Message from John Bunting, Presiding Member, Amesbury School Board

Kia ora koutou,

Well, last year I commented on the year of challenge and change we had experienced and that the year had seemed to fly by. 2022 is now almost completed and it seems to have passed even more quickly. One thing that has remained constant is change and the need to deal with change.

This was an election year for the school board and we said goodbye to four of our past members (Sarah, David, Sophie and Crystal) and welcomed some new faces (Ruia, Kris, Chris, Trejan and Shyam). There is still one vacancy to fill and we will look to complete that early in the New Year. So my first thank you is to those who have served and to those who have now chosen to serve, for your time and willingness to work on the school’s behalf.

My second thank you is to our school team led by Urs. As a team they work so hard to ensure the very best learning experiences and outcomes are achieved for all our students. We have said goodbye to some old friends and welcomed new ones as the year has progressed. As new people join the team they are welcomed and all seem to quickly come up to speed and add to the Amesbury family. We are richly served by the team's professionalism and care for our children and the wider school family.

Our new build continues on. As we reach the end of the year we approach a major milestone in the build process - a fully weather tight building. Both students and staff look to the build completion with excitement as it will mark another key milestone on our journey as a school. As a leadership team (staff and board) we recently had a tour of the building and it was so exciting to see the plans so long in 2D translated into 3D reality.

To our students – you are awesome! It’s always so exciting to be around the school or working from home and hearing the sounds of the students at play and out and about learning. We see throughout the year examples shining through of how you each look to live out the school's values. This time of year also brings sadness as we say goodbye to our year 6’s and wish them all the best as they forge out into their next steps on their educational journeys.

To our school parents and whānau, thank you for all of your ongoing support and input into our school community. Whether it be through coaching a sports team, helping out on a trip or camp, or supporting fundraising and school events by coming along and joining in, you are all playing your part in our school community and we are very grateful for your ongoing participation. Over the last few years you have needed to take on more of a teaching role yourselves, when your tamariki have needed to learn from home. We know this is not easy while you are balancing your family needs, work needs and your own personal needs. Thank you for all of this.

Unlike the last two years, as I write this note many families will be looking forward to (or have already left for) their holidays both in New Zealand and overseas. Being able to reconnect with family is so important and may be something we all took a little for granted in pre-Covid times. So whatever you are doing this holiday season, I wish you all the very best - safe travels, good food and great memories.

Ngā mihi nui,

John Bunting, Presiding Member, Amesbury School Board