Kia ora tātou,

I hope you have all had an enjoyable term break, despite the appalling weather. I managed to get away from the rain and had a lovely time catching up with whānau on the Gold Coast. Despite being constantly told by family and friends, and the occasional shop keeper, that I should not be wearing short sleeves due to the very cold weather, I found the temperature over there akin to a warm spring day in Wellington! 

We have also had some other kaiako who have managed to travel to sunnier climes during the break. Brent has returned from time meeting up with whānau in Hawaii, and Kirat is currently with whānau over in Fiji. We also welcome Eilis back from her trip home to Ireland, where she has had a fabulous time catching up with whānau and friends all over the country, from the sounds of it.

As you will no doubt be aware, the numbers of Covid cases across New Zealand are on the rise, and this is coinciding with an increase in other viruses circulating, such as flu and RSV. Please be very mindful of monitoring for Covid and flu-like symptoms, and test and stay home if you are unwell. We have included an article about Covid-19 / isolation / mask use for Term 3 in this digest, so please ensure you read this information to know the requirements and guidelines for the start of term.

We have an exciting and busy term coming up. All teams will be going to the ASB Sports Centre in Kilbirnie for 6 sessions of sports coaching. Added to this, we will have swimming sports events for all teams, our postponed Junior Invitational Cross Country, and our electives. Part way through the term we will move into our third inquiry module for the year, which is based around 'Living in a Global World'. One key aspect of this inquiry will be a showcase early in Term 4 - a show that parents and whānau can come and be part of. Teams will be busy in the second half of this term preparing for this fab event.

We look forward to seeing you and your tamariki back with us on Monday.

Ngā mihi nui,

Urs Cunningham