Week Ahead: Week 2 Term 1
Monday 5th – Sunday 11th February
Kia ora whānau,
It has been fantastic to have the boys back onsite this week, with the staggered start. Certainly, the staggered start enabled the Year 9s to feel more comfortable and confident in their transition. Also, it provided early leadership and mentoring opportunities for our seniors. Day 1 of our regular timetable on Thursday was testament to this, with Year 9s organised and ready for learning. We thank you for your support here, too.
Week 1 was book-ended by two fantastic events. We started, despite the wet weather, with a wonderful pōwhiri. The volume of parents and whānau was unprecedented. It was overwhelming to see the collective manaakitanga in this space, as we prioritise your son and their place in this kura. We finished today with a special assembly. Here we acknowledged academic excellence in 2023, our 1st XI cricket winning the Super 8 title and our prefect group, including the announcement of our Deputy and Head Boy, Jack McFetridge and Poutama Watson. More student leadership roles will be announced in the coming weeks.
We have eleven new staff starting in 2024. Some are returning to NBHS. We are excited about the value they will add to this kura, and your son’s education. In the coming weeks we will share more information about the new staff.
We look forward to Week 2, with more ‘regular’ school activities commencing across the school as sports and cultural programmes commence, including our first traditional summer exchange with Palmerston North Boys’ High School visiting on Wednesday.
Ngā mihi,
Waitangi Day
Monday 05 February is a regular timetabled day. School is closed Tuesday 06 February. Wednesday 07 February is Day 4 on the school timetable.
The Uniform shop will be closed on Waitangi Day
Y9 Meet the Teacher
The purpose of the evening is for parents / whānau to meet their son’s core subject teachers. The teachers will provide an overview of their subject, course and expectations. The evening begins in the Napier Boys’ High School Henderson Hall.
Y9 Meet the Teacher is Tuesday 13 February, 6:30 – 7:50pm.
Phone-free School Expectations
In lieu of Government and Ministry expectation, in the coming weeks the school will be develop a policy related to the transition to a ‘phone-free school’. The policy and guidelines will be shared with the community. In the interim, our expectation is that your son’s mobile phone remains in his bag while he is onsite, through the school day.
Public Health Nurse – Updating Safety Plans
If your child has a serious medical condition such as an allergy that causes Anaphylaxis, Type 1 Diabetes or Epilepsy, this requires a “Safety Plan” at school. Please notify the school office as soon as possible. It is a parental responsibility to ensure that any medication required is current and that your child always carries both medication and action plan.
If your child has Asthma, please ensure that they have an asthma plan from their GP and that they bring their inhaler to school.
Any queries or concerns please contact me on 027 3440248 or kate.davis@hbdhb.govt.nz
Kate Davis
Public Health Nurse
Tutor Class Photos
Tutor class photos are Thursday, 08 February. These are individual portraits. Information will be provided in the coming weeks related to ordering your son’s photo.
School Bridge App
School Bridge is our main tool to communicate with the community. The SchoolBridge App includes a web-based version and an app for iOS and Android.
Sign In: if you have a Google, Microsoft or Facebook account and use the same email account as you have registered with Napier Boys’ you can use this to sign in. For parents without this you can sign-in using the ‘Magic Link’, below.
Magic Link Sign-in
- Click on this link Request a Magic Sign-in Code
- Select the Email Magic Link sign-in and enter the email you have registered as your contact email with us.
- You will receive an email to that address that will contain both a link to sign-in and a code that can be entered to sign in. The code needs to be used within 72 hours.
- Once signed in on the app you won’t need to sign in again.
- If using the web-based version if you sign out you will need to resend the Magic Link to re-sign in.
Sibling Switcher: you will also be able to use the “Sibling Switcher” to switch between students, without additional passwords. You can also add students at different schools, who use SchoolBridge.
If you are having any trouble signing-in, there are ‘help’ videos on the sign-in page.
Stationery
Stationary can be purchased through Office Products Depot. This can be done either:
- Online – click here to access the NZ School Shop; or
- instore at 44 Wakefield St, Onekawa.
Uniform
The new and used uniform shop is open Monday 29 January 10am – 3.30pm.
Normal shop hours resume after school on Tuesday 30 January. The Uniform Shop is open Tuesday after school, 3 – 4.30pm, and Thursday lunch, 1:10 -2:10pm.
Day Boy Bus Transport
The school bus services are operated by Tranzit. If you have any queries, the Tranzit team is available on 06 877 8133.
Information related to the bus services is available here: https://www.nbhs.school.nz/new-students/buses/
Upcoming Events
Please take the time to look at this school newsletter, the ‘Week Ahead’. The Week Ahead outlines upcoming school activities. Urgent updates will be pushed-out via School Bridge.
We have moved to a digital school calendar. The school calendar can be accessed here: KAMAR or SchoolBridge
NCEA External Examinations – review & reconsiderations
Your son is now able to view his marked NCEA script from the 2023 examinations. Instructions on how to access the scripts is found here:
Accessing marked digital and scanned paper exams online » NZQA
These digital copies will be available until 30 June, 2024.
Students can apply for a review or reconsideration of their marked script. Information on this process is found here: Reviews and reconsiderations » NZQA
We encourage your son to consult his subject teacher prior to applying for a review or reconsideration.
The closing date for NZQA reviews and reconsiderations is 21 February.
BYOD Recommendations
In 2024, all year levels will use a blended learning model. This means using the right ‘tool’ at the right time, just like a modern workplace. At times, your son will be using a laptop for his learning. At other times he will be using a pen and paper.
We are mindful of the financial cost associated with purchasing and maintaining a device. Similarly, we are conscious of a device’s longevity. For many families and students, it may be advisable to carryover their current laptop from Y8 and purchase a new device as they move into the senior school.
If you do intend to purchase a laptop ahead of your son starting in 2024, we encourage you to select a mid-range product that, hopefully, lasts through to the end of their secondary schooling. A mid-range device should have the following minimum specifications:
- 8-hour battery life
- i5 processor
- 13-inch screen
- 8 Gb ram
- 250 Gb hard drive
The device when purchased should come with Microsoft Windows Home Edition.
The school will provide a license for Office 365. The school does not consider a cell phone as a device for learning and should not be used instead of a laptop.
The security and maintenance of the device is the responsibility of the student. We encourage you to engrave or label the laptop with your son’s name. The laptop should be stored in a protective bag or sleeve. You should ensure that the device is covered by your personal insurance.
You can purchase directly through New Era if you wish, information can be found here.
We do have a limited supply of equity devices that students can use on a loan basis. If you would like this for your son, please contact your son’s Dean.
What’s Due? NCEA Internal Assessments
We will begin adding due dates for upcoming NCEA internal assessments in the Senior School, here. This will commence from the middle of Term 1.
KAMAR Parent Portal
Parents / caregivers can access results and school reports through the KAMAR Parent Portal. If you have difficulty accessing the portal, please contact Mrs J Gourdie jgourdie@nbhs.school.nz Parents / whānau new to school will receive access details in the coming weeks.
You can access the KAMAR parent portal here: https://kamar.nbhs.school.nz/ or via the School Bridge app.
Summer Sports Registration – Link to register has been sent to all students/parents/caregivers via SchoolBridge, if you have any issues please see the Sports Coordinator in the Sports Office or via email: kmccallum@nbhs.school.nz
Palmerston North Boys’ High School Exchange – Hosted at NBHS, 7-9 February (1st XI Cricket), 7 February (2nd XI Cricket, Tennis)
