Category Archives: Uncategorised

Communication

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Dear Parents and Caregivers

Our Phone System is up and running now. Thank you for your patience while this was resolved.

Start times
Year 7, 8 and 9 students’ first day is Monday, 28 January 2019.  The girls are to be at school at 1:30 pm in formal school uniform.  There is a Mihi Whakatau welcome, parents of these year levels are most welcome to attend, this is followed with some light refreshments.
Year 10 – 13 students’ first day is Tuesday, 29 January 2019, starting at 8:40 am.

Year 13 will leave for their Retreat at Tirohanga Camp at 9:00 am.

Confirmed dates can be found on our Parent Portal site http://parents.shcs.school.nz/
Under the heading Informational Links click on:
Click on the word Calendar and scroll through the months for confirmed dates.

Another useful link is at the top of the Parent Portal page – School Contacts, there you will find email addresses for absences, school fees enquiries, Deans and Guidance staff.

School Stationery for Year 7 & 8 will be given out on their first day and charged to your daughter’s school activities account.
 

Other Year levels may purchase their stationery from Office Max Online at https://www.myschool.co.nz – use St Hildas Collegiate as the school code.

School hours are:
Monday – Thursday 8:40 am to 3:25 pm

Friday – 8:40 am – 3:00 pm

Early next week you will receive your access code to see the personal details relating to your daughter such as absences, timetable, results.

Weekly News – Term 2 | Week 6

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Dear Parents and Caregivers,

Left – Nga Korimako, Right – Sings Hilda

This week Sings Hilda and the Junior Choir, Nga Korimako competed in Big Sing at Dunedin Town Hall. Nga Korimako took out the People’s Choice Award and Sings Hilda won the Classical Composition section. Congratulations to both choirs! It was a fabulous event and the St HIlda’s choirs really shone. To view videos of each performance visit the schools Facebook page.

Learning conversations are being held next week on Tuesday 12th June (6:00 pm – 8:30 pm), Thursday 14th June (6:00 pm – 8:30 pm) and Friday 15th June (12:30 pm – 3:30 pm). To book a time visit: https://www.schoolinterviews.co.nz/ and enter the login: rdrbw

As many of you will have noted, the excavations for the new Arts building have begun. Part of Stage One is also extending and filling in the field at the south end of the grounds, so that we can fully utilise all the land we have for girls physical activities. Staff have been closely involved with the design of the building, and also with the planning for the build, to try and minimise disruption to class and curriculum programmes, and also outside activities that have required use of the courts. We appreciate that the most restrictive time is now, while the whole area is a construction site, and as the build progresses we will gain back the use of our precious green spaces. Stevenson & Williams have been most accommodating in helping us with the planning, to ensure that school life can continue with as little change as possible.

Recently, 23 Year 12 and 13 students volunteered to donate blood as part of our partnership with NZBlood. The girls by and large enjoyed the experience and their act of service was very much appreciated by the staff at the donor centre. We hope that the girls will be donors for life as each donation saves 3 lives in New Zealand. Special thanks to everyone who participated.

Applications for World Challenge close on 15th June. If you have any questions contact Bee Bradfield, bbradfield@shcs.school.nz

Playhouse Theatre Visit

The New Zealand Playhouse Theatre company visited on Wednesday. The punny title of their show ‘As you Write It’ captured the co-constructed event that the year 12’s experienced.

Their focus was an introduction to Shakespeare and after the girls chose a time period from the three Shakespeare used – the Renaissance; a film as a vehicle – Mean Girls and the power the hero had – humour, the four actors used these to illustrate the ideas of Iambic pentameter, rhyming couplets, the structure of his plays and the different types he wrote.

It was a lot of fun. The girls laughed a lot. Notable scenes involved horse called Justin Timberlake and the wig changes, including a mullet, that denoted different characters.  The actors were passionate, creative and fed off the audience’s interactions and reactions. It was entertaining and educational.

Shakespeare is sometimes considered outdated and out of touch, but the NZ Playhouse showed how his skills and ideas are still relevant today and can still make a crowd react. As we were reminded, ‘All the World’s a stage.”

Snow Day and Late Start Procedures

With our first taste of winter this week it is a good time to give a reminder on Snow Day and Late Start Procedures.

