Thursday, November 16, 2017
Ross McCullough
The Opotiki College board of trustees shared details of its recent work and plans for the future with parents and students attending the recent senior prizegiving.
Board chairwoman Catriona White said as well as getting its policies updated, and working on building projects, it had been supporting principal Susan Impey with the resources she and staff needed to provide programmes of learning that best served the needs of students.
This year, several building projects had been completed including upgrading the Discovery Centre, the staffroom and entrance way along with the student support area.
In coming months, the board hoped to replace the gym ceiling, upgrade the food technology room and revamp the hall.
Mrs White said findings from a recent Education Review Office (ERO) visit would also shape the college’s charter. While it was not due for several months, she said the ERO team had made some favourable comments on different areas the school was doing well in.
Examples given included the positive and respectful relationships between students and teachers, the tracking, monitoring, and mentoring of senior students with “significant improvements” in achievement in NCEA Levels 1-3.
Mrs White said the school’s NCEA results had improved in the past few years, and the board was looking forward to further improvement this year.
She acknowledged the hard work of the staff at the college and the effort they had put in during the year, especially with upskilling and professional
development.
“The board is most grateful for your work to help our students achieve.”
And while NCEA achievement was important, so was achievement outside the classroom.
“Every extra-curricular activity enriches the students who participate and the board thanks those teachers [and parents] for giving your time and skills to provide these opportunities.”
Community invited to public hui
The board of trustees will hold a community hui next Wednesday to outline to parents and the wider community where it is at, and what it has been doing.
It is keen to receive the community’s input into what it sees the future of the school looking like.
With the school’s charter currently under review, feedback from the hui will be included in the review.