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Despite these challenges, there has been much to celebrate. Last week we had the privilege of recognising outstanding academic success at our Year 12 Academic Awards Ceremony. It was a wonderful evening, celebrating students who achieved at a very high level in NCEA Level 2, including those earning Merit and Excellence endorsements, course distinctions, and special awards. Most notably, we recognised students who achieved New Zealand Scholarships, an exceptional accomplishment. To have twelve scholarships achieved across the school, including two Outstanding Scholarships and five gained by Year 12 students, is an extraordinary result. These achievements reflect not only remarkable student commitment and talent, but also the dedication of staff who give generously of their time to support scholarship learning. Over the past two weeks, I have also had the pleasure of visiting a large number of classrooms across the school. It has been fantastic to see such settled, purposeful learning environments, with students engaged and focused, and teachers setting clear expectations for learning. It has also been encouraging to see students getting involved in the wider life of the school. Summer sport got underway on Wednesday, with one of the largest numbers of sign‑ups and teams we have had in recent years. This level of participation is fantastic to see and speaks to students’ willingness to challenge themselves, represent the school with pride, and be part of something beyond the classroom. That same enthusiasm was evident at Clubs Day, which was very well attended and showcased a huge range of extracurricular opportunities. Along with striving for personal excellence, getting involved, whether through sport, clubs, or service, is a key focus for us this year, and it has been pleasing to see students taking up those opportunities so positively. Adrian Fastier  |
In this newsletter:
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Year 12 2025 Academic Award Ceremony |
On Tuesday 10th February, we celebrated in front of friends, whānau and teachers, the many students who achieved at a high level in Level 2 NCEA last year. Students were recognised in the following areas: - Obtaining their Year 12 Diploma - Achieved a Merit Endorsement for NCEA Level 2 by gaining at least 50 credits at the Merit or Excellence level last year. - Achieved an Excellence Endorsement by achieving 50 or more excellence credits. Also awarded an Excellence badge. - For gaining distinction in their course which is recognising the top 5% of all participants. We were also able to recognise five students who successfully earnt scholarships in the 2025 Scholarship exams. Typically, Year 13 students complete these exams so to have five successful students at Year 12 manage this is an amazing achievement. Four special awards were handed out recognising involvement in the school, all-round achievement and highest overall academic achievement. Well done to all students receiving awards. You should be very proud! |
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Scholarship Student Results |
We were incredibly excited to hear that this year Lincoln High School students achieved 12 scholarships! New Zealand Scholarship is the pinnacle achievement of the New Zealand secondary education system, recognising students who perform at the highest level nationally in their subject. The award represents being in the top 3% of students enrolled in that subject throughout the country, with students who achieve outstanding scholarships being in the top 0.3%. This year two of these scholarships were at the outstanding level, and we also had five Year 12 students achieve scholarships which is simply incredible. We know that achieving scholarship takes commitment, perseverance and also great talent in the area of specialty. We are extremely proud of this year's recipients who achieved the following scholarships: Saga Chan – Yr 12 – Scholarship in Design and Visual Communication Gideon Hodge – Yr 12 – Scholarship in Digital Technology Anton Lanzilotta – Scholarship in Music Ethan Menzies – Yr 12 – Scholarship in Digital technology Annabelle Nottage – Scholarship in Painting Peter Nottage – Yr 12 – Digital Technology Isla Pegg – Scholarship in Sculpture Rachael Renwick – Scholarship in Biology Amber Seakins – Scholarship in Drama Leo Yang – Yr 12 – Outstanding Scholarship in Chemistry Baichen Zhao – Outstanding Scholarship in Calculus, and also Scholarship in Digital Technology Supporting students in scholarship is very important and we have teachers across the school that give up extra time, outside of normal teaching programmes, to do this. We thank them for their dedication. Congratulations once again to our scholarship participants and award winners. |
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Understanding the New Learning and Behaviour Reports |
