News

School derived grade examinations will run in Term 3 from Friday 1 September (please note this is the end of winter tournament week) to Friday 8 September.

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The 2023 NZQA examinations will run from Monday 6 November until Thursday 30 November.

25 November 2022
 
 
Re: Tower Block Remediation Project
 
We would like to take this opportunity to inform our school community of  remediation work occurring at Wellington College and the impact that it may  have on the Wellington College community. We have worked closely with the  Ministry of Education to ensure that we are well placed to continue to offer  engaging and rich learning experiences for all.
 
Below is a summary of the key points contained in this document prepared by both the Ministry of Education and Wellington College.

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·         To be compliant with Earthquake Standards, the Ministry of Education will lead a project to re-clad the Tower  Block at Wellington College.

·          It is important this work is carried out to improve the Tower Block’s performance in a significant event and to meet MBIE requirements.

·          The work is scheduled to begin late  November 2022 and is expected to be completed early 2024. 

·          While construction is happening, some  classes will relocate to prefab classrooms that will be situated above the terraces to the main field. This will allow for the Tower Block work to be  completed in the shortest possible time.

·          We are working with the contractors  to minimise the level of noise during school.

·          During some phases of the work, the  lifts in the Tower Block will be unavailable.  Wellington College is  committed to making sure this does not disadvantage staff or students with  mobility issues by assessing which classes may have to be shifted to  accommodate them.

·          A one-way system for all vehicles  entering Wellington College will be established during the entire contract  period. This means that all staff, students, caregivers & parents, and  visitors to Wellington College will enter via Dufferin Street (by  Government House) and exit via  Paterson Street (by Mt Victoria tunnel).

Click here to read the Frequently Asked Questions.

Should you have any questions pertaining to any  aspect of this project, please contact, in the first instance, Darrell Harvey, Deputy Principal, d.harvey@wc.school.nz (04) 802 2531.
 
Nāku iti noa, nā

 
Darrell Harvey
Deputy Principal

Wellington College
 

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Anna Walshaw
Delivery Team Manager

Ministry of  Education

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Click here to read the article on Stanley Solomon in the NZ Rugby News.

Nick Mills' interview with Glen Denham can be listened to here.

Oscar Jackson (Cricketer of the Year)

Nick Jones (Underwater Hockey Player of the Year)

Maxim Ericson (Rower of the Year)

Finn Harland (Swimmer of the Year)

Paddy Martin (Service to Sport Award)

Rob Greenfield (Volunteer of the Year).

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Oscar was also finalist in the overall Sportsman category.

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Congratulations also to those others who were finalists.

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Metlink is introducing Snapper as an electronic payment method across the Metlink rail network during November 2022. Paying train fares with Snapper is cheaper, faster and easier than using cash or paper tickets.

You’re welcome to let me know if you have any questions or would like to request additional resources, like posters or brochures, to support the launch of Snapper across Metlink’s rail lines.

‍Here’s what you need to know

‍Tag on and tag off with Snapper

Paying with your Snapper card is easy, simply tag on and off for a cheaper, faster and easier trip. Snapper card readers are located near the entrances and exits at train stations.

‍Why do I need a Snapper card?

From 31 December 2022, we are saying ‘goodbye’ to paper tickets across the rail network. You will still be able to pay with cash for a single trip on board the train from 1 January 2023 but remember, paying with Snapper is at least 25% cheaper than the cash fare.

‍How do I get a Snapper card?

You might already have a Snapper card for your bus trips. A Total Mobility card or even some school student ID cards are Snapper cards in disguise – and are ready to use on the train. If you don’t have a Snapper card you can buy one from a Snapper retailer, the Snapper website, or at the ticket window at Wellington Station. Visit Snapper.co.nz to find your nearest option.

When you have a Snapper card, simply top up at a Snapper retailer, kiosk, at the ticket window at Wellington Railway Station or use the Snapper iOS app on i-phone 7/iOS13 and above, or the Android app with NFC smartphones.

‍One Snapper card per student

Every student will need their own Snapper card to pay for their own train fare. This means students won’t be able to tag on their friends. Unlike on bus, the platform card readers can only tag on one person at a time.

