Important Notices from the Headmaster – September 2024

Congratulations

Last week, a number of our Premier and Development sports teams competed in regional or national tournaments throughout New Zealand for Winter Tournament Week. In summary, our teams performed as follows:

• 1st XI Hockey – 13th at the New Zealand Secondary Schools Championships (the Rankin Cup)
• 1st XI Football- winners of the Rex Dawkins Satellite Tournament
• Cycling team – three national age group titles at the Northern Tour
• Fencing – third in the Team Sabre at the New Zealand Secondary Schools Championships
• Junior Premier Basketball – winners of the National Zone 1 Tournament
• Premier Badminton – runners-up at the New Zealand Secondary Schools Championships
• Premier Basketball – winners of the Zone 1 Secondary Schools Championships
• Premier Table Tennis – winners of the New Zealand Secondary Schools Championships
• Under 15 Rugby – third at the National Invitational Tournament
• Weightlifting – a Silver and Bronze placing at the New Zealand Secondary Schools Championships

There are a number of sports teams still to compete in their National Championship competitions over the coming weeks and the Term 3 holidays; we wish them well with their preparation and performances.

Thank you

In order to achieve at the level we do in a variety of extracurricular activities, we rely on the goodwill of teachers, parents and Old Boys to assist us in a variety of ways. 

Our sincere thanks are extended to all who have coached, managed and supported our young men throughout this winter season. The value of such support is immeasurable.

Senior School (Internal) Examinations

The Term 3 School Examinations will take place from Friday 13 – Friday 20 September. These examinations are held for all Form 6 and 7 students, and for a select number of Form 5 students who are sitting NCEA Level 1 assessments.

All Form 6 and 7 students will be on Study Leave during the Term 3 School examination period, when they do not have scheduled exams. Form 5 parents have already received information via email outlining any applicable leave for Form 5 students. The majority of Form 5 students are unaffected by this examination period and will be in their regular teaching classes.

Please refer to the Examination Timetable that has been posted on GrammarNet and the School website for details.

Cambridge Examinations and End of Term Arrangements

The Cambridge Examination Timetable for October/November 2024 is available on GrammarNet and the School website. Note that this timetable will be updated with rooming schedules and exam clash arrangements by the end of Term 3 and it will also be handed out to students at their Examination Briefing.

It is important to note that there are a small number of Cambridge examinations on in the holidays (AS and A Level French and Further Mathematics) and several large examinations early in Week 1 Term 4 (namely, AS Mathematics, Accounting, Business Studies, Chemistry, Economics, French, History, Japanese, Physics and Spanish, and A Level French, Mathematic and Spanish).

In order to have students better prepared for these exams, the entire Term 3 School Examinations are scheduled predominantly in Week 9 so that students can have the papers marked and returned for review and feedback during Week 10 of this term.

Examination Briefings will also be held in the Centennial Theatre for all students sitting Cambridge AS and A Level examinations on the afternoon of Friday 27 September (the last day of Term 3).

These Examination Briefings are compulsory for all students studying Cambridge AS and A Level courses, as it is essential that all students are fully informed about examination procedures. Students will also receive their official Cambridge Statements of Entry, which are required to gain entry to each examination room. Importantly, there will be no other opportunities to pick up this documentation, unless your son is absent on 27 September for an approved reason.

Briefing times are as follows:

• Period 6 – students in 7A-7H
• Period 7 – students in 6A-6I (and Form 5 students doing AS Mathematics)

Students in these Form 6 and 7 Cambridge classes will be released for Study Leave following their Examination Briefing.

Students studying Pre-Q and NCEA courses will attend their Examination Briefings in Term 4 prior to going on Study Leave.

Cambridge Certificates

Cambridge certificates are issued after results are published and the certificates for the November examinations will arrive in school in March next year. Cambridge certificates are unique documents, and they are expensive to replace.

Students who are still at School in 2025 will receive their certificates in person. School leavers will be contacted when certificates are ready for collection from School, but if it will not be possible to collect certificates in person, you can arrange for your certificate to be couriered to an address you specify. The arrangements for this facility can be confirmed here or via the link available on students’ GrammarNet dashboard.

Subject Options Selections for 2025

Subject Options selections for 2025 have now been received from almost all current students who are returning in 2025.

Students who have selected subjects for which they are not eligible will be contacted and asked to re-select as soon as possible.

Students who forget what they have selected can log in to the School Portal and select ‘2025’ as the period to check their selections.

If a student wishes to change their subject options selections for 2025, they should contact Academic Administration via email and specify the change they wish to request. Note that not all changes will be possible at this stage. The cut-off date for requesting changes in this manner will be Friday 27 September. Thereafter, the date for students to make any changes to their options selections, following the release of external examination results, is Thursday 16 January 2025. Students may contact their year-level Deans for 2025 to request assistance or an appointment.

Student Attendance – Notification of Absences

A reminder that if your son is absent, we ask you to promptly complete the Absence Notification e-form that is accessed within the Parent Portal on the day of his absence. This is a legal requirement and is part of our duty of care which we cannot fulfil without your co-operation.

Parents should be aware that submitting an e-form verifies your son’s absence and will generate an automatic response to the email address you have provided us.

There is no longer a requirement to phone the School or to provide a written note on the day of your son’s return.

Students leaving our campus during School hours

Parents are reminded students are not allowed to leave the School grounds during school hours unless:

• Your son has brought a letter or an appointment card to the Deputy Headmaster on the front steps after assembly. Your son will then be provided with an approval slip, allowing him to formally sign out at the Student Office prior to leaving the campus; or
• For medical reasons, whereby your son must have permission from the Deputy Headmaster or from the School Nurse. In such cases, the School Nurse will contact you before your son leaves the School grounds

School Donation

Our thanks are extended to over 65% of parents who have paid the donation already. This provides genuine and much needed financial support for our young men and teachers.

While parents will be aware the donation is voluntary, many parents may not understand where these funds are used and how important they are to maintaining our educational standards. 

One specific area the School donation goes is to directly fund an additional seven teachers, to what the government provides, so that we can maintain as many curriculum pathways through to Form 7 as is practical.

We appreciate your support.