Amesbury Digest - 1st October 2021

Tēnā koutou,

We have now finished what was, for many of us, a tough and unusual term. It involved a lot of uncertainty, some sudden changes, and a great deal of flexibility. As a community we have worked well together to get through and we all deserve to take a moment and reflect on this: ngā ākonga (students), staff, parents and whānau - we have all had to work and learn differently, and cope through times of high anxiety. We know that whilst all of this was going on, people in our school community were also coping with other issues alongside this - physical and mental health issues, family issues, and all the ongoing aspects that are a tough part of life usually, and are even harder when dealing with them during a Covid outbreak.

Next term we will continue with the consultation we have started recently, working continually to build a community that is stronger together. We have listened carefully and thoughtfully when people have passed on feedback, and we will continue to do this. Our plan for next term is to invite you all to join in with further discussions around how we can work better together to ensure the best outcomes for our tamariki and to ensure our school is a valued partner in our community. I strongly encourage you to take up these invitations and be part of the planning for next year and beyond. Mā whero, mā pango, ka oti ai te mahi - with red and black the work is complete. This refers to the need for collaboration in order to complete the work, and this is indeed what we are looking to do.

Finally, we would like to say a heartfelt thank you to Michelle Prinsloo, who ended her time at Amesbury School this term. Michelle has been a very valued member of our team, both as a teacher in Pōhutukawa hub, and also as our sports lead. We wish Michelle all the very best on her next exciting adventure managing a new branch of a tutoring franchise.

Kia pai tō hararei - have a good holiday break with your whānau. Take care, and we look forward to seeing you back next term, hopefully in alert level 1 when we can gather together more as a community.

Ngā mihi, 

Urs Cunningham