There are two main changes to the Macleans College uniform for 2010.

Junior Boys Uniform

Navy shorts and socks will replace the present grey shorts and socks worn by boys in Year 9 and Year 10.
There will no longer be summer and winter shorts. The same style of shorts will be worn year-round.

There is no phase-in period for the navy shorts and socks. All boys are expected to be in navy shorts and socks at the start of the 2010 school year.

Senior Uniform

Senior uniform will be worn by all Year 11, Year 12 and Year 13 students from the start of the 2010 school year.

Other Uniform Information

In early 2009 changes were made to the style of the senior and junior girls’ blouses and skirts.
Girls may continue to wear the previous style of blouses and skirts.

All uniform items are available from John Russell Menswear, Moore Street, Howick.

To allow the teaching staff to undertake professional development students will be dismissed at 2.30 pm
on Tuesday November 17.

School buses will leave at the earlier time.

All senior students are expected to attend sign-out and text book return days.
Information regarding the stationery ordering system and start of the school year will also be given.

Year 11: 27 November 10.00 am
Year 12: 27 November 1.00 pm
Year 13: 1 December 10.00 am

6 November 2009

Dear Parents

The examination season is in full swing, particularly for the CIE and junior students and for the NCEA students the study centre and tutorials continue in preparation for their externals.

Senior Prizegiving was held on 22 October and once again was an impressive ceremony highlighted by the high calibre of our prize-winners and the music and art on display.

The school thanks our parents, community members and presenters and the individuals, groups and institutions who donated prizes.

There has been one major break with tradition this year and announced at prizegiving. We have decided to recognise our Dux and Runner-Up (proxime accessit) and our top A Level and NCEA Level 3 achievers at a special assembly ceremony early in the New Year. The Dux and Runner-Up (proxime accessit) awards will be decided directly from achievement in this year’s Scholarship examinations and will receive the Allen McDonald Scholarship in recognition of the contribution of Allen McDonald, the Principal of Macleans 1989-1999.

We are hopeful that the revamping of our Scholarship programme this year will continue to produce major success and financial reward for a growing number of students.

This year our candidates have been placed in one of several tutor groups created to cater to subject choices and current levels of attainment. The groups are carefully monitored and tracked and students given every opportunity to absorb, learn, analyse and hopefully excel. The school organised a partnership with the University of Auckland. Key academics from the university came to Macleans and addressed our students on how their subject was taught and gave invaluable information on scholarship techniques.

Other initiatives that we are developing will hopefully reach full or close to full fruition next year. These include –

• This year we were selected as a trial school for the CIE pre-university qualification pathway and two senior staff members were invited at the expense of the University of Cambridge to the United Kingdom to be briefed on this new initiative. In essence another layer on top of A Levels has been introduced and students succeeding at the end of the course will have access to select entry courses at Cambridge and other top world universities. We will be commencing this trial next year.

• For the past seven years we have been working on initiatives to measure whether or not we are adding value to our students through our teaching and learning programmes. This work has gone through several transformations in parallel with the establishment of a major Teaching and Learning expert group at the school. The data of how our students are performing has a major bearing on the way individual teachers continually shape and adapt their teaching practices so it maximises sound learning for our students.
  
  We are endeavouring to utilise some of the potential of this system to be able to report virtually all student academic programmes to parents via email and hope to be able to do this starting next year.

The school congratulates all of the students featured on the website highlights who have achieved at Auckland, New Zealand and international level.

We also congratulate our Prefects, House Captains and Head Prefects appointed for 2010.

Students Enrolling in the CIE Pathway for 2010

Parents have been sent a letter from the Board of Trustees regarding this qualification pathway. If you are interested in enrolling your child in this pathway for 2010 and have not received a letter from the BOT please refer to the website.

Best wishes.

B J Bentley

Principal