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Lytton High School
Newsletter · Term 4 2024
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Principal's Message
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As the year ends, I want to reflect on the achievements we’ve shared as a school community in 2024. From academic successes and cultural events to sports and community initiatives, our students have shown resilience, creativity, and commitment, supported by the dedication of our staff and whānau.
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To our students, you are the reason our school thrives and grows. Your effort, enthusiasm, and curiosity are at the heart of everything we do. We know that being a teenager comes with its own challenges; balancing school, friendships, family, and everything in between can sometimes feel overwhelming. Even though the journey of learning and growing is often hard work, your determination and resilience shines through. Whether you’ve faced obstacles, celebrated personal milestones, or brought your energy to the life of our school, know that we are incredibly proud of everything you’ve achieved this year. Keep striving, reflecting, and dreaming big as you prepare for the opportunities ahead.
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To our families and community, thank you for your ongoing support, which enriches our school in so many ways.
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As we enter the holiday season, let us take time to rest, recharge, and enjoy the company of loved ones. For those travelling, I wish you safe journeys. Let us also remember the spirit of giving and kindness that this season brings, reaching out to those who may need support or a helping hand.
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Looking ahead, we are excited about the opportunities the new year will bring. We will return in 2025 ready to continue building on the strong foundations we have laid this year.
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Wishing you all a joyful Christmas and a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year. Thank you for being part of the Lytton High School community.
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2025 Prefects
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Congratulations to our students who have been selected as prefects for 2025, we wish you a rewarding year ahead.
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Dittmer, Reaf - Cultural Prefect
Fonua, Sifa - Cultural Prefect
Hailey, Oho - Sports Prefect
Lee, Georgia - Academic Prefect
Nakwakwilo, Kundiso - Community Prefect
Paiti, Cassidy - Community Prefect
Shanks, Benjamin - Academic Prefect
Smith-Morgan, Danni - Cultural Prefect
Sung, Leo - Academic Prefect
Te Kani-Brown, Jakeb - Sports Prefect
Waitoa, Latrell - Academic Prefect
Walker-Komene, Hine - Sports Prefect
Wyllie, Puati - Community Prefect
Caughley, Thom - Deputy Head Boy
Mill, Selina - Deputy Head Girl
Stuart, Joden - Head Boy
Jones, Āna - Head Girl
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Lytton High School Dux of 2024
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Congratulations to our Dux of 2024 Melissa Lamb also Amandine Mariette & Manaia Mill both Equal Proxime Accessit - Runner Up to Dux.
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Lions International Peace Poster Competition
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Congratulations to our Year 9 Student Annabelle Lewis who was judged second in the Gisborne Regional Lions International Peace Poster Competition.
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She chose to make an environmental themed poster, and has been steadily working on her vision of peace for the last few months.
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Whatu, Security Guard & Counsellor
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About 18 months ago Leigh noticed some young men feeding a cat with bits of food from their lunches. This cat of unknown sex had a blind eye and was very thin and scared. After several weeks of putting food down and numerous warnings of "feeding a wild ,stray cat with diseases and the probability of reproducing kittens galore" Leigh decided she had better "google" and decided It was a she. What to do? Find a home, which she did, but this didn't end well with bites, scratches and Cindy's cat cage broken. Next step , seek counsel from the wise one 'Lil Ratima'. In no time "Cat" was named Whatu. A whare was built by the Building Academy students with wall to wall carpet. Whatu was here to stay, so out came the knitting needles and a mohair blanky was made. Whatu stands guard on the Science Deck and is a listening ear and company to students that want to hang out with her.
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Performing Arts Competitions Association of New Zealand National Young Performers Awards
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Amandine Mariette and Isla Norris recently traveled to Palmerston North to compete in PACANZ, NYPA, as part of the Dancefit Studios Advanced group. NYPA, the National Young Performer Awards, was held at the Regent on Broadway Theatre from the 24th-25th October. Dancefit Studios entered the Troupe section, earning a nomination with a Commercial Hip-hop piece through the Braemar Dance Competition Society in June. To qualify for PACANZ, teams must first secure a nomination from a local competition. Out of 74 troupes nationwide, Amandine and Isla’s Dancefit Troupe placed 28th, just shy of the top 19 who advanced to finals.
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This was an especially proud accomplishment, as many teams train daily, while the Dancefit Studios Advanced group meets just two hours a week. Amandine and Isla both shared that it was a fantastic weekend and an invaluable learning experience for their skills. The Dancefit team and their instructor were incredibly proud of the group and their tremendous dedication throughout this journey.
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Running Club
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This year, the Running Club started up to give students of all fitness levels the chance to participate in regular group runs. Every Tuesday afternoon at the end of school, the club heads out to Wainui in the school van to tackle the scenic sand dune course.
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The running club has been active for two terms and the club is open to students of all year levels.
