It is with great anticipation we commence the 2018 Academic Year at Long Bay College. With six months behind me in the role, I value the opportunity to build upon the school’s history and successes and connect with the six other partner schools in our Oneroa Community of Learning (CoL).
Never has the importance of great educators been more critical as we prepare our young people with the tools, skills, knowledge, and understanding to access their chosen pathway in the areas of further education, training or employment. At Long Bay, we are truly fortunate to be well positioned to make a difference in the lives of our young men and women - our future leaders. Here we are nurturing the values of respect, pride, confidence, inclusiveness, and resilience through a supportive, challenging and creative approach. Our staff is crucial to this, teaching passionately so that our youngsters take notice, they listen, they learn. We are proud of our student’s 2017 academic success, with NCEA results well above the national averages and many scholarships earned. We look forward to a superb year of continued growth and advancement across every level of our school.
CJ Healey, Principal, Long Bay College
Ben Matthews recognised for football refeering
Long Bay College student Ben Matthews has been awarded the title of Student Official of the Year at the 27th Annual College Sport Auckland Young Sportsperson of the Year Awards 2017.
“I’m a very big stickler for the rules,” says Ben. And it’s this kind of tenacity that has paid off, earning Ben a position refereeing for Northern Football Federation and subsequently the title of Student Official.
“My mum told me on my birthday that I was nominated so it was pretty special,” says Ben.
Now a Prefect in Year 13 at Long Bay, Ben’s embarking on his second-year of football refereeing and is excited about the new opportunities that have opened up for him.
“It was a really big highlight when I got an email saying I had been appointed to referee for the National Women’s League games and to be selected for the National Regional Football League panel for 2018.”
In addition, Ben has recently gained a Level 3 Touch Referee badge at the Grassroots Trust Junior Nationals, which has qualified him to referee for Federation of International Touch events.
“I need to keep performing and improving because my goal is to referee at the 2019 Touch World Cup in Malaysia”, Ben says.
This highly driven student has a busy year ahead. Off the field, Ben is assisting Year 9 and 10 students with tutoring and enjoying his role as an Academic Prefect. He plans to continue in the College’s first XI Football team this season and keep up trombone in the school’s concert band and premiere jazz ensemble. We wish Ben the very best.
Long Bay College hosts third International Festival
Long Bay College will be celebrating the richness of diversity when it hosts its International Festival at the end of March. The festival pays homage to the large variety of nations represented within the school community through cultural performances, an international food experience as well as a community gala. The three-day festival culminates in an amazing multicultural show open to the public.
“Long Bay College has always focused on creating a sense of belonging for its students but our Festival provides a great opportunity to build on that inclusiveness with the whole of our community,” says Long Bay College Principal CJ Healey.
Now in its third year, the event promises to be bigger and brighter than ever. The Global Village Community Gala will be held on the school grounds on Wednesday, March 28 from 3pm. The school’s evening Multicultural Show, performed by students, is open to the public on Tuesday, March 27 and Wednesday, March 28 at 7pm in the auditorium. Tickets are available from the school’s office from March 21.
