This week we launched the concept of a Sports Academy for Taieri College.  Many of you will be aware that a Sports Council has been set up from interested parents, teachers and representatives from sporting bodies.  From this group has come the idea of a Sports Academy.  We are fortunate to have the input from two leaders in the tertiary sector of sport development to assist us in writing a programme covering Term 3 and Term 4.  The programme is generic and will look at the skills and competencies for excellence and high performance in sporting codes.  In 2011 the Sports Academy will be expanded to included Years 7 and 8 in a Junior Academy and Year 9 and in a Middle Academy.  In 2012 it will be expanded to include Year 10.  For each of these groups, the programme will be tailored to meet their particular developmental needs. 

This is an exciting time for the further development of sport at Taieri College and on the Taieri.  There will be more information about the Sports Academy and its programme on Open Day.  Please take this opportunity to come along and see what it has to offer your young person.

I visited a Year 9 Science class this week.  They were preparing for their Royal Society Crest badge and planning their investigation.  It was amazing the variety of topics they wanted to look at; levels of bacteria in yoghurt, the most effective teeth whitening process, water quality in the Silverstream, and one that I found very hard to understand - Kirlian photography.  I am sure that the displays will be awesome.  We open this to parents to come and see what the young people have produced and then enter our top projects in the Otago Science Fair.  Traditionally we do very well in this competition.