Tena koutou nga whanau, nga mihi nui ki a koutou katoa,

As I write this, my last newsletter for the year before I go on study leave and hand the reins over to Fiona Rice, there is no doubt that the whole world is experiencing challenging times. New Zealand, a nation of travellers, are being called home and events are being cancelled. The school calendar, which was looking very busy, is now verging on sparse. Even events which are months out, are being postponed, as no-one really knows what the next weeks, months, or even longer holds.

We live in an age of information overload. The days when the publishing and dissemination of information was the realm of only a few are well gone (at least in most countries). While this democratisation of information has many benefits, there are some challenges: who do we listen to, what do we believe, how do we make decisions based on the best information - and, what in fact is the best information. Life is not a reality TV (or Youtube channel) show, which has been constructed and edited to make the most of the drama, yet often it seems like it is, with different stories and versions of the ‘truth’. Headlines are written for the purpose of clickbaiting, rather than being an accurate representation of the article, and separating fact from opinion can at times be challenging.

As educators, we hope to support young people to develop the skills to navigate this information overload. Processing information, whether this be in the form of written, visual or oral language, is a lot more than just believing everything we read, hear and see. What is important is accessing information from a variety of sources, thinking about reliability and validity, and critically analysing and synthesising the information to help us make informed choices. 

Over the next few weeks we will, as a school, be using our combined character strength of prudence to guide us in decision making. Prudence is certainly not the most exciting of character strengths but it certainly has come to the fore in the current situation. Prudence, refers to making careful and well-considered decisions, not taking unnecessary risks and thinking about long-term consequences of actions. 

At this stage, there is no definitive answer as to whether schools will be expected to close at any time. Part of our prudent approach though is to ensure we are prepared for this possibility. At this stage, if you wish to find our more about supporting your child's online learning, with the platforms the school uses, you are able to attend a session early Wednesday evening. Please let us know if you wish to attend this so we can ensure we are providing a safe environment, with sufficient space for appropriate physical distancing. If it is decided that it is not prudent to hold this meeting, we will ensure you are able to access the information another way. 

Currently, worldwide, normal is being redefined. Hugs and handshakes are out, and no-touch greetings are the norm. Moral codes are fractured due to disputes over toilet paper and people are arguing over the last loaf of bread. Children may be experiencing increased anxiety and each person has their own unique circumstances that impact on their stress levels. Our role in this is to focus on keeping school-life as normal as possible and we will continue to do this, while this is the most prudent option. The school receives regular updates from the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education and these will guide our decisions over the upcoming weeks.

Even though, as of next Thursday, I am officially on study-leave, I will still be around and I look forward to staying in touch with everyone, even though this will be more in a peripheral way.

Stay safe, remember to look after those around you, and let us know if there is any way in which we can provide support.

Ngā mihi, Jill