Tēnā koe, Warm Greetings, Talofa Lava, Mālō e lelei, Sanibonani, parents, caregivers, whānau and students,

Following a fantastic Year 10 camp at Finlay Park in Cambridge, we had our Year 9 and 10 exam experience this week. This experience provided senior students with the opportunity to enrich their study and self-management skills, and build valuable knowledge which will prepare them for the final years of secondary education.

As I approach the end of my second year as principal of AJHS, new opportunities have opened up, enabling me to share my learning with other principals. One memorable experience of such sharing happened last Friday, when I had the privilege of addressing a group of principals from several states in the U.S.A. I shared my leadership experience, our school's improvement journey and spoke about the balance between leading with love and rigour, and how both qualities are equally significant in leading a school community.

Leading with love for me (with a foundation of 30 years of educational experience, and 24 years as a parent), across a range of school contexts is about being effectively positioned to empathise, understand, value and connect to the perspectives of teachers, support staff, students, and parents. It is about placing the ‘person’ first to understand each individual's life story before engaging with the lens of teaching and learning. It is about modelling each and every day that you care, that you believe in everyone’s heart, and that anything is possible with encouragement and a culture of belonging.

Rigour in leadership is about maintaining high expectations, discipline and accountability to achieve continuous and productive learning and improvement. It is about ensuring your systems, processes, culture and ‘people’ are cohesive and build capacity of performance and educational outcomes for our students.

Striking a balance between love and rigour in leadership is a challenge at times, as there is a vast portfolio that includes finance, property, and other administration. However, it is my calling and commitment to lead our kura, our school community with engaging partnership, with shared expectations and authentic relationships, and to strategically and culturally meet the holistic needs of our incredible tamariki.

If you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to reach out to us. Let's keep making this last school term a wonderful and enriching experience for our tamariki.

Thank you for your support, and for those of you taking some time out, please enjoy your weekend te whānau. Take care.

Cushla Shepherd, Principal/Tumuaki

Albany Junior High School