Tēnā koutou e rau rangitira mā

E te whānau o to tātou kura

While we have still been living with and working through the aftermath of the events of 15 March, we have had a settled week and regular routines have been followed. Having said that our school did close for the day on Friday 29 March to allow our staff and students to attend the National Remembrance Service in Hagley Park. Our community was significantly affected by the attack. The service on Friday provided an opportunity for our community to reflect on and acknowledge the event, and then move forward with hope and Aroha. There was a special area set aside for schools and our school was represented by Helen O’Connor (Deputy Head Student) and Alice Ridgen (Acland Head Student) and myself. It was a very moving service, Jacinda Ardern spoke of compassion and understanding, Yusef Islam spoke and sang of peace and it was a privilege hearing Farid Ahmed, who suffered huge loss in the attack, talk of forgiveness.

As a school we made the decision to close for the day. We felt that due to a number of factors (The significance of the event, the impact that the event had on our community, the close proximity of the event and the associated road closures and giving our students the opportunity to attend), it was the best decision for our school - a decision that the school and the Board of Trustees did not take lightly.

All parents, staff and students have been sent a form to give feedback on the lockdown and subsequent week. Please take moment to complete this.

In the week following 15 March, after the Tuesday evening vigil in Hagley Park, three of our students witnessed an unsettling incident where a young woman wearing a hijab, had the doors of the bus doors closed in her face. Amiria Tikao, Roseanne Tia, and Yasmin Sadlier were shocked by the actions of the driver. They did what they could to support the young woman and then went about identifying the driver and reporting the incident. Please see the attached Stuff article for more detail (https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/christchurch-shooting/111634116/a-bus-driver-slammed-the-door-on-a-muslim-girl-three-girls-fought-back).

We are very proud of what our students did. 

Nō reira

I runga i te rangimarie

Nāku noa, nā

Peter Sawyer