Kia ora parents and whanau,
To start this edition of the Beacon/Ramaroa, I would like to both thank and acknowledge our amazing parents for donating their time and energy to coach our netball, basketball, and hockey teams at Northcross Intermediate. We know it takes real dedication and effort to be at every practice and game while guiding and mentoring our players, especially braving the winter months on the netball courts and turf. Your ongoing support makes a huge difference to our season, helping our players to learn new skills, grow as a team, and most importantly, have fun. We greatly appreciate everything you do for us, we simply could not offer the variety of sports without your outstanding commitment. Thank you again.
An acknowledgement of our students for the way they have truly excelled in their Project-Based Learning (PBL) science concept, tackling the complex question: “How do we, as scientists, replicate Earth’s systems to ensure the survival of our colony?” It has been incredibly impressive to witness their ingenuity and scientific understanding in action. As I’ve visited classrooms throughout the school, I’ve seen fantastic evidence of their ability to design and conceptualise self-sustaining environments. From innovative water filtration and energy systems to intricate atmospheric controls and food production strategies, our students have demonstrated a remarkable grasp of Earth’s delicate balances and the scientific principles needed to recreate them. Their thoughtful and creative solutions are a testament to their dedication, research abilities and collaboration/team work showing how well they have understood this very challenging concept. A special mention of David Tudorie, who actually published a book, ‘Europa- The Search for Life’ which is now in our school library. Thank you to Mrs Louise McMenamin, HOD of Science, for her writing and input into this PBL concept. Congratulations to everyone, you really accepted this challenge!
An acknowledgement of the exceptional talent displayed last week at our school speech competitions, where 20 finalists captivated audiences with their well-presented and articulate presentations. A massive congratulations to our top speakers for their outstanding achievements! In Year 7, Grace Hollins (Totara) took first place with her powerful speech, “Turn the Tide on Ocean Pollution.” Following closely were Jacqueline Zhang (Kowhai) in second with “The Power of Empathy,” and Makayla Jung (Kowhai) in third with “White Lies.” For Year 8, Ami Campbell (Puriri) earned first place for her very insightful speech, “The Value of Daughters.” Second place went to Jasmine Bolton (Matai) for “Train Your Mind Like Your Body,” and Abby Jackson (Puriri) secured third with “True Friends.”
I would like to acknowledge and extend our congratulations to all 20 finalists; the quality of your speeches was truly impressive and was a testament to your hard work, practice (in all nooks and corners around our school) and dedication. A huge thank you to Mrs Tui Bennet, HOD of English for her organisation of this event and to judges, Mr Mark Jensen, Mrs Tracey Pickford,Liz Bailey from Long Bay College and Anna Taylor from Rangitoto College, an unenviable and difficult task, thank you for your professionalism.
As we approach the upcoming Board of Trustees (BOT) elections, I would like to take this opportunity to express our sincere gratitude to our current Board members; David Oakley, Tania Wansank, Jared Cuff, Steve Murray and Kelly Young for their outstanding dedication and commitment to our school. Their tireless efforts behind the scenes are instrumental in shaping the strategic direction of Northcross, ensuring sound financial management, and upholding our commitment to providing an exceptional middle school, learning environment for all students. We are so fortunate to have such a supportive and proactive Board guiding our kura.
A reminder that the 11th of August is a Teacher Only where staff will be working on the new mathematic curriculum. Again, we thank and acknowledge your support ultimately enabling us to continue with a very strong, school wide mathematics programme.
Yours sincerely,
Mr. Jonathon Tredray
