Rototuna High Schools are at the heart of our community, dedicated to serving the best interests of around 2,400 young people across our campus. We ensure that our students leave school ready to navigate the world with dignity, purpose, and a wide range of opportunities. At Rototuna, we empower our learners to be connected, collaborative, and community-minded individuals, inspired to achieve their full potential.
KŌRERO FROM MEL
Kia ora koutou,
The weather has certainly turned towards Autumn this past week, with a noticeable chill in the mornings. This is a good time to pull out the warmer uniform layers and ensure they still fit. Correct uniform is essential, and required. We still have plenty of second hand uniforms available in reception from 3 - 4pm daily.
In 2025, 122 Year 10 students entered NCEA Level 1 Achievement Standards, usually through Flight Time courses. Half of these were external standards, which required students to sit external examinations in November. 92% of these students passed their assessments, with 38% gaining Merit grades, and 25% gaining Excellence. This is well above national averages, at a year level higher than they are expected to perform. We are proud of these students for challenging themselves to take up these opportunities, and for putting the work in that resulted in their successes.
Challenge our Mindset is one of our core CLOAK values. I am starting a tour through our CLOAK in assemblies this week. In reality, "challenging your mindset" is like a fancy way of saying "doing things that are really, really hard, and not giving up." We’ve all been there. You’re staring at a maths problem that looks like ancient hieroglyphics, or you’re trying to learn a new skill in PE and you just... can’t... get it. In those moments, it is so easy to say, "I’m just not a ‘maths person’" or "I’m not an athlete." But here is the secret about the brain: it’s like a muscle. It only gets stronger when you push against something heavy.
To really live this value, we look at three things:
Perseverance: This is about realizing that learning is supposed to be difficult sometimes. If it were easy, you’d already know it! It’s about not being put off by being "stuck" and finding the energy to bounce back from a setback.
Being Adventurous: This doesn't mean jumping out of planes. It means being willing to step out of your "coasting" zone and into the unknown. It’s about taking a calculated risk, even when you feel a little bit of that nervous flutter in your stomach.
Growth Mindset: This is the big one. It’s the belief that you can strive for improvement rather than perfection. It’s moving from "I can't do this" to "I can't do this yet."
This fortnight, I challenged our students to find one area where they’ve been "coasting." Maybe it’s a subject they find easy, or a hobby where they’re staying in their comfort zone.
I challenged them to seek out a bit of discomfort. Ask a harder question. Try a different strategy. Switch their mindset from "doing the work" to "growing their brain."
Here at RJHS, we aren't looking for perfection; we are looking for progress.
