Kia ora Parents and Whānau
A Standing Ovation for Robbie! 
A huge congratulations to the cast, musicians and crew of our recent school production, ‘Robbie’. The show was an outstanding success, captivating audiences throughout the week.
“Robbie” delivered an engaging and topical storyline, adapted from a book penned back in 1941, but made entirely relevant for today’s audience. The show featured outstanding lead performers, supported by a highly competent and enthusiastic cast and stage crew, who executed sharp scene changes with a visual yet minimal set.
A major highlight that made ‘Robbie’ such a polished and memorable play was the incredibly talented live musicians. I can happily say the days of relying on recorded music are far behind us! To Mrs Sylvia Watson, thank you for inspiring our very talented, young musicians to perform and play at such a high, sophisticated level. The live music added another dimension to the show.
To Mr Mark Jensen, a massive acknowledgment for your work in turning a book written by Issac Asimov into such a time-relevant and engaging show; furthermore, your absolute talent in aligning the words of songs written by the legendary Kenny Rogers into a unique and theatrical experience. We are very fortunate as a school to have talented staff who can motivate our students to perform at such a sophisticated level.
A production of this level cannot happen without the dedication and commitment of a wider team. A massive thank you to the staff who supported the core production team and ensuring all aspect of the show were seamless.
Miss Shannon Hale, for ensuring the staging and props were in sequence.- Mr Graham Eales, for designing and executing the very sophisticated lighting plan, and providing extra lighting resources.
- Mr Murray Toohill, for overseeing the sound and expertly organising individual microphones for the cast while capturing snapshots of the show on camera.
- Mrs Tracey Pickford and Miss Emma Roycroft, for makeup and providing invaluable ongoing support back stage. Tracey also choreographed the dynamic Titanium dance.
Huge congratulations once again to the entire cast, the brilliant musicians, and the dedicated crew of ‘Robbie’! You have given our school a truly memorable show and have set a very high bench mark for future school productions.
It is certainly rewarding as an Intermediate Principal, when out and around our school, to view the number of badges our students are wearing with pride on their uniform sleeves. The Northcross Intermediate badge system is a crucial process for acknowledging student achievement across both the breadth and depth of the New Zealand curriculum, ensuring all forms of success are celebrated.
By recognising accomplishments in diverse categories such as Specialist subjects, Sports, Arts, Culture, Leadership and Service, our badge system reinforces the breadth of learning opportunities available at Northcross, confirming involvement beyond core academic classes. Simultaneously, our system acknowledges depth by awarding badges for sustained academic excellence, high-level mastery, and the successful application of complex skills in areas like academic extension programmes or high-level co-curricular competitions such as Science Fair, Mathex, Poetry Slam and Future Problem Solving (to name a few), ultimately motivating students towards personal growth, challenge and comprehensive development.
A huge congratulations to all our students who continue to strive for personal excellence across the full range of opportunities available at Northcross, making the badge system a true reflection of your commitment and success. Our Ramaroa Newsletter will once again highlight many examples of outstanding student achievement.
On the 27 November, I will be jumping off the Sky Tower to raise funds for the Graeme Dingle Foundation, a New Zealand-based charity dedicated to helping young people aged 5 to 24 build self-esteem, confidence, and life skills through proven positive youth development programmes. Northcross will be holding a non-uniform day on Friday 28 November to raise money for this excellent cause.
Nga mihi
Jonathon Tredray
