Following the resignation of Mr. Mark Bowden at the end of Term 2, Mrs. Nicola Ngarewa was appointed as the 6th Principal of Spotswood College and began on 14th October at the start of Term 4. Nicola was the HOD of Maori at Spotswood from 1998-2005.
The Minister of Education announces that he has received a report back from his ministerial advisory group that proposes changes to NCEA Level 1 achievement standards.
The annual NZQA fee of $76.60 per student was scrapped.
8th & 9th February 32 Peer Support Leaders attend a course at Vertical Horizon, Inglewood.
On Tuesday 20th February, ex-Tropical Cyclone Gita smashed into Taranaki with high winds over 100kmh and waves up to 11.5m high. A major water crisis occured when a major NP water pipe was sheared in half causing a state of emergency to be declared with schools closed on Thursday 22nd & Friday 23rd. Schools re-opened on Monday 26th. Bottled water was transported into NP for a few days.
21 new International students started in February.
The Hapu Carnival Day was held on 9th March.
Under the Gateway programme, 87 students attended a work placement during the year.
Led by Mrs. Reiko Smithers, senior Japanese students visited our sister city Mishima and our sister school Hatsukaichi High School for 2 weeks in April. This was Mrs. Smither's 7th school trip to Japan.
Our Mooting team competed in the Taranaki regional competition of the Waikato University Faculty of Law competition.
"Kai with Soul" Food & Nutrition monthly features in the Daily News completed the 11th year.
In June, Sian Fenwick (Year 13) was part of a mixed quartet "Hungry Violets" that won the Taranaki Smokefree regional Rockquest competition. Sian also won the MAINZ Musicianship award.
"Spotty Idol 14" was another amazing night won this year by "The Rip-Offs" (Tayla Taiwhati, Livi Whitehead, Jake Larson).
A team of 17 took part in the annual NZSS Tough Guy & Girl Challenge (a 6km timed mud run) at Lakes Ranch in Rotorua.
In early-September, 5 All Blacks visited the school.
Keegan Joe was selected for Mens' Pairs Beach Volleyball in the New Zealand team that competed at the 3rd Summer Youth Olympic Games that were held at Buenos Aires, in Argentina. Keegan finished in 25th=place.
TSB Community Trust grants Spotswood College $65,700.00 for 2018-2019 year.
Staff were preparing courses for the transition of the College's new timetable and curriculum that will focus on literacy, numeracy, Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Maths, and other learning mastery (STEAM). A totally new student-centred curriculum will be introduced in 2019.
After 42 years in the Physical Education Department(23 as the HOD), Mr. Phil Gayton advises that in 2019 he will teach part time as he focuses on establishing the Alumni website and organising the College's 60th Jubilee that is to be held at Easter, 2020.
