Week 10 Term 3 - Totara House: Leadership Assembly (September 21 - September 25)

Totara House Student Leaders 2026 with the 2027 Student Leader Applicants

Gathering together for our latest Totara House leadership assembly was such a proud moment for our house family. We took time to pause, reflect, and center our focus on student leadership and the incredible young people stepping forward to serve our community. Looking out at everyone in the room, I felt deeply inspired by the strong sense of unity and care that defines Totara House.

Totara House: Leadership Assembly Term 3 2026

One of the highlights of the assembly was hearing our student leader Mani Kava deliver the reflection. He spoke with such honesty about what it truly means to lead, reminding us all that leadership is about helping each other carry the load. Mani pointed out that we do not have to carry everything on our own or lead entirely as individuals; rather, real leadership means working together as a connected team.

Totara House: Leadership Assembly Term 3 2026

We also heard from our wonderful Year 12 students who applied for leadership roles next year. They shared why they chose to put their names forward, what leadership means to them, and their hopes for Totara House in 2027. Listening to their aspirations was incredibly moving, as they spoke about a genuine desire to serve their peers and make a lasting positive impact on our house.

Totara House: Leadership Assembly Term 3 2026

A true standout moment came when one of them shared a message that really captured the heart of our community. They expressed that their hope is for us to learn to be comfortable together as a house, to lean on each other when we need to, and to help one another out. They reminded us how important it is to stick together and be great examples not just for ourselves, but for other students in the school, because one day everyone will be seniors and leaders who have to guide the next generation.

Week 9 Term 3 - Teacher Practice: Understanding Character - 91925 Character Essay (September 14 - September 18)

Character Profile 

This essay plan is designed to help you dig deep into the characters of The Dark Horse. It kicks off by setting the stage, introducing the main figures—Genesis, Mana, and Ariki—and asking you to really think about their individual journeys, their struggles, and the emotional impact they have on the audience.

Character Essay - Introduction

Next, it breaks down the essay writing process into easy-to-follow scaffolds. The introduction section helps you get started with a hook, mentions the film, and guides you to create a clear thesis statement where you state exactly how your chosen character makes you feel. It’s all about getting your main argument structured right from the beginning.

Character Essay - PEEL 

Following the intro, the document provides a simple P.E.E.L. structure for your three main body paragraphs. This is super helpful because it breaks down exactly what to write: a clear point, specific evidence from the film, an explanation of why that scene matters to you, and a final link back to your main question. It basically gives you a template to make sure your points are solid and connected.

Character Essay - Conclusion

Finally, it wraps up with a conclusion scaffold that helps you tie everything together. It guides you to restate your main point, summarize your three key connections, and leave your readers with a final thought on what this powerful film teaches us about society. It’s a great, simple framework to turn your thoughts into a finished essay. 

Week 8 Term 3 - Teacher Practice: Connecting Theme to our world - 91925 Theme Essay (September 07 - September 11)

I’ve been using a new resource that I created for my English class when we study The Dark Horse, and it’s been a game-changer for the way my students approach thematic analysis. The guide moves us beyond the classroom by asking students to take powerful themes—like redemption, the reality of mental health in Aotearoa, or the influence of gang culture—and connect them directly to our own backyard. Instead of just summarizing the film, students are encouraged to look at characters like Genesis and Mana and find the mirrors of those experiences in our current social, historical, and cultural landscape.

The real strength of this approach is how it balances structure with deep reflection. By using a straightforward scaffold, including the P.E.E.L. (Point, Evidence, Explain, Link) framework, it takes the intimidation factor out of essay writing. Whilst some people are against paragraph structures, for my students this is helpful. It gives students the scaffolding they need to build solid arguments without feeling overwhelmed. Because the framework grounds their writing in specific evidence from the film, they stop retelling the plot and start analyzing why these stories matter, which makes for much more insightful and mature writing.

Ultimately, I love this approach because it turns a standard English assignment into a meaningful conversation about identity and society. It isn't just about ticking boxes for an assessment; it’s about giving students the tools to articulate their own understanding of the world around them. By the time they finish their essays, they’ve done more than write a piece of analysis—they’ve engaged with some tough, important realities and found their own voice in the process. That is, for me, exactly what teaching English should be about.

Week 7 Term 3 - Totara House: Uike Kātoanga’i ‘o e lea faka-Tonga 2026 (August 31 - September 04)

Tongan Language Week 2026

In Week 5 Term 3 we celebrated Uike Kātoanga’i ‘o e lea faka-Tonga (Tongan Language Week). The theme for Tongan Language Week 2026 is "Ko 'etau hiva, ko e fe'unu mahu'inga ia ki he mo'ui 'a e Tonga - Our music is a vital strand of our Tongan culture". As a House, we really wanted to lean into this theme, so we came together to learn a Hiva Kakala. A Hiva Kakala is a beautiful traditional Tongan song, often performed in happy and celebratory contexts like weddings, birthdays, and social gatherings, making it the perfect choice to embrace the culture.

Totara House practicing Hiva Kakala with Mrs Vaioleti

We were so fortunate to have our Tongan staff members, Mrs Ana Vaioleti and Mr Dana Moala, leading the way and teaching us the song, with great support from Sione Tangi. We all really enjoyed the process of learning the Hiva Kakala and discovering how it plays such a special part in celebrating life's big moments. It was a great way for us to connect more deeply with the Tongan culture through music and shared learning.

