Year 18 Issue 14 of 40 15 May 2020

Public Office Hours

8.15am - 3.30pm Monday - Friday

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From our Principal, John Maguire Tēnā koutou katoa ngā whānau,

We look forward with excitement and anticipation to our return to school next Monday, I can hardly believe that the time has come for us to gather again on site at Garin. I have to say, despite our absence for 7 weeks since Aotearoa went into Level 4 lockdown, the College is looking as smart as ever. Throughout Alert Level 3 the school buildings and property have been beautifully maintained by Mr Ken Williams in preparation for reopening. Lawns are mowed, gardens manicured, grounds swept, indoors cleaned with all surfaces and high use touchpoints sanitized.

Our staff met on site today, this gave us the opportunity to reunite and share our experiences of online learning. It is fair to say that teachers and staff have really missed the face to face connection they enjoy with the students. We value the richness of the relationships we have with students on site, in the class rooms and through co curricular sport and culture. Our staff have prepared all learning spaces to enable opportunity for students to re-engage, while maintaining good hygiene practices required of us at Alert Level 2. I encourage you to read our Alert Level 2 Update sent to all parents and caregivers yesterday.

Our aim is to make each student’s return to school as calm and as welcoming as possible. Whilst we establish our new routines, we have allowed for time in the days ahead for students and teachers to reconnect with their peers and reflect on their experiences. We have much to learn from each other.

I would like to express my gratitude to all of you, as parents, who have engaged so willingly with your student’s learning and for the way you have supported them and us in a true learning partnership. Our experience of online learning over recent weeks has lifted our home-school partnership to a whole new level. While online learning has been challenging for many, I am also well aware of the many exciting outcomes that have emerged for both teachers and students. I know that this is going to create rich conversations for our community when we return to school, about how the future for learning at Garin could look. I am immensely proud of the wonderful job our teachers and wider staff have achieved.

“We must move forward together, as one, in a renewed spirit of fraternity and solidarity, cooperating generously for the common good” Pope Francis

Have a wonderful weekend, stay calm and be kind, Sunday lay in the sun, before you know it Monday will come, and we will all be at school again having fun!

God bless, John Maguire , Principal

NCEA Updates

Garin College is committed to continuation of learning and working in partnership with Garin Learners to achieve their academic goals in Years 11 - 13. Teachers and curriculum subjects are flexible in terms of providing a learning programme that will support learners and acknowledge the learning they completed while online. NCEA as a qualification is extremely flexible and our teachers are adapting programmes for the benefit of all learners. Your son(s) / daughter(s) do not need to be worried about entry requirements for future programmes and whether or not they will achieve enough learning (credits) for an academic year. All learners will be able to achieve with a highly flexible learning programme operating at Garin College. The New Zealand National Qualifications Authority (NZQA) has made the following updates (13 May 2020):

1. External NCEA examinations and New Zealand Scholarship examinations will be delayed so they start on 16 November instead of 6 November, allowing further time for teaching, learning and internal assessment in Term Four. Examinations will now end on 9 December instead of 2 December, and an updated examination timetable is available on our website.

2. The requirement for NZQA verification of Level 1 and 2 Visual Arts portfolios will be waived, giving students more time to complete their portfolios and teachers more time for marking;

And 3. The submission date for subjects which require students to submit a portfolio, such as Design

and Visual Communication, is being extended from 28 October to 12 November 2020, giving students more time to prepare.

4. University Entrance - NZQA is also consulting with Universities in New Zealand on whether adjustments are needed to University Entrance, to recognise the disruption that has occurred.

Online Learning Update

Garin College is committed to providing a form of Online Learning for those who are unable to return to the College site. When Garin College returns to face - face teaching on the 18th May, the process of online learning will be different to what Garin learners have experienced over the past five weeks. Ministry of Education Guidelines suggest that teachers cannot be expected to teach Online and face - face, using both methods. However, Garin College will provide access to learning through Google Classroom where learners can access learning activities and earning information. Zoom and Google Meets will not operate from Friday 15th May. Although teaching staff will be unavailable to answer questions while they are teaching, we recommend that Garin learners contact their teachers via email to ask questions and seek clarification. Teachers will respond to these emails within a reasonable amount of time. Garin College is exploring an Online Learning Co-ordinator position who would be a liaison point for a Garin learner & their teachers. The Online Learning Co-ordinator would check in with learners and be a sounding board for where they are in their learning and next steps they need to take.

