As we move through another busy term, I would like to congratulate the many students who have been recognised through our KAMAR rewards system in recent weeks. It has been fantastic to see so many students acknowledged for their positive contributions in the classroom, and it was a pleasure on Wednesday to reward their efforts with a free lunch. The growing number of KAMAR rewards reflects the excellent attitude, effort, and commitment being shown by students across the college.

Finally, I would like to let our college community know that I have made the difficult decision to resign from my position at Taieri College in November to take up a new role with Otago Cricket. It has been a privilege to be part of such a rewarding and supportive school community, and while moving on is never easy, I am looking forward to the new challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

It was an eventful week at Taieri College as, like many schools across Dunedin, we experienced a significant snowfall that resulted in the closure of the college on Tuesday. While unexpected interruptions can create challenges for families and staff, student and staff safety must always remain our priority. In this case, the predominant issue wasn’t the conditions across Mosgiel; it was the inability of staff to get to school from Dunedin.

This week we welcomed more than 200 families and whānau through our gates as part of our annual Open Week. It was wonderful to showcase to prospective students all that makes Taieri College such a great school to be at. A big thank you to the many student leaders who generously gave their time to help guide groups around the college. Your impeccable manners and willingness to share your experiences were appreciated.

Welcome back to all our students, staff, and families as we begin Term 3. I hope everyone enjoyed a well-earned break and had the opportunity to rest, recharge, and spend time with family and friends. We are looking forward to another busy and successful term filled with learning, opportunities, and achievements.

Senior reports are being emailed home today, and they will provide an important snapshot of how our senior students are progressing towards their NCEA goals. We encourage students and parents/whānau to take the time to review these carefully and, where needed, have conversations about next steps for the term ahead. As always, please don’t hesitate to contact the school if you would like further clarification or support.

We begin this week’s newsletter by congratulating Sienna Forgie and Lucia Akiyama, who have been awarded this year’s Mana Pounamu Awards. This prestigious honour recognises students who demonstrate leadership, service, and a strong commitment to the values that are important to Taieri College. Sienna and Lucia exemplify these qualities, and we are incredibly proud of the way they represent our school.

On Tuesday, our annual winter sports exchange against South Otago High School was again a positive occasion and continued the long-standing history between our two schools. Built over many years of competition, the exchange is always fiercely contested. Our students performed well across the exchange, with senior students playing in Mosgiel and our junior students travelling to Balclutha. A six-all draw across all codes demonstrated the close competition between both schools. I would like to congratulate all students who took part, and my thanks also go to our coaches, managers, referees, whānau, and supporters who helped make the day such a success. Opportunities like this do not happen without a great deal of organisation, and we are grateful to the sports office for their efforts.

It has been a busy and positive start to winter for Taieri College, with our students representing the school with pride across music and sport.

Congratulations to our choir, who recently took part in The Big Sing Choral Festival at the Dunedin Town Hall. This is a wonderful opportunity for students to perform in a high-quality regional festival alongside other secondary school choirs, and our singers represented Taieri College with confidence and enthusiasm. Events such as this require commitment, teamwork, and courage, and we are very proud of the way our students embraced the experience.

It is a pleasure to announce the recipients of some very prestigious awards. Congratulations to Sienna Forgie (Year 13), who has been honoured as our 2026 tuakana (senior) Mana Pounamu recipient. Our teina (junior) Mana Pounamu recipient is Lucia Akiyama (Year 10). Both students are highly deserving of these prestigious awards and will have them presented at a function in Dunedin later this term. Another prestigious award given out annually is the Otago Daily Times Class Act Award. This year’s recipients are Jenny Petegem-Thach and Kobe Watt, both of whom are richly deserving of this recognition for their achievements. Our Prime Minister will present the Class Act awards in Term 4.

On Tuesday, our Year 12 students recently took part in the Ryda Drive Safely workshops, a valuable programme designed to help young people become safer and more responsible road users. Ryda is a one-day road safety education experience that gives students practical tools and strategies to manage risk, make good decisions, and understand the responsibilities that come with being both drivers and passengers. The workshops were highly engaging and provided our students with important lessons that will stay with them well beyond the school gates.

Next week, most of our Year 10 students and several senior students will sit the NCEA co-requisite assessments in literacy and numeracy. These online assessments are an important step in their learning journey and give students the chance to show the reading, writing, and mathematics skills that will support them throughout school and beyond. Achieving the co-requisites is an important foundation for future NCEA success. Once students have met this literacy and numeracy requirement, they can focus more fully on working towards credits and success in their senior subjects. Building confidence in these essential skills is crucial in setting students up for a strong start to NCEA and supports achievement across all areas of learning in the years ahead.

Today Taieri College is celebrating Pink Shirt Day. Pink Shirt Day began in Canada in 2007 after two students stood up for a younger student who had been bullied for wearing a pink shirt. In response, they encouraged classmates to wear pink as a show of solidarity and support. What started as one simple act of kindness quickly grew into an international movement against bullying. In Aotearoa New Zealand, Pink Shirt Day has been celebrated since 2009, encouraging schools and communities to speak up, stand together and stop bullying.

Last weekend, our prefects and Year 13 students took part in the ‘Relay for Life’ at Forsyth Barr Stadium. ‘Relay for Life’ is a 12-hour community fundraising event where teams continuously walk or run around the track. It was so encouraging to see our young people focused on helping others and committed to making a positive difference in our community. Our students raised approximately $3,500 for this very worthy cause. Funds raised will go towards cancer research, counselling, and transport or accommodation for patients in Otago. Well done to all who got involved.

On Tuesday this week our kapa haka rōpū represented Taieri College with distinction at the opening of the upgraded Dunedin Airport terminal at Momona. Performing on such a significant occasion was both an honour and a privilege, and our students rose to the moment with a polished performance that was well received by those present. Well done to the students and staff involved.

Welcome back to Term 2!

 This week, in conjunction with New Zealand Police and the Sophie Elliott Trust, our Year 12 students took part in the “Loves-Me-Not” programme. This whole day programme supports students to build respectful, healthy relationships by understanding consent, recognising early warning signs of relationship abuse, and learning how to be an effective bystander and how to seek help when something isn’t right

I had the pleasure of joining this week’s Year 12 Geography field trip to Mount Cook, and my thanks to the staff and students for making it such a success. It would be difficult to find a more picturesque classroom setting than the Mount Cook National Park, especially given the fine weather we encountered during our visit.

This week at Taieri College, students have been out and about making the most of a huge range of opportunities - on the water, in the outdoors, on the sports field, and behind the scenes in the creative industries. From building confidence in new environments to representing the school with pride, it has been fantastic to see students challenging themselves, supporting one another, and giving things a go.

Academic Blues are awarded to students who have achieved exceptional academic outcomes across the year. This week, we had the pleasure of awarding Academic Blues to those students who excelled in NCEA in 2025. Our blues recipients have shown persistence and self-management, which are important traits that will make a real difference when life continues to get busy and challenging. Strong results can also help open doors to future options like scholarships and university courses. Congratulations to the large number of students who deservedly earned their 2025 Academic Blues.

At this week’s Year 9 and 10 assembly we talked about the prevalence of online gaming in the students’ lives. Regulating gaming time is a real challenge parents constantly face. Online gaming is a normal part of many young people’s social lives, and for lots of students it’s a fun way to relax, problem-solve, and connect with friends. The challenge comes when gaming time grows so large that sleep, learning, sport, family time, helping at home, and overall wellbeing begin to slide. I’d like to outline some common pitfalls, and practical strategies parents and caregivers can put in place to regulate game time.