From the Principal…..

A warm welcome to all new and returning Wentworth students.  I hope you enjoyed a relaxing holiday and are looking forward to a busy and successful year.

• 2011 Examination Successes: Wentworth students achieved some excellent results in Cambridge IGCSE, AS and A Level end-of-year examinations last year.  Further details will be made available in the coming weeks.
• House Leaders:  As part of the pastoral care structure at Wentworth, all students and teachers belong to one of three Houses.  Students can earn House points throughout the year.  This, together with the many inter-House competitions, contribute to the overall winning House for the year.  This year's House Leaders are Mrs Sarah Banyard (McDonald), Mr Matt Harris (Findlay) and Mr Mike Cowie (Fleming).  The first inter-House competition is the battle for the Orientation Cup being waged this week.
• Punctuality:  Students are required to be at school, in their first class of the day, at 8:40am.   Students arriving at school late should go direct to the Student Support Office where they will be asked to explain their lateness to Mr Lee.
• New Student Day:  Today all new students attended Wentworth for their first day.  Following staff introductions students met with their Tutors and enjoyed a day getting to know each other and learning about the school.  The sausage sizzle at lunchtime was also greatly enjoyed.  Tomorrow all returning students will be back in the College.
• 2011 Yearbook:  Copies of last year's official Yearbook will be posted to the parents of all 2011 Wentworth College students over the next two weeks.  Extra copies are available by contacting the school office.
• School Website:  If you are not a regular visitor to the College website, please take the time to look around.  In addition to the weekly e-newsletters (posted on the site every Monday during term dates), you will find a host of other useful information such as:  the school calendar (by clicking on the words 'School Calendar' on the Home page); term dates (in the 'School Calendar' section); stationery lists (a link directly under the weather); staff profiles and contact information (in the 'Meet the Staff' section), and copies of School Bulletins posted at the end of Terms 1, 2 and 3.   (Bulletins are replaced by the Yearbook at the end of Term 4). 
• Congratulations:  Many Wentworth students pariticipate and achieve highly in extra-curricular activities for local clubs, such as swimming, rowing, sailing, fencing, orienteering etc.  We acknowedge these students' achievements through a 'Congratulations' page which is attached to the e-newsletter email sent to all school families each Monday.  Please notify the school of any extra-curricular achievements by your child throughout the year (email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) so that these may be included.

Bruce Tong.

Swimming Sports - next Tuesday...

A letter will be sent home to all school families with this week's e-newsletter email regarding the annual Swimming Sports event being held next Tuesday at the Stanmore Bay Leisure Centre.  This is a very popular event where students represent their House in a competition for  the Wentworth Swimming Championship trophy (won for the past 3 years by McDonald House).  Students may come to school dressed either in correct PE uniform or the normal summer school uniform.  School commences at the usual time with buses leaving school at 10am.  Permission slips, including advice on how you prefer your child to travel home after the event, should be returned to the Student Support Office as soon as possible. Parents and other family members are very welcome to come along to support their child.

Duke of Edinburgh Hillary Award...

Wentworth College is proud to offer students the opportunity to participate in the Duke of Edinburgh Hillary Award programme.  Information about the programme can be found on the official website, www.dofehillary.org.nz or by talking to Mrs van Zyl in the Maths Department. Students need to be 14 years old (or turning 14 within 6 months) to join the Bronze level programme, and interested students should see Mrs van Zyl for a registration form.

School Stationery...

Stationery lists have been available on the College website since prior to Christmas.  Stationery on the left of the list needs to be purchased from a stationery supplier of your choice.  Stationery listed on the right of the list - course specific workbooks and homework diaries - will be supplied by the school and will be handed to your child in class by their subject teachers. Once all workbooks have been distributed, invoices will be sent home. 

Lockers...

Lockers are located in the students' House Room and are offered to students for a small charge of $5 per year.  However, not all students will want or need to have a locker at school.  Some students will prefer to simply bring to school the books they need for their timetabled classes each day, and take them home again for revision and homework etc.  Those students who would like to have the use of a locker can arrange this by placing $5 in an old envelope, writing their name and the word "Locker" on the outside,  and 'posting' the envelope in the mailbox labelled "OFFICE IN BOX" in the Student Support Office.  Students will be notified by their Tutors once locker numbers have been allocated.

