition,
others enjoyed winning competitions in
Math and English departments, some
were excited about the skill in various
cultural groups.
A large pile of enrolments were submitted
by the end of the night, however there
are still spaces open, to Enrol at Freyberg
High School for 2016.
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Above: Top, Freyberg Open Night, Hall full.
middle, Freyberg Tour guides
bottom, Students working in Art department.
View Gallery
ACADEMIC
FREYBERG PHOENIX
SEPTEMBER 2015
Miss Yuile receiving her award
Language students gear up a Japanese presentation
for Open Night 2015
After-School Language Classes Begin for Years 6 – 8
Freyberg Continues to Attract the Best Teachers
Starting on the 20th of July, Freyberg now
offers term-long after school programmes
on Monday afternoons teaching either
Spanish and Japanese.
Graduation is a time to celebrate passing
a course. For some people, simply passing
isn’t enough. Miss Chloe Yuile who joined
Freyberg this year is one of those people.
Freyberg aims to be the best secondary
school for each of our students, and
training students to be bilingual –
especially at younger ages will expand
their understanding of language and
culture, as well as open up possible
opportunities in an increasingly global
job-market. With experienced and well
qualified teachers, these courses will
potentially allow students to advance to
NCEA Level 1 language courses earlier
than possible.
The courses start in Term 3, running from
3:45pm to 5:30pm, and costs $150 for the
10 weeks.
The first year English Teacher’s high
academic performance at Teacher’s
College, and her high performance on
the floor in her teaching practicums,
qualified her for Victoria University’s
Teacher Education Excellence award. This
places her in the top 20 of all education
graduates from 2014. Miss Yuile was
For more information download the
Languages Academy Brochure 2015, or
contact [email protected],
06 358 4971.
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completely blown away with this
achievement, not realising how much her
effort and determination had obviously
shone through during her time studying
education.
We look forward to watching Miss
Yuile’s progress, as well as the other fine
graduates teachers who have started at
Freyberg this year.
ACADEMIC
FREYBERG PHOENIX
SEPTEMBER 2015
The Freyberg Maatangi Whenua team; Charlotte Donald, Hannah Field and Gracen Graham.
Sai Natarajan recieves distinction, top 1% of digital technology students.
Maatangi Whenua Geography Competition
On Wednesday 12th August Freyberg
student, Charlotte Donald, Hannah
Field and Gracen Graham participated
in the annual, nation-wide geography
competition called Maatangi Whenua.
This competition is run by the NZ
Board of Geography Teachers and the
Geographical Society and was hosted by
Massey University and the local branch of
the NZ Geographical Society.
The Manawatu regional competition
consisted of 12 Teams from 8 schools. The
competition consists of teams of three
students working together to complete 8
tasks ranging from a traditional mapping
task to using playdoh to construct 3D
models through to interpreting satellite
photos of NZ’s landscapes.
Computing Department Receives Distinctions and New Doors
The Freyberg team were enthusiastic
participants who gave it their best shot to
succeed, but let’s just say that we achieved
a top 10 finish, which is good but not
as good as some other teams. St Peters
College, having been the bridesmaids for
a number of years took away the win for
the first time. It was great to watch, firsthand, the teamwork and focus the student
gave to this competition. Mr Collier,
the head of the Geography Department
would like to thank them and their
teachers for the commitment shown to
get prepared and involved this year.
Our warm congratulations go to all of
our ICAS award winners. Run by the
University of New South Wales, we had
several successes in this international
competition for top Digital Technology
students. Year 11 Sai Natarajan earned
a High Distinction grade, placing him
in the top 1% of Digital Technology
computer geniuses in New Zealand,
Australia and the Pacific. Well done also
to Jodie Markham for her Distinction
award, and to James Collinson, Cam
Bailey, Shannen Collins, and Joshua Gill
for their Credit and Merit awards.
Right, Animation by Gareth Bell – HOD Computing
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The Computing department is about to
become a bit nomadic, as our 60 year old
block undergoes major redevelopment
and we temporarily move some classes.
We are looking forward to the improved
teaching and learning spaces, with plenty
of new doorways.