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Te Whare Tu Taua ō Ritana
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After four months of work our year 10 students have created a video celebrating their Mau Rakau learnings. You can watch this fabulous video on the link below. Thankyou to Mr Stirton the Producer.
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Gateway / Pathways / Careers
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Term 4 Barista Course - In week 4 we had 12 of our senior students complete a two day Barista course. There was a lot of theory to get through but mostly learning the art of making a good coffee.
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Health and Safety Course - A great turn out for our last Health and Safety course of the year. Two days of very focused students with a 100% pass rate on all the units.
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The Building Academy
How it started vs how it's going!
In 2023 our Building Academy students were tasked with what felt like a mammoth task, of building a two bedroom house. Our students started by learning basic tool handling skills and grew their abilities from there. In November we were able to say with great pride that our students accomplished this task, and have built a beautiful two bedroom house that will become public housing. On Thursday 28th November we celebrated our past and present students' efforts in achieving their goal, as well as welcoming a few of our incoming students that will be joining the team in 2025.
Our Principal Wiremu Elliott spoke with our students about how they have not only gained an invaluable skill set, but through their actions have given a family in need a home.
Our students are extremely lucky to be tutored by Ngati Donnelly who has a very successful career as a Licensed Building Practitioner, as well as Matt Henwood who works with our students in the classroom to reach their NCEA requirements.
Watch this space in 2025 as our students embark on building a similar dwelling. We wish our returning and new students all the very best on their next endeavour.
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Māori Football Aotearoa Under 20 Wahine Atutahi
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“I was selected to be a part of the Māori Football Aotearoa Under 20 Wahine Atutahi team. We travelled to Hawaii to play in a ‘Clash of the Cultures’ test series where we played three matches. One was against a development Hawaiian team, then two matches against Hawaii Na Wahine Under 20's where both resulted in a loss. This was my first time playing internationally. At the end of the series, all four teams (both the Māori and Hawaiian boy’s and girls’ teams) selected an MVP, where I was fortunate to receive the MVP award for my team”.
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Congratulations to you Manaia.
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Te Roopu Rangatahi o Ritana
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After months of dedicated practice, our kapa haka team, Te Roopu Rangatahi o Ritana, proudly competed in the Tamararo 2024 competition. Their hard work and passion shone through, earning them a well-deserved victory.
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Adding to this incredible success, both of our Kaitātaki were awarded 1st place for Best Leaders of the Group—a remarkable recognition of their talent and leadership.
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This outstanding accomplishment reflects the strength and spirit of our small but mighty group. Ka mau te wehi!
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Senior Prizegiving 2024
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On Thursday 31st October we had the pleasure of celebrating the successes of our senior students. A full prizegiving recipient list can be seen here. Images from the evening can be seen on our Facebook page or the link below.
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Junior Prizegiving 2024
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On Friday 6th December we had the pleasure of celebrating the successes of our junior students. A full prizegiving recipient list can be seen here. Images from the day can be seen on our Facebook page or the link below.
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Images from the day can be seen on our Facebook page or the link below.
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2025 Enrolments
2025 enrolments are now open. A copy of our Prospectus and enrolment forms are available on our website or from the school office. Enrolments for 2025 received after the closing of the school office on Wednesday 11th December 2024, will be processed in the following time frame:
● Completed enrolment forms (including all relevant paperwork required e.g. previous school reports and information, received before February 3rd 2025, will have an interview with the Dean prior to being accepted and work towards a start date of Monday 10th February.
● Enrolments received on or after February 3rd 2025, will be notified of the start date once an interview with the Dean can be arranged, all relevant information/paperwork is received and acceptance of enrolment has been confirmed.
This process is to ensure that new students to Lytton have the best transition possible which sets them up for success for the remainder of the year.
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2025 Uniform Shop
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The Uniform Shop will be open week days from Tuesday 28th to Thursday 30th January 2025 between 10am to 2pm & 5pm to 7pm also Friday 31st January 10am - 2pm. We will be located at the front of the school in Te Hinatore, our school hall.
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Sports Report
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Badminton – This activity has grown from a handful of interested friends, led by Isla Jacobs and Kiani Olsen, out to a staggering 36. With the growth in numbers and being properly resourced, the gym was not large enough to accommodate everyone, so the netball court on the turf shouldered the overflow. Badminton is loosely structured during Interval and Lunch times with a simple rule of care for your equipment and its return. Badminton encourages, eye, hand co-ordination, it's easy to learn and is a fun sport to play with your friends.
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Students commented: “I like playing badminton at the break, because you can face different people or play with your mates”. “Love playing it and I love challenging my friends”. Badminton is so fine, 100% recommend it (even though I suck). Play badminton”. “Need more”. “Best game ever”.
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Rugby 7’s – The Poverty Bay Rugby Football Union Junior Rugby 7's Tournament was held at Barry Park.
