24 March Newsletter

ISSUE 3

Year 9 Team Building Page 5

Mt Somers Tramp Page 6

North for Geography Page 9

Year 7 Camps Page 12

Ki o Rahi Page 22

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THURSDAY 24 MARCH

| 2016

Ex-Student News:

Phillippa Jacobs

"It ’s always great to run a successful business, but being a successful person comes about by helping others!"

Above: Phillippa Jacobs

There are two sides to ex-student Phillippa Jacobs. One is proudly looking after the clients of her 18+ year old business, Mega Advertising, the other is how she looks after her community.

On International Women’s Day this month, Phillippa received one of the 50 Women of Achievement Awards, in New Zealand, in recognition of her service to the community. This award celebrates women who have focussed their passion, drive, and valued time, working towards building more positive communities.

The positive community values Phillippa exemplifies today are, in part, grounded in her time at Darfield High School, where she herself received strong support from staff, her peer group, and members of the Malvern community.

Phillippa has been a member of Zonta since 2007, holding positions such as two years as President of her local Club, two years National (D16) Z Club President, and seven years as the Chair of Z Club (the youth side of Zonta) at Avonside Girls’ High School.

During this time, she has helped many charities, such as Ronald McDonald

House, Cholmondeley Children’s Home, Holly House, YWCA, Christchurch Women’s Centre, All Stars Kids Club, Debra, and many, many more. Her role as Chair of the Z Club committee, for her Zonta Club of Christchurch-Canterbury, has meant going most weeks to Avonside Girls’ High School, working alongside the students on various service projects and helping empower them to do amazing things in their community by mentoring and encouraging them to do service and fundraising.

"The Z Club girls inspire me do this…I see the difference we make in the girls, I see the difference they make to our community."

"It is truly so special to be able to serve our community, guiding these great young women, and others as a NZ Business Mentor, as Chair of Business Chicks Canterbury, Chair of Business Brains, Yoobee School of Design Industries Board, etc.”

"It’s always great to run a successful business, but being a successful person comes about by helping others!" http://zonta.org.nz/wp-content/ uploads/2016/03/50-Anniversary-CelebrationAwards-50-Women-of-Achievement-2016.pdf

DHS DISPATCH welcomes any news or photographs you have from events our students have attended outside of school.

We love to hear about and share successes and interesting stories.

Please email: sheryl@darfield.school.nz Black and white paper copies are available from reception or Student Administration.

Colour and back copies can be ordered by emailing the above address. Please enquire for cost.

Advertising: If you would like to advertise in our newsletter, please email for more information.

7 McLaughlins Road PO Box 5 Darfield 7541 New Zealand admin@darfield.school.nz www.darfield.school.nz

Around School

Phone: +64 3 318 8411 Fax: +64 3 318 8543 Copyright: You are welcome to reproduce material from the newsletter after gaining permission from the school.

All reproduced material must be appropriately acknowledged.

Enjoying Maths lesson in the Learning CentreCongratulations, you two have won an Around School prize.

See Mrs Watson next week .

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This symbol means there is an album on our website relating to this article. Photos may be downloaded for personal use only. There is a download icon at the right of each photo.

24 March 2016

These students receive a certificate and a $10 voucher

AL’S AWAR NCIP DS PRI

Principal’s Comments and Awards

Rosa Dunnlogan Sophie Kingi

Bailey Crawford Paige Hunter Katie Molloy

Brooke Thomason Lily Cameron

Tamzin Brunton Ryan Neal

Ruby Marshall Jack Kennedy Niamh Guy

James Bayliss

Angus Whitaker

Uniform Reminders: Jackets for cooler weather: students are permitted to wear either a plain navy or plain black jacket with their uniform to keep warm on cooler days.

Jackets and DHS scarves are for outdoor wear.

Socks: Ensure that your child is wearing the correct socks to school. For both girls and boys, knee-high black socks are required.

Student Absence During Term Time Students enrolled at a school are required by law to attend when the school is open.

Clearly, regular attendance at school is fundamental to good learning. NZ research shows that absence from school can significantly affect achievement at school at seemingly quite low levels of absence. As such, we want to support students to be learning at school whenever possible.

For a variety of reasons, such as illness, bereavement, and extreme weather, absence from school is unavoidable. In such cases, a phone call or note to the school is needed to explain the absence. Parents who know in advance that their child will be absent from school are asked to notify the Principal stating the reasons for the leave. This absence will be recorded in the attendance register as justified or unjustified, depending on the circumstances.

The Education Act says: “If satisfied that a student's absence was, or will be, justified, the principal of the school may exempt the student from attending the school for a period of no more than five school days.”

Our school guidelines say that an absence is justified if, in the Principal’s judgement, •

the absence is due to unplanned circumstances (eg illness, bereavement, extreme weather, bus breakdown); or

Jewellery: The only jewellery permitted is a wristwatch and one gold or silver stud in each ear. No other jewellery is to be worn.

•

there are significant potential positive educational, cultural, sporting, or family outcomes that could not be fulfilled at another time; and

Blazers: Blazers are to be worn on Tuesdays.

Parents, please remind your students to bring their blazers on Tuesdays for Assemblies.

•

the potential adverse effect on the student’s education is likely to be limited.

Found: A blazer with the name Caleb Taylor on the inside. Please contact the office if this blazer is your son or daughters.

Issue 3 / DHS Dispatch

Absences of greater than five days are not able to be justified by the Principal.

Unfortunately, there is no guidance for what to do about absences greater than five days. If a student is absent due to the family going on holiday, then this is entered in the attendance record as code G – Holiday during term time. This is an unjustified absence. It does not mean that there will not be benefits for the child or family in taking the holiday, however, the Ministry of Education wants such absences recorded in this way.

Sometimes the school receives requests for work to be provided for a student who is absent. When a student is absent from class, •

but marked present due to it being a school approved activity (eg school trip, internal school appointment); or

•

the absence is justified; and

•

a parent or student requests work

then a teacher should endeavour to provide work where this is reasonable and manageable (eg, workbook, textbook, worksheet, class online resources). It is not expected that work will be marked unless this would be happening for work done in the class anyway.

When a student absence is unjustified for any reason, then a teacher is not obliged to provide work, but may choose to do so.

Regardless of an absence being justified or unjustified, NCEA procedures must be complied with as per published NCEA guidelines (eg extensions, derived grades).

These guidelines are required by NZQA in order to ensure fairness and validity for our internal assessments. As such, if an assessment is missed it may not be able to be retaken at a later time.

James Morris

Sunday 3 April 3

Kowhaiwhai Art Year 8HL Students have been working with their Art teacher, Mrs Milne, to create Maori Kowhaiwhai patterns.

Here is a selection of students work:

Callum Watson Vincent Mandapat

Brook Leighton

Sam Chaffey Quin Middleton Callum Watson

Rosa Dunnlogan

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Arthur Oakley

Caleb Blackler

24 March 2016

Year 9

Team Talk

9MB We did some really fun activities, eg we had to get the whole team across the field on tyres. It showed that we could work as a team when we pulled together. Oh yeah, the raising-the-flag activity was really cool as well.

Apart from getting out of the classroom, it was really useful to work with other members of the class in a different situation. I thought this was a really good way to get to know other people.

It was really well organised, lots of different stuff to do and we all really enjoyed it.