Gareth Bell – HOD Computing
ACADEMIC
FREYBERG PHOENIX
SEPTEMBER 2015
SUPPORT MATHEMATICS
Our Support Mathematics sessions have
been operating all year, attracting over
200 students from all year levels. Students
voluntarily attend Support Mathematics
for a variety of reasons;
•
Mathematics on a Saturday
Yr 10 Mathex team
Saturday 1 August was the date for NZ’s
Next Top Engineering Competition.
This event attracted entries from teams
from all over the country and Freyberg
had an enthusiastic group of 3 senior
mathematics students involved in team
who used E1 & E2 as their Saturday
‘home’. At 9am on the day all the teams
were given the question “If a NZ student
uploads a video clip that goes viral, how
long will it be before 1% of the world’s
population will have seen it?” Teams had
until 6pm that evening to research (under
strict conditions), write and submit a
report limited to 10 pages. Throughout
the day contact was maintained with
the organisers and photos of teams at
work were uploaded to the competition
facebook site further adding to the
intrigue.
Junior Mathex teams
Manawatu Junior Mathex
Yr 12 Mathex teams
This year, two year 9 teams and one
year 10 team entered the Manawatu
Mathematics Teachers Association
Mathex competition, held in the Silks
Lounge at Awapuni racecourse on
Friday the 7th of August. These twelve
students had spent hours preparing to
pit their wits against more than 20 other
regional high school teams and, despite
no podium placing, they all performed
well and had an exciting and enjoyable
afternoon.
Yr 12 Mathex
Isa De Vries, Jacob Spillane, Lauren Gadd,
Maria Sokolova, Sophie Banks, Jonty
Reading-Robinson, Tyler Gifford-Moore,
Eric Barton, Lea Muetzel, Alexis Butcher,
Felix Binglethorne, Harrison Galloway.
After a successful inaugural event last
year the Manawatu Mathematics Teachers
Association again organized a Year 12
Mathex afternoon at Massey University.
Six of our students were involved. They
were Hamish Napier, Darragh Hunter,
Matthew Groenendijk, Siddharth
Venkatesh, George Naylor and Tony
Luong.
They found it really great to mix
with people of like minds from other
schools. Although the teams were not
represented amongst the prizewinners
the students had an enjoyable afternoon
and came away inspired to develop their
mathematical understanding further.
Well done to Ryan Huynh, Naeem Razali
and Siddharth Venkatesh for taking up
this challenge. They await the results of
their efforts.
The photo shows them at the completion
of the day with some of their work visible
on the board behind.
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Juniors and Seniors often come to
get further help with class work or
homework completion
Students come to gain confidence in
their ability to tackle problems
It’s a great place to get help with
topics missed through absence from
class
Seniors come to work through
practice tasks in preparation for
NCEA internal assessments
Students welcome the opportunity to
get assistance to prepare for school
and NCEA examinations
Students come along to develop
their skills prior to reassessment
opportunities
In all situations teachers are available to
assist one-on-one or in small groups in a
friendly atmosphere.
Students who have made Support
Mathematics part of their academic
routine, attending frequently, are already
reaping the academic benefits.
Support Mathematics takes place in E1
afterschool on Tuesdays and Thursdays
until 4pm, and during lunchtimes on
Days 1 & 3 and for Rumaki students at
lunchtime on Day 6 in C2.
CULTURAL
FREYBERG PHOENIX
SEPTEMBER 2015
Cultural
Wearable Art - Wings Spread | View Gallery
Freyberg Phoenix Wins Fantasy Evento
Year 13 student, Pip Littlejohn scooped
up three awards at the recent Evento
Wearable Arts competition. Her piece
was called “Resurrection” and based on
the Phoenix – one of Freyberg’s icons. “I
wanted it to look like it was rising out of
a fire pit, with massive moving wings.”
said Pip. She showed great dedication
to this vision spending over 150 hours
of designing, sewing, gluing then
redesigning.
The talented Design and Visual
Communications student started entering
the annual event in 2012 as a junior, and
this year assumed the extra challenge of
being her own model.
Year 13 Drama production, “The School Ball” by Alison Quigan
She won the Recycling Award, having
sourced her materials second hand, and
placed second in the Fantasy Category.
She was also Highly Commended in the
Hair and Makeup, category – the area of
study she plans to pursue when she leaves
Freyberg.
