Tena Koutou

This week is an exciting one for our Senior students. The school formal is on this Friday from 7pm in the D.G Murray Hall. The Year 13 students have been working very hard over the first half of the year to create a special event. Thursday and Friday will see the hall transformed into the "Secret Garden". I look forward to seeing our students and their partners dressed in their finest clothes, having a fun night. To our parents this is a special time too. It is a reminder that our kids are growing up fast, into young adults, that are going to make their own way mark on the world. It is important that our students enjoy this moment but also understand that the mahi at school continues, that their NCEA achievement this year should still be firmly in the front of their minds. 

At the start of this week we had the Tokomairiro sports exchange. It was great watching our students participating with great enthusiasm and fair play at the Edgar centre. Teams from Year 7 through to Year 13 competed in Netball, Touch, Basketball and and Futsal. The students did exceptionally well to win the exchange by the narrowest of margins (1 game) across all year levels. 

Last week saw a special guest, Lance Burdett, talk to our senior students about personal resilience, mental health and gave the students some excellent breathing techniques to manage anxiety and insomnia. I have included these techniques as an attachment so that you may try some of these in your own time and discuss further with your students.

Last week was also Bully Free week. This week gave the staff and students the opportunity to explore the harmful effects of bullying and strategies to address this in our school and through social media. As a school we will not tolerate bullying, it is not the eastern way. We will act immediately on any incidents that we are aware of so please inform the school if your student is experiencing any behaviour that is less than respectful or positive. On the Friday the students and staff showed their support by wearing an item of pink. Mr Cummings was certainly best dressed for this day.

Next week will see the school close on the 29th of May for the nation wide strike action by both Primary and Secondary teachers. I can assure you that the teachers are not happy that this decision has had to be made.  Our education system is in a crisis and unless something is done to address the many concerns raised by the PPTA and NZEI it will be increasingly difficult to staff schools around NZ. Our teachers work hard to give quality outcomes for our students in an increasingly complex society. They deserve conditions that reflect the importance of this vocation at the same time preserving their wellbeing. Teachers that are happy, supported, and not stressed can develop a learning environment which is engaging, fun and safe for our students. Thank you for supporting our teachers over this difficult time.

Nga Mihi Nui

Marcus Cooper