9JD On Monday 15 February, our class participated in a team building day that the counsellors put on for all of the Year 9 classes to get to know each other better. We did some interesting activities, including the tyre game (don’t touch the ground, only the tyres), and a pulsing hand game—where you are in two lines and hold hands: there is a person at the start who says close your eyes and then the people at the front of the line start the pulse and send it down the line. The team who picks up the lollipops, wins. We learned all about respecting our peers and teachers during school. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the day and we hope to do it again soon.

9BH In the first week of Year 9 at Darfield High School, students came to school ready for a day packed full of fun activities that were planned by the amazing counsellors.

The aim was for the students to make new friends and become confident with their class.

The majority of the students thoroughly enjoyed Team Building Day, and found it was a great confidence builder for them.

Many say that they would like to do something like this again.

9BV On Friday 12 February, it was my class's turn to do the team building with Mrs Hamilton and Mrs Mallinder; we did it just across the road from school in the little hall by the primary school.

We did activities, such as trust games, to get to know each other more. One of the activities was to design a flag and then we had to make a structure to make the flag go up and down, as if it was a flag pole. We got given newspaper and straws, etc. Some people thought it was fun, interesting, boring—it depended.

Students of 9BH agree that the interactive name game was by far the most fun. In this game we had to gather into a circle and throw a ball to each other. If the ball got thrown to me, I would firstly tell the class my name and a little about what I like to do. Kyla said, “This was a really good way for me to get to learn everybody's names and find a friend who likes to do the same things as I like to do."

The Year 9 classes also had to be randomly put into teams for a co-operative activity.

This meant the groups had to co-operate, while lowering a hula-hoop with one finger each. There were many more team building activities and this is just a small proportion of them but, as you can tell, the students had great fun and made heaps of new friends during this day.

9NV On Tuesday 9 February, 9NV had their Team Building day. We learnt a lot about how to work together but we also learnt a lot about each other, and had fun at the same time!

Issue 3 / DHS Dispatch

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OUTDOOR ED Mt Somers Tramp

By Bailey Campbell

Mount Somers tramp was all we thought it would be—a challenging walk with amazing views and a great testing ground for group fitness.

We started on Saturday 13 February, with an early start at school; fully packed and ready to go, we hit the road. After a short drive to Mt Somers, we arrived in the car park. While planning our route up the mountain, we were getting eaten by sandflies, which made it increasingly harder to listen to Mr Dickens. The conclusion we came to, was that, due to weather conditions, we would do the track backwards, starting by walking up to the summit and then, the next day, going to Pinnacles Hut. The climb to the summit of Mt Somers was not only testing but rewarding. The nearvertical slope challenged all the members of the group, climbing through the clouds and then out the other side meant we had finally reached the top. Spectacular views of the clouds below us and the Canterbury Plains ahead made for a great venue for afternoon tea.

The first night was eventful, with Eric’s interesting dinner choice of noodles and tuna. It was great entertainment watching him try to eat it. The morning revealed another breathtaking vista, which was rewarding after the tough climb the previous day.

We started our descent towards Pinnacles Hut. Because of the blistering heat that day, we made a group decision to go off the track and head to some caves that were not too far away. It made for a refreshing lunch, where we all regained our energy and were ready to climb to Pinnacles Hut. On arrival, the sight of running water and beds was a welcome one. Our last night in the hut was a fun one, with many games of Spoons and Cheat. Our walk out was just as spectacular as the climb up. Following the river back to the car park made for an easy walk to end the day.

The tramp that is the Mt Somers track is a DHS tradition, and I now see why: an amazing hike with some awesome people.

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Find the album on our Gallery at http://darfield.school.nz/

24 March 2016

Books with Bob Bob Docherty entertained Year 7s and 8s today with his latest reviews at Books with Bob. Always popular with our students, Bob regaled us with book talks from friendship stories, such as Goodbye Stranger, to NonFiction, Jammin with Steven Adams, plus many more.

If you enjoyed The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, then John Boyne’s latest book, The Boy at the top of the Mountain is a must-read.

Come into the library to reserve any of the books Bob talked about today. Also check out Bob’s Recommendations at https:// bobsbooksnz.wordpress.com/ or find the link at http://www.dhslibrary.nz/

Emma and Celine are off to Japan!

Above: Celine and Emma

Emma Ashworth and Celine Jenkins have been selected from 14 applicants to go on an amazing trip to Japan with their mothers.

This trip was made possible by the Christchurch/Kurashiki Japan Exchange for Youth With Disabilities. Tania McKenzie, member of the Christchurch Kurashiki Sister City Committee and convenor of an exchange for youth with disabilities, will be accompanying the group.

Christchurch and Kurashiki in Japan became sister cities in 1973. This exchange provides an opportunity for youth with disabilities, both in Christchurch and Kurashiki, to experience the culture of each other’s cities and see first-hand what services and facilities each city has for people with disabilities.

In alternate years, two young people from Kurashiki visit Christchurch. The exchange is principally funded by the generous sponsorship of Independent Fisheries.

They will depart Christchurch with their mothers and Tania on 10 April 2016 and return on 23 April 2016.

On Friday 8 April, they will also be attending a Civic function at the Christchurch City Council with the Mayor (or her representative).

We will be looking forward to seeing their photos and hearing about their trip.

French Exchange

Above: Harriet and Eloise at the airport

Last Sunday, we farewelled two of our Year 12 students as they were embarking on the big French adventure! This is the start of the 2016 French Exchange programme.

Accompanied for the first week, by Mrs Elliot, Harriet Watson and Eloise Dance will visit Paris and then travel to Brittany where they will stay for the following eight weeks. On their return, a group of five French students will come home with them and stay with us here in Darfield for another two months. We are looking forward to hear all about Harriet and Eloise's big adventure!

Being Buddies On Tuesday 22 March, 7CC worked with the Japanese boys from Setagaya Gakuen.

We showed them pictures of New Zealand Kiwiana and got the Japanese students to tell us what it was in Japanese. We learnt how to write and speak some Japanese also. We learnt about our Japanese buddies by asking them lots of questions.

When we finished, we went outside and played a game. It was funny watching the reaction of the Japanese students when they were skipped in the game.

Issue 3 / DHS Dispatch

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Our Year 11 Geography Trip to:

Our adventure started on Thursday 3 March, bright and early, at the bus bay. We loaded all of our gear onto the bus, called the roll and rushed for a good seat. First stop: Kaikoura!

The trip was long, but very scenic. Despite our lack of talent, the Year 11 Geography classes did enjoy a good karaoke throwback to the soundtrack of High School Musical (much to Mr Quinn’s horror).

Once we passed all the winding hills, we arrived on the coast and everyone scrambled to see the dolphins and seals that we could see from the road. It didn’t take long for us to reach our final destination, the Kaikoura Top Ten Holiday Park.

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Once we arrived, we all quickly unpacked into our conference room as we had Teri, from Whale Watch Kaikoura, coming to talk to us about what they do. It was a very interesting speech, but none of us were really concentrating as next, we had our trip on the Whale Watch boats! When the talk finally came to an end, we gathered our warmer clothes, lathered ourselves in sunscreen and made our way over to the Whale Watch office, only to find our trip had been cancelled. It had been cancelled because the two earlier trips hadn’t seen anything and also the wind had started to pick up a bit. Although it was disappointing not going on the whale watch boat, we did get to go on the bird, dolphin and seal watch. This trip was a more coastal

based boat ride. When the time came, we jumped on the bus over to the dock, had our safety brief and got on the boat!

