Middle of Term 3 update (Monday 18 August)
Middle of Term 3 update (Monday 18 August)
This week we are celebrating Tonga Language Week. The theme for the week is ‘Ko 'etau lea, ko e fe’unu mahu’inga ia ki he mo’ui ‘a e Tonga - Our language is a vital strand of our Tongan culture.’ Our local Birkenhead Museum at Farrington House is celebrating Tonga Language week and would love for the community to come and check out displays with a special focus on the origins of tapa and how it is made.
PPTA Industrial Action - strike Wednesday 20 August
As signalled in an email home last week, the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) has given formal notification of a full strike for secondary school teachers on Wednesday 20 August. With a high percentage of our staff being union members on strike, we cannot safely stay open for instruction, so we ask you to keep students at home on that day. We encourage students to make the most of this time by working from home to progress their learning and assessment tasks. All online material from Google Classroom will be available to support their learning.
Parent-Teacher-Student Meetings
We enjoyed meeting with the many parents and caregivers who attended the recent Parent-Teacher-Student meetings; there were rich discussions about academic progress and next learning steps. If you were unable to come to these meetings or you have any questions or concerns, you are encouraged to contact your child’s teachers at any point.
Common Assessment Activities (CAAs) and Derived Grade Exams
Good luck to students sitting the Literacy and Numeracy Common Assessment Activities (CAAs) in Week 8 and to senior students sitting their derived grade exams in Week 9.
Winter Sports Tournament
We wish all the best to our sportspeople competing in the Winter Sports Tournament next week. Our school will be represented across the North Island in a number of codes - football, netball, hockey, basketball. We will post results as they become available on our social media.
Charity fundraising: Non-uniform Day Friday 22 August
Thank you for the generous donations of food, personal care items, bedding and clothes for De Paul House. Kia ora rawa atu.
Our next fundraising effort is for The Cancer Society. Daffodil Day is 29 August nationally, which falls during our mid-term break. We will fundraise a week early on Friday 22 August with a non-uniform day. Students are encouraged to wear yellow and to donate generously, either cash on the day or online at Kindo. Alternatively, you may wish to donate directly on our Cancer Society Daffodil Day Northcote College Dashboard: https://fundraise.daffodilday.org.nz/dashboard
Course selection 2026
Students in Years 9-12 should have selected their courses for 2026 by Wednesday 17 September via the Parent Portal. The Course Directory 2026 will help you have good conversations with your child about their subjects and pathways. Form teachers and deans have hard copies of the Course Directory for students, and there is a digital flipbook linked on our school website: https://www.northcote.school.nz/teaching-learning/course-directory
A reminder to vote in the Northcote College Board election
We have had good interest in being on our school board with 19 candidates standing. You will have received an invitation to vote via email from our Returning Officer. The voting closing date is 10 September.
Flexible Learning Day: Thursday 28 August
The Flexible Learning Day is intended to provide an opportunity for students to continue to work towards completion of learning and assessment tasks without timetable constraints. On these days the school will remain open. While timetabled classes will not run, teachers will be available to students between 9am and 11am and again between 1.30pm and 3.30pm. Students have the choice between working independently at home or coming to school to engage with teachers, use wifi facilities and other resources, and to work on projects and assessments. Some subjects will offer workshops or NCEA assessments in these time slots. Details are available from subject teachers. The rest of the time teachers will be engaged in professional learning activities.
Mid-term break: Friday 29 August
The school is closed.
Health Education Delivery Statement
Thank you to those who gave feedback on the draft Health Education Delivery Statement. The Board considered the feedback and has adopted the statement. This is now posted on our school website: https://www.northcote.school.nz/announcements/health-education-delivery-statement-2025-2027
Year 9 camps to Motutapu Island
This is a reminder for Year 9 parents to please complete the camp permission form in the email from Louise Inwards, our teacher in charge of camps.