In the case of a school closure or late start due to weather conditions the system is now coordinated for all 12 secondary schools.  It will be broadcast on Radio Dunedin 106.7FM, 95.4 FM, 1305AM and other Media Works stations by 7:00 am.

We will email parents by 7:00 am and a notification will also be published on the Parent Portal and school Facebook page.

Should conditions in your area be different to those in the rest of the city you must make individual decisions based on what is safest for your family.

Once girls are at school we encourage you not to text them regarding school closures during the school day.  If these were to eventuate we would email parents immediately.

You can view the above information at any time by clicking on the Snow Day and Late Start Procedures page under the Informationalonal Links menu on the right.

Careers News and Events

New information has been added to the careers page.  To view visit the Career Events calendar.

Tolcarne News

This week Tolcarne has been buzzing with excitement as the Senior students prepare for their formal tonight. The nail bar was very successful last night, it was moved to the lounge with finger and toe stations.  Ziggy, Robyn, Mrs Rathbone and Mrs Barron became experts at applying fake nails, shaping nails and painting layers of colour.  Jodie supplied a scrumptious supper and we had Jess and Tia as the dance and singing entertainment enjoying a bit of Abba.

Student Achievement

Click here to read the poem by Catherine Davidson that won the young adult section of the Dunedin Pride Poetry Competition as reported earlier in the term.

Netball Umpire Sophie Armstrong on her selection to officiate at the Netball New Zealand U17 Champs in Palmerston North in July. Well done Sophie!

Congratulations to the below girls who have been chosen to represent Dunedin in the Netball representative season.

Under 19

Megan Borst

Coach: Lana Morrison

Under 17A Team

Amelia Scully – St Hilda’s

Annie Timu – St Hilda’s

Kendra Robinson – St Hilda’s

Lily Chamberlain – St Hilda’s

Phoebe Aburn – St Hilda’s

Coach: Jodi Brown

U17B Team

Abbey Cochrane – St Hilda’s

Molly Marsh – St Hilda’s

Olivia Buchanan-Letts – St Hilda’s

Sara Harding – St Hilda’s

Savannah Celeland – St Hilda’s

Coach: Trudi Marsh

Learning Conversations

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Dear Parents and Caregivers

The Learning Conversations in Week 7 are a chance for you to meet with your daughter’s subject teachers to discuss how the year is going and put in place plans going forward.  This discussion is with the teacher, student and parent.

These learning conversations will take place on Tuesday 12th June (6:00 pm – 8:30 pm), Thursday 14th June (6:00 pm – 8:30 pm) and Friday 15th June (12:30 pm – 3:30 pm)

On Friday afternoon the school will be open but we will not be running timetabled classes. Supervision will be provided for girls at school.

We realise that it is not always possible for you to make this meeting but we encourage you to book a time for your daughter who should come by herself as this is a critical milestone in her learning for the year and she would find it very valuable to talk to teachers about her next steps.

Please share the appointment time with her.

You will need the following details to make a booking:

Site:  https://www.schoolinterviews.co.nz/

Login: rdrbw

 

Weekly News – Term 2 | Week 5

Uncategorised, Weekly News

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

Earlier this week some of our senior students participated in an overnight joint Spanish immersion camp with four other schools from Otago and Southland. They experienced a range of activities focusing on using as much Spanish as possible, while making new connections and expanding their cultural knowledge.

A reminder that school will finish at 11.50am next Friday, 8th June due to a PPTA paid union meeting. There will be supervision in the library for students who need to stay at school until the end of the school day. Please notify the school office if your daughter will need to remain at school on this afternoon (contact Karen Mowat on 477 0989 or email admin@shcs.school.nz). Buses will be running to normal timetables/.

NCEA fees have been put onto your latest accounts. We collect these on behalf of NZQA and require these to be paid by mid August (Friday 17 August). There is financial assistance available.  Click here to get the details and access to the application form. These forms need to be completed and dropped into school to be processed.

Assessment Guidelines

With a number of classes completing assignments students sometimes find it hard to know the guidelines for authenticity of their work and I thought it would be good to share with parents the general rules around plagiarism that we follow.