The trip was absolutely amazing! We saw seals, albatrosses, dolphins, and plenty of other sea life. The dolphins were so playful, and we were surrounded by them, watching them duck and dive, catching the jets of water the boats were putting out. Many of us stared enviously across to the other boats where there were swimmers suited up to swim. We continued to see dolphins all the way around the coast. It wasn’t whales, but it was certainly a good substitute!

After our boat ride, we were all allocated our cabins and then had some free time. A

24 March 2016

Article and photos

by Katie Sharp

couple of hours passed, and it was time for our dinner reservation at Robbies. There we had a delicious meal. After dinner we ran over to New World and bought some ice cream for dessert. We then bussed back to the campground, where we were instructed to get into some walking shoes for a walk right over to the Point, where we saw a couple of seals and a very pretty sunset. After our walk, we had ice cream and went to bed.

The day began bright and early, as we had to be in Hanmer ASAP to start our data collection. We got up and organised, had some breakfast, made some lunch, packed and then we were off. This bus ride also included a lot of karaoke!

Issue 3 / DHS Dispatch

When we arrived in Hanmer, we didn’t have time to unpack, so we went up to the camp to sign in, and then we were dropped straight into town, where we were to start our first lot of data collection. After counting some people, we took the long walk back to the camp ground, where some team building activities awaited for us.

After being out in the hot sun for a few hours, we then all got changed into our togs as we were on our way to the pools, where Shane, the marketing manager at the hot pools, would be talking to us about what they do, and some facts and figures that would help us with our assessment. After the talk, we all swam at the pool for a couple of hours and

had some fish and chips for dinner.

The next day was our last day of the field trip, and we needed to get up and packed to get on the bus to drive into Hanmer and do our last lot of data collection. When we arrived in the township, we all had an hour or so of free time to waste (many of us bought out the lolly shop). Once we finished our data collection, it was time to head home.

Thank you so much to Mr Quinn and Miss Petersen who came on the trip with us!

See next page for more photos photos from the trip

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24 March 2016

WORLD VISION YOUTH CONFERENCE Recently, a group of seniors attended the annual World Vision Youth Conference, also attended by many other South Island students, keen to put their hands up and run the 40 Hour Famine event at their schools.

It was a day of insights and inspiration, of fun and games, as they heard and were shown about why this is necessary, and gave them the motivation and power to believe they can make a change.

Students listened to speakers - one, Daniel Flynn, talked about his dream to set up a bottled water company, Thankyou, with all profits going towards the world's water crisis. He was riveting to listen to as he spoke of the setbacks and moments he endured to see his dream through. At the end of his presentation, he gifted each student with two of his books, Chapter One, the story of his idea, which developed into an award-winning consumer goods brand.

We have an exciting new challenge for you this year as we focus on refugee children.

At the beginning of Term 2, our leaders will be kicking off the campaign, so listen out in assemblies and get ready to take part.

Above: Businessman, Daniel Flynn

"The World Vision Youth Conference was very inspirational. The day was filled with speakers who were able to give their opinion on the way they see the world in this generation and how badly some people are treated. The guest speakers encouraged us to think about what it is like to one of the 16 million Syrian refugees who are left without humanity, and how this would impact the world. One of the guest speakers, Dan Flynn said " One thing that stop us from putting it all in, is excuses." This instantly made me think about how many excuses I have made and how it could stop me from getting to where I want to go. After going to the Youth Conference, I would definately recommend it to future Year 12 and 13 students; it can truly impact the decisions you make but also inspire you to help make a change in this world."

Olivia McEwan

Above: Lee-Ann, Georgie, Maddie, Abbie, Gus and Olivia at the Conference

"I really enjoyed the Youth Conference 2016.

First, I was a bit shocked as they started to talk about Donald Trump and how they support him. Luckily, they explained that later. The speakers were great and I found it quite interesting how they all were connected to World Vision in the beginning of their idea. I hope we can also do something that can help to solve the biggest humanity crises in the world right now".

Lee-Ann "The World Vision leadership day really opened my eyes to the horrible things that are happening in the world and also showed me the things we all can do to help make a difference for these people. " Georgia Watson "The World Vision Leadership Day was an incredibly humbling experience, and opened all of our eyes to the shocking realities of life in countries other than our own. At times it was hard to comprehend the horrors that some people consider the norm, specifically focussing on the children of Syria at the present time. However, although it was hard to see, it has inspired us to work as a team and do everything we can to raise money for the children less fortunate than we are.

The incredible speakers we had during the day emphasised to us that we can all make a difference and we need to take responsibility for our world. I believe we all came away from this day with a new-found desire and a passion to do what we can to make a difference in the lives of others, starting with this year's 40 Hour Famine."

Abbie

THE 2016 40 HOUR FAMINE: WHAT'S DIFFERENT? This year, we will be supporting children and families affected by conflict in Syria.

Through no fault of their own, thousands of children have had to leave their homes and find safety in a refugee camp in a foreign country. They left friends, family, school and all their favourite things behind. That's why the money raised in 2016 will be used to fund World Vision's child-friendly spaces in Jordan, a country next to Syria that is now home to thousands of refugees.

These spaces restore hope, encourage community, and enable kids to be kids again. These are safe and welcoming places where they can play again with other children, do fun things like art and sport but, most importantly, can start to attend school again. This will ensure they are better equipped to one day rebuild their country. World Vision will provide teachers and counsellors who can help kids talk about some of the hard things they experienced and help them to feel safe and loved.

THE BACKPACK CHALLENGE: ONE WEEKEND, ONE BACKPACK In 2016, the 40 Hour Famine challenges you to live out of your backpack for an entire weekend, the same way thousands of refugee children have had to. At a moment's notice, many children have had to pack their lives into a backpack.

You will be using only what you can fit inside: all the clothes and bedding you need to keep warm and dry, the food you need, an adequate water supply, something to remember home by, and maybe something to keep you entertained. You may want to live in a cardboard box or sleep on the floor for the weekend and do away with electricity.

How about getting together in a group and sharing what you have got?

Sounds like a challenge? You bet!

Issue 3 / DHS Dispatch

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LAKE LYNDON LODGE: Y EAR 7 CAMPS

Year 7 groups share their camp experiences at Lake Lyndon 12

24 March 2016

7LW and 7KK 7LW and eight from 7KK recently had the wonderful experience of three days’ camping at Lake Lyndon Lodge. We arrived by bus and had to walk 500 metres to our lodge. This was difficult for those who brought suitcases or several overnight bags!

In the afternoon, we all went for a three- to four-hour walk. Whew! It was hard and hot work for us—well most of us. Mrs Walker stayed back to drive the van to one of our rest points later on. Near the end, some boys thought it would be fun to take a shortcut.

Not so much fun when you end up stuck in mud to your waistline. It didn’t matter in the end, as we all had a swim in the lake to clean up and cool down.

The next day, we had mountain biking, skiffing and bush craft activities (thanks Mr Mac and Mr Walker for the three buckets of 'rain' to test our shelters while we sat under them). I hope you liked the cup of tea we made on our Trangia.

It started to rain a little near the end, but we still kept going. In fact, while it rained we even competed in a triathlon. That’s how tough our classes are!

It even snowed for us on our last day. Mrs Walker, 7LW and 8 from 7KK would like to thank the amazing Mr Mac, Gus Thomas (Year 12 rockstar!), parent helpers Mike and Claire, Kieran and Anita from EONZ and last, but not least, the wonderful meal maker and teacher support - Richard Walker.

