Integrity | Kia Pono .  Respect | Kia Manaaki  .  Courage | Kia Māia 

As we settle into Term 2, I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to our staff, students, and wider school community for such a fantastic start. The energy, focus, and sense of purpose across the kura has been outstanding, and it's due to everyone’s collective partnership to provide the best possible conditions for our students to learn and progress in their school year. 

A special mihi goes out to all those involved in our recent sports exchange with Rototuna Junior and Senior High School in Hamilton last Thursday. To our dedicated sports personnel, kaiako, student leaders, kapa haka performers, and our Tiamana Māori leaders, thank you for representing our kura with such integrity, pride, skill, and respect. 

This sports exchange was more than just a series of competitive games. It was a celebration of cultural currency, shared kaupapa, and collective capability. It was incredibly heartening to hear how our ākonga|students engaged not only in the sports competition, but also in the special and unique whakawhanaungatanga and cultural exchange.

A huge thank you to our Sports Coordinator, Jo Monkton for her exceptional organisational leadership. As always, her attention to detail and commitment ensured that the experience was seamless, enriching, and memorable for all involved.

As we continue to prioritise the wellbeing of our ākonga and the strength of our school culture, I’m delighted to introduce two important members of our extended learning community, Chas and Corey, who are working with us through the Tūturu initiative.

Tūturu is a uniquely Aotearoa programme that supports student wellbeing by bringing together schools and health services to help students learn, maintain their wellbeing, and be equipped for the demands of the modern world.

Chas and Corey have been working alongside our staff, leadership team, Māori and Pasifika ākonga/students providing invaluable professional learning in areas including cultural capability, tikanga Māori, mentoring, restorative relationships, and embedding whanaungatanga. Their expertise and authentic approach are already having a positive impact on our practices and our shared commitment to an inclusive, respectful learning environment. We are deeply grateful for the growing relationship and guidance we are receiving from these educational leaders. It’s a privilege to work alongside them and their amazing organisation in our journey to build a stronger, more connected school community.

Many parents may be aware that each community of schools (feeder schools) form clusters called ‘Kāhui Ako’. This funded initiative has been in operation for a number of years.  Recently in the media there has been discussion about its continuation, as there are more urgent funding priorities around student learning and resourcing. We will learn more about this when the 2026 government budget is announced at the end of this month, however, for the present, I have been appointed the Lead Principal of our Albany Kāhui Ako. This role is part of my wider portfolio, as my main responsibility is leading AJHS. This is a rich opportunity for us to connect our contributing schools and strengthen our educational aims across the community. 

Have a wonderful weekend everyone, and thank you for supporting our students' educational experience and progress. Take care. 

Cushla Shepherd, Tumuaki / Principal

Albany Junior High School