Teaching & Learning @ Garin College

View our Student Assembly, Week 5, Term 2

Click on this week's Assembly video which has been recorded by Garin's wonderful Leaders.

This Sunday is the 6th Sunday of Easter: ‘I will also love you and show you what I am like!’ Acts 8:5-8, 14-17, Ps 66, John 14:15-21. Jesus knew that he was soon to be leaving his disciples and going back to the Father. He promises to send a special helper – the Holy Spirit. Jesus tells his disciples about this precious gift. Through the Holy Spirit Jesus was able to remain with the apostles then and with us in the same way today. Come Holy Spirit!

May Reflection: Prayer for intercession during the Covid-19 pandemic:

An extract from the letter of his Holiness Pope Francis to the Faithful

for the month of May 2020.

“We fly to your protection, O Holy Mother of God”.

In the present tragic situation, when the whole world is prey to suffering and anxiety,

we fly to you, Mother of God and our Mother, and seek refuge under your protection.

Mother of God and our Mother, pray for us to God, the Father of mercies, that this great

suffering may end and that hope and peace may dawn anew. Plead with your divine

Son, as you did at Cana, so that the families of the sick and the victims be comforted,

and their hearts be opened to confidence and trust.

Protect those doctors, nurses, health workers and volunteers who are on the frontline of

this emergency, and are risking their lives to save others. Support their heroic effort

and grant them strength, generosity and continued health.

Be close to those who assist the sick night and day, and to priests who, in their pastoral

concern and fidelity to the Gospel, are trying to help and support everyone.

Blessed Virgin, illumine the minds of men and women engaged in scientific research,

that they may find effective solutions to overcome this virus. Support national leaders,

that with wisdom, solicitude and generosity they may come to the aid of those lacking

the basic necessities of life and may devise social and economic solutions inspired by

farsightedness and solidarity.

“Faith Facts" week 5 - Term 2

SPORTS Kia ora students and families, With sport being permitted under Alert Level 2, many of you may be wondering when you will be able to resume playing sport once you get back to school. At the moment School Sport NZ is working with SportNZ and the Ministry of Education in regard to the conditions that are required to be met for college sports to be able to resume. We hope you will understand that this may take some time. In the meantime, rest assured that work is being done behind the scenes to get a safe, enjoyable and challenging college sports programme underway as soon as practicable. Stay safe, stay active and stay the course.

Mahi Toi 2020 - Into the Wild In Week 10, Tuesday June the 16th until Friday June 20th, all normal school activities at Garin College would normally go on hold while everyone gets involved and has a fun packed time in a school-wide celebration of the Arts. For 2020 due to Covid 19 we have had to make some creative changes to our usual programme. This week we launch Mahi Toi - Into the Wild, in its 2020 format. The Arts is a very important part of the Garin College experience, students are invited to participate in the online activities and we hope that you will all try something, but it is not compulsory. This year for a number of the categories we have a Bubble Entry where you may make your creation with members in your bubble - we hope this may help for those of you not able to be at school. Online Mahi Toi: Celebration Cakes RAW Visual Art Photography Digital Art 48 hour film festival 3D sculpture The criteria for these activities will be on the homepage by the beginning of next week with instructions on how to enter. All entries will be submitted online by Monday June the 15th and we will collate them to show on MAHI TOI FRIDAY.

Mahi Toi Live: MAHI TOI LIVE will be held on Friday the 19th of June Students will be in Whanau classes and we will be live streaming from our Mahi Toi radio station in the music room. Be prepared to be wowed by live streamed music and drama, slideshow presentations of students' creations and Whanau activities.

Into the Wild House Day and Student Performances As soon as lockdown allows we hope to hold a House day to incorporate the things you love about Mahi Toi: House Dance House Song House Theatre Sports RAW ShowQuest Music Drama

We hope to share some of the wonderful Music and Drama performances by Garin

Students with friends and family as soon as we are allowed an audience. We look forward to seeing you soon.

Be prepared for some WILD entertainment!

