Orientation

With 18 plus years of experience successfully welcoming and integrating new students we know how to help our students settle in quickly and find their feet. We have an amazing experienced team of staff who care for you and a programme of orientation activities to help you in those first important days and weeks.

You will be met at the airport in Auckland by one of our staff and brought up to Kerikeri where we will be waiting with your host parents.  Our orientation sessions in school cover everything you need to know before you start classes such as; logging in to the school network and wifi, an introduction to our staff, information about sports and presentations from our Academic Plus coaches, where to go to join a gym and get involved with community groups and activities, assistance with uniform, course counselling and subject selection. We take you on a tour of the local area including bush walks and a day at the beach. We do our English language testing to place you in the right class and we introduce you to your very own “Kiwi Buddy” – a new Zealand student of your age who will help you settle in and make friends. We even cover NZ laws and keeping yourself safe. Our students favourite part of orientation is the Pōwhiri (Māori welcome to our school ) – where you come as manuhiri (visitors) and become tangata whenua (family) – a really special and memorable experience.

That’s just the start of our awesome adventure together- throughout your stay we meet regularly with our students for formal and informal “check ins” and once a week for assemblies – a time for keeping up to date with opportunities and sharing success stories. Our staff are always available in our International office for students and out of school hours we have a phone line for those who need advice as well as active social media pages.

We are still in touch with most of our past students and many come back to visit and send their friends and family to us. Students studying at Kerikeri High School become our whānau (family) and we become theirs. We can’t wait to meet you.