Kia ora Parents and Whānau
As we officially pass the halfway mark of Term 2, the energy around Northcross Intermediate is as vibrant as ever. From the sports fields to the performing and visual arts rooms, our students have been immersing themselves in every opportunity with determination and enthusiasm, we want to thank you for ensuring they are arriving focused and ready to learn during this winter season.
In the classrooms, our science focus has been on deepening critical thinking and collaborative problem-solving through our Term 2 physics inquiry, where students are competing in a marble run challenge to maximise travel distance by manipulating gravitational potential energy, kinetic energy, and friction. Students definitely rose to the challenge, showcasing incredible problem-solving skills and delivering superb results. Thank you to Mrs. Louise McMenamin for her organisation of this unit.
This Sunday, the 7th of June, our Northcross Future Problem Solving National Champion team will be boarding a flight to the United States to represent New Zealand at the International Future Problem Solving Championships at Indiana University Bloomington. After claiming their well-deserved national title, our students have spent months preparing, researching, and sharpening their critical thinking skills to compete against the absolute best academic teams from all around the globe. Future Problem Solving is an elite academic competition that challenges students to analyse complex, futuristic scenarios and develop creative action plans under a strict time limit, making their achievement a phenomenal feat that requires immense dedication and teamwork.
A huge congratulations to Jarvis Cui, Gary Gao, Keddy Gong, Cynthia Gu, Ayla Gulliver, Emma He, Evelyn Hu, Kevin Lei, Emma Smith, Chloe Tang, Sarah Wei, Vivian Wu, and Jacqueline Zhang. We are immensely proud of their perseverance and hard work, and I am sure you will join us in wishing them safe travels to Indiana and the very best of luck at this world competition. A huge thank you again to super coach and mentor Glenis Martin for inspiring and coaching our students to the highest level. Glenis will be supported by Mrs. Jill Haslam and Mrs. Janine Joyce.
Looking ahead to the rest of the term, our winter sports codes are now in full swing with rugby, netball, hockey, and football teams into their morning and lunchtime training sessions. A huge acknowledgment and thank you to our parents and past students for coaching and managing our many sports teams—we simply could not offer the range of sports without your support!
Some important dates for your diary include:
- John Parsons Parent talk on On-line safety 6pm Thursday 4 June in the NX PAC
- Puberty Evenings Tuesday 16 and Wed 17th June 5:30pm in the NX PAC
- Mid-term progress reports being sent home via the parent portal on Friday the 3rd of July
- Parent-Teacher Interviews (with an early dismissal at 12:30 pm) on Wednesday the 29th of July and evening sessions on Thursday the 30th of July.
Matariki falls in our holiday period this year, but we will have celebrations at school on the 2nd of July, block 5. We officially finish the term at 3:00 pm on Friday the 3rd of July.
Thank you for your continued support in making Northcross such a dynamic place to learn.
Ngā mihi nui
Jonathon Tredray
Principal
