Kia ora everyone,

We have a slightly more informal newsletter today with a focus on wellbeing. Here I am with Alvie our nine year old white boxer after return from a daily walk (which I am not usually very good at maintaining). Perhaps we will all emerge from this lockdown period a little fitter and healthier! I have to say Alvie is somewhat unhappy that he cannot do his usual trip to work with my husband or daily café visit, so he is not enjoying social distancing, probably like most of us.

We hope you are all safe and well in your homes. To all our parents who are essential workers, thank you so much for going to work and providing what we need to keep functioning. You are the true heroes in the lockdown.

When times are tough we go to our touchstones to help us get through. Our school touchstones are our values. Our students know these and they may be helpful for you to reinforce these in talking with your daughters.

Whanaungatanga – Stay connected and value relationships. Now is a time to focus on family and appreciate your bubble. Pull together. Stay connected with friends and wider family and grandparents by whatever means you can using technology. We are aiming to do this as a school. The Board met yesterday via a Google meet, the Senior Leadership Team is meeting and communicating every day and staying connected with staff who are staying connected with students. I will keep connecting with you on behalf of the Board and the Senior Leadership Team. Our senior student leaders have developed a wonderful online site for our students to access and stay connected (https://sites.google.com/cghs.school.nz/the-study-buddy/home) and have drawn in past students at university to tutor current students. Isla Clarkson our Head Girl will begin regularly communicating with the student group as a whole in the same way I communicate with parents and with similar messaging. I want to celebrate what all members of our community are achieving at the moment – students, staff and families.

Manaakitanga - Respect and appreciate each other’s strengths. Be generous to each other and do the things that show extra care. Remember the importance of hospitality to each other – preparing food and drink, baking – the small things which bring comfort and joy. Our Ako teachers are staying in touch with their students and our counsellors are available online and by phone to our students. Please make sure your daughters are checking their school emails once or twice every day.

Aroha – Show empathy and concern for others. We should be so grateful for our essential workers who are going the extra mile, for the clear and caring communication from our government, for the way the country is responding for the greater good. I am wondering what it is like during this lockdown for the homeless or those on limited means with cold homes and little food. Perhaps this is a time to think about online donation to the City Mission or agencies who are doing so much to support those in need. It is also nice to have email replies from our community showing their appreciation for what our staff are doing. Thank you for taking the time to write in.

Rangatiratanga - These are challenging times and we should all be proud of how we are adjusting to this new normal for the next four weeks and what comes in future months. I am proud of our staff and students, the way they handled the announcement calmly on Monday and the work our staff are doing now to ensure our student wellbeing and learning and our ability to sustain this into the coming months, whatever they look like. We should feel confident that all of us in Aotearoa will get through this and that we have taken effective action quickly, informed by science and medical expertise.

Stay well. Stay safe. Stay at home.

Kia kaha, kia maia, kia manawanui

Be strong, be brave, be steadfast

Nga mihi nui

Christine O’Neill