Kia ora koutou parents, caregivers, whānau and students,
I hope you have had a positive week. It is hard to believe we are almost at the end of our first school term and into autumn.
Thank you for your support during last Thursday's PPTA union strike, when our school was closed for instruction. You will receive a separate email message today from me informing you that there is another teacher strike proposed for this coming Wednesday 29 March. We received notification regarding this today. The teacher union will confirm the strike day action this Sunday. We know firsthand the disruption all of us have experienced over the past 2 years but our teachers desperately require improved support and conditions for our students; more staff resourcing to support diverse learning and pastoral care needs, and increased financial acknowledgement of their work. Thank you for your understanding.
On Wednesday I went to an Education Law conference in Auckland city. Many principals attended to listen, learn and be updated about legislation, policy and rules that apply to the school environment. Amongst many current topics, the education lawyers talked about the widespread themes of online bullying and misconduct. This relates to students and adults. Please emphasise to your children that what they choose to post, ‘like’, submit, watch, video and participate in online, is published, stored, recorded and most of all is evidence of their choices. Some of our students' choices can be detrimental to our young people's reputation and future. Your education, discussion and monitoring of your child’s online activity is essential.
Aligned with my last paragraph's theme, we have almost concluded our consultation about what values our school community prioritises for AJHS students. The top 3 values/qualities that have been voiced are confidence, resilience and respect. We are currently incorporating these into our school vision and operating rhythm so we can ensure our pathway forward is clearly shaped for our student needs, post covid, and into the future.
Having a vision is about being aware, tuning in, and being in sync with both the educational and holistic needs of our students. We are moving in the right direction, and we look forward to partnering with you more this year to ensure we can support each other for the benefit of our students' learning and wellbeing. On this note, please join us for our online Whanau Forum on Tuesday 4th April from 6pm - 7.30pm, where we will discuss our unique education model for adolescents and its significance to our students' learning pathway.
Enjoy your weekend, ensure you rest, and please reach out if you have concerns or feedback to support your child. Take care.
Cushla Shepherd, Principal/Tumuaki
Albany Junior High School