As I reflect on this half term I would like to congratulate our student leaders for their leadership over this year to date. This group of leaders/ rangatira have given great leadership to the school/ kura to date and continue to do so in events across the school and in their tuakana tenia role. We have also now formed a student council which again will provide leadership across the kura and provide students with leadership opportunities to lead.

Our vision is to provide "an engaging environment full of opportunities and choice" and we as a school are always striving to do that. Each school newsletter will reflect the opportunities our tamariki have had to succeed.

The world our learners are growing up in is very different from even ten years ago and, for better or worse, phones and social media are playing a massive part in shaping lives and allowing learners to connect before and after school.

GEIS has the policy that phones are to be handed in to their teacher at the beginning of each day to be put in the classroom safe and then returned to them at the end of the day. Any student with a phone out during school hours will need to take it the school office for a family member to collect. With phones away, learners engage in sports, the arts, are active and talk to each other around the school and form positive relationships.

One of the negative aspects of young people using social media is that they can feel anonymous when engaging online. Their actions and comments can be mean and targeted and without parental supervision this can quickly turn toxic for all involved. If you allow your tamariki to use social media, you must also provide support and talk to them about online behaviour and what they can do if they receive or observe negative comments towards themselves or others.

For more information, please visit https://netsafe.org.nz/. It contains more detailed information about what parents and whānau can do to support their tamariki online.

In our school newsletters going forward I am going to publish a series of articles of GEIS Alumni and sharing their story. These are former students who have had successes in life nationally. I really enjoy running into past students and hearing and seeing their successes, big or small. They also say how GEIS had a big part in shaping them and contributing to their successes. If you know of any past students who have have had national successes please get in contact with me and let me know as I would like to share their story.

Also in this school newsletter you will find our first video sharing our Arts programme with a focus on our Drama class. Check it out !

Finally we believe in fostering a strong and collaborative whanaungatanga (partnership) between the school and whānau. We encourage your active participation in your child's education and welcome you to reach out to your child's teacher with any questions or concerns.

Acting Principal/Tumaki

Jacob Prisk

In this issue

Auckland Champs Orienteering!