New P.E. Uniforms...

A new PE uniform is currently being produced and should be available for purchase from The Uniform Shoppe in approximately 4 weeks time.  In the meantime, returning students may continue to wear the old style PE uniform.  New students (or returning students who have outgrown last year's PE uniform) may wear a pair of dark (preferably black or navy) shorts and a plain, unprinted, light-coloured t-shirt (preferably white or as close to white as possible).  Thank you for your patience.  A notice will be placed in the school e-newsletter as soon as the new PE uniform is available for purchase.

School Tuck Shop...

The school Tuck Shop will be closed for this first week of the year but will be open every school day at morning break and again at lunchtime from next Wednesday (8th February) onwards.  Some items are available for purchase over the counter with no order required, e.g. drinks, frozen yoghurt, snacks etc, however other items such as toasted sandwiches and wraps need a lunch order to be placed.  To place a lunch order write your child's name and what they wish to purchase, plus the $amount, on the outside of an old envelope, seal the money inside, and have your child put it in the tuckshop mailbox outside the Student Support Office before school each morning.  Students may then collect their order at lunchtime.  (Change will be given where necessary.)

School buses...

Parents should have received a letter mid-January regarding bus routes, costs and students who we anticipate will be using the school bus service.  If you have not already done so, please ensure the office is aware of any corrections or changes needed in relation to your child's bus use, prior to the end of this week.  Invoices for annual bus use will be raised next week. 

Absence from school...

If your child is going to be absent from school, or late to school, please phone the school office (424-3273) and leave a message on the absence line (dial '1' to leave a message).  It is very important that this be done no later than 10am so that Tutor Teachers can receive the messages prior to marking the Attendance Register.  If a student is not present at Tutor Time (10:30am), and the Tutor Teacher has not received a message, parents will be contacted to advise them of their child's absence from school.

HOUSEKEEPING :

• Tuition Fee Statements:  Statements for the annual Tuition Fees were posted to all families last week.  Please remember to complete and return the 'Payment Advice' form to the Student Support Office so that we know which payment option you have chosen for your child's Tuition Fees.  For parents paying by Automatic Payment, please ensure these are set up to commence on or before 10th February.
• 'Sundry' Fee Statements:  A statement will be posted home over the next 2 to 3 weeks, as soon as all subject-specific workbooks have been issued.  The beginning of the school year is always a very active time for students, and to help keep payments for various items as simple as possible, this Sundry Fee Statement will include a number of items such as stationery workbooks, homework diaries, a part-charge for the 2011 Yearbooks (for those students who attended Wentworth College last year), $5 for Swimming Sports etc.  This will enable parents to pay all these miscellanous beginning-of-year charges in one payment, either by cash or cheque to the Student Support Office or by making payment direct to the school's bank account via internet banking.  For those parents who had a small credit carry forward from last year, the credit will show as amounts paid on the Fee Statement.  Please don't hestitate to contact Mrs Drew in the Student Support Office ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or 424-3273 extn 204) if you have any queries in regard to 'sundry' fees.
  Please note that any further sundry fees incurred throughout the year - following this initial Statment - will need to be paid as they arise.  Letters and permission slips will be sent home with details of the fee (camp, class trip etc.) and with a request for the permission slip and fee (or proof of on-line payment) to be sent to the Student Support Office by a given date.  Your assistance in ensuring the sundry fees are paid by the required date would be most appreciated.  Thank you!
• Payments made to the Student Support Office:  Please ensure that any payments made to the Student Support Office are placed in an old envelope, with your child's name written on the outside, and that the envelope is 'posted' in the mailbox labelled "OFFICE IN BOX" in the Student Support Office. Please don't send your children to school with loose cash or cheques.   As dictacted by Murphy's Law, 50 students all arrive at once, all waving a $20 note and needing change, and it's very difficult to keep track of this tidal wave of students and cash.  If you put the money in an envelope with the student's name on the outside, your child can simply pop the envelope in the mailbox and carry on with their lunch break, and Mrs Drew can be sure she is correctly allocating the payments to the appropriate students' accounts.  Your help with this would be most appreciated - thank you!

To remember next week ...

• Tuesday:  Swimming Sports
• Friday:  An information visit by the Public Health Nurse to Year 8 girls to talk about HPV immunisations.