7HB and 7SJ Camp From 7–9 March, 7HB and 7SJ went on camp to Lake Lyndon. When we arrived, a car came and took our gear over to the lodge. We ate some food, then went on a three-hour walk around the hills. It was easy to do, but we had to walk through matagouri bushes, along grass creeks, up hills, down hills and more.

At dinner time, we had spaghetti bolognese and salad. For dessert, we had chocolate, strawberry or vanilla pudding with fruit salad.

Near dark, we played lots of games outside, like Spotlight and Capture the Flag. Everyone stayed up talking really late so we were pretty tired.

The next day, we did three activities: bushcraft, mountain biking, and skiffing.

Bushcraft was building tents out of tarpaulin and string that were hidden round the place.

We used stuff that we found, like a bbq and a bbq plate, and sticks that were lying around.

For mountain biking, we rode bikes around

Issue 3 / DHS Dispatch

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Year 7 Camps continued.... a track that went beside the lodge and down by the lake. There was a track that went up the mountains. The last activity was skiffing and we played lots of games, like piano keys. It is where you have to run across the skiff without falling off; then we got to jump off the skiff. For dinner we had sausages, bread rolls and salad. Dessert was melted chocolate buttons and fruit salad.

That night was much quieter than the last and we all fell asleep much more quickly.

On the third day, we did orienteering in groups in search of the nine flags. The flags were on hills under bushes and trees and more. After that, we had lunch (all the home baking) and then played a few games before we left.

We got back to school at quarter to three, so we played some more games and then went home. That was the end of the Year 7 Camp 2016.

7CC and 7KK On Wednesday 16 March, 7CC and one third of 7KK went up to Lake Lyndon Lodge for their camp.

Parent Portal

The Parent Portal is available to parents with Gmail or Windowslive email addresses.

The Portal gives access to information about your student(s), including timetables, attendance, reports, and NCEA results.

To access the Portal, register a Gmail or Windowslive email address with the school. Then, go to parents.darfield. school.nz and log in using that email address.

This does not mean changing your existing email address. Email correspondence will continue to be sent to your existing address, and the Gmail/Windowslive one will be used by you only to access the portal.

If you already have a Gmail or Windowslive email address, that can be used for the portal, but you must still ask for it to be registered for the portal.

To register an email address for the Portal, send a message to jane@ darfield.school.nz.

Unfortunately, the weather was rather cold and drizzly when we arrived and (to the relief of some people) we were unable to complete the 'Big Walk'. Instead, we walked around the whole of the lake.

When it warmed up, we were able to go swimming but it was still rather cold.

On the second and third days, we woke up to sunshine. We were able to complete all the timetabled activities. They were heaps of fun and challenged everyone. It was great to get to know our classmates better and learn more about the 7KK students.

A highlight of camp was the camp concert.

We got to see people’s many hidden talents, including James Day's outstanding haka performance and Oscar Gosling's singing, which silenced the audience.

A huge thank you to our camp parents, Jo Taylor, Matt Jones, Karen Day and Jan Curle, the OENZ Instructors, Anita and Kieran, and our teachers, Miss Kensington and Mrs Cartman. Without you, camp would not have been as great a success as it was.

Malvern A&P Show Saturday 26 March Easter Saturday Head along and check out our students' entries. Enjoy the stalls, machinery and entertainment. The Rural College students will also be there helping throughout the day.

Free parking and free entry for 16 years and under!

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24 March 2016

Geek Camp From 9–23 January, I was lucky enough to attend the 2016 Rotary National Science and Technology Forum. During the forum, 168 science and tech geeks (six of whom were from Australia) stayed in the Auckland University halls and travelled by bus, or walked, each day to universities and businesses around the Auckland area, for lectures, lab sessions, speakers and business visits. One of my favourite activities on forum was the bus rides as they always involved bus singing, a serious, yet totally awesome experience that had everyone involved (at times, even the bus driver).

Our lectures were also definitely a highlight.

We attended a total of seventeen lectures at Auckland University campuses, Massey Albany campus, and the Auckland University of Technology, learning what it is like to attend university, as well as being taught some awesome skills in science and technology. My favourite lectures had to be those centred around biology, including microbiology and molecular biology, although I found a surprising interest in most of my lectures, such as nutrition, chemistry, robotics, astronomy and biomedical sciences.

In microbiology, we looked at certain bacteria strains and how they grew around antibiotics on an agar plate; this told us which antibiotics were most effective. We were also taught how to identify bacteria using certain chemical colouring and an impressive computer system. Molecular biology included isolating fruit deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) to a point where you can pick a string of DNA out of your test tube with a kebab stick, and also looking at isolating genes to figure out the

By Maddie Tasker gene's code for certain diseases or disabilities.

I want to thank the Hornby Rotary Club for accepting my application and seeing my passion for science at my interview. I also want to thank Mr Baars, Darfield’s HOD of Science, as he introduced me to the crazy idea of a summer science camp, and helped me along the way with writing up my application. Of course I cannot forget to thank our amazing student advisors who helped us out every step of the way on our Geek Camp, and the amazing Rotary Clubs around New Zealand and Australia that made science become a real career option for me.

Last, but certainly not least, I thank Mr Peter Best and his wife, Mrs Trish Best, for pulling out all the stops and not only making Rotary National Science and Technology Forum 2016 the best forum ever, but also for continuing this amazing opportunity for young science and tech geeks, opening up a new world of options in science and technology studies and careers.

Lastly, I do not want to miss out how much fun I had up in Auckland over the two week, 'Geek Camp', as it came to be called. We played volleyball, ran in the ‘Elite Walking Crew’ around Auckland at 6.30 in the morning, explored Auckland for a day, spent a day on the beach, had hallway chat sessions, and competed fiercely in fusbal tournaments.

I met so many wonderful, talented young New Zealanders (and Australians), and made a crazy amount of awesome friends, even shedding a few tears when it came to the time to say goodbye.

Above: Sam and I holding our precious robotic car that could find its way out of a maze

Calling any science, engineering, technology or mathematics geeks: I highly recommend, to any Year 12 students going into Year 13 with a love of science, to have a look at applying for the next RNST Forum, as it opens up amazing career and study options, narrowing down the subjects you want to take in university or polytechnic (plus it is a crazy awesome amount of good times over your summer holidays). Just do it.

Darfield High School Receives St John Award Board of Trustees Chairperson, Sue Robinson, was presented with a Priory Vote of Thanks award at a recent ceremony held by St John to acknowledge their long-serving members and those who have supported St John.

Well known for its service to the community, Darfield High School has several members of St John on its staff. The school supports these staff when they need to be on call during work hours to respond to ambulance calls. We are very lucky to have Jill Hill and Ross Meder on staff and, until recently, Peter Cattell.

Post-earthquakes, the school not only continued the existing support but also provided St John with a venue to hold their weekly training meetings. This has allowed St John members to continue to provide the highest standards to benefit the community they serve.

Issue 3 / DHS Dispatch

Mrs Robinson was asked to share the award with the students and staff during recent assemblies and she is seen here (above) presenting the award to Bailey Campbell, Student Trustee.

15

CREATIVE WRITING:7HB Sean the Leprechaun was a cheerful little fellow who lived at the end of the rainbow. One fine spring day, an amazing thing happened to Sean…

He saw a door that opened and walked in.

