Important Notices from the Headmaster – August 2024

Reporting

Mid-Year reports are in the process of being completed for all year groups. We anticipate these reports will be distributed electronically via the Parent Portal tomorrow. Parents will be informed by email when the reports are available.

We encourage parents to discuss the contents of the report with your son and work with him to review his goals for the remainder of 2024.

The final report of the year will be in hard copy form, and given to students at the conclusion of Prizegiving on Thursday 5 December.

2024 Subject Options Selection Process for 2025 Options

In order to assist you and you son with course planning and subject option selection for 2024, please note the following:

• Students in Form 3 will be given the Form 4 Option Choices for 2024 document and guidance regarding selecting options in class on Friday 9 August. Students in Forms 4, 5 and 6 attended an Options Briefing as follows: Form 4 had their briefing on Monday 5 August and Forms 5 and 6 had their briefing on Tuesday 6 August. At these briefings, students were given form-level and cohort-specific information and advice about course planning and selecting their subject options for 2025. At the briefing, students also received the 2025 Course Handbook
• Detailed subject-specific information about the curriculum, course planning, subject option selection and descriptors of courses available next year, including all Form 4, Pre-Q, Cambridge and NCEA courses can be found on the Departments and Faculties section of the School website
• The 2024 Options Evening will be held at School on Tuesday 13 August. This is an opportunity for parents and Forms 4-6 students to meet with staff from all departments to find out about and ask questions regarding the courses and options available next year. There will also be a presentation from Associate Headmaster – Academic Dr J. Etty on the Pre-Q curriculum and assessment system and the School’s Dual Pathway (Cambridge and NCEA) which operates in the Senior School
• 2025 Options Selection for students will open online on Wednesday 14 August. An email with details of how to complete this process will be sent to parents of students in Forms 4, 5 and 6 prior to online option selection opening. Online Option Selection will close on Friday 23 August.

Cambridge Revision Classes

The Association of Cambridge Schools in New Zealand is holding Cambridge Revision Classes during the third term holidays (Monday 30 September – Friday 11 October). All classes are held at Auckland Grammar School. Information about these revision classes, including the registration form, is available from the Association of Cambridge Schools website.

NCEA Internal Assessment Tracking Report

An NCEA Achievement Tracking Report for all NCEA students is available to parents on the Parent Portal. This has been designed to assist parents in supporting and monitoring their son’s progress towards achieving his academic goals and gaining the appropriate NCEA Level 1, 2 or 3 Certificate (for all NCEA students) and University Entrance (for Form 7 NCEA students). The report shows all internally-assessed and externally-assessed Achievement Standards available in their son’s chosen subjects, including final internal assessment results and indicative external assessment (NCEA examination) results.

NCEA students have also been given an Internal Assessment Tracking Sheet so they can track their NCEA achievement and work out the number of credits they have to date and set goals for the number of externally-assessed credits they will need to gain from their NCEA external examinations.

Cambridge AS Resit Information

Cambridge May/June AS Resit examination results were released to candidates on the evening of Tuesday 13 August. Students have received a copy of their username and password details to access their results online.

NZQA Scholarship Examinations

NZQA Scholarship examinations have now closed. Students in Form 7 and 6A, 6B and 6C attended a briefing on NZQA Scholarship on Tuesday 23 July and were given the opportunity to collect a copy of the 2024 NZQA Scholarship Information Guide and Application Form.

Payment of Cambridge and NZQA Examination Fees and Pre-Q Donation

It is School policy that all students studying senior qualification courses will enter for external examinations in all of their timetabled subjects, and students are not able to withdraw from examinations, except on approved serious medical grounds.

The schedule of examination fees and donations is set out below:

• Cambridge AS and A2 Fees: $190.95 per subject
• NZQA Fees for Domestic Students: From 2019 NZQA has removed all fees for NCEA Levels 1, 2 and 3 and NZQA New Zealand Scholarship for Domestic Students

NZQA Fees for International (Fee-paying) Students:

• NCEA Levels 1, 2 and 3: $383.30 (irrespective of number of subjects)
• NZQA New Zealand Scholarship: $102.20 per subject
• Pre-Q Donation (Form 5 students): $100 (irrespective of number of subjects)

It is important to note that:

• The final date for payment of Cambridge Examination Fees is Friday 16 August. After this date there is no refund of fees for Cambridge examinations as entries will have been submitted to Cambridge, except on approved medical grounds. Note any amendments to entries will incur a substantial late fee from Cambridge
• Entry for NZQA New Zealand Scholarship Examinations is optional. Entries were taken by the School up to the closing date of Friday 9 August. Entries are then uploaded to NZQA and the School will invoice International Students (as above, there is no fee for Domestic Students)
• The School would appreciate payment of the Pre-Q Donation as soon as is practicable

While we encourage your use of the Parent Portal, other payment options are:

• Cheque to Auckland Grammar School, Private Bag 99930, Newmarket, Auckland 1149
• Cash, credit card or EFTPOS at the School Finance Office
• Internet banking to account number 12-3011-0156506-00 referencing your son’s name and Form Class

For assistance from our Finance Department please 09 623 5425 or email [email protected].

Board Vacancy

At the last Board meeting, Board Chair Mark Sandelin ’75 formally resigned from the Board after 15 years’ exemplary service.  The School thanks Mark for his extended voluntary service in governance roles. The Board resolved to appoint Grant Trethewey ’76 to the Chair’s role and the School welcomes Grant into this position.

Following Mark’s resignation, the Board has also resolved that in accordance with clause 13(4) of Schedule 23 of the Education and Training Act 2020 and following the casual vacancy for an elected board member occurring through the resignation of Mark, to fill the vacancy by selection.  If 10% or more of eligible voters on the School roll ask the Board, within 28 days of this notice being published, to hold a by-election to fill the vacancy, then a by-election will be held.

Individual and Form Class Photographs

In the middle of Term 3, parents will receive by email a shoot key code for their son’s Portrait and Form Class photographs. The online system works off each student’s name, giving them an individual Shoot Key code to view and order photographs.

Students and parents can go online to the PhotoLife website to view and order their photographs. The order will include postage and packaging costs to allow photographs to be delivered directly home.

Extracurricular photographs will be uploaded to the same shoot key codes once processed during the year.

Winter Tournament Week

During Week 7 (Monday 2 – Friday 6 September), many of our top sportsmen will be competing at various National tournaments. Please note that the School will be closed for a mid-term break on Thursday 5 and Friday 6 September.

Leave Requests

Any special leave requests for a student to have time off School should be emailed directly to the Headmaster’s Executive Assistant. Requests for a student to compete at sporting, performing arts or cultural competitions can be considered, alongside requests for family bereavements. Please contact the Headmaster’s Executive Assistant D. Watson via email at [email protected].

As parents begin to make plans for Christmas holidays, please be aware the 2024 School year concludes after Prizegiving on Thursday 5 December. Leave will not be approved for students to go on holiday any earlier than the conclusion of Term 4.

Traffic and Car Parking

The School reminds parents to please refrain from entering Gates 1-4 on Mountain Road at the beginning and end of the School day when there is a high volume of pedestrian traffic entering and leaving the School.