Congratulations to the Year 13 Drama
class for their outstanding production
of this New Zealand comedy. The play
revolves around six teenagers who are
getting ready for the night of their lives,
the Boys’ High Ball, and the hilarious
antics of their parents and teachers. There
were many highlights, which included
a scene at the hairdresser’s, a dodgy
suit hire guy, and a spectacular tango
performed by the cast and choreographed
by Larissa Dunlop (thanks!). It was truly a
night to remember!
“I’d just like to thank my Mum because
she has been a great motivation to finish
when I don’t feel like it”. Said Pip, “I’d also
like to thank Dad for his suggestions and
Lauren Russell for all the backstage help
and holding my awards.”
Mrs Darragh - Director
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CULTURAL
FREYBERG PHOENIX
SEPTEMBER 2015
Music Showcase in June
Music Report
Term 2 was an incredibly busy term for
members of the Music Department. We
supported a Hospice service, the Rotary
Youth Festival, changeover nights for
both Inner Wheel and Milson Rotary
with small performance groups, while
our jazz band performed at both a
Manawatu Jazz Club night and the annual
Jazz Festival. The concert bands have
also been busy performing at the school
Anzac service and in the Music Showcase.
There was one group and one solo artist
(Libby Offord) representing Freyberg in
the Smokefree Rockquest gaining a third
place and second place respectively.
We had four entries in the annual
chamber music festival, with 3 of the
groups gaining a merit award while
Insanely Saxy won the best performance
of a New Zealand composer as well as a
high commended award.
Daniel Hardcastle – Winner of the Reach for the
Stars Competition
The singers have also been busy with Bella
preparing for and performing credibly at
the Big Sing earning a highly commended
award. The junior singers performed for
the Red Cross volunteers’ afternoon tea
function.
Libby Offord – Second place at Rockquest Finals
with her original song
Freyberg Performers Dominate Regional Competitions
With a second and third placing in
the regional Rockquest finals and then
first placing in the reach for the stars
competition, Freyberg continued to show
why it is a leading arts school.
Band Camp was a highlight of the
term with 93 students taking part in
this activity. I would like to commend
the students on their behaviour and
participation over the three days.
Heavy rockers, Moral of a King lead by
Achilles Manley – whose long hair is
designed for dancing, were proud to take
out third place in the regional Rockquest.
The three month old band combined
lyrics about Colonial English Prejudice
with high energy punk rock to be crowd
favourites.
In Term 3 we have already performed at
6 schools and the Hawkes Bay Festival on
August 2nd in which we had entered 3
bands. Also this term the year 10 music
classes performed at the Julia Wallace
home.
13
Year 11 Libby Offord went one better
taking second place in the competition
with a song she wrote on her guitar.
Across town in the Reach for the Stars
talent competition, prodigious Freyberg
pianist and composer Sai Natarajan put in
an impressive performance however was
beaten for the honours by dancer, Daniel
Hardcastle. Having just graduated from
Freyberg’s dance academy, Hardcastle
won the ‘Most Promising’ award as well
as the Overall Winner for a total of $1500
prize money.
CULTURAL
FREYBERG PHOENIX
X-Factor stars pose with Freyberg Students after their concert
X-Factor and Teachers Rock Freyberg
In a week of concerts, stars from X-Factor
New Zealand came to Freyberg to
perform and meet our students. Then
a day later the Staff Lip Sync Girl Band
outperformed the Senior Girls in a Staff
vs Students Lunchtime Concert.
Hannah Wilson. Rockquest finalist Libby
Offord showed why she came second
in the local competitions with some
passionate singing. However it was the
teacher group claiming to be the Spice
Girls, who really made the crowd wild.
It was great to see X-Factor’s Stevie Tonks,
Sarah Spicer and Joe Irvine take time out
to meet some of Freyberg’s special needs
students before the concert. Joe was a bit
of a crowd favourite, being a face for the
anti-bullying message. The Manawatu
Standard even covered Freyberg’s
“Suit-Up Against Bullying” campaign.
Numerous photos were taken with the
trio before they were allowed to leave.
The events were funded and run by
student group Envirocom. Student
leader Grace Hall was delighted with
the turnout at the events. “We should do
these more often. They bring the school
together, show the talents of some of our
community, and are so much fun. This is
what makes Freyberg a great school.”