We understand the financial burden camp can put on families and want to support and work with you to ensure the cost is not a barrier to students attending camp. We also recognise some families are in the fortunate position to be able to support another child. If you are able to support another child, you can donate through the Kindo Shop; look for Camp Pay it Forward - there are different amounts that you can pay. We greatly appreciate your generosity in making this experience possible for all.
School donations
We rely on and are grateful for all donations which ensure that our students have the resources and support they need to achieve academically and also have opportunities to participate and thrive in sport, cultural groups, performing arts, leadership and service. Any payment or contribution through myKindo, in full or in an adjusted amount per term to suit your budget, helps us to continue to offer current opportunities and resources for your children. Please pay your donation if you are able.
Cyber safety advice for parents
The Ministry of Education has created a page with advice and links to useful resources for parents who are wondering how to support their children online. It provides tools to learn how to behave online and how to recognise behaviour that’s not okay. It covers a range of online topics for young people and teenagers.
Kia Manawaroa and Matavai e-newsletters - August issues
Please see the links below for the latest e-newsletter issues which are also linked on our school website under ‘Resources’. The monthly pānui have a range of interesting articles and useful information and resources for Māori and Pacific families and caregivers with children in education.
Kia Manawaroa: https://mailchi.mp/education/kia-manawaroa-8-august-2025?e=ba07d246b6
Matavai: https://mailchi.mp/education/matavai-8-august-2025?e=ba07d246b6
Term 3 and 4 planning
To help you with forward planning, we want to highlight important events and key dates in Terms 3 and 4, as below.
Thank you for your ongoing support of our school. We encourage you to stay in contact; if you have any queries, please contact your child’s Dean in the first instance.
Noho ora mai
Vicki Barrie
Tumuaki | Principal
Key Dates for the second half of Term 3
Week 6
- Tonga Language Week
- Wednesday 20 August: Strike - school closed for students
- Thursday 21 - Friday 22 August: Year 9 Hearing Screening
- Thursday 21 August: Performing Arts Showcase 7pm in the Hall tickets on Kindo or at the door
- Friday 22 August: Non-uniform Day for Northcote College Daffodil Day (as mid-term break on 29 August)
- 2026 online subject selection opens (deadline 17 September)
Week 7
- Winter Sports Tournament Week (Eight Northcote College teams involved)
- Thursday 28 August: Flexible Learning Day
- Friday 29 August: Mid-term Break - school closed
Week 8
- Monday 1 - Wednesday 3 September: No timetabled lessons for Year 10 because of NCEA Common Assessment Activities (CAAs)
- Monday 1 September: Literacy, Reading CAA (morning: senior students yet to achieve, afternoon: Year 10 students yet to achieve)
- Tuesday 2 September: Literacy, Writing CAA (all Year 10 students)
- Wednesday 3 September: Numeracy CAA (all Year 10 students)
- Thursday 4 September: Literacy, Writing CAA (senior students yet to achieve)
- Friday 5 September: Numeracy CAA (seniors students yet to achieve)
Week 9
- Monday 8 - Friday 12 September: Senior Derived Grade Exams (no timetabled lessons for seniors)
Week 10
- Te Wiki o te reo Māori
- Monday 15 - Tuesday 16 September: Senior Derived Grade Exams continue
- Wednesday 17 September: Deadline for online 2026 option selection
- Friday 19 September: Election for Student Representative on the Board. Last day of Term 3
Key Dates for Term 4
- 6 October: First day of Term 4, Timetable Day 5
- 13 - 17 October: Year 9 camp (Group 1) to Motutapu Island
- 14 October: 2026 Welcome to Northcote College Evening
- 21 October: Whānau Prizegiving
- 23 October: Sports Prizegiving
- 27 October: Labour Day - school closed
- 29 October: last day of timetabled lessons for seniors
- 30 October: Senior Prizegiving
- 4 - 28 November: NZQA Examinations
- 25 - 29 November: Year 9 camp (group 2) to Motutapu Island
- 11 December: Year 10 Prizegiving and last day
- 12 December: Year 9 Prizegiving and last day