Totara House: Hiva Kakala @ TLW Assembly 2026

Totara House Tongan Group 2026

Totara House really loves participating in these language weeks because they are the perfect opportunity for us to exercise our House value of Unity. It gives us a chance to come together to learn, understand, appreciate, and celebrate our Pacific languages. Seeing our students step up and commit to the practice showed exactly what our House is about—supporting one another, having a go, and being a strong, unified aiga.

Week 6 Term 3 - English Department: Senior English Program Term 3 (August 24 - August 28)

Here is the overview and summary for our NCEA English programs for Term 3:

NCEA Level 1 English

Film Study: The Dark Horse

This term, we’re focusing on our film unit, "Our Voices + Our Stories," with a deep dive into The Dark Horse running from Week 1 through Week 10. The primary academic focus is on refining essay practice for the upcoming external exams (91925). Alongside this, it is crucial that we prioritize finishing, completing, or resubmitting any outstanding internal assessments for 91924 and 91926 to ensure our students hit their 10-credit goal. They are also preparing for their final Derived Grade Exam that will take place in Week 10 of Term 3. 

NCEA Level 2 English

Our Term 3 program is split between finalizing internal assessments and preparing for the upcoming external exam cycle. Students will be wrapping up 91107 (Close Viewing), 91101 (Writing Portfolio), and 91106 (Reading Responses) while simultaneously starting prep work for the 91098 (Written Text), 91099 (Visual Text), and 91100 (Unfamiliar Text) externals. The aim is to get these internal assessments locked in to reach our 13-credit target. They are also preparing for their final Derived Grade Exam that will take place in Week 10 of Term 3. 

NCEA Level 3 English

For our seniors, the term is dedicated to polishing off internal work while building momentum for final exams. We will be finishing up assessments 91480 (Close Viewing), 91475 (Writing Portfolio), and 91478 (Connections), all while starting intensive preparation for the 91472 (Written Text), 91474 (Visual Text), and 91475 (Unfamiliar Text) external standards. Everything is geared toward helping the students achieve their 13-credit goal by the end of the term. They are also preparing for their final Derived Grade Exam that will take place in Week 10 of Term 3. 

Week 5 Term 3 - English Department: Junior English Program Term 3 (August 17 - August 21)

For Term 3, the Junior English Program focuses on a Visual Text Study spanning Week 1 through Week 8 for both Year 9 and Year 10 students. The primary objective is to engage students deeply with cinematic narratives, encouraging critical viewing and analytical skills. Teachers have flexibility in selecting their curriculum materials; for Year 9, the program highlights Red, White + Brass or Encanto, while Year 10 students are focused on The Freedom Writers or Remember the Titans. If teachers prefer alternative films, they are encouraged to create their own unit plans and share them in the designated resource folder, ensuring the program remains collaborative and adaptable.

Film study for Junior English Program Term 3

The outcome for both year groups is a Speech (CAT), which is due at the end of Term 3. This assessment provides students with the opportunity to synthesize their learning from the term and articulate their understanding of the texts explored. Resources for these speeches are integrated directly into the specific unit plans for each year group. Teachers are empowered to customize these materials, with instructions provided to make copies of the Speech CAT from the Red, White + Brass or The Freedom Writers unit plans and amend them to suit the specific needs of their respective classes.

Year 9 Speeches (2025)

This structure emphasizes a cohesive approach to Junior English while allowing for significant teacher autonomy. By centralizing the core assessment (the Speech CAT) within the unit plans, the program ensures alignment in standards across the junior levels. Whether using the suggested films or implementing personalized choices, the Term 3 program is designed to foster critical analysis and strong communication skills. By providing these shared resources, the English department maintains a balance between learning outcomes and the creative flexibility necessary for effective, student-centered instruction. 

Week 4 Term 3 - English Department: Goals for Term 3 (August 10 - August 14)

Our English Department goals for Term 3 focus on three key priorities: actively supporting students at risk of missing credit targets, collaborating to design and share consistent Unit Plans across our Year 9–13 program, and developing our 2026 department publication, Our Voices.

Students at risk of achieving 

We want to work with our identified students who are at risk of achieving credits in English. We have identified who the students were for Term 1 and we revisit the list in Term 3. We know that this list would have significantly changed since we have spent time in Term 2 to complete internal assessments.

Designing and sharing our units of learning 

Our English Department has established a strong culture of collaborative curriculum design, consistently working together to create, share, and refine unit plans across our Year 9 to Year 13 programs. This practice has allowed us to move beyond individual isolation and instead align our teaching strategies, ensuring a high standard of consistency and quality in our pedagogy across all year levels.

‘Our Voices’ Volume 3 

Our primary focus for Term 3 is the development of Our Voices Volume 3. Throughout the term, I am asking every team member to actively collate and curate outstanding examples of student work—ranging from formal academic writing to creative pieces and personal reflections—to include in this year’s publication. This publication is vital for two key reasons. For our students, it serves as a powerful platform that validates their perspectives, affirms their unique identities, and celebrates their academic growth beyond the confines of the classroom. For our team, Our Voices stands as a testament to our collective impact and the standard of excellence we are cultivating across all year levels. It is an opportunity for us to document our success, share in the pride of our students' achievements, and showcase the authentic, high-quality writing that defines the heart of our department.