Kia ora parents, caregivers and students of Coastal Taranaki School,

Welcome back to Term 3. A warm welcome to our new students:
- Laura Gottlieb, Year 11
- Bradley Smyth, Year 9
- Melissa Hall, Year 10
- Scott Rickit, Year 8
- Jade Anderson, Year 5
- Bailey Watson, Year 4
- Dacota Harvey-Smith, Year 1
- Keegan Paton, New Entrant

Congratulations to Seda Jorgensen, who received a letter of commendation from Prime Minister John Key, for his letter suggesting ways something could be done about the problem of too many plastic bags. We were pleased to also award Seda a certificate acknowledging his role in showing us how to live sustainably, one of our Coastal values.

The first group of Year 12 students to gain their NCEA Level 2 this year:
- Ben Brophy
- Jack Cruden
- Daniel Doyle
- Sam Moffitt
- Jared Wooldridge

The following members of the Coastal Karate Club competed in Taupo recently. Well done boys!
- Nikitajay Raxworthy-Ransfield won a bronze and a silver medal
- Matthew Hooker won a bronze medal
- Billie Cameron won a bronze medal

Uniform
Setting aside the commonsense that must prevail when it is one degree in the morning, too many of our students throughout the school have been wearing their uniforms with less than the pride it merits. With some concern I note instances of parents supporting their children in this. It is important that we all work to “look the part, play the part”.

The Board of Trustees is always open to suggestions, and these can lead to changes. The staff must enforce the requirements of the uniform code and they should expect the support of parents and students who agree to abide by this condition upon enrolment.
Almost all of the uniform is available from the school. Only shoes, black ankle socks, tights, jackets and scarves are not. This should keep it simple, but I will elaborate where we need to improve.

• Shoes only are worn in Terms 2 and 3. They are to be black only (no colour or bling), and leather (for health and safety reasons). Both gloss and matt varieties are allowed.
• Black sandals may be worn in Terms 1 and 4, but not in the workshop or science lab
• Navy blue (junior) or black ankle socks are to be worn with shoes only. Girls can wear tights of the same colours instead
• A black or navy blue scarf may be worn outside
• A jacket or beanie may be worn outside in Term 2 and 3
• Jewellery is limited to a watch, and a taonga (eg.a pendant or crucifix)
• Body piercing is limited to the ear lobe (one stud in each ear)
• Under shirts (e.g. thermals) must not be visible
• All uniform or clothing needs to be clean and in a good state of repair

ALL other uniform will be correct if purchased through the school. Please ensure you name it, so lost property can be returned. Our biggest concerns, for seniors especially, are incorrect shorts, pants and skirts (bought elsewhere), and incorrect shoes. Canvas “slippers” and embellished skate shoes are not acceptable.

The Board will seriously entertain approaches by students or parents with suggestions for reviewing the uniform code. It is intended that the uniform is “fit for purpose”. Shoes for school, for example, may well be limited to this use.

In the coming weeks you may receive a letter with a form indicating how your child has departed from the uniform code. It will ask you to state when you will rectify this by (up to one week unless there are supplier difficulties). Rohe teachers will then pass on that your child has a verified reason to be temporarily out of uniform.

Uniforms are available at 50% deposit with automatic debits for the remainder of the year. However, we still much prefer full payment. We make absolutely no profit from this service.

Please support the school in maintaining our high standards. We will ensure that the 2012 diary entry regarding uniform is much more explicit, as the note will be.

Thank you. I regret that this newsletter has had to focus on uniform.

Do please check that your children are well prepared for some of these bitterly cold days. We extend the heating, but I do worry when I see students venturing outside with only a shirt into five degree atmosphere with all the wind chill of these icy blasts.

Kind regards,
Allan Miles