Next minute, he was in a spa full of gold; he didn’t understand how he was there. A few seconds later, there was another door. Of course, he opened it and then he was sitting on top of the rainbow. Then he slipped and fell off and Sean wakes up and releases it was a dream. Sean thought how awesome his dream was and fell asleep again…

Charlotte Roberts

He was walking along when he found a unicorn. The unicorn was a girl and she had a beautiful rainbow mane and tail. Sean went up slowly to the unicorn and said, “Are you okay?” The unicorn looked up at Sean with big round eyes and Sean said, “I’m going to call you Missy.”

Missy looked sad and Sean asked, “Are you alright?” Missy moved her leg and there was a big cut. Sean found a note which said: Please look after my baby she is only one year old. I have been caught. I love her sooooo much.

Goodbye my honey, Mummy loves you.

Thank you so much for looking after her.

with their St Patrick's Day stories:

seeing the world, but there was one major problem—Sean had fallen in love with an elegant, light brown jackalope, Eva. Sean had been invited by Eva to go and explore the outside world with her. He told Eva to give him a few more days to think. When he was walking home that same day, he thought and thought about the offer, when something caught his eye: the trees in the forest had been so beautiful when he walked past but now there was an empty paddock full of, well, nothing. What had happened to the paddock? Sean just had to find out… to be continued.

Molly Mannering

Sean heard a buzzing. “Oh no, a bee,” said Sean and he squashed it.

He took his foot off it and gulped when he saw a fairy. The fairy flew up and slapped him.

“I'm sorry,” he called.

The fairy flew down the hill beside him. He climbed the hill in front of him and saw, not a city of gold, but a city of humans, and they

He went on an epic quest to find GOLD. Sean went into his mushroom house and pulled out a spear, just in case, then set off down the orange path to the portal. He jumped in and, WHOOSH, he fell down a green hill and landed on a yellow brick road.

“Alright, looks like I’m your new guardian.

Let's get you bandaged up.”

After a few years, Sean had trained Missy to go back over the rainbow with him on her back. Sean said to Missy that she was the best unicorn ever. Sean fell in love with Missy and they were very happy together. Missy grew some wings and Sean was so happy he told her that in a few years when she got stronger they could fly over to New Zealand and see all the beautiful scenery.

Years went by and Missy became stronger so, one day Sean said, “Let’s go pack our bags and fly off to New Zealand.” They flew into the sunset…

Millie Wilson

Sean was an ordinary, magical leprechaun with an ordinary, little house at the end of the rainbow, but he was only a beginner leprechaun, which meant he had not yet earned his pot of gold. Sean had a choice that he was sure of until this day changed his future forever. The choice was to either go to earn his pot of gold or go travelling and

16

24 March 2016

were in colourful clothes. When Sean walked down the path, a lovely leprechaun girl ran down to the city with a sack of gold. GOLD! Sean ran after the little girl and grabbed the shiny gold and, running to the portal, he jumped through. Sean landed with a thump, then he found a pot and dumped the gold in it.

All of a sudden, a white unicorn with golden eyes and a rainbow horn appeared. “Hello, little man!” she said. ”I am not a little man, I am a rainbow Leprechaun—last of my kind, ok?” yelled Sean.

“Hmph, then I'll go." She disappeared into thin air.

but he realised that the gold was the only thing that had colour. He could put some gold on the ground, then light would grow over this strange stone, a rainbow will appear and then he would use the rainbow's power to get back to his dimension. The only problem is, if the monsters get to the pot of gold or the golden seed, they would turn dark and there would be no chance of getting home, so he would have to defend the gold and the gold piece.

Around 10 hours later, the light spread a lot.

Another day and he would have a rainbow to escape! The monsters got to the light seed and pot of gold. There was no chance of escaping and he would be stuck there forever.

Logan Hindle

“Ha! At least I've got my gold.”

He turned around to the pot and cried–he had lost his gold; the unicorn had stolen it!

The next day, Sean started mining. He found lots of gold and lived happily ever after!

Isabella Stevenson

A blackish portal appeared; he didn't know why, but he went inside this strange portal.

He felt like he was having a seizure until he was warping through space and time, and then he was in another dimension, still with his pot of gold.

This dimension is very weird: dark monsters, always night time, no rainbows, no colour— nothing. He would be stuck there forever…

A unicorn called Pegasus flew down from the sky! Pegasus had luscious wings and a glistening white mane. Pegasus could speak English and said, “Come and join me on a magical journey to see my home in the sky!”

Obviously, Sean said, “Yes I’d love to see your magical home!”

So Sean jumped on Pegasus's back and flew off. There was a palace full of magical horses and a diamond waterfall. Best of all, there was a statue of a giant duck in the middle. Sean decided to go and touch the duck. WHOOSH! Suddenly Sean was in a different world full of ducks!

“Quack, quack, quack!” quacked the ducks.

There were Mallard ducks, Peking ducks and all the breeds of ducks you could think of. Suddenly, Sean saw a duck that looked familiar. Then it hit him. It was Pegasus!

Sean then realised that Pegasus had been transformed into a duck and everyone else that he knew!

Pegasus waddled over to Sean and said, “You need to go on a mission to touch the unicorn statue!”

“Where is it?” screeched Sean the leprechaun.

“I don’t know where it is; you have to find it!” cried Pegasus.

Suddenly everyone vanished and Sean was the only one left. All of a sudden, time had passed and it was time for lunch!

“I’m starving!” cried Sean.

Randomly, there was another duck left. Just one, though. He finally realised that the duck was standing in front of a statue! Sean pushed the duck out of the way and touched the magical unicorn statue. Everything randomly went back to normal and he lived happily ever after.

Emma Miles

the end

More ps na S p m Ca

Issue 3 / DHS Dispatch

17

Stage Challenge 2016 This year, Darfield High School is competing in Stage Challenge once again. Stage Challenge is an interschool dance and performing arts competition held annually throughout New Zealand.

Our performance will be based around animal poaching, with the story following a lion cub and mother in Africa. We got the idea from the Cecil the Lion story which shocked the world at the end of last year. As animal poaching is a huge issue worldwide, we thought we would take a stand and 'Voice the Roar', speaking up for the animals who have no voice.

Already a lot of work has been done, with the dances all choreographed to specific music, found by the performers, and rehearsals are well under way.

As Stage Challenge is completely studentrun, we need to organise and run the events to fund our show. This year, we are doing a wide range of fundraising activities, such as a safari-themed disco at the start of April, a raffle, and a fundraiser selling greeting cards and stationery through Phoenix Traders.

The organisation for the raffle has involved us approaching local businesses for prize donations, which will be raffled off at the start of April. If there are any parents who would like to sponsor or donate a prize to us, that would be greatly appreciated. Raffle tickets will be available from all Stage Challenge participants, or from the school office. If you would like to donate something to the raffle or sponsor the Stage Challenge group, please do not hesitate to contact the school or email Chloe: 10fraserc@darfield.school.nz.

If you are interested in purchasing cards and stationery from Phoenix Traders, please come into the school office and ask to see one of the magazines.

All support and donations are, and have been, hugely appreciated, as they all help us get one step closer on our journey to Stage Challenge this year.

THURSDAY 14 APRIL Shave for a Cure is happening at the end of this term and, once again, Darfield is taking part in this fabulous event. The event raises money for the Leukemia and Blood Cancer Foundation and this year, the team at Darfield is looking to raise over $5000 so that we can make a difference to the lives affected by these cancers.

Each day, six Kiwis are diagnosed with a blood cancer, so every bit of money that is raised is important as it all helps to lower that number, with the end goal being none.

