Staff News, Year 13, Learner Hui, Fire alarm and Congrats

Thank you you all so much for your organisation and mahi to ensure that the exams run smoothly. A special thanks to Karen Powell for the efficient and calm running of exam week. A huge shout out to our LSA team and Natalie Malan for their work in getting all 250 special assessment conditions done. I gather Derren Coles also stepped in to be a reader. A mammoth effort and you are amazing. Karen is gathering stats on numbers at exams. Feedback for students will help ako teachers to have good conversations about next steps and course selection. 

We had a fire alarm on Friday afternoon at 4.20pm. Thank you to those staff here who assisted. There was an incident in SBHS staffroom with a toaster machine left on a Hob that was still on.  It is a reminder that whenever the fire alarm goes off we must evacuate and assume that it is real. It is also why the panui is late out tonight!

I am away with Junior Basketball and then dropping into various tournament teams for week 7 and so am offsite. Karen Powell is acting Principal on site and I am available on phone or email for less urgent things. 

If you haven't done your staff intentions please do. Thank you to all the staff who have been for a chat and please do come and see me if there are things you want to talk through about 2024. 

The Learner Hui will not be on Friday 8th September until 6.30pm - we are not sure as an SLT how that happened and apologise for our senior moment. It will be early week 9 and is TBC on Monday.

Year 13 Privileges Pilot starts this week - they are allowed offsite at morning tea and lunch to anywhere they can walk. No cars. They are also allowed to wear non-uniform on Friday and it must be appropriate as if they were at a job. Shoulders covered, no designs that are offensive and they must wear shoes. No crocs or sliders. This is a pilot and it is theirs to get right or it won't become a privilege. 

Finally - a duty change. Due to the issue of space students can now sit in the corridor outside Performing Arts as long as behaviour is appropriate. 

Staff News

Congratulations to Natalie Malan who has accepted a lead position at the Ministry of Education. She leaves us on October 23rd to become the Special Education Advisor and so we are thrilled that we will still be working with her in the support of our students. 

The Board have approved Laura Prickett to have leave in 2024 to sail around the world, Anais to travel and look at the teaching of Mathematics in Asia and we wish them exciting times in their travels.

Pat Allard and Briar Patrick will be job sharing in English/Drama for 2024. 

Congratulations to Ginni Orr and Katie Sixtus and Autumn Edwards who won the New Era Minecraft Competition. They win an HP Chromebook and a $1000 prezzy card for the school. 

Well done to all our winter sports teams for their determination and fair play and thank you to all staff who have given time to coach, manage and/or turn up and watch. Good luck on tournament this week.