‍Transferring trains on the same line

Students may need to transfer trains on the same line to get to and from school. When paying with Snapper, follow these steps:

At your boarding station

1. Tag on at the station where you start your journey

At your transfer station

2. Get off the train but DON’T tag off
3. Wait for the connecting train but DON’T tag on before you board.

At your destination station

4. Tag off

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More information is available from the Snapper on Rail website or you can call Metlink’s Contact Centre on 0800 801 700

Please see this slide show for important information about NZQA examinations.

The rooming for the examinations is here. You can find your exam code on your Admission slip, along with your personalised exam timetable (note that there are a small number of clash candidates who have different arrangements).

If you have not collected your exam admission slip, you can pick it up from the school office. You will need this for admission to the exam!

If there are entries missing from your slip, please urgently see Ms Lendrum in P7 or email l.lendrum@wc.school.nz.

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Congratulations to our new head prefect and deputy prefects.

(from left: Barnaby Stevens, Sam Elkin, Tai Renner (HP), D'Mitrius Rere, Henry Isac, James Mason)

We are excited to launch our 2023 Pre-trade LT McGuinness carpentry programme, which will be made available to successful candidates, at the end of February 2023.

Since 1950, LT McGuinness has been involved in the successful construction and redevelopment of many leading and landmark buildings in Wellington and across the North Island.

We are a third-generation family construction company with over 70 years of experience and tradition in producing quality, on-time cost-effective buildings.

Click on the link LTMcGuinness to view our website and gain more information regarding who we are, and what we stand for.

At LT McGuinness our people are our strongest asset and we are committed to providing our team with the greatest opportunities to grow and develop.

If you are passionate about the building and construction industry and you are keen to learn as you earn, then this is the programme for you.

Key information

• Learn residential carpentry skills (Level 3 Qualification) prior to commencing the NZ Certificate in Carpentry (Level 4 Qualification)
• February-December 2023 (9 months)
• Up to 22 hours a week paid work experience on a LT McGuinness construction site.   
• Three days a week tuition in residential house building with our qualified LT McGuinness carpentry tutor.
• The Course will take place at our LT McGuinness Training Facility (95 Eastern Hutt Road, Taita) and a residential house site in Wellington.
• There is an opportunity for selected students to become a LT McGuinness apprentice the following year.
• Basic hand tools and clothing will be provided for each student.

For further enquiries or to make an application, please send your CV to SteveM@mcguinness.co.nz, or make contact with Steve McHardy on 021 502 590.

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Congratulations to all our prize-winners at the Senior Prize-giving last Friday, 25 October.

It was a wonderful event which was well attended by parents, whānau and the wider WC community.

Special congratulations to our joint-duxes - Harry Hampton and Sumner Hancock.

Please click here to read the list of major prize-winners.

Wellington College recently took part in the 2022 Hearing Screening and Make Listening Safe Programme This is such an important initiative to help young kiwi kids with their hearing health as well as educate them on unsafe listening habits which unfortunately in this modern world are leading to increasingly high levels of youth hearing loss globally.

The results of this testing are a cause of concern!

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‍Wellington College results indicated that 24% of the students screened had abnormal hearing results. Some of these students are now being referred for a full hearing assessment. Sadly  28% of students advised they are already experiencing ringing in the ears, otherwise known as Tinnitus. In the majority of cases, Tinnitus leads to hearing loss and hearing health issues in the future, this is a worrying trend we are seeing across New Zealand. Ringing in the ears is being experienced by even those students who are returning a normal hearing screening result, which could mean if they continue with unsafe listening habits, hearing loss could be a real issue in the future.

Unsafe listening habits mean listening to personal devices such as smartphones at higher volumes than recommended and for long periods.  At Wellington College 54% of students that were screened are listening at unsafe levels for a long period and therefore may develop hearing issues in the future. This highlights the importance of educating students and their parents on how young people can enjoy listening to music and recreational noise safely to protect their hearing. Once your hearing is gone you cannot get it back.