This year we are strengthening how we report on student progress. Every three weeks, students receive a grade out of 4 for learning and a grade out of 4 for behaviour. These grades provide a clear snapshot of how a student is engaging in class at that point in time. They reflect habits, effort, and contribution to the learning environment. At the end of each term, families receive a summary of results to show overall patterns. Weekly emails will automatically include any new grades and attendance information so that families remain informed throughout the term. What the Grades Represent 4 – Above Expectations 3 – Meeting Expectations 2 – Below Expectations 1 – Well Below Expectations What Families Can Do If a grade is lower than expected, begin with a conversation at home. Ask your child what is happening in class and what a teacher would see during a lesson. Monitor the pattern over the next report cycle. If grades do not improve across consecutive reports, contact the classroom teacher directly. Early conversations help us work together to support progress. |
Athletic Sports - Thursday 5th March & Swimming Sports 10th March |
The House Competition kicks off next week with the first major event of the year – Athletic Sports! The excitement is already building! A huge thank you to everyone for getting their entries in — we can’t wait to see the track and field buzzing with energy, colour, and competition. This is a great opportunity for students to challenge themselves, represent their house, and get involved, whether that’s aiming for personal bests or simply giving an event a go. Please ensure students come prepared with appropriate sports gear, sun protection, plenty of water, and a positive attitude as we celebrate effort, participation, and house pride together. We are especially looking forward to seeing students out in full house colours — loud, proud, and creative. One can only imagine the wild and wonderful outfits and costumes being pulled together as you read this… let’s bring the hype and the house spirit! There will be fun house events to get involved in along with a Year 13 vs Teachers relay race! Prizes are up for grabs for best dressed individual and best dressed group! Looking ahead, Swimming Sports will take place on 10th March for students who wish to compete. An email with entry information will be sent to caregivers in the coming weeks.
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Summer Sport Snapshot – 2026 |
Summer sport has hit the ground running at Lincoln High School, with a strong increase in student participation and team numbers across multiple codes in 2026. It has been fantastic to see so many students getting involved and making the most of the opportunities on offer. This summer, students are representing the school across 11 different sports, including Futsal, Volleyball, Touch Rugby, Korfball, Water Polo, Cricket, Indoor Netball, Golf, Surfing, Tennis, and Canoe Polo. In total, this equates to 27 confirmed teams, highlighting the continued growth and enthusiasm for sport within our school community. A huge thank you must go to Millie and Karen for the countless hours they have dedicated to organising and coordinating summer sport. We are also incredibly grateful to our coaches—both caregivers and teachers—as well as referees, whose time and commitment make these opportunities possible for our students. Unfortunately, this week’s wet weather saw a number of fixtures cancelled, but we are looking forward to a full return to action next week and seeing our teams back out competing. Trial notices for winter sports codes are now being sent out, so please ensure students are regularly checking their Teams messages for important updates. We are really looking forward to celebrating the achievements of our Lincoln High School teams and representative athletes on social media throughout the year. If you have a success story you would love to see shared, please email seg@lincoln.school.nz with the details and a photo. Here’s to a huge term of sport, colour, and school pride! |
Sporting Success |
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Student Council and House Events |
Valentine’s Day, Chinese New Year, Ramadan, Breakfast Club, and Study Lounge To celebrate Valentine’s Day, the Taha Whānau rōpū of the School Council organised for Friday the 13th to be a uniform free day for everyone to show up in their best pink and red clothes. As a school we raised $1265.00 from gold coin donations, which has been donated to the Scholarship Fund set up in memory of Alex Bennett. Additionally, throughout the week, students could purchase either a rose, chocolate mix, or a combination of both for either themselves or to give to someone special. School Council dressed up to deliver the goodies during Friday Linc. It was amazing to see so many roses and chocolates delivered along with such thoughtful messages attached! Lots of aroha at LHS for Valentine’s Day! The School Council has jumped right in to planning and running events at kura this year. They kicked off in Week 2 with celebrating Waitangi Day by sharing information and kai with students, organizing the Valentine’s Day fundraiser, celebrating and acknowledging the Chinese New Year by preparing resources for teachers to use during Linc time, and providing information about Ramadan to students. Study Lounge kicked off this week on Monday in Wai Tūhura. This will run weekly from now on! Breakfast Club starts next Wednesday with Waffle Wednesday in Wai Ora from 7:45- 8:30am. Breakfast Club will run each Wednesday from now on! The School Council will be collecting donations for Breakfast Club and Study Club. See poster below for what each house is asked to bring in. If you’re in a position to donate, thank you! |
