Important Notices from the Headmaster – June 2024
Parent Interviews
Thank you to those who attended the recent Parent Teacher Interview afternoons for Forms 4-7.
The Form 3 Parent Teacher Interviews are scheduled for Wednesday 19 June, commencing at 3pm. An email to Form 3 Parents was sent on Wednesday 5 June, which included the link for parents to book interview times.
Please be aware, as with all Parent Teacher Interview afternoons, the School day will conclude at 2:30pm for all students in order for interviews to begin at 3pm. We would also remind you that if students are attending interviews with you, they are required to be in full School uniform, as has been communicated to students in Assembly.
Donations
As well as paying the donation, we also know that some families would like to be able to help in new ways. If you are in a position to ‘donate the donation’ for someone else in our community, you would be helping them and in turn, helping the School.
You can donate $500, $1000 or the full $1,700 annual donation into account 12-3011-0156506-00 and name it ‘Donate the Donation’. We will come back to you with a special thank you and let someone who can’t get there this year know, that the donation on their parent portal account has been paid.
Health Centre
Our Health Centre provides a professional service for students during the School day. In the winter months there is typically an increase in communicable illnesses. Our nurses draw this to your attention so that you can be proactive in prevention (or protecting students from these illnesses) as they are easily spread in a communal environment.
Importantly, if your son is unwell, or he displays symptoms such as a cough, sore throat, headache or temperature we would encourage you to keep him home to fully recover and thereby prevent the spread of infection.
If your son has an important test or assessment, please communicate directly with your son’s Dean who will be able to provide you with advice and guidance. If you are taking your son to the Doctor, do request a medical certificate to show he was unfit for School. If he has missed all or part of an NCEA Internal Assessment, he will need to see Associate Headmaster – Academic Dr Etty within three days of his return to School.
As our nurses are regularly sending students home who are unwell, they do want to be able to communicate with parents promptly and effectively. They can only do so if we have your correct contact and emergency contact details in our Student Management System. You can view these details via the Parent Portal and provide any updated information to enrolment@ags.school.nz.
Remember if your son is injured or ill (particularly after a weekend), please ensure he is taken to the appropriate medical professional for diagnosis and treatment before returning to School. Prompt attention shortens the recovery process and is strongly recommended.
Travelling to and from School
If you are dropping your son off at School in the morning or picking him up after School, please do not drive onto campus through Gates 1-4. There have been several occasions of serious congestion and blockages around these gates when cars turn in and make entrances and exits unusable. This in turn causes traffic to back up on Mountain Road.
Absences
If your son is away from School the day prior or the day of a sporting fixture for medical or other reasons, he will be ineligible to play. It is the School’s view that if he is not well enough to be at School prior to a fixture, he is not well enough to represent the School in an extracurricular activity and should be taking the time to fully recover. We appreciate your support and ask you to ensure his coach or manager is informed of such an absence.
Student Attendance – Notification of Absences
A reminder that if your son is absent, we ask you to immediately complete the Absence Notification e-form that is accessed within the Parent Portal on the day of his absence. This is a legal requirement and is part of our duty of care which we cannot fulfil without your co-operation.
Parents should be aware that submitting an e-form verifies your son’s absence and will generate an automatic response to the email address you have provided us.
There is no requirement to phone the School or to provide a written note on the day of your son’s return.
Financial Statements
Each month parents should receive a financial statement. You should also receive information from your son about the invoices on the statement. The most common invoices at this stage of the year will be external examination entry fees and winter sports levies.
Our thanks to parents who have made payments via the Parent Portal or who are communicating with our Finance Team about payments. Should you need assistance, please feel free to contact the Finance Department at accounts@ags.school.nz. If you have lost your password for the Parent Portal, please communicate with our Information Services Team via email at parents.helpdesk@ags.school.nz.
Winter Sports Uniform
Our thanks are extended to all parents for your support in getting students into the correct sporting uniform as the winter sports season started earlier this term.
It is our expectation that young men will only take the field or court if they are wearing the code’s full and correct uniform. All sports uniforms are available from the School Shop.
Please remember we do not allow young men to have ‘skins’ or similar clothing visible underneath their sports uniform. The exception to this is if a student has gained permission from the Director of Sports Development. We have also reminded students that it is our expectation that their socks are pulled up on the sports field.
Sideline Support
It is always good to see strong School and parental support on our sidelines. As young men arrive at School sports fixtures on weekends they are deemed to be ‘under the authority of the School’. As such, School rules apply and our expectations of them need to be met or surpassed.
We have been very proud of those supporting Premier Teams on weekends and thank them for the way they represent their School.
Grammar Jackets
We remind all students that the only jackets that may be worn to School are:
- Approved School Jacket (available for sale in School Shop)
- The School Rep Jacket
No student may wear previous versions of the School Jacket such as Lenco jackets and other brands that existed through time.
Students are permitted to wear jackets around School and in classes, however they are not permitted to wear jackets in Science laboratories or Technology workshops for health and safety reasons.
Should you have questions about School uniform items please contact our Shop Manager, Mrs Serra Galuvao, via email at s.galuvao@ags.school.nz.
University and Scholarship Applications and Form 7 Leaver’s Record of Achievement
An email to parents detailing the application process for University and Scholarship Applications and the Leaver’s Record of Achievement (formerly called Testimonial) was sent out on Monday 27 May. Form 7 students are reminded to complete the online application forms that are available on GrammarNet well before the closing date of Friday 5 July, so that staff are able to produce comments, which will form the written summary component of the Leaver’s Record of Achievement.
If your son is applying for university scholarships, university study at local halls of residence, overseas universities or for Private Scholarships, he is reminded to complete the online University and Scholarship Application Intention Form that is available on GrammarNet.
Term 2 School Examinations
The Term 2 School Examinations are held on the following dates:
Seniors (Forms 5, 6 and 7): Thursday 27 June – Friday 5 July (please note, School will be closed on Friday 28 June due to Matariki)
Juniors (Forms 3 and 4): Tuesday 2 – Friday 5 July
There are two examination sessions per day. The morning examinations are from 9.20am-11.20am, while the afternoon examinations run from 12.30pm-2.30pm.
Normal class times operate for Form 3 and 4 students on Thursday 27 June and Monday 1 July, however the School day will conclude at 2:30pm on both afternoons.
As per regulations from NZQA, students will not be permitted to have a watch on their person in addition to not having mobile phones with them during school and external examinations.
It is important that we prepare our students for external examinations by replicating the regulations set by the external providers, NZQA and Cambridge. This regulation will continue to be applied for School examinations.
External Examination Fees (Cambridge and NZQA/NCEA)
NCEA Levels 1, 2 and 3 and New Zealand Scholarship are national qualifications awarded by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA). AS Level and A-Level are international qualifications awarded by Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE).
It is School policy that all students studying senior qualification courses will enter for examinations via either the Cambridge or NCEA pathway in all their studied subjects. Entry for NZQA New Zealand Scholarship Examinations is optional. Entries will be taken, and entrants will be invoiced, later in Term 3.
Invoices will shortly be raised and posted on the Parent Portal. Prior to this occurring, parents will receive an email outlining the Cambridge Examination Fees and Pre-Q donation.