View Article online
The Staff Girl Band followed a well
choreographed Senior Student
performance, lead by the talented
14
SEPTEMBER 2015
SOCIAL
SEPTEMBER 2015
FREYBERG PHOENIX
Social
Eun and Josie see each other in their reflection during the sister school visit
View Gallery
Freyberg Visits Thai Sister School
“Try this Bird’s Chilli – the hottest chilli
in Thailand”, offered the smiling face to
a reluctant New Zealander, well aware
of the constant 35 degree temperature in
July. This was one of many memorable,
entertaining and foreign experiences
Freyberg students enjoyed from their
sister school trip to Thailand.
Maker Spaces
Freyberg Library games and activities
Maker spaces at Freyberg Library
Our library is more than books and
digital resources.
During the winter months we have
introduced a number of Maker Space
activities in the library at lunchtimes.
Maker Space is the ‘modern’ phrase which
simply means using a space for making
and creating. We have used our library
space for ‘retro-gaming’, Re-purposed
book craft and origami crafts where we
have made bookmarks from recycled
books and teeny tiny stars. The most
popular by far has been the retro-gaming
and it’s great to see a resurgence of ‘Chess,
Upwords, Monopoly and Cranium. Our
library is a space for all kinds of activities
and I invite students to suggest other
‘Maker Space’ activities they would like to
host or participate in.
Invited by Satrinonthaburi school
in Bangkok, nine students and three
teachers enjoyed the most delicious
of Thai fruits and curries, the most
impressive of its palaces and temples,
and the most lavish of Thai hospitality
for two weeks. Joining Satrinon’s English
program, students and teachers would
spend mornings immersed in English
language classes, and afternoon’s
experiencing Thai culture.
The trip was organised by Associate
Principal Wendy Jochem. “It is fantastic
for our students to be exposed to another
culture and be so well hosted by our
15
friends at Satrinon” said Mrs Jochem.
“These out of the classroom learning
opportunities are just wonderful for their
holistic learning, and developing their
own world-view”.
There are proposed trips to other schools
next year in Asia – particularly Vietnam ,
for another batch of brave explorers.
Usually reserved Ruahine house captain,
Daniel Mason described the trip as
“Marvellous. Simply marvellous. I got
on so well with my host-family, I’ll miss
them most of all.”
Head girl – Sarah Seumanu was delighted
with the trip. “It was a trip of a lifetime,
I’ll never forget it.”, “We were treated so
well by our host school and the local
students were so excited to get to know
us, and practice their English on us.” She
was also regularly asked if she was Thai –
her half Samoan blood confusing locals
into thinking perhaps she was their sister
after all.
SOCIAL
The Enchanté Ball
Classic Cars, Limos, and even a Fire
Truck, delivered glamourous girls and
sharply dressed boys to the Freyberg
Senior Ball 2015.
With an Enchanté Forest theme, ballgoers walked through rows of teachers,
before being welcomed by Principal Peter
Brooks.
Official photos were nearly as popular as
the self-printing photo booth, as students
took turns holding props and getting
their set of prints.
SEPTEMBER 2015
FREYBERG PHOENIX
More than Amazing
Dance goers frequented the iced punch
bowl, while hors d’oeuvres and sweets
were quickly nibbled on.
It’s not like the movies - luckily. We don’t
have the ‘jocks’ or the ‘nerds’ staying in
their own socially assigned areas. There
are no hierarchies and no one spiking the
punch. But we did have the Enchante; the
magic. Unlike other years we did have a
candy bar and a photo booth bringing
together the strength and joy of all
seniors and teachers.
As always, students of the senior council
organised the event, from food to
entertainment to security and hirage.
Lead by Head Boy Oli Dunn and Head
Girl Sarah Seumanu, the student leaders
were once again were organised, reliable
and on time. Well done also to the
Junior Council who served food, and
ran stalls while dressed in the Enchanté
Masquerade theme.
With just under 300 people in attendance
it was a successful night, one which we
owe to the hard work of every single
16
person in the ball committee. It’s known
as one of the highlights for our school
year which this year the standard “to
amaze” was reached and then set higher.
It’s a night to remember and just like
a movie you can keep your memories
forever by hopping on to Facebook and
checking out magicbooth.co.nz or buy the
professional photos as they come available
at school!
