Kia ora parents, caregivers and whānau

Here we are at the end of Term 3 racing into Term 4 and the end of the year. Seniors will finish on 6 November and juniors on 4 December.

I want to congratulate Amiria Tikao, our newly elected Board of Trustees student representative and thank all students who stood for election. They presented themselves extremely well and it is very pleasing to have a pool of such capable candidates interested in the governance of the school. I also want to thank Isla Clarkson, our departing student trustee. Isla has held the position for two years through Year 12 and 13 and has been a very valuable member of the Board. The role is quite challenging as the student trustee has full trustee status with access to complex material and at time confidential matters. Isla has acquitted herself with integrity and I know Amiria will do the same.

Last night we held what is becoming embedded as our annual variety concert. It was a lovely affair with a relaxed vibe and plenty of fun had by performers and audience. The concert was student run, ably compered by our senior leaders Florencia Flores and Shamia Ali and the items were both varied and high quality. Congratulations to all the performers and a big thank you to the students, Mr Sawyer and the performing arts staff. Thank you also to all the parents and families, grandparents and staff who attended.

This morning I attended a concert by our English language learners which again was student run, compered by Theresa Lolesio, and was absolutely delightful. Well done to all the students who performed and the girls also presented a tribute song to Mrs Cecelia Jardine-King their teacher for her work and dedication to them.

Earlier in the week I was drawn out of my office into the auditorium by pounding high energy music and popped in to see the Year 10 aerobics performances which are part of the PE programme. The students were having a huge amount of fun and it was great to see a wide range of students participating and giving it a go. The audience were very supportive and making plenty of noise in the process!

Today everyone is in pink for pink shirt day, the sun is shining, flowers are blooming, holidays are on the horizon at 2.40pm and there is a lovely spirit in the air. While we hit the serious business of examinations and NCEA next term, it has been nice to have some fun this week, recognise a whole range of other talents and skills and end on a high note. Thank you, parents for your support during the term and thank you to our staff for their hard work through this COVID environment. We are all crossing our fingers for a settled Term 4 in Alert Level 1.

Ngā mihi nui

Christine O’Neill