The school Shave is currently scheduled for Thursday 14 April which, conveniently, is the second-to-last day of Term 1, so there will be

plenty of time to grow back some of your hair before Term 2 begins.

If you are not able to take part in the Shave, then we really would love it if you could donate some money to one of your friends, or to the school directly. Donations can be made online—just go to the Shave For a Cure website and search ‘Darfield’ in the schools section and our name should pop up!

Permission slips are still available from the student office for anyone keen to sign up!

If anyone has any questions about the Shave, then please contact any member of the Shave team: Eddie Searle, Brittany Muiznieks, Olivia Shinn and Courtney Townsend.

DISCO

Friday 8 April 7.00 - 9.30 pm School Hall Tickets $5 (no door sales) Stage Challenge Fundraiser

Chloe Fraser

Phoenix Trading have the most super range of cards. Pick up a catalogue from Reception and order your stationery today!

18

24 March 2016

Student Successes Swimming

Shooting

Recently, Ethan Taylor (right with his medals) competed in the 2016 NZ Division II Championships in Invercargill. He won Bronze for 50m Breaststroke, Gold for 100m Breaststroke and Silver for 200m Breaststroke.

From 5–12 March, I was competing in the New Zealand Clay Bird Shooting Nationals, held at McLeans Island Canterbury Gun Club.

There were over 300 competitors so I was very pleased to win a Bronze medal in the Minis Championship in B grade, on the Sunday.

Ethan swims for the Waitaha Swim Club.

On the Tuesday, I was in a team of three of the top juniors in the South Island, and shooting against the North Island, we placed second. I received a badge for shooting for the South Island Juniors.

Tank Tops at Cat Show

Congratulations to Sam Begbie and her cat, Tank, who managed to wow the judges at the recent Canterbury All Breeds Cat Club Show, held in Papanui.

Very placid and easygoing, Tank even surprised Sam, who wasn't expecting to come away with all the awards he received.

Mainelanders Kiss and Tell (pedigree name) or Tank, his everyday name, is a Mainecoon—the largest breed of domestic cat. He was a Christmas present to Sam and you can tell she is very proud of him. Very cuddly he is and very large!

From four show rings, the silver tabby came away with three Best in Show, one RunnerUp to Best in Show, three Best Groomed, and one Best Temperament. Sam discovered it was pretty rare for a kitten to make it into the Supreme Awards, but the judges were most impressed and Sam thought he really enjoyed the attention and experience.

The shoot ran all week from the Saturday to the following Friday. All week, I had to watch what I was eating and try to get as much sleep as possible. Each day, the shoot started at 8.30 am and ran until about 5.30 pm with either one or two shoots in a day. In the morning, there was a qualifying match and, if you did well enough, you would have a shoot-off in the afternoon. In the evening, there would be a prize giving, which is when they handed out the medals to the prize winners.

Well done, Sam and Tank!

Jo Millar, cat breeder friend and judge, visited Sam and, after seeing Tank, suggested she enter him in the cat show.

Clockwise from top: Proud Sam with Tank; Tank's awards; and Tank being judged

Above: Ben's Medals

Marching Magic: Success at the Championships Kate Sutton marches for the Eclipse U16 Marching Team which recently competed in the Canterbury Championships in Christchurch on 5 March. They performed very well, retaining their title as Canterbury Champion Technical, Display and Overall Canterbury Champion Under 16 Team 2016.

This success meant they travelled to Auckland to compete at the National Championships on 12 March. There they successfully retained the New Zealand Champion Display title, placed 2nd Technical Drill and Overall Runner Up New Zealand Champion Under 16 Team 2016.

This is a huge achievement, so well done to Kate and her team.

Issue 3 / DHS Dispatch

19

Athletic Champions Age Champion Runner-Up U12 Boys

Harrison Beresford

Harley Gray

U12 Girls

Emily Waters

Emma Wason

U13 Boys

William Brown

Mitchell Calcott

U13 Girls

Scarlett Banks

Casey Roessink

U14 Boys

Cameron O’Donnell Harrison Irving

U14 Girls

Stefanie McKenzie

Zoe Spinks

Junior U15 Boys

George Brown/ Jackson Proud

Callum Murdoch

Junior U15 Girls

Penny Mitchell

Claudia Lassiter

Intermediate Harry Bampton Jeroen Breunisse/ U16 Boys Michael Dempsey Intermediate Pippa Foster U16 Girls

Grace Earle

Senior O16 Boys

Isaac Proud

James Doherty

Senior O16 Girls

Karta Hewitt

Caitlin Thistoll

Athletic Records Broken Under 12 Girls Shot Put Emma Wason (2.00 kg) 8.76 metres Under 14 Girls Javelin Brianna Longdin 22.18 metres (Old Record: 19.66 metres Georgia Lovelady 2006) 100 metres Zoe Spinks 13.41 sec (Old Record: 13.65 sec Lisa van der Plas 1994) 200 metres Zoe Spinks 29.21 sec (Old Record: 30.16 sec Lisa van der Plas 1994) Under 12 Boys Shot Put Jack Buist-Brown (2.00 kg) 9.21 metres Under 13 Boys 200 metres William Brown 28.86 sec (Old Record: 28.90 sec Andrew Muscroft-Taylor 1990) Junior Boys

South Island Secondary Schools' Athletic Championships After the recent Canterbury Secondary Schools' Athletics Championships, held in Timaru on 2 and 3 April, the following students have been selected by School Sport Canterbury personnel to represent Darfield High School at the above championships: Harry Bampton

Under 16 Boys 800 metres

Callum Murdoch Under 15 Boys High Jump and Triple Jump Georgia Shinn

Senior Girls 1500 and 3000 metres

Zoe Spinks

Under 14 Girls 100 and 200 metres

Caitlin Thistoll

Senior Girls Javelin

Brodie Wanhalla Under 15 Boys Javelin

High Jump Callum Murdoch 1.68 metres (Old Record: 1.66 metres Angus Field 2010)

Well done to you all and good luck. Results from this event will be published in the next newsletter.

Javelin Jackson Proud 37.77 metres (Old Record: 35.71 metres Richard Williams 2004)

Triathlon

Athletics House Points

237 153 146 141 20

789 768 750 739 24 March 2016

Triathlon Team Results Mixed Years 7 & 8 1 Vincent Sanderson/Jacob Horrey/Emily Mangels 2 Shannon Bayliss/Kendra Mills/Blake O’Donnell 3 Isabella Stevenson/Kelly Rod/Josh Rod

32.36 41.23 42.12

Junior Girls Years 7 & 8 1 Caitlin Knowles/Georgie Sarginson/Sophie Kingi 2= Emma Wason/Monique Weber/Mari Henderson 3 Emily Waters/Emma Miles

30.52 31.38 31.38

Junior Boys Years 7 & 8 1 Callum Summerfield/Jonty Kupe/Ethan Longdin 2 Sam Harrington/Sam Robinson/Beau Beadle 3 Charlie Chambers/Johnny Millar

17.39 23.27 23.52

Intermediate Girls Years 9 & 10 1 Georgia Allison/Abie Tuhill/Nicole Grigg 29.04 2 Stefanie McKenzie/Rozlyn Doherty/Rosa Buist-Brown 30.32 3 Brianna Longdin/Jenny Walter/Sophie Townsend 31.11 Intermediate Boys Years 9 & 10 1 Jesse Gray/Caleb Curtin/George McIntosh 2 Tom Welch/Ben Kimber/Callum Murdoch 3 Mitchell Longdin/Lachie Summerfield/Ryan Hughes

26.38 27.15 27.35

Mixed Years 11–13 1 Holly Kimber/Nathaniel Dysart/James Doherty 2 Callum Freer/Lucy Wilson/Eamon McKay 3 Jodie Rollings/Bronte Thomas/Hunter Benbow

40.31 48.23 54.18

Senior Girls Years 11–13 1 Georgia Cottrell/Anna Hefferon/Holly Kimber 2 Ellen Waters/Jasmine Nash/Emma Grigg 3 Georgia Watson/Eloise Dance

48.08 62.17 63.59

Senior Boys Years 11–13 1 Finn McGregor/Gus Thomas/Hamish Evans 2 Michael Ridgen/Aidan Tuhill/Ben Millar 3 Hunter Benbow/George Gibbs/Caleb Banks

44.17 45.13 47.17

STAFF 1 KIKO 2 RAWHITI 3 WAIMAK 4 TAWERA

Issue 3 / DHS Dispatch

21

RYDA Road Safety Education Darfield High School Year 12 students will be attending the award winning one-day RYDA Road Safety Education Programme.

