Nau mai haere mai!

Welcome back for Term Three. I hope you have had a great holiday and have settled into this term and are ready to make the most of all opportunities provided.

Already this term we have had a couple of important events. The subject interviews were held last Thursday. If you could not make it and would like to book in a time to talk to any of our staff please do not hesitate to get in contact.

On Tuesday we had our annual Tokomairiro Exchange. It was a great day for our students and staff, on and off the court. While it was great to bring back the trophy by winning the majority of the sports, it was more pleasing that our students displayed our values to a high level. They played hard, but fair, never forgetting that these interchanges are about connecting with similar schools and having a good day out.

Over the holidays I was lucky enough to travel with the Year 9/10 students that participated in the South Island Secondary Schools Netball Tournament held in Christchurch.

I was proud of how this team performed during the tournament, getting better and better with every game. A young team playing in the mixed grade (made up of Year 9 and 10 students), we only had two Year 10 students. More importantly for me was the way this team interacted with each other and the opponents. Treating each other with respect and empathy under challenging conditions particularly day one when it was wet cold and windy. I was proud of the amount of support these students had from whanau that travelled up to Christchurch to support their kids and the school.

Congratulations must go to five of these players that have gained selection in the Dunedin Under 14B Representative Team. Ella McGregor, Lakaia Harris, Bella Hagan, Sophie Hutcheson, and Maddison Cooper, well done, we are proud of you and look forward to your development in Netball in future.

At the tail end of Term Two we had the Year 7/8 speech competition. The quality of speeches was very high across the board. Congratulations to all the students that were involved. All these students should be proud of their achievements and use these as a platform for future success.

Another of our students that deserves a special mention is Abigail Paton. Abigail has been selected in the Otago Womens Rugby Team. This is well deserved and comes on the back of a lot of hard work. We are certainly proud of you and your achievements.

Pride can be an important emotion for students because it can help them develop a sense of self-worth, confidence, and resilience. When students take pride in their accomplishments, whether big or small, it can boost their self-esteem and motivate them to keep striving for success.

Pride can also help students to develop a sense of identity and purpose. By taking pride in their personal values, beliefs, and accomplishments, they can develop a stronger sense of who they are and what they stand for. This can help them make better decisions, set goals that align with their values, and feel more connected to their communities.

Moreover, pride can help students to develop a growth mindset, which is the belief that their abilities and intelligence can be developed through hard work and dedication. When they take pride in their efforts and achievements, they are more likely to persevere through challenges and setbacks, rather than giving up or feeling defeated.

Pride in one's accomplishments is important but this needs to be coupled with humility and empathy to develop into a well rounded individual.

On Monday we will host our contributing schools Year 6 students for our Open Day. This is a great opportunity for us to show our community the wonderful school that we are and the type of students we are able to produce in a unique rural setting. We look forward to meeting new students and their whanau.

Nga mihi nui

Marcus Cooper

Tumuaki/Principal

East Otago High School.