If you have any questions please email Sarah Pumphrey Garin College

Arts Coordinator sarahpumphrey@cloud.garincollege.ac.nz

Wellbeing Corner

Hi, my name is Emily-Rose Reeve.

I am a year 13 student at Garin

College, I have been awarded the

role of health and well-being

captain for 2020. I would consider

myself to be a motivated, hard

working student who wants to

create a positive learning

environment for all students at

Garin. I see this role as a way of

giving back to the school and

helping to improve health and

well-being within the college.

Hey guys, I’m Westley and I am currently a year 13 student attending Garin College. I am fulfilling

the role of Health and Well-being Captain for 2020. I will be trying my best in order to make health

and well-being an important part of the school. I am a hard working individual who is motivated to

ensure that we can

make events that

revolve around Health

fun for everyone within

the college for all

students and teachers. I

am hoping that I can

make 2020 a good year

and that the legacy of

Health and Wellbeing is

fulfilled.

DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES

Junior classes in Digital Technology are working on more complex tasks in code Avengers as they move towards programming languages.

Leilani Wilson, Emma Linch, Esther Martin and Jaanvi Harrison of 10S are gaining top points as they move into programming in python.

Arian Sayell and Heidi Moorhead are way ahead of the boys of 9F in learning about Computational Thinking. Their determination is paying off.

Top scores are still in 9I though, with Elliot Stranger on 2140 and Jack Beekmeyer 2773 points.

Whakawhetai ki a koe, David Dewhurst

Apps hold amazing potential as mental health and wellbeing tools. You can carry them everywhere,

engage with them in real time as you’re experiencing distress, and interact with them in a completely

different way to other self help tools.

Follow the link below to view the brochure

Click here

From the Music Department

Instrumental Lessons in school

We are delighted that instrumental lessons will be starting again for most instruments next week, under Covid 19 restrictions.

Please check with your instrumental teacher. There may be room changes to accommodate everyone safely, so students should please check the daily notices and the music rooms for information.

Music groups

Just a reminder to get involved in our Garin music groups

Monday lunchtimes : Singers

Tuesday lunchtimes: Flute group

Wednesday morning interval: Guitar group

Wednesday lunchtime: Orchestra

Thursday lunchtimes: Singers (changed from after school)

Friday morning interval: Jazz group

Rockquest bands at intervals and after school by arrangement. See Mrs Hunt to book.

We are really looking forward to making some live music again. See you there!

A d v e n t u r e R a c i n g

“Beeep beep” goes my alarm at 4am, I peeled myself out of my warm bed. The morning was cool and crisp. For the last two months we have been training our guts out for this race. We got up and got dressed, chowing down some rice bubbles for breakfast to help fuel our day. After breakfast we gathered up all of our stuff and left for the race briefing and start. When we were lining up my adrenaline starts pumping, my heart pounding like a jackhammer due to my excitement.

Then the race began. The run to the top of the mountain was far, but by the time we got the top, it only felt as if minutes had passed. We were smashing it. While at the top, we scrambled to find some checkpoints, the time slipping by as we got distracted by the amazing views of the valley and the sunrise. Once we collected our hard to find checkpoints, it was time for the first descent. Through gorse and rocks that stood out from the ground we made our way down a steep cliff, our legs screaming in pain the whole way.

Finally we reached the bottom of the hill and made our way to the home base where we could go to the toilet and grab our bikes for the next part of the race.

We started the bike ride thinking it was going to be easy, but what we didn't know was that it was going to be a real doozy. 20 kilometres into the race and my whole team was really feeling the pain. The steep,

gut-wrenching climbs were unbearable and we just wanted to rest but we pushed through and got to the top of yet another mountain, gathering our needed checkpoints while there. After our descent, we got back to home base. We were half way into the race and we were pumped and prepared for anything this race was going to throw at us. Next up on our adventure was kayaking. We had to kayak to the abseiling part of our race. The abseiling was so high, around 20 metres or so, which was terrifying. After abseiling we had to kayak to the finish line, which due to our tired bodies, took hours. When we finished we were knackered. We ended up coming 15th in our age group out of 50! So in the end, we were very happy with our results and just can't wait to see what next year's adventure racing will bring to the table. From Austin Healey, 9N