As an area school, Hurunui College offers many advantages. We are proud of its family atmosphere where students from Year 0 to Year 13 interact and care for each other.
Our vision is an aspirational learning community where all are empowered to reach their full potential. Students enter Hurunui College to learn and to develop their unique talents and abilities, so that they may leave school prepared to serve and enrich both themselves and their community.
Our College is strengthened by our core traditional values: Respect, Integrity, Service and Excellence. These qualities support high academic achievement and promote personal skills required by our local, national and international communities giving our students the foundation for future success in this rapidly changing world.
Please ensure you stay connected with the multiple forms of school communication.
School website - access to the longterm school calendar and general information about the school.
Skool Loop App - pushes out school notices and newsletter, school calendar and can be used for notifying absences - critical mode of communication - download Skool Loop from the app store/google play and select Hurunui College
Edge Student Management System - the parent portal provides access to school accounts, student information, contact information and reporting. Contact the school office if you are unable to access this facility and we can talk you through the process. This is also available via the Edge Mobile App.
Facebook - used only for celebration and pushing out general information and last-minute reminders
Ngā mihi nui,
Principal - Tumuaki Hurunui College
Newsletter - Panui Term 1 2024
Kia ora koutou parents and whānau
Welcome back to the new year. I trust you have all managed to have a restful and relaxing break over the summer holidays. I would especially like to extend a warm welcome to our new students, their families and whānau, and 5 new staff members who have joined our school community this year, and all of whom we formally acknowledged at our mihi whakatau last Friday.
As we enter our third week of the term, it has been great to see how well all students have settled back into school life and engaged in their learning. Thank you to all parents and whānau for your continued support in getting your children to school on time, in the correct uniform and equipped ready for classes.
Staff Update We are very happy to welcome our 5 new staff members who have joined our team this year: Miss Chantelle White - Year 2/3 Waipuna-ā-rangi Class Miss Maigen O’Neill - Year 6/7 Hiwa-i-te-rangi Class Miss Michaela Scanlan (Whaea Mik) - Year 8 Matariki Class Miss Tamara Muirson - Teacher of Science, Biology, Commerce and Practical Mathematics Mr Chris Brown - Librarian
Due to Mr Beck taking on a secondment position with the Ministry of Education for the year as advisor to Area School Principals, Miss Georgia Marsh has stepped up as leader of the Whare Torohē Exploring Learning Community, Mrs Janet Tilson has taken on my role as Deputy Principal Year 1-8 and SENCo, and I have stepped up as Acting Principal for the 2024 year.
I am excited to have this opportunity and look forward to leading our school with the support of our staff and school community for the 2024 year.
School Building Upgrade We have just started renovations to Rooms 11-17 in the secondary area of the school. This is not ideal timing but it is the end result that we are all looking forward to. Room 11 will have a new roof, while the other classrooms are being insulated, will have new ceilings, windows and doors replaced, and new decking which will give easier access and open the classrooms out to the main playground area and the rest of the school. Included in this renovation is the revamp of the Year 13 Common Room which will have new flooring and a small kitchen installed. With all of these classroom spaces out of commission for at least Term 1, we have had to timetable classes into all other available spaces in the school. Thank you to the Hurunui College Board for their continued support of this project.
Mural In term 4 last year, having secured funding from the Creative in Schools programme, a new mural was created on the walls of the Hurunui College Library. Students under the guidance of Christchurch based artists Nick Lowry and Reuben Woods, and our Visual Arts teacher Lee Copplestone created individual boards, depicting significant different locations in our area. The boards have been artfully arranged and stacked to create a 3D effect. This is a wonderful showcase of the artistic talents of our students. Thank you to Nick, Reuben and Lee for their support and for providing such an enriching experience for our students.
Cell Phone Policy - ‘Phone Away for the Day’ We will soon be entering our third year of ‘no cell phone at school’ ruling and we have already experienced the benefits of this. These have included less distraction and conflict at school due to social media interactions and students seen interacting and playing games during break times rather than being on their phones. From the beginning of Term 2, all schools nationwide are required to have a policy in place. Some key expectations we want to make clear from the beginning of 2024 for students and parents to be aware of at Hurunui College are:
Students in Year 1-8 - no cell phone at school. If for any reason a student requires their phone, parents/caregivers must contact the class teacher and the cell phone is left in the school office for the day.
Students in Year 9-13 - if a cell phone is brought to school it stays ‘away for the day’, switched off in the student’s bag
Consequences for all students:
If the student is seen to have their cell phone out during class or break times it will be kept in the school office to be picked up at the end of the day by the student
The second and subsequent breaches will result in the cell phone being confiscated, kept in the school office where it will stay until a parent/caregiver picks it up
Please click here to see the Hurunui College Cell Phone Policy. We thank all parents/caregivers for their support with following and enforcing these guidelines
Nāku noa, nā Jane Marsh Acting Principal - Tumuaki Hurunui College