The Make Listening Safe Education initiative is an important part of the Hearing Screening programme and aims to educate students and their parents on safe listening practices. Below is the website with resources that parents and students can read through to protect their hearing

https://www.nfd.org.nz/school-programmes.

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Wellington College  will also try to address these issues through our Health and Wellbeing programmes.

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Wellington College is looking for kind and caring families/persons to host one (or more) of our International students. As a host family you'll have the unique opportunity to show young people our local culture and lifestyle, and get to learn about other cultures at the same time.

Are you:

· open and warm towards young people and other cultures

· living in or around Wellington, with good access to Wellington College

· able to provide one or more room(s) with bed, desk and some storage

‍In 2023 we pay our host families:  $320 per week for each student

‍If you are interested in becoming a host please contact Sibylle or Kathi at our International Department for more details.

‍Email: s.beresford@wc.school.nz  

Phone: DDI +64 4 802 2561

Mb: 021 717 449    

‍Our International team would love to hear from you!

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Kia ora e te Whānau,

At Wellington College, we support our young people to perform to their personal best.  We encourage and support students to attain NCEA Level 2 and Level 3 qualifications, University Entrance, and to aspire to Scholarship. All of these provide a pathway in which students can find success.  Since 2020 there has been a national review of the NCEA system and as part of this review, schools across the country have been redesigning their curriculum programmes with changes to assessment at Level 1.

Over the last 18 months, Wellington College has been conducting its own review and, from 2024, we will be commencing a new Year 11 programme that better prepares our young people for the Level 2 NCEA qualification and beyond. Many schools have already made this change, and this document outlines the approaches some of them are taking.

Our new structure will reduce the amount of NCEA Level 1 assessments for students while still providing them with strategies and experiences to build their knowledge and skills. This will increase achievement and engagement at Year 12 and 13. More meaningful forms of assessment will be used to help students reflect on their learning, and to record and track progress, which will be clearly reported to whānau.  

We are now in the process of designing a framework, and will engage with a wide range of stakeholders to ensure this caters for all learners. There will be opportunity for community input and feedback throughout this process. If you have any initial queries or comments, please submit these via this form.

Ngā mihi nui,

WC Strategic Leadership Team

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To recognise the disruption caused by Covid-19, some changes have been made to NCEA and UE for 2022.

For every 5 credits you achieve, you will earn 1 additional Learning Recognition credit:

• Up to a maximum of 10 Learning recognition credits at NCEA Level 1
• Up to a maximum of 8 Learning Recognition Credits at NCEA Levels 2 or 3.

‍NZQA will automatically calculate your Learning Recognition Credits in January 2023, when your exam and internal assessment results are known.

You can read more about the changes and how they will impact you here: https://www.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/understanding-ncea/changes-to-ncea-and-ue-for-2022/earning-and-using-learning-recognition-credits/

If you have questions please email your Dean or Ms Lendrum (l.lendrum@wc.school.nz)

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PUBLIC NOTICE

ENROLMENT FOR 2023 AT ANY OF THE FOLLOWING THIRTEEN SCHOOLS

The following notice relates to the thirteen schools above, who operate enrolment schemes to prevent overcrowding.

 1. APPLICATION DATES

 For planning purposes all thirteen schools listed above request applications from the parents of students who live in their home zone, for entry into Year 9 in 2023, (except for Otaki College whose entry is for Year 7) to be in the hands of the respective schools by Monday 25July 2022. In zone applications can be accepted at any time by the zoned college.

In the case of applications for enrolment for students who live outside the home zone of the school to which application is made, applications must be received no later than Monday 25 July 2022.Any application received after Monday 25 July 2022 will not be able to be considered.

Applications from out of zone applicants for places in Years 10 to 13 in 2023 can also be received up to Friday 14 October 2022, but acceptance of these enrolments will be subject to such factors as the optimum total roll of each school, or the number of applicants from within the school’s home zone. Any applications received after Friday 14 October 2022 will not be able to be considered.

For further information click here.

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WC is getting numerous unwell students coming to school who are then sent home as they become more ill during the day. These students are then advised to do a RATs test at home and a number are testing positive for COVID-19.

