Principal's Message

Kia Ora Koutou

Basically the structure of this message is reminicscent of what television viewing was like for me as a teenager when scary movies or thrillers were broadcast. The ‘movie’ would have you on the edge of your sofa, gripping its cushions, and then an advertisment would be slotted in to create a time to breathe and relax. Let us see if I manage that in this communication. Please also note that I will also send this message as an email letter.

In today’s ‘movie’:

Scene 1. The Application of mandatory vaccination requirements

Scene 2. Information regarding parents coming onsite

Scene 3. Vaccine register

Ad Break- Friends Kitchen Tour

Scene 4. Alarming results from NZ’s biggest ever youth vaping survey

Ad Break- Playground and Dates ahead

1. The Application of mandatory vaccination requirements

Let the movie begin. Alert 2 has compelled much change including the Application of mandatory vaccination requirements for various roles.

A document has been developed to help schools understand the types of roles in the education sector that will be covered by the Public Health Order requirement to get vaccinated.

General principles for the application of the Order are:

• all workers who carry out work at or for an early learning service, registered school, or hostel fall under the requirements of the Order if:

- they may have contact with children or students when carrying out their work, or

- they are present at the early learning service, registered school, or hostel where children or students are also present

• the worker has a duty under the Order to ensure they meet the vaccination requirements.

Where the worker is a staff member of a service contracted to the registered school or hostel, the service provider is responsible for ensuring the worker meets the requirements of the Order.

2. Information regarding parents coming on site

There have been a number of queries asking whether it is possible for parents and caregivers to come onsite particularly if they are unvaccinated.

The requirement to be vaccinated is only for those people who are working for the school, which may be unpaid work such as volunteering. In instances where parents or caregivers volunteer for our school and are regularly on site when children and students may be present, these parents will be required to be vaccinated. This could be SMOGA, the Board, The Friends etc.

This vaccination requirement does not apply to those who are performing services remotely or who are onsite only when children and students are not present.

In instances where parents and caregivers are not providing work for your school, these parents are still permitted to attend on site after Monday 15 November whether they are vaccinated or not. This includes those parents and caregivers who are dropping off, picking up or settling children at your school. In this situation the person will be treated as unvaccinated (rather than ask for their vaccine status), and as such consideration, as provided by the Ministries, will be given to the range of health and safety mitigations that can be put in place to help keep those on site as safe as possible.

3.Vaccine register for students

So you know what I know, following publication of the amended Order, MoE can confirm that the requirement to maintain the register to capture the vaccination status of eligible students is through a Direction issued by the Secretary for Education under the Education and Training Act 2020 Schedule 25, Clause 3. Schools have been required to keep an Immunisation register for some time, and I recall as a student myself and for my children immunisations were common.

The Direction requires all registered schools who enrol students over the age of 12 years to maintain an up-to-date register with the COVID-19 vaccination status of these (eligible) students, beginning Monday 1 November.

The requirement to maintain a register for our workforce is through the Covid-19 Public Health Response (Vaccinations) Order 2021.

The privacy statements (including an updated privacy statement for eligible students), sample registers and some FAQs are sitting on our Education Counts website.

MoE have had a number of questions about what evidence might be needed for a student register.

In the event eligible students have been vaccinated, evidence could include:

• a screenshot of their vaccination record on My Covid Record (for those 16 and over)

• a vaccination certificate (which can be requested from the Ministry of Health)

• a letter from their GP.

Ad Break

I want to thank the Friends of St Matthew’s for running a very successful Kitchen Tour on Sunday October 30.

The weather was predicted to be overcast but the dear Lord heard our prayers, and we were blessed with great weather.

Alert level 2 protocols governed the planning and created new learning opportunities for us all. All of our homeowners had Covid Apps and we were grateful to our tour bubbles for adhering to the protocols.

I close by thanking those who volunteered their beautiful kitchens, who volunteered their time, and who volunteered their wares.

4. Alarming results from NZ’s biggest ever youth vaping survey

As a member of SPANZ I received the results of a major survey looking at the vaping habits of secondary school students which were released Monday 1 November. I made a big deal about Vaping last week so this information I wanted to share. The survey found that:

• 26% of students reported vaping and 15% reported smoking cigarettes in the past week

• Nearly 20% of students are vaping daily or several times a day, the majority with high nicotine doses

• Over half of those vaping were vaping more frequently and at higher nicotine doses than last year.

The report was initiated by the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation (ARFNZ) in partnership with the Secondary Principals’ Association of NZ (SPANZ). The survey was carried out in response to growing concerns raised by parents, teachers, and schools around the epidemic of teen vaping. Over 19,000 students in years 9-13 were asked about their vaping and smoking habits. Participation was anonymous and voluntary.

“The results show a marked increase in vaping rates compared with surveys which collected data two years ago,” says Letitia Harding, Chief Executive of ARFNZ and co-author of the report. “While vapes can be a useful tool to help adults quit smoking when combined with behavioural support, this survey makes it clear that many young people are picking up high nicotine vapes without ever having smoked a cigarette, and swiftly becoming addicted to nicotine.

“It’s also really worrying how easily young people are accessing vapes, with the majority buying their vapes at dairies. Given that sale to under-18s is prohibited, and the vast majority of students surveyed are under 18, this is really concerning.”

It is hoped that the recent regulations around limiting flavours that can be sold by general retailers such as dairies will help to curb this trend.

ARFNZ runs the vaping education website Don’t Get Sucked In (DGSI), which informs and educates young people about the risks of vaping and encourages them not to try it in the first place. The site has seen a surge in page hits and new users this year, as students, schools, and parents, both here in New Zealand and in Australia, search for reliable information on vaping and e-cigarettes.

“Education is so important, and DGSI is a vital part of that,” says Letitia. Professor Scott Harding, cardiologist, and co-author of the report, agrees. "We are seeing new evidence emerge all the time about the harms caused by e-cigarettes,” he says. “While they might be less harmful than combustible cigarettes, they still expose users to toxic substances that have been shown to adversely affect the heart and lungs.”

There are also specific risks for adolescents, whose brains and bodies are still developing. “While vaping is often perceived as harmless by young people, there is increasing evidence showing significant health risks,” says paediatric respiratory physician and co-author Professor Philip Pattemore. “For example, vaping with nicotine has been consistently associated with depression, ADHD and conduct disorders in adolescents, and nicotine exposure has been shown to impact learning and memory.”

ARFNZ has made several recommendations to curb the rise in teen vaping, including limiting the nicotine content in vaping products to a maximum of 20mg in line with the EU directive 2014/40; raising the legal age to purchase vapes to 21 years; and banning in-front-of-store window advertising and product display by retailers. They also recommend preventing the sale of vaping products within a 1km radius of schools.

Ad Break- Playground and Dates ahead

The Playground, another contribution from the Friends, is now complete. The swings have proved incredibly popular, and every age group has utilised the disc swing (I am on it now). I want to thank Hammonds supplies for their part in completing the area playground by generously donating bark (a lot of bark).

Alert levels have compelled NCEA shifts, and this has compelled events shifts for us. One that has been signalled today via the Senior College blurb is the Senior College Prizegiving. It has already been signalled to occur on November 12, but to meet all the protocols it will now happen as a day event. If you are wondering if we are discussing the St Matthew’s Prizegiving – we are and we will confirm that soon.

The ‘movie’ is over, and we are all okay.

Have a great weekend and be safe

Ngā Mihi

Kiri

Message from the Board of Trustees Chair - Parent Survey

Strategic planning is a systematic process of envisioning a desired future, translating this vision into broadly defined goals or objectives and a sequence of steps to achieve them. In other words, it’s about picturing where you want the school to be in the long term and coming up with a plan on how you will get there.

The Ministry of Education (MoE) requires the Board to develop a new Strategic Plan every three years. The Board is seeking feedback from parents on the key themes of this plan.

The BOT Three Year Strategic Vision

The Board believes our students need to be happy, feel confident and have self-belief to achieve their personal best.

• Our academic results are fantastic but, in the Board’s view, education is more than just top grades. Wellness is paramount.

• Being a good citizen is crucial and behaviour should align with the school’s values.

• We expect our teachers to be experts in their fields and passionate about their subject areas and be committed to contributing to life outside the classroom.

• Tradition is valued but our students need a curriculum that is ready for tomorrow’s world. To maximise the resources available, the Board would like to investigate working smarter across the Trinity schools to provide better educational opportunities for our students

I would like to thank you in advance for your time and input.

Sarah Harris

St Matthew's Collegiate School Board Chair

Hettanz Fashion Awards Results

Congratulations to the following girls!

Year 10 Touch Rugby

Thanks go to Cam from Wairarapa Bush Rugby Union for coming in and giving our y7-10 students some specific Rippa and Touch Rugby training during PE. Each class will get three sessions over the next two weeks. Sessions are all based around game sence, moving into space and developing transferable Rippa rugby skills. The girls have been fantastic and are getting stuck in which is great to see.