RYDA is designed for 15–17 year olds as they begin to drive, or ride, in cars driven by their peers. The programme focuses on attitude and awareness with the aim of equipping young adults to stay safe on our roads. This programme is not just for drivers, but young people as passengers too.

Date:

Venue: Rugby Clubrooms and the

Community Centre

Ki o Rahi A few years ago, no one at Darfield High School had ever heard of this sport called Ki o Rahi; now we have 22 students and more wanting to participate and be part of this sport, which is awesome.

We were lucky enough to have TOAsports from CPIT come out one Wednesday during lunch time and period 5 to teach our teams some skills for the first tournament. This meant that going into the tournament we were confident and fully prepared to come up against all 15 other teams there.

Our students had a very nailbiting final against Hillmorton High School, where we fell short by only one point, making it 11–12 to Hillmorton.

At Prize Giving, collected their prizes for gaining 2nd place. There were also some special prizes announced and Isaac Proud received a prize for being the player who was showing fairplay and consideration for the other teams overall. Isaac also made the overall tournament team.

Overall, this was a very successful tournament. We have since found a sponsor and now are getting ready for Term 3's event and, potentially, the Nationals next year.

Miss Watherston

22

Tuesday 3 May 2016

On Friday 4 March, a group of keen Darfield sportsmen and women took part in a traditional Maori sport, called Ki O Rahi, with other schools around Christchurch.

Ki O Rahi has characteristics of many sports, like touch rugby, netball and Aussie rules.

Some of the schools competing were Linwood, Burnside, Hornby and Hillmorton.

There was a positive vibe throughout the tournament; we congratulated our opponents and we had a lot of fun.

Our two Darfield teams played extremely well throughout the tournament, with one of our teams coming 2nd and the B team coming 13th. This was a great achievement for our school, with us earning the nickname the "Dark Horse".

Our teams are keen for our next tournament which will happen in Term 3 this year. Overall, the tournament was a great interactive and fun day with a competitive edge, and we hope to keep this competitive edge up for next year.

Isaac Proud

Time:

The programme will start at 9.30 am and finish at approximately 2.10 pm

Dress:

Students are to wear complete school uniform

Bring:

Students are to bring lunch and beverages to last the day as there is no food available for purchase, and no water tap on site.

Students need to bring a pen as

there is a booklet to be completed through the day RYDA delivers six interactive sessions aimed at exploring crucial aspects of travelling safely, combining the efforts of local road safety experts/educators and recovering survivors of road crashes. There is an activity booklet to be completed on the day.

In one session, students will be outside requiring appropriate clothing and or accessories for the weather.

Students will also watch an emotional video of a fatal car crash. Any student who is not comfortable to watch the video will be invited to leave the room whilst the video plays.

Details of the programme can be found at www.rse.org.nz. See flyer next page.

24 March 2016

sessions

Students take part in six interactive sessions.

• Speed & Stopping

Demonstrates the physics of stopping and crashing as well as discussion of car safety features. Students experience through practical observation the relationship between speed and stopping distance.

• HazardS & Distractions

Number 1 in road safety education Road Safety Education Limited is the pre-eminent provider of road safety education for youth in Australia and New Zealand. The flagship RYDA Programme is delivered to over 50,000 17-18 year old high school students, at 90 venues.

By participating in RYDA your school furthers their commitment to educating the ‘whole student’, providing an opportunity to learn essential life skills. Students are encouraged to take greater responsibility for themselves and their friends before they face the challenges of driving solo or as a passenger of a new driver.

RYDA is a one day programme, conducted at an out of school venue, chosen to highlight crucial road safety messages. Supporting the graduate licensing schemes, the programme focuses on the key government ‘big five’ road safety issues of speeding, DUI, fatigue, seatbelts and distractions as well as the importance of driving as a social responsibility.

Now is the time to equip young people with the tools and knowledge they need to stay safe on the road.

RYDA’s learning is for life!

For further information, contact 0800 150 180, visit our website or contact your school coordinator

An interactive session where students strategise about managing distractions and improving their hazard perception skills.

• The Personality Test

A reflective session designed to show students how their personality is an important aspect of the total road safety equation. Students self-assess against five personality areas and use this tool to analyse risky situations in cars.

• Rights & Responsibilities A discussion, routinely led by a Police Officer on key risk areas for young drivers and passengers.

Features hard-hitting videos on decisionmaking and choices.

• After the Crash A powerful presentation

by a speaker about the crash that changed their life. Features a personalisation exercise where students see how a similar crash would affect their life and plans.

• Genevieve’s story A true and emotional

story about a young driver and passenger involved in a road crash. Students analyse the crash and its contributing factors, discuss the ripple effect and develop plans for decision making in risky situations.

getting

heel w e h t d n i h e b as a of a car

passenger

or r e iv r d g st n u o Y mong the mo is said to be a hings a person will do t

dangeinr tohuesir entire life

The RYDA Programme is supported through a comprehensive website, loaded with resources for teachers, students and parents (rse.org.nz/ryda) as well as our growing Facebook (facebook.com/RYDAroadsafety) and Instagram (@RYDAroadsafety) communities.

Issue 3 / DHS Dispatch

23

School and Community Notices Term Dates 2016 Term 1: •

Monday 1 February to Friday 15 April

•

25 March: Good Friday

•

28 March: Easter Monday

•

29 March: Easter Tuesday (School Holiday)

Term 2: •

Monday 2 May to Friday 8 July

•

25 April: ANZAC Day

•

6 June: Queen’s Birthday

Term 3: •

Monday 25 July to Friday 23 September

Term 4: •

Monday 10 October to Friday 16 December

•

24 October: Labour Day

•

10 November: Staff Only Day

•

11 November: Canterbury Anniversary Show Day

Contact Between Home and School We have found that up-to-date information is vital in case of an emergency but also for general day to day contact. Have you changed your address recently? Changed cell phones? Place of work? Or would you like to update/change the emergency contact for your student? Also the second parent address for reports being sent.

If any of the above changes apply, please advise Jill, Student Administrator, by: phoning 318 8411/ext 3; emailing jill@darfield.school.nz or write it down and ask your student to deliver it to the Student Office ICAS Science competition entries now open.$8.50 in a NAMED envelope to the office please if you want to enter.

Entries close 14 April.