The majority of students who are tested at school are also testing positive.

If a student is feeling unwell, PLEASE KEEP THEM AT HOME and continue to test for COVID-19 as necessary.

Thank you for your assistance in this matter.

TaxGift lets you donate your tax rebate from any donations to Wellington College in just one easy step.

Click here to access TaxGift.

If you are an individual New Zealand tax resident who has received taxable income in the current financial year, then you are entitled to a rebate of 33% on the donations you’ve made to us. But if you choose to TaxGift that tax credit to Wellington College, TaxGift will turn it into even more for our school – all as a gift in your name.

Here’s how:

By signing up with TaxGift your total $840 school donation becomes $1,258 (an additional $418 to us) at no additional cost to you!

By TaxGifting you make a real difference to our school. These additional funds will continue to allow us to offer a wide range of subject choices, smaller class sizes, extra curricular activities and maintain and develop our outstanding facilities for our boys.

‍Historical tax credits

Here’s how you can help even further: if you haven’t claimed your tax credit on donations to us in the past four years, simply tick the box on the form when you sign up and the team at TaxGift will claim them as a further gift to us. This is a really powerful way to put thoseunclaimed credits to good use.

‍How to opt in

To opt in to TaxGift simply click on the link. It only takes a minute to sign up, won’t cost (we pay TaxGift a small fee for this service) and you won’t need to do anything more. Your donations for this tax year on will be captured. 

‍What else should I know?

It won’t cost you anything to sign up to TaxGift; no money leaves your bank account (although the school pays TaxGift a small fee for its services). Signing up to TaxGift appoints TaxGift as your tax agent solely for the purpose of gifting your tax credits back to our school. Don’t worry - it does not affect any other tax agents that you might have (for example, if you have an accountant who does your tax returns). You must be an individual New Zealand tax resident who has earned taxable income in the relevant tax year to be eligible for the tax credit and you can opt out ofTaxGift at any time by emailing their friendly team. 

You can visit TaxGift's website (www.taxgift.co.nz) for more information. 

Click here to access TaxGift.

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All students who wish to bring a motorbike or scooter to school in 2022 must register their bike/scooter using this form https://forms.gle/ejocUZJ2osJST3sVA

Any issues please see Mr Bergin.

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Mr Ashby

Acting Principal

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‍Skylight Trust - Resources & Counselling

The team at Skylight specialises in supporting people through loss and trauma. They provide counselling and resource packs to help with anxiety and stress in both children/teens and adults. Click here for further information and to access Skylight's resources

Txt 1737

The Telehealth Counselling Line is available 24/7 to support people of all ages.  Free call or text 1737 any time, 24 hours a day. You’ll get to talk to (or text with) a trained counsellor or talk to a peer support worker. More details here.

Alcohol & Drug Support

Alcohol & Drug helpline: 0800 787 797 & www.alcoholdrughelp.org.nz

NZ Drug Foundation: www.drugfoundation.org.nz‍

Distressing Online Content - Netsafe

Netsafe encourages parents to proactively discuss with young people what they should do if they come across distressing content online. Further information is available here.

If you have any questions relating to  distressing online content you can contact Netsafe for free and confidential advice at netsafe.org.nz or call 0508 NETSAFE.

Other Key Phone Numbers

Lifeline: 0800 543 354 or text free to 4357

Youthline: 0800 376 633, free text 234

Samaritans: (anytime – 24 hours) 0800 726 666

Suicide Crisis Line: 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO)

Kidsline: 0800 54 37 54 (0800 kidsline)

What’s Up: 0800 942 8787

Anxiety New Zealand: 0800 269 4389 (0800 ANXIETY)

Te Haika

Please note that if you are dealing with an urgent mental health issue or crisis then it is best to call Te Haika (CCDHB) on 0800 745 477.

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The Wellington College uniform requires black leather, polishable shoes. These can be either slip on or lace-up. In Terms 1 and 4, students are also permitted to wear brown or black Roman Sandals. The sandals must have a back strap.

See below for what's acceptable and what's not.

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