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Clubs Day Clubs Day was a fantastic success last week! It was great to see so many students exploring the wide range of opportunities on offer and signing up to get involved. The energy in Gym 3 was buzzing, with clubs showcasing everything from creative and cultural groups to service and special interest opportunities. Thank you to the staff and student leaders who helped make the event such a positive and welcoming experience, we’re excited to see our students getting connected and involved throughout the year. Students can still sign up for clubs by registering here: 2026 Club's Sign-up – Fill out form |
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Kaupapa Māori Update |
Ko Kerri Loughhead tōku ingoa He Pou Whirinaki au i Te Kura Tuarua o Waihora. It has been a busy start to the 2026 year at Te Kura Tuarua o Waihora. We had the privilege of hosting our Māori whānau hui. It was a hui dedicated to building whanaungatanga, reflecting on results and a safe space for open and honest kōrero. Coming together kanohi ki te kanohi (face to face) allowed us to connect, reconnect, share kai, celebrate ākonga achievement, and listen to the whakaaro of whānau and wider hāpori. Ngā mihi nui to all who attended and contributed. Your voices matter, and your partnership is valued as we move forward. Our student led rōpū ‘Hāpaitia te reo tauira’ had an excellent time at the recent Clubs Day, engaging in kōrero about the mahi they do to uplift Māori in our kura. In the coming weeks, applications will open for tauira to apply to join this rōpū. Keep an eye out for a pānui on Teams. Our Kī-o-Rahi team, the Waihora Taniwha, are in full preparation mode for the Manarahi Kī- o-Rahi Nationals in Taitā at the end of the term. Kī-o-Rahi is more than a game — it carries whakapapa, tikanga and mātauranga Māori. To see our rangatahi representing our kura in this space is something we are incredibly proud of. We wish Waihora Taniwha all the very best in their preparation and safe travels to Taitā. If your rangatahi is interested in giving Kī-o-Rahi a go, then get involved and support your house in the house Kī-o-Rahi competition in Week 8! Karawhiua! There are lots of kaupapa coming up including Manu Kōrero and our Matariki celebrations. Keep an eye out in our next pānui!
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Market Day (Year 12) DONUT Worry Be Happy |
The Business Studies (BUS201) students ran a successful market selling donuts and drinks in the D/A block quad during Week 4. The theme for this event was DONUT Worry Be Happy. Students had an array of delicious donuts to choose from and other treats. This was a huge learning curve for the students to prepare and set up an event. Thankfully the weather was nice, which helped to bring out a great crowd to enjoy the treats. It was awesome to have the band playing in the A quad also. The students will use the proceeds from the market to set up their own small businesses and purchases resources. Later in the course the students will be required to write a business plan. |
Celebrating Chinese New Year |
The 17th February 2026 marks the beginning of the Year of the Fire Horse. This powerful zodiac only comes around once every 60 years and is known for its bold, high-energy nature. It’s a year associated with energy, passion, momentum, and major transformation, and is considered a powerful time to make way for new beginnings. It is also regarded as a special year that requires cautious and appropriate countermeasures. We were able to provide staff with Chinese styled morning tea at interval on New Year's day, a great celebration to welcome the New Year, despite the wet and cold weather. We wish everyone a wonderful year ahead! The 2026 Happy Chinese New Year Festival is taking place at Victoria Square in Christchurch this weekend, featuring a vibrant celebration for the Year of the Horse. The event includes, fireworks, cultural performances, a parade with Te Waipounamu's longest dragon, and food stalls. It runs on Friday, Feb 20 (4pm–10pm) and Saturday, Feb 21 (11am–10pm). Our ex Lincoln High School students, Conrad Goddard and Kelsey Smith will sing two Chinese songs on Saturday 21 February. Conrad will also be the Co-MC for Saturday. We are very proud of our LHS students! |
Messages from the Board of Trustees |
LHS: SchoolDocs – Term 1, 2026 Policies for Review For your information, all our school policies can be found on SchoolDocs. Our SchoolDocs site details are: https://lincoln.schooldocs.co.nz If you would like to have input into the SchoolDocs policies, then it's time to review Term 1, 2026 Current Review topics:
Once you are in the Lincoln High School site of SchoolDocs, click on the 'Current Review' tab, and follow the instructions / review the relevant policies and attached documents within that area. NB: In addition to the policies listed above, there may other policies and topics open for review, and you are welcome to review those also if you wish. The closing date for the school community of the Term 1, 2026 review policies and topics is at the end of this term (ie 2 April 2026). |
Term One Dates for Your Diary
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