Poppy Davis - Student reporter
View Gallery
NOTICES
FREYBERG PHOENIX
SEPTEMBER 2015
Notices
Absenteeism
Many thanks to those parents who
ring in advance to explain their son/
daughter’s absence from school.
This communication frees school
administrators and deans to complete
more important tasks instead of
chasing students for explanations and
implementing consequences for truancy.
Some parents also access their child’s
attendance data on the portal http://
kamar.freyberg.ac.nz/student/index.php
and others receive a letter and a printout
of their child’s attendance because it has
fallen below 80%. There are some key
differences between these two displays of
data.
The portal data is immediate but
simplified; there are only 5 attendance
codes shown: P = Present, J = Justified
absence, U = Unjustified absence, L =
Late, O = Justified Overseas
A printout however, could potentially
contain the full range of codes (26 of
them!) used by the Ministry of Education
to specify the exact nature of a student’s
whereabouts in or out of the classroom.
The main difference is that on the portal,
U means an “Unjustified Absence” but on
the full attendance printout, U means
“Stood Down or Suspended”.
The Ministry also requires schools to
distinguish between “Justified” absences
(e.g. absences in the case of a bus
breakdown or family bereavement) and
“Unjustified” absences (e.g. absences to
provide child care for a sibling or because
it is the student’s birthday). No matter
how justified a parent thinks an absence
is, the school has to comply with the
Ministry of Education guidelines and use
the correct code.
NCEA Fees
NCEA Fee Reimbursement
The deadline for paying this fee was
Monday 31st August and any late
payments need to be sent directly to the
NZQA by the student and a $50 late fee
may apply.
Please note that results will not be
released by the NZQA to students who
have not paid.
A grant to reimburse NCEA fees is
available to students of Ngāti Kahungunu
ki Wairarapa or Rangitāne o Wairarapa
descent. If you think you may be eligible,
please contact the school office for an
application form.
Kia Ora from Whakatipuria
Teen Parent Unit
Kia-ora from Whakatipuria – Teen Parent
Unit
We had a fantastic day celebrating
Matariki. Highlights included the
Hangi, Waiata and making flowers from
harakeke.
We are looking forward to the annual
Teen Parent Netball Tournament which
we are hosting on the 16th September.
New Uniform Jacket
Yr 9 + 10 Polar-fleece Jacket is now
available for purchase from the school
shop.
17
A great time was had by all who attended
the school ball and those they did said
they especially enjoyed the crazy props in
the photo booth.
Thanks to Philippa and Marian for
being our judges for My Dessert Rules.
Congratulations to Samara who won first
place with her delicious Nutella and Oreo
cheese cake.
UPCOMING EVENTS
FREYBERG PHOENIX
Year 10 Activity Days
Year 10 Work Experience
November 25 -27
Thursday 19 November & Friday 20 November
th
th
As part of the Year 10 Social Science
programme and in conjunction with the
Careers Department all Year 10 students
undertake 2 days’ work experience on
Thursday 19 & Friday 20 November.
This programme is designed to give
students an opportunity to take a look
at historical trends in employment,
current career opportunities, qualification
structures and training, internet tools
for career planning, and the relationship
between school subjects and post school
options. The focus is on individual
strengths and career goals.
Work experience placements are
1. Adventure Combo’ (Foxton, Feilding)
Cost: $70.
2. Mt. Ruapehu Trip. Two nights in
accommodation. Cost @$200.
3. Tararua Tramping. Cost @$50. Two
nights in tents/huts. Bring your own food
and equipment.
4. Taranaki Tramping. Cost @$80. Two
nights in tents/huts. Bring your own food
and equipment.
5. Rock Climbing, Abseiling and
Caving (lower North Island) Cost @$150.
6. Horse Riding (Feilding). Cost $170.
The Year 10 activity days are coming up
near the end of Term 4 on November
25-27th. Students are also involved in
the Rumaki trip to Whangara, Sports
Academy trip to Rotorua, and the GATE
trip down the Whanganui River.
There are a range of trips for students to
choose from, covering a range of prices.
Students can choose from the following
eleven trips (if not involved in any of the
above trips):
Please check with your son/daughter/
student that they have made a choice of
trips so we can continue our planning.