DARFIELD HIGH SCHOOL WEBSITE

24

TERM ONE WEEK EIGHT Friday 25 March • Good Friday Saturday 26 March • Malvern A& P Show WEEK NINE Monday 28 March • Easter Monday Tuesday 29 March • Easter Tuesday Wednesday 30 March • Year 9 Camps (to 1April) Thursday 31 March • Year 13 Geography Coastal Trip • Years 12 and 13 Outdoor Ed Afternoon Saturday 2 April • SI Secondary Schools Athletics in Timaru (to 3rd) • Year 13 Rockclimbing (to 4th) WEEK TEN Monday 4 April • Year 9 Camps (to 8th) • SS Summer Tournament Week • Poetry Day/Week Wednesday 6 April • NZ Secondary Schools Triathlon Championships in Queenstown (to 8th) Thursday 7 April • Canterbury Primary Schools Swimming Championships WEEK ELEVEN Monday 11 April • Year 12 Outdoor Ed (all day) Tuesday 12 April • House Meetings • UC Discovery Day • BOT Meeting, 7.00 pm Wednesday 13 April • Cross Country • Commerce Senior Market Day • Victoria University Presentation to Year 13s Thursday 14 April • Shave for a Cure Friday 15 April • Newsletter # 4 • Last Day Term 1

24 March 2016

School Uniforms

LEADING LEARNERS

We have a range of uniform items in stock for sale at school.

Fittings are by appointment only. It is preferable parents refrain from coming to reception for uniform items from 8–9.30 am as this is a very busy time. For purchases, please contact Sue or Elaine in Admin.

ON THE ROAD TO SAFER DRIVING Endorsed by Chris Amon, MBE

•  IsIsyour ontheir theirLearner Learner Licence? yourson sonor ordaughter daughter on Licence? and • Have they held for their Learner Licence for least three  Have they held their Learner Licence for at least threeatmonths? and Out of stock items will not be replaced; we are discontinuing the months?

Do they attend a Selwyn District Secondary School?

Uniform Shop at school. Please ring to check we have the item • Do they attend a Selwyn District Secondary School?

If you answered “yes” to all of the above, then they, along with you – their parent/ caregiver, are

you require in stock. All Darfield High School uniform items are eligible to attend Leading Learners, hosted by Selwyn District Council. The next course is on for sale at The Warehouse, Rolleston.

Tuesday, 26 April 2016 starting"Yes" at 8.30am finishing atthen 1.00pm.

If you answered to all and of the above, they, along with you - their parent/cargiver, are eligible to attend Leading Learners, If you have second hand uniform for sale and would like details The course has proven successful with Learners and parents alike, because it teaches them hosted by Selwyn District Council. the next course is on Tuesday 26 of it to be added, or updated, on our database, please email practical skills that other programmes don’t, such as driving on different road surfaces, stopping distances, hazards, distraction and reinforces the 120 hours of driving practice April, starting atand 8.30peer ampressure, and finishing at 1.00 pm. sue@darfield.school.nz or elaine@darfield.school.nz. Please note, recommended for learner drivers, to prepare them for getting their restricted licence and driving alone. we do not keep second hand uniform at school.

The course has proven successful with Learners and parents alike, because it teaches them practical skills that other programmes Conditions of Entry don't, such as driving on different road surfaces, stopping distances, The Learner must: hazards, distraction and peer pressure, and reinforces the 120 hours  attend a secondary school or be home schooled in Selwyn district. of driving practice recommended for learner drivers, to prepare  have a current New Zealand Learner Driver Licence that they have held for at least three forhave getting restricted licence and experience. driving alone. monthsthem and/or donetheir 40 hours of practical driving

Uniform Shop Hours for Students Monday: 11.00 –11.25am Thursday: 11.00 –11.25am



be accompanied by a parent or caregiver for the whole day.

Conditions of Entry

The parent or caregiver must provide a car to be used by the learner for the event. The car must must: be one thatThe theLearner Learner has driven before and have a current registration and warrant of fitness, be roadworthy at the time of the event and correctly displaying “L” plates.

Second Hand Uniforms Wanted

•

attend a secondary school or be home schooled in Selwyn

This course is heavily subsidised by NZTA and Selwyn District Council enabling us to charge only district There is a great demand for clean and tidy second hand $20 for both learner and parent/caregiver. There are limited places on the course left.

For more information register, please contact Ngaire Tinning on (03) 3472901 • Haveorato current New Zealand Learner Driver Licence that they or e-mail uniforms. If you have items you would like to sell or donate, ngaire.tinning@selwyn.govt.nz by Friday, 15 April 2016.

please email elaine@darfield.school.nz, or sue@darfield. school.nz with details: sizes, items, girl’s or boy’s, price, and your contact details. This information will be added to our database and if someone is looking for an item, we will pass on your contact details.

Note: we do not keep second hand uniform at school.

have held for at least three months and/or have done 40 hours of practical driving experience

•

be accompanied by a parent or caregiver for the whole day

The parent or caregiver must provide a car to be used by the learner for the event. The car must be one that the Learner has driven before and have a current registration and warrant of fitness, be roadworthy at the time of the event and correctly displaying 'L' plates.

This course is heavily subsidised by NZTA and Selwyn District Council enabling us to charge only $20 for both learner and parent/ caregiver. There are limited places on the course left.

Our Street Talk Defensive Driving Course is NZTA approved. By completing this course, you can reduce your Driver’s Licence by six months (instead of waiting 18 months from when you sit your restricted licence, you can complete your Full Licence in 12 months).

For more information, or to register, please contact Ngaire Tinning on 03 347 2901 or email ngaire.tinning@selwyn.govt.nz by Friday 15 April.

The cost of this course is $170. Enrol at www.fusiontrust.co.nz

Coach Wanted: I am looking for any parents or students interested in coaching netball. Games are played Wednesday afternoon at the Hagley netball courts in town. Please contact Miss Graham if interested. Email: bg@darfield.school.nz

Issue 3 / DHS Dispatch

25

THINKING ABOUT A CAREER IN THE NZ DEFENCE FORCE? Come along to our free sessions and find out more about careers in the NZ Army, Navy and Air Force.

FORCE INFO Hear from our Defence Career experts and ask questions.

FORCE FIT We will guide you through what to expect at your initial fitness test, and how to get Force Fit. Remember to bring your workout gear if you would like to participate.

These sessions are open to everyone – parents, caregivers, friends and teachers are welcome too!

CHRISTCHURCH Where?

HMNZS Pegasus, 419 Montreal Street When?

Tuesday 12 April, Tuesday 24 May & Tuesday 13 September Force Info: 6–7pm, Force Fit: 7–8pm

Call or email us to register your interest: DefenceCareersSouthern@NZDF.mil.nz or call 0800 1 Force Christchurch Defence Recruiting

26

24 March 2016

Issue 3 / DHS Dispatch

27

DARFIELD HIGH SCHOOL

10-13 MAY @ 7.30PM

Performances: School Hall Tuesday 10 May 7.30 pm Wednesday 11 May Matinee: 10 am Thursday 12 May 7.30 pm Friday 13 May 7.30 pm Ticket Prices: Adult $15 Student $12 Children $5

(10 and under)

Family $40

(2 Adults, 2 Children)

Music and Lyrics by Paul Williams Book by Alan Parker Address: 7 McLaughlins Road

PO Box 5

Email: admin@darfield.school.nz

Darfield 7541

Web: darfield.school.nz

New Zealand

Tickets available at: darfield.school.nz or from School office.

Door sales available

Phone: +64 3 318 8411 Fax: +64 3 318 8543