Tena Koutou

What an exciting month ahead we have at East Otago High School. On Monday the 24th of June we will be celebrating Matariki by inviting Year 6 students from our contributing schools to participate in cultural workshops run by staff, students and community members. We will start the day with a Mihi Whakatau (traditional Maori welcome) in the DG Murray Hall. After this the students will be divided into six groups to complete the activities on offer. At 2pm we will be holding an assembly to remember Stefan Witehira, former community constable, BOT chairperson, Husband, Father and so much more. Please come along to hear from his friends, colleagues, staff and students as  we reflect on his contribution to East Otago.

We would also like to invite all our parents to come in and discuss what's going on at East Otago High School through an initiative called 'Casual Conversations with the SLT'. This simply means coming to the staffroom on the 3rd of July at 6pm, having a cuppa, a biscuit and chatting with myself and the Deputy Principal (Keith Fleury) about what happens at the school and the reasons we do the things we do.  Hopefully this will be of benefit to our families  and break down some barriers that can exist in school communities and strengthen our relationship with our families. The old saying "It takes a village to raise a child" is still certainly true and important.

In the July holidays we have our first (of hopefully many) trips to China. A group of 25 students, and 6 teachers will be travelling to Beijing for three days sightseeing before embarking on a  seven day educational camp in Changsha. Having been a part of this type of exchange in the past I am excited for the opportunity this offers our students and the learning that will come from this.

We are now in the middle of winter so look after yourselves by dressing appropriately for the weather in the correct school uniform. Our students look great when they take pride in their appearance . It is always a pleasure taking visitors around the school and interacting with positive, well mannered students that look sharp in their uniforms.

Nga mihi nui.

Marcus Cooper