Tēnā koutou katoa. Tēnei te mihi atu ki a koutou

Our Years 7&8 Team left for a four-day camp to Wainui this morning. There were a lot of eager and excited faces as they set off in anticipation of what I am sure will be a fabulous experience for everyone involved. I will be visiting the happy campers tomorrow and am looking forward to joining in on some of the fantastic activities planned. A huge amount of effort goes into organising school camps and as such, I would like to acknowledge Lisa Dovey and her team for the extra work they have put in preparing for the camp. I would also like to thank the many parents who will help out with transportation and supervision over the next few days. Without this level of support, we simply wouldn't be able to offer these types of opportunities for our students.

Update on Larsens and Halswell Roads Intersection 

Unfortunately, NZTA is still awaiting final approval for the new electronic no right turn sign on Larsen's Road. In the meantime, the sign has been temporarily turned on and is operating between drop off and pick up times. This will remain in place until final approval comes through.  We have noticed that some cars are still turning right while the road patrol is in operation. Once again we urge all drivers to help keep our children safe by turning left from Larsens Road onto Halswell Road while the road patrol is operating. Thank you for your support. 

COVID-19 

We are keeping a very close eye on developments with COVID-19 (novel coronavirus). This includes staying up-to-date with the regular information provided by the Ministries of Health and Education. At this stage, their advice remains the same ie the likelihood of a wide-spread breakout in New Zealand is low-moderate. It is an appropriate time however, to remind parents and children about following these basic principles to reduce the risk of getting an acute respiratory infection or passing it on to others:

• regularly washