What a topsy-turvy start to the year! Thank you for your patience with weather delays, and sick staff and we hope that everyone is coming through this blip of illness. A reminder we have plenty of RATS tests at school should you need them, just ask at the office. An added complication has been the industrial action by teachers – more information is below.
Vaping
We have seen an increase in students with vapes at school. We would just like to remind everyone of the school’s policy on vaping/smoking.
Kaikoura High School Smoking/Vaping Rule
If a student is caught smoking or vaping on school grounds the following will apply:
● The student will be immediately sent home
● All paraphernalia will be confiscated and parents will have to pick it up
● The student will have to complete health session(s) with the school nurse
If a student is caught smoking or vaping on school grounds for a second time this will be treated as a disciplinary
matter rather than a health issue.
If a student or students are caught with someone who is smoking or vaping on school grounds in the first instance the following will apply:
● The school will contact home
● A formal warning will be recorded
If this was to happen a second time it will be dealt with as a disciplinary matter.
Upcoming Events
Next week Week 5 (start 27 Feb) | Tue 28th CCHS Swimming Wed 1st Athletics Day |
Week 6 (start 6 Mar) | Wed 8th CCHS Athletics |
Week 7 (start 13 Mar) | Mon 13 Attitude presentation Tue 14 Canterbury Athletics Prelims Thur 16 School Closed Industrial Action |
Week 8 (start 20 Mar) | Wed 22 NCEA Info Evening |
Week 9 (start 27 Mar) | Mon 27 Year 11 OED Rock Trip (2 days) Wed 29 Queenstown resort college visit P5 |
Week 10 (start 3 Apr) | Thur 6 Last day term 1 |
Term 2 starts on Wednesday 26th April!
Our two big fundraisers this year – Kaikoura Adventure Race occurs in the first holidays April 15/16th and the Mountains to Sea marathon is on October 21st – we will be looking for assistance on the day from parents.
Industrial Action
Currently, secondary teachers are engaged in industrial action to try and further a pay claim. At present this involves work to rule out not covering classes in planning time and a Strike Day on March 16th. Post Primary Teachers Association (PPTA president Melanie Webber said there was no progress in pay talks with the Ministry of Education last week and confirmed that unless there was an improvement, union members would refuse to cover for absent colleagues for Term 1 of 2023. “Effectively, this is simply a working-to-rule measure,” she said. “Currently, teachers have been keeping classes running because we can’t find relievers because of the shortages, so teachers have been using their planning and marking time to fill in those gaps and they’re no longer going to do that.” The action could have a significant impact on schools because the shortages were so great, she said. “In some places, it will mean they don’t have the teachers that allow them to take trips or that allow teachers to be able to go out for professional development. But it also will mean that if teachers are sick, we’re unable to cover for them.” Webber said teachers did not want to disrupt schools but the ongoing underfunding and under-staffing of schools was also causing disruption that teachers were trying to cover.