THAMES HIGH SCHOOL Principal s Message Wharenui Blessing and Opening On Tuesday the 28 th February our new Wharenui will be opened. A ceremony to bless the Wharenui will take place at 5.00am. This will be followed by breakfast in the school hall. At 10am a powhiri will be held. This will be attended by the whole school, and it is estimated that it will take around 40 minutes. This is an important and historic occasion for the school, celebrating not only the opening of a new school building but also the opportunity it represents for our school and students. An invitation is extended to parents, whanau and the community to attend either of these events. Please see the invitation further on in the newsletter for more details. Coming Up.. Tuesday 21 February First day of THS Athletics for speciality events Tuesday 21 February Year 9 Meet the Teachers Evening from 5.30pm Wednesday 22 February 2 nd day of THS Athletics Sports Wednesday 22 February Board of Trustees Meeting 6pm Community Education Room Monday 27 February Direction Day for senior students Wednesday 1 March Year 13 Dress-Up Day The school calendar is now available online through the parent portal and THS App. Year 9 Meet and Greet Evening Tuesday 21 st February from 5.30 to 7.30pm The evening will begin at 5.30pm in the Thames High School Hall for a short presentation on the Year 9 Curriculum. This will be followed by a meeting with your child s Roopu Kaitiaki (teacher). At 6.30 please join us for some kai and a mix and mingle with our teachers. The evening is an informal occasion. We strongly believe that relationships and connections made between teachers and whanau are important for the success of our young learners. We look forward to seeing you there!
Staff Changes We have a couple of staff changes for the beginning of the 2017 school year: Maria Baird is joining our staff as a Deputy Principal and teacher of Physical Education. Whaea Maria has previously taught at Tai Wānanga ki Ruakura in Hamilton, where she was a member of the Senior Leadership Team and also taught various subjects. Frances Crooymans has been appointed as our new Accounts Assistant and will work Tuesday to Friday each week. We are also pleased to advise that we have appointed a new HOD Drama Mr Allen Paora-Quirk. Allen will be joining us from the 1 April 2017 (or sooner if he can). We are delighted to welcome these new staff members to our school. Year Level Deans for 2017: Year 9 Mrs Michele Scoggins Year 10 Mrs Raewyn Grey Year 11 Mr Brendan Baverstock Year 12 Mr Ewan Grant-Mackie Year 13 Mr David Harrison Other staff who have deaning roles are: Senior Academic Dean Mrs Debbie Driver International Dean Mrs Linda Barlow 2017 Senior Leaders At a recent assembly the 2017 Senior Leaders introduced themselves to the school. They are: Head Girl: Head Boy: Nico Fox Deputy Head Students: Sport Devin Aitken and Matthew Fulton Academic Michelle Hayes and Maxwell Rodley Welfare Elsie Flynn-Fleming and Culture and Joel McCullough Kaiarahi Lucera Manley-Williams and Awarau Murray 2017 House Leaders House Leaders for 2017 have been selected, they are: Hoult: Adams: Rudman: Fletcher Broughton & Jaedyn Wilder Charlotte Smith & Kelly Jamieson Dylan Cameron & Liam Taylor Stacey Deverill & Sophia Grinder & Jack Taylor Ruby Ngamane-Harding & Nikita-Moana Turoa Dorrington: Lachie Anderson & Wian Binedell Georgia Follas & Sarya Kingi
Direction Day 2017 Direction Day for Year 11-13 students will be held on Monday 27th February. Year 11-13 students will attend an interview along with their parents/caregiver with their whanau kaitiaki (teacher) on this day. There will NOT be any normal classes for Year 11-13 students on this day. Year 11-13 students do not need to wear uniform to their interview. Why do we have DIRECTION DAY interviews? To help student focus. Get information about students that may help us to help them. Provide information about courses, careers, NCEA, parent communication etc. Provide guidance/ support. Look at the track they are heading down. Identify goals/ discuss. To meet parents/caregivers and form/cement