Lots of excitement is brewing as next Tuesday two groups of Taieri College students depart New Zealand for unique international adventures. Forty-eight students are travelling to Vietnam as part of a trip that will explore the rich, and at times tragic history of Vietnam.

Our first whānau hui of the year was held on Wednesday and it was pleasing to see a good turnout of parents and their rangatahi. The evening involved the introduction of Te Maio Tamati-Stirling (our Kaitiaki) to our whānau, presentations from Otago University, Otago Polytechnic and a speech from Darcy Sanderson. Darcy was a Year 13 student at Taieri College last year and is currently …

We are grateful to the parents and whānau who took the opportunity to come and talk with teachers during the week for our Parent-Teacher interviews. Whilst we use email as a regular contact with home, we still see it as being valuable to engage in a face-to-face conversation when we can.

On Thursday we held a special assembly to present our 2025 Year 9 scholarships. These awards recognise Year 9 students who have demonstrated outstanding ability in the arts, sports, or academic achievement. It was fantastic to see such a large group of parents and whānau in attendance and my thanks to those who joined us.

It was pleasing to see large numbers of students making the most of the excellent weather conditions that prevailed during our annual Athletics Day. After a false start on Wednesday due to heavy rain the previous night it was a relief to see blue skies on Thursday. Memorial Park is an excellent venue for …

My thanks to the staff and students for their company during the week at the second Year 10 Tautuku Outdoor Education Camp. Well done to those students who exited their comfort zone and tried some new and challenging activities.

With the college now in full swing, we are delighted to see how well the students have settled into their school routines. Most timetables have been confirmed, and students are getting acquainted with their teachers and new classmates, fully engaging in their studies.

The first full week of the year has been predictably a busy one. Getting back into the routine of a school timetable can be challenging and take some time. This is particularly so for our new students and staff who are still learning to navigate their way around our campus. The vast majority of our students have settled in well and are developing positive relationships with their teachers.

Kia ora e te whānau and welcome back to the 2025 school year. Nau mai haere mai to staff members, students, and families who are starting Taieri College for the first time. I trust everyone had a relaxing summer break and is refreshed and ready to face the exciting challenges ahead.

Next Wednesday 11 December 2024 is our last school day of the year, where we farewell our junior students with their formal prizegiving ceremonies. I always enjoy the opportunity to listen to the accolades our junior students have obtained during the year. Our Year 7 and 8 prizegiving begins at 9.15am and our Year 9 and 10 prizegiving follows at 11:00am. Both ceremonies are in the Performing Arts Centre (PAC) and should take approximately one hour. I invite parents, caregivers, and whānau to join us in celebrating …

Our Year 10 students have undertaken a personal development programme for a day during this week. We have an outside provider who works with our girls on self-defense skills, and the boys participate in a variety of activities that challenge their thinking around social situations. We are indebted to several of our staff who have contributed to the day and also appreciate ….

Well done to the Year 9 and 10 students for their efforts during their Mathematics and English examinations. I wish all students the success they deserve. Outside of the results, I am sure it will be a valuable experience and a taster of what it will be like when students embark on NCEA ….

We have enjoyed getting to meet next year’s cohort of Year 7s as they have been attending our information evenings. Students and whānau are provided with lots of “nuts and bolts” information for the start of next year and we look forward to welcoming them as part of our Taieri College team.

Both ends of the college are doing quite contrasting activities at this time of the year. Our NZQA examinations have begun and seniors are well engaged in this most important part of the school year. Our Year 9 and 10 students also have some end-of-year examinations ….

My thanks to everyone who contributed to our successful senior prizegivings on Wednesday evening. Our Year 11 students were joined by an encouraging number of parents and whānau at 5.00pm and this was followed up by a very large crowd at 7.00pm who joined us to celebrate the achievements of our Year 12 and 13 students …

Congratulations to our 2024 Blues recipients who received their well-deserved awards on Tuesday night. The variety and high standard of achievements were outstanding, and we enjoyed celebrating the student's successes in front of a large crowd of parents and whānau…

Welcome back from the holidays! I trust that everyone is feeling refreshed and ready for a busy Term 4. We have an exciting term ahead with many activities and events planned.

Nau mai, haere mai ki te Wiki o te Reo Māori, kei te akiaki mātou i It has been a busy end to Term 3 as our senior students complete several NCEA internal assessments. Through the school report, or accessing KAMAR, students should have a clear idea of where they are currently standing with their NCEA credits….

Nau mai, haere mai ki te Wiki o te Reo Māori, kei te akiaki mātou i te tangata ki te torotoro i te whakamahi i te reo Māori. (A warm welcome to Māori Language Week which has encouraged people to explore the use of the Māori language)...

Taieri College has been proudly represented in a variety of sports during the week with students travelling to all parts of New Zealand to compete. Congratulations to our rugby players, hockey players, horse riders, basketballers, bowlers, and netballers ...