On Tuesday we had a very busy Open Day with approximately 1500 prospective parents and young people through our school.

I want to extend thanks to all our staff and students who ensured such a successful occasion. Our students were fabulous tour guides and are at the end of the day the best recommendation for our school. I know from many years’ experience that parents enjoy talking to current students and getting a genuine “feel’ of the school from them. Our staff also created an atmosphere of manaakitanga opening the doors, extending hospitality and making all our visitors feel welcome.

A special thank you to our performers and coaches – our kapahaka, our choir Cantrices, our orchestra and bands. The students and our music staff Michael Langdon, Kaitlyn Tinworth, Jenny Morrison and Whaea Adrienne Huia did a superb job. It is nice that visitors can both see the school live in action with normal teaching and learning happening but also have access to some of the out of classroom activities. It certainly created a festive atmosphere to the day.

I remind all families and prospective parents you know that Out of Zone enrolments for 2022 are due 20 July 2021 and it is also very helpful if In Zone enrolments for 2022 are submitted by that date as well. It is very difficult to make decisions about how many Out of Zone places to offer without being able to form a projection around the In Zone uptake. In Zone applications have automatic right of entry, including Acland House boarding students. The priority for Out of Zone places is Ministry of Education mandated and is as follows:

Out-of-zone students who apply for enrolment at the school must be offered places at the school in the following order of priority:

(a) students accepted for enrolment in a special programme run by the school;

(b) siblings of current students;

(c) siblings of former students;

(d) child of a former student;

(e) children of board employees or a child of a board member;

(f) all other students.

If there are more applicants in priority groups (b)-(f) than there are places available, places must be allocated in priority order until a category is reached where the number of spaces available in that category is insufficient to accommodate the number of eligible students. Selection within that priority group must be by ballot. Selection of applicants for priority (a) may be on other criteria, but may be by ballot, at the Board’s discretion.

This means we have many disappointed families who are unable to gain enrolment to the school. Please submit all 2022 enrolment applications as soon as possible by July 2021 so that we can plan accurately.

It was a delight to share the stage in the auditorium with student speakers yesterday – Roseanne Tia and Kate Hastings our Deputy Head Students and Bethany Sutcliffe and Malena Taurima of Year 9. Our Head Student Amiria Tikoa was away at the On-Campus Experience Scholarship at Otago University. These young women were articulate, engaging and spoke with genuine warmth and loyalty about their school and experience, the first two coming to the end of their journey this year and the latter two only one term in. I loved their enthusiasm for opportunity, for jumping into school life boots and all and, in the senior students, a commitment and desire to take their learning beyond school into the community and a belief that they can effect change for the good of society.

Ngā mihi nui

Christine O’Neill