a relationship. Interviews can be booked online. These interview bookings will be available from Tuesday 2 February, 4:00pm at www.schoolinterviews.co.nz. Use the event code q573y to book an interview. More information will come out Tuesday by email or post. The interviews will be available from 8:45am until 5:00pm. This year we will not be having our evening interviews due to the early start the following morning with the opening of the new Wharenui. If you cannot attend your child s interview on Monday 27 th February, please organise another time directly with their whanau teacher. Year 9 and 10 students will attend school on this day in uniform. There will be a full programme for junior students on this day. Buses will run as normal for our junior students. Please contact the school office on 07-868 8688 if you have any questions concerning this. Cell Phones at School Students are permitted to bring cell phones to school and to use them under the following conditions: Students are responsible for the safe-keeping of their cell phone Cell phones are to be turned off in class Cell phones are to be kept in bags or pockets during class time (i.e. not visible) If a cell phone is seen or used in class without permission then it may be confiscated by the teacher. While we allow students to bring cell phones to school, we do not allow their use in class (where it disrupts their learning and that of others). Your support in making this clear to your son/daughter if you allow them to take a cell phone to school is greatly appreciated. If you need to contact your son or daughter at school during class time, please do it through the school office rather than expecting that they can be contacted on their cell phone. 3
Youth Intact He Taiohi Angitu Youth INtact is a specialist alcohol and other drug service to assist rangatahi, young people aged between 12 and 19 years of age and their whānau who require support around alcohol and other drug issues. Youth INtact services are delivered across a number of schools and communities throughout the Waikato and Hauraki areas. A Youth INtact service clinic will be available within Thames High School on a Thursday between the hours of 10am to 2pm throughout the 2017 year, for students to access support. Youth INtact will be available and visible at the upcoming THS Athletics Sports days for students to access and be more informed in what we offer. To access the INtact Youth AOD website go to; youthintact.org.nz or for phone referral ring 0800 468 228. Concert in the Park - Sunday 26 February from 3.00pm Fundraiser for Keenan Some of our senior students are going to have a White Elephant stall at Keenan s fundraising event. They need your unwanted goods to sell! Donations of items can be dropped off to the Year 13 Common Room (or to the front office) by Friday 24 th February. Many thanks..
Sports News THS Swimming Sports Results On Friday the 10th February our school Swimming Sports were held at the Thames Centennial Pool. This year saw another load of school records broken in the Intermediate Boys with Jack Lee s breaking every record in every race. Congratulations Jack! Int Boys 25m Butterfly held by in 2016-13.96 sec now 13.25 sec 25m Backstroke Held by Ihaka Steele in 2007-15.38 now 15.00 sec 25m Breaststroke held by in 2016-17.24 now 15.97 sec 25m Freestyle held by in 2016-12.75 now 12.28 sec 50m Butterfly held by in 2016-29.25 now 28.13 sec 50m Backstroke held by in 2016-32.53 now 31.34 sec 50m Breaststroke held by in 2016-35.94 now 35.18 sec 50m Freestyle held by in 2016-27.47 now 25.62 sec 100m Ind Medley held by in 2016-1.07.78 now 1.04.78 sec 100m Breastroke held by in 2016-1.20.06 now 1.18.56 sec 100m Freestyle held by Cole McDowell in 2013-57.72 now 55.84 sec 100m Backstroke held by Cole McDowell in 2012-1.08.34 now 1.06.56 sec Congratulations to the following students who are the THS Swimming Champions for 2017: Junior Boys Sam Green 70 points Junior Girls Runner Up 116 points 80 points Intermediate Boys Runner Up 144 points 94 points Intermediate Girls Runner Up 120 points 86 points Senior Boys Runner Up 118 points 98 points Senior Girls Runner Up 68 points 50 points 5