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With some practice under our belts and fine weather we were ready as best we could be. Rugby 7s playing on a full pitch can expose you to a number of things, like; missing tackles, not backing up your team mate, not making use of space, not looking after the ball. It gives a visual of who is doing well and who is not. But also, when things are done correctly and the team is ‘humming’ it’s good to watch. Some of the boys shared their thoughts about their involvement. “I tried to work on my stamina and keep up with the game, because the game was fast. “The games were all enjoyable.” “We could have played better”. “There is competition and there are fun games, I like playing rugby for fun”. “Rugby’s a dream”. “I reckon we could of improved if we were more focused and trained harder”. “We could have won two games if we got our conversions”. “Some of the things I learnt was that, correct substitutions are important, to maintain freshness and continuity of rugby focus and that hydration and shade is very important because the weather was too hot."
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Football – Staff Vs Prefects Match Report
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The match between the staff and prefects delivered a fantastic display of talent, with an impressive turnout from both teams. The crowd was particularly large and vocal, noticeably favoring the staff, cheering them on with enthusiasm throughout the game.
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The match kicked off in dramatic fashion. Just 45 seconds into play, controversy struck when the referee made a questionable call against a staff member known for his impeccable sportsmanship and fair play. He was penalised for an alleged foul on a prefect during a tackle, but to the staff and the crowd, it was clear the prefect had exaggerated the contact, faking an injury on the ground. This early incident set the tone for the game, signalling to the staff that they would be receiving no favours from what appeared to be a biased official.
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Despite this setback, the prefects were the first to find the back of the net. Amandine opened the scoring with an absolute screamer, sprinting down the field with impressive pace before unleashing a powerful shot that left the goalkeeper with no chance. The goal briefly lifted the prefects’ spirits, but the staff team remained calm, knowing they had goals in them and plenty of time to respond.
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As the half wore on, a few more dubious decisions went against the staff, adding to their frustration. However, they maintained their composure and continued to battle hard, showing resilience in the face of adversity. The whistle eventually blew for halftime with the prefects still clinging to their 1-0 lead.
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Both teams gathered for a quick team talk during the break. The prefects’ hype squad tried to keep their energy high, while staff captain Rangituhia delivered a stirring pep talk—though the exact words now escape me, the impact at the time was undeniable.
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The second half began, and this is where the staff’s master plan came to fruition. The long-term strategy of embedding a "mole" within the prefects finally paid off. George Bodle, playing for the prefects but secretly aiding the staff, executed the plan perfectly. Earlier in the year, George had a "collision" with Manaia, the prefects’ star player, resulting in Manaia needing knee surgery and currently being sidelined on crutches. This was phase one. Phase two unfolded just five minutes into the second half, when George scored an own goal, levelling the game and deflating the prefects' confidence in one swift move.
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With momentum now swinging in their favour, the staff pushed forward. The game looked destined for a draw until, with just three minutes left on the clock, Nikolai Mastrovic, the staff's newest recruit, sealed the victory. His composed finish put the game to bed, leaving the prefects stunned and the crowd roaring in approval. What a way to mark his debut!
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Player of the Day for the Prefects: Amandine
Player of the Day for the Staff: George (for his "decisive" own goal)
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The staff celebrated a well-deserved victory, capping off a thrilling encounter that had everything: skill, strategy, and just the right amount of drama.
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To the Teachers, Lytton Board of Trustees, Parents, Coaches, Managers, Student Volunteers and Whānau
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Whānui, heartfelt thanks for your care, guidance and support in all sorts of ways given to our Lytton athletes. Your contributions have been immeasurable. Thank you.
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I take this opportunity of wishing you one and all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
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Lytton High School ATHLETIC RECORDS as at 2024
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Charlie Rangihuna Atkins-35.6
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Rajeenah Mow/Awhina Rickard
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Annabel Reeves =Christina Tamihana 1.45
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Lytton High School SWIMMING RECORDS as at 2024
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Sports Calendar Term 1
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3rd -7th March - Lytton High School Athletics week
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19th March - East Coast North Island Athletics. TBC
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24th - 28th March - Summer Tournament Week
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Staff Farewells
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For Term Four we bid a fond farewell to
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Welcome to New Staff
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A very warm welcome to all the new staff who will join us for Term One 2025.
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Sarah Cooksley - Teacher of Food Technology
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Morgan Read - Teacher of Mathematics
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Ruby Walton - Teacher of Drama
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Upcoming Events
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3rd February - Term 1 begins for Year 9 students
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4th February - Full school for 2025
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6th February - Waitangi Day
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11th February - Board of Trustees Meeting
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18th - 20th February - Year 9 Camp
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3rd - 7th March - Lytton High School Athletics
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20th - 23rd March - Prefect Camp GRIP
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22nd - 30th March - Meijo High School visit
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24th - 28th March - Summer Tournament Week
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25th March - Board of Trustees Meeting
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11th April - Last Day of Term One
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