Plagiarism is the act of presenting the work — words, thoughts, ideas, research, art — of other people as your own. ANY time you incorporate information into your project, assessment or research report that is NOT your own idea, thoughts, or research, you need to indicate, with in-text citations and a formal bibliography, where you found that information.

There are only a few instances in which you probably do not need to cite your sources.  You do not need to cite your sources if you are writing your own words, ideas, or original research.  You also do not need to cite information that is considered common knowledge, such as:

  • facts that are found in many sources (example: Marie Antoinette was guillotined in 1793.)
  • things that are easily observed (example: Many people talk on cell phones while driving.)
  • common sayings (example: Every man has his price.)

If you ever have ANY questions, be on the safe side and ask your teacher.

Events

The Big Sing takes place on Wednesday 6 June. The adjudicated sessions are open to the public for a gold coin donation. Sings Hilda are performing at approximately 10.30 am and Nga Korimako at 4.00 pm.

In the evening there is a Festival of Choirs Concert, each choir will have the opportunity to perform one of their pieces. Ticket for the evening concert are $20 for adults, $15 for NZCF members and beneficiaries, $5 for school students and $45 for a family of 2 adults and up to 3 children. Tickets are door sales only.

Families are also  invited to attend the Anglican Family Care Winter Warmer Music Concert on 14 June at St Matthews Church. Sings Hilda will be performing at the concert. Tickets are $20 for adults, free for children and can be purchased by calling 03 477 0802 or via the Anglican Family Care website.

 

From the Guidance Network

Bullying is once again making headlines with a 16-year-old boy rushed to Middlemore Hospital after he was assaulted during interval at James Cook High School in Manurewa and the horrendous online treatment of Liverpool keeper Loris Karius by Liverpool fans this week. Read the attached article to learn how you can help to protect your child against cyberbullying.

Chapel Matters

Queen’s Birthday Weekend is upon us – the last long weekend for most people until Labour Weekend! The actual birthday of Queen Elizabeth II is April 21st and this year she turned 92. If you watched the Royal Wedding between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, you will have seen that the Queen is going strong!

The day before her birthday this year, at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London, the Queen formally announced that Prince Charles would be her successor. One of the central titles held by the Queen is “Defender of the Faith,” a title first granted in 1521 to Henry VIII by Pope Leo X because of a book Henry wrote in defence of the Catholic church against Martin Luther. When Henry broke with the Catholic church over his wish to divorce Catherine of Aragon in 1530, the title was revoked by the Pope. However, the English Parliament conferred the title on him again, although this time meaning defender of the Anglican faith. Prince Charles has stated that he wants to change this 500 year old title to “Defender of Faith, not the Faith,” as a way of promoting understanding and respect between people of different faiths within the Commonwealth.

The wedding of Harry and Meghan took place at St George’s Chapel, Windsor, as I am sure you know. But did you know that Henry VIII is buried there, in the floor of the Quire (with Jane Seymour)? I wonder what he would think of Prince Charles, future Defender of Faith, as he walked Meghan up the aisle, right over the burial plaque, and of the Queen, as she sat nearby, the current Defender of the Faith. At the very least, I am sure he approved of the marriage of a prince and a divorcee.

Careers News and Events

New information has been added to the careers page.  To view visit the Career Events calendar.

Student Achievement

Lillian Gibbs participated in two NEWZATS Otago vocal competitions last weekend for years 11-13. She placed 3rd in the Cleveland Contemporary competition on Friday 25th and placed 1st in the Aparima classical competition on 27th.

The Otago Secondary School Cross Country Series has been going for the last 4 weeks with a steady contingent of St Hilda’s girls competing in a number of different events.

Otago Southland Secondary School Relay Championships

SHCS Snr A  2nd

SHCS Jnr A 4th

Otago Secondary School Cross Country Champs

U19 Girls – Cecilia Crooks 1st, Georgia Mitchell 3rd, Brianna Thomson 6th

U16 Girls – Giana Thomas 6th

U15 Girls – Annabel Bilkey 4th, Sarah Langsbury 6th

U14 Girls – Annabelle McKnight 19th

Congratulations to all girls who competed, at times in challenging conditions!