Final House points were: Rudman 1775 points Hoult 979 points Dorrington 701 points 4th Adams 421 points The top 3 place getters from each race were: Junior Boys 100m Ind Medley Sam Green Junior Girls 100m Ind Medley Intermediate Boys 100m Ind Medley Intermediate Girls 100m Ind Medley Senior Boys 100m Ind Medley Senior Girls 100m Ind Medley Junior Boys 25m Freestyle Junior Girls 25m Freestyle Intermediate Boys 25m Freestyle Intermediate Girls 25m Freestyle Senior Boys 25m Freestyle Sam Green Clayton Ross Clayton Thompson Tiana Russek Pounamu Kini-Connor Luke Goodwin Wian Binedell
Senior Girls 25m Freestyle Devin Aitken Junior Boys 25m Breaststroke Junior Girls 25m Breaststroke Intermediate Boys 25m Breaststroke Intermediate Girls 25m Breaststroke Senior Boys 25m Breaststroke Senior Girls 25m Breaststroke Junior Boys 50m Butterfly Junior Girls 50m Butterfly Intermediate Boys 50m Butterfly Intermediate Girls 50m Butterfly Senior Boys 50m Butterfly Senior Girls 50m Butterfly Sam Green Clayton Ross Scott Smith Aimee Turley Nicholas Jones Heather McInnes Casey Sholson Michelle Hayes Charlotte Smith Junior Boys 100m Freestyle Sam Green Junior Girls 100m Freestyle 7
Intermediate Boys 100m Freestyle Intermediate Girls 100m Freestyle Senior Boys 100m Freestyle Senior Girls 100m Freestyle Casey Sholson Junior Boys 100m Breaststroke Sam Green Junior Girls 100m Breaststroke Intermediate Boys 100m Breaststroke Intermediate Girls 100m Breaststroke Senior Boys 100m Breaststroke Senior Girls 100m Breaststroke Junior Boys 25m Backstroke Junior Girls 25m Backstroke Intermediate Boys 25m Backstroke Intermediate Girls 25m Backstroke Heather McInnes Michelle Hayes Sam Green Zayne Sprott Tiana Russek
Senior Boys 25m Backstroke Jack Taylor Senior Girls 25m Backstroke Junior Boys 25m Butterfly Junior Girls 25m Butterfly Intermediate Boys 25m Butterfly Intermediate Girls 25m Butterfly Senior Boys 25m Butterfly Senior Girls 25m Butterfly Charlotte Smith Ethan Taylor-Evans Heather McInnes Casey Sholson Michelle Hayes Junior Boys 50m Breaststroke Sam Green Junior Girls 50m Breaststroke Intermediate Boys 50m Breaststroke Intermediate Girls 50m Breaststroke Senior Boys 50m Breaststroke Senior Girls 50m Breaststroke Pounamu Kini-Connor Heather McInnes Casey Sholson Michelle Hayes 9
Kelly Jamieson Junior Boys 50m Backstroke Junior Girls 50m Backstroke Intermediate Boys 50m Backstroke Intermediate Girls 50m Backstroke Senior Boys 50m Backstroke Senior Girls 50m Backstroke Junior Boys 50m Freestyle Junior Girls 50m Freestyle Intermediate Boys 50m Freestyle Intermediate Girls 50m Freestyle Senior Boys 50m Freestyle Senior Girls 50m Freestyle Junior Boys 100m Backstroke Michelle Hayes Luca Fox Bradley Sayer John Tukuitoga Pounamu Kini-Connor Matthew Burchell Wian Binedell Devin Aitken Junior Girls 100m Backstroke
Intermediate Boys 100m Backstroke Intermediate Girls 100m Backstroke Senior Boys 100m Backstroke Senior Girls 100m Backstroke Aroha-Jean Waata-Park Also a BIG thank you to all our parent helpers: Kathy McDowell, Anne Reid, Kylie Cook, Susan Hinds, Helen Flynn, Tracey Court, Emily Grant-Mackie and Te Aroha McLean; and our staff who made this an enjoyable day for all. More Swimming Results Over the summer holidays the NZ Secondary Schools Open Water Swimming Championships were held at Lake Taupo. Congratulations to our following students who competed: Girls 14-15 years - 5 km Girls 14-15 years - 1 km 13th 10th Girls 12-13 years - 1km 12th Boys 12-13 years - 1km 5th Sam Green Touch Congratulations to Sage Conner-Smith, Zaria Ellis, Tegan Foster and Keenan Majurey who have been selected for the Thames Valley U16 Mixed Touch team and to Vincent Lee who has made the Thames Valley U18 Mixed Touch team for the Nationals held in Auckland recently. THAMES HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS CLUB AGM MONDAY 27 FEBRUARY 2017 AT 5.30PM THS STAFFROOM The first meeting of the THS Sports Club will also be held at the conclusion of the AGM. We look forward to seeing you there. 11
13