From our Tumuaki / Principal

Kia ora e te whānau,

As we are nine weeks into our first term of the year, I want to take a moment to acknowledge and thank all of our incredible staff for their hard work throughout the term so far. Over the past few weeks our kaiako (teachers) have been working hard assessing student progress and ensuring that learning posts on HERO are personalised, clear, and linked to specific goals for each ākonga (student). Their commitment to making learning meaningful is truly appreciated.

Across our hubs, we are seeing rich, engaging learning experiences with plenty of hands-on activities and opportunities for ākonga to interact in different group settings. A highlight has been witnessing the wonderful tuakana-teina learning taking place, where older and younger ākonga mix together, supporting and learning from each other. It is fantastic to see these relationships forming and strengthening in our school community.

A huge part of this fabulous mahi happening are our fantastic support staff. The team continues to do an amazing job behind the scenes, keeping all of our complex systems and processes running smoothly. Their hard work ensures that learning can happen seamlessly and safely in our hubs. We are incredibly grateful for all that they do every day.

Office update

Please be aware that Rachel from the school office is on leave until the last day of term as she travels overseas to Japan – so lucky! We hope she has a fantastic trip. In her absence, Nic Love and Sara Saunders will be sharing the many responsibilities Rachel manages each day. To support this transition, Brooke Kent, one of our release teachers from last year, will be working in the hubs to support the ākonga who Nic and Sara usually work with. It will be great to have Nic and Sara around the admin office for a while, and we are delighted to welcome Brooke back into our school community.

Staff book club

This term, we have revived our staff book club as an optional after-school group, and a group of us are currently reading Chatter by Ethan Kross. The book delves into the impact of our inner voice and how we can harness it in a positive and powerful way. Although I have not yet finished the book, I am already much more mindful of recognising when my self-talk turns into 'chatter' – negative internal dialogue that can affect my mood, mental well-being, and relationships with others.

One particularly useful strategy I have learned is ‘zooming out’—creating distance from a problem by speaking to yourself in the third person. Research shows that this simple technique helps maintain a calmer and more rational perspective, rather than getting stuck in an endless and often unproductive loop of overthinking. This links well with the whakatauki (proverb) I shared above: hurihia tō aroaro ki te rā, tukuna tō ātārangi kia taka ki muri i a koe; turn your face to the sun, and let your shadows fall behind you. 'Zooming out' helps me to focus on the positive and not dwell on negative thinking.

Chatter has been an insightful read so far, and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in understanding the power of self-talk. I am eagerly looking forward to our next book club discussion!

As we head into the final two weeks of the term, we are looking forward to a settled and engaging end before the term break. Time certainly flies, and we are excited to make the most of the learning opportunities ahead. Have a fabulous weekend with whānau and friends, and hei tēra wiki - see you next week.

Ngā mihi nui

Urs Cunningham