This is always a time for reflection on the year past and anticipation for the year ahead. As is always the way, we ask our Year 12s and the Year 13 leavers for their advice about what we should do differently in the future.

Their ideas are often helpful, sometimes impractical, but always interesting. It is annoying when some things could be fixed so simply if only we had known about them earlier... so we are doing our best to sort a few things out now that will make life easier next year - such as students being able to see their percentage absences on KAMAR and putting exams over a weekend and adding a study day at the front end.   Keep those ideas coming, we do listen and we do want to make things as good as they can be for everyone.

We have had a lovely week with the Sports and Cultural Prizegiving, the naming of the Year 13 leaders for 2019, the final Year 11-13 assemblies and of course, Prizegiving. It is always wonderful to see so many students acknowledged for such a variety of achievements across sporting, cultural, leadership, service, effort and academic pursuits.  Congratulations to everyone who received an award or a leadership position.  They are hard earned and we are really proud of your success.

Once the seniors leave, staff focus on 2019 during the time they would normally teach senior classes.  Department planning is a large part of that work.  We still have a few positions to fill.  So far we have been lucky getting really good staff from all around New Zealand who want to move to Wellington, but with every job I advertise I worry that luck is going to run out, so keep your fingers crossed for us in that regard.  Once we know staffing, the timetable can be written and with some changes next year in the senior school timetables, this will need some extra care around when tutorial periods are built in.  The one thing we know for certain is that the late start on a Wednesday will continue, so you can plan for that.

We have two advertisements going onto Seek this week which I will also put in the newsletter - one for a new International Director and one for a school Nurse.  These will be key roles to fill, so if you know anyone who might be interested, please give them my contact details.  I hope we will be able to give you an update about these appointments in the final newsletter of the year.

We still have six weeks of term left.  Please be aware that seniors can come into school to see their teachers if they need any extra support before the exams or if they need a quiet place to study.  For the juniors, not much changes, apart from the rooms they are taught in at times - do not believe them if they say they are not doing any work!

Ka kite ano
Julia Davidson