As we complete the first week of lockdown in Alert Level 3, there appears to be some light at the end of the tunnel. For us to get back to life as we would like it, we need to continue to stay in our bubbles, get tested if you feel unwell and do our bit to help get this latest COVID-19 outbreak behind us. The best option we must have for ‘life as we would like it’ is to have the vast majority of people vaccinated. The more members of our community who are vaccinated when school resumes onsite, the greater freedoms we will have as a region and nation.
Today’s update includes information about the following:
- Term 3 Student Reports
- Further Changes to NCEA for Auckland Schools
- 2021 Yearbook
- Wearing Your Mask Effectively
- A Word From Our Counsellors
Term 3 Student Reports
The term Online Engagement report will be published on Monday 4 October. You can view this report by logging in to the Web Portal.
The Online Engagement Report is a grade awarded by subject teachers to indicate the level of online engagement in learning during the lockdown. You are invited to contact subject teachers, mentors, tutors, or whānau leaders by e-mail or phone whenever you have a query about progress. Refer to Staff Directory on our website.
For further information you may refer to the Parent-Guardian Handbook.
Further Changes to NCEA for Auckland Schools
To acknowledge difficulties and recognise the extended disruption for senior secondary school students in Auckland, the Minister of Education has announced the following:
- Auckland students will be entitled to 1 Learning Recognition Credit (LRC) for every 4 credits they achieve through assessments in the 2021 school year (rather than 1 LRC for every 5).
- Auckland students will be eligible for up to 16 LRCs at NCEA Level 1.
- Auckland students will be eligible for up to 12 LRCs at NCEA Levels 2 and 3.
- The threshold for Auckland students to be awarded a Certificate Endorsement will be 44 credits at Merit or Excellence level (rather than the usual 50).
The changes to Course Endorsements and University Entrance announced on 2 September will continue to apply. This means:
- Auckland students will require 12 credits at Achieved, Merit or Excellence level to receive Course Endorsements (rather than 14).
- To be awarded University Entrance, students in Auckland will need to achieve 12 credits (instead of 14) in each of 3 University Entrance Approved Subjects, as well as attaining Level 3 and meeting the usual literacy and numeracy requirements.
2021 Yearbook
To celebrate the college’s outstanding successes and highlights achieved through the hard work and dedication of our students, the college will publish another school yearbook for 2021.
Pre-orders will open on Monday 18 October (Term 4, Week 1). The price per book will be $25. Books will be pre-ordered based on full payment. The cost of the book will be added onto student accounts. Please pay online and use the reference ‘School Yearbook’ and the student ID number or pay directly at the Finance Centre. Payments will close on Thursday 18 November (Term 4, Week 5). If you do not want to purchase a book, the charge will be removed from the student’s account after Thursday 18 November 2021.
If you would like to allocate funds in your credit balance to purchase this book, please email Angela in the Finance Centre a.oshaughnessy@bdsc.school.nz.
Due to college events being held later, publication of the yearbook will only take place after the school year has finished. Year 13 Leavers will receive their books by mail (please make sure we have your correct address on file). All other current students will receive their books during Tutor class on their return in 2022.
Wearing Your Mask Effectively
One of the key public health measures promoted by the Government is mask wearing. Although this appears a simple task, there are some important steps to ensure mask wearing is effective. The link below shows how to correctly put one on, wear and remove a face mask. As we prepare for our full return to school in Alert Level 2, we encourage all staff and students to wear a mask.
A Word From Our Counsellors
Being a parent/caregiver is arguably one of the most important jobs we will ever do.
It is also one of the hardest – as there is no handbook and parents constantly must adjust to the varying needs and behaviours of their children.
As counsellors we have the privilege of interacting with young people who talk to us about their world and the challenges and joys within it.
Two pieces of advice to parents:
- Take time to make sure you are happy and engaged in your life. You are the role models for your children. Your children look to you to see what their own future might look like. But this does not necessarily mean you have to be happy all the time. After all, we are human with a range of emotions! It is also important to show vulnerability sometimes, and model how you manage through those times.
- Sometimes parents/caregivers can feel frustrated when their children don’t behave as they would like and feel stuck in terms of what to do. Their son or daughter “just doesn’t seem to be listening.” In this kind of situation, seize your own power and focus on modelling the behaviour and/or value that you would like to see in your young person. For example, “I want my child to listen to me.” In this case, the parent/caregiver can: model by listening to your child without interrupting (this may be harder than you think!). Continue to model by listening attentively to everyone you interact with. Actions speak so much louder than words!
As Mahatma Gandhi so beautifully said: “become the change you wish to see in the world.”