Some trips costs have an @ (approximate
next to them) and we will keep to this
cost or less, once we finalise numbers and
consequently, booking prices.
7. Kayaking and Rafting. (lower North
Island) @$250.
SEPTEMBER 2015
organised by students with the help of
family, friends, and whānau teachers.
Students should approach employers in
an industry or field they are interested
working or studying in when they leave
school.
All forms and information will be sent
home before the school holidays allowing
time for placements to be confirmed with
employers well in advance of the work
experience dates.
Please email any queries to Helen Green,
Career Counsellor.
[email protected]
Choose 2016 Senior Classes
8. Outdoor Photography and Design
Camp. PN/School. Cost $55.
9. Harakeke Weaving. At school. Cost
$30.
10. Taranaki Beach Activities. Two
night’s accommodation. Cost @$250.
11. Health and Wellbeing. PN/School
Cost $50 (course is two days, final day
students join the Harakeke group).
(Left, top) Students attempt Adventure Based
Learning activities in 2014.
18
Option selections for 2016 were due Friday
18th September. An information evening
for Year 10 parentswas also held on the
14th September, informational materials
are provided below for reference.
•
When selecting options, we encourage
students to plan possible career pathways.
Students should talk to teachers, and
whānau to consider how their interests
and strengths lead onto career pathways.
Careers.govt.nz is an excellent website
for connecting interests with jobs –
particularly the Career Quest.
•
•
•
For information about each option
class download the full Senior
Option Booklet 2016 (PDF, 2.9MB)
2015 Year 10:
Year 11 Option selection sheet 2016
(PDF 500KB)
2015 Year 11:
Year 12 Option selection sheet 2016
(PDF 500KB)
2015 Year 12:
Year 13 Option selection sheet 2016
(PDF 500KB)
Paper copies of the above documents can
be found with Whānau teachers and in
the front office.
IMPORTANT DATES
FREYBERG PHOENIX
SEPTEMBER 2015
Important Dates
Thursday, 5 November
Gymnastics Champs
Tuesday, 8 December
Senior Prize Giving (no classes)
Thursday, 24 September
Music Academy Showcase
Friday, 6 November
NCEA Exams Begin
Teacher Only Day (no classes)
Thursday, 10 December
Principal’s Concert
Friday, 25 September
Last Day of Term 3
Tuesday, 17 November
Year 10 Tennis Competition
Monday, 12 October
First Day of Term 4
Thursday, 19 November
Year 10 Work Experience
Year 9 Tennis Competition
Tuesday, 22 September
Dance Showcase
Mufti Day - Coin or Gift
Thursday, 15 October
Promo Night for 2016 School
Production
Monday, 26 October
Labour Day (no classes)
Thursday, 29 October
Year 10 Exams
Friday, 30 October
Year 10 Exams
Monday, 2 November
Year 10 Exams
Tuesday, 3 November
Year 10 Exams
Wednesday, 4 November
Last Day for Seniors
Tuesday, 15 December
Junior Prize Giving (no classes)
Last Day of Term 4
Wednesday, 16 December
Summer Holiday Begins
Friday, 18 December
School Office Closes
Friday, 20 November
Year 10 Work Experience
Wednesday, 25 November
Year 10 Outdoor Education Trips
Year 9 Activities
Tuesday, 26 January 2016
Office and Student Centre open
Thursday, 26 November
Year 10 Outdoor Education Trips
Year 9 Activities
Friday, 5 February 2016
First Day of Term 1
Friday, 27 November
Year 10 Outdoor Education Trips
Year 9 Activities
Monday, 7 December
GATE Presentations
Senior Clearance Day
19
Important Dates Webpage
School Days Calendar
FREYBERG PHOENIX
WOULD YOU LIKE
TO BE A HOMESTAY
FAMILY?
Freyberg Highschool is looking for quality
homestay families, who can provide a
warm and caring environment for the
right international student. Homestay
families recieve a fortnightly payment.
If you are interested in being a homestay
family, we would like to hear from you!
Please ring the school : 3584971 Ext. 781 and
ask for Nicola or Sue, our Homestay Managers.
FREYBERG
HIGH SCHOOL
Freyberg Street, Palmerston North 4414
Phone: +64 6 358 4971
Fax: +64 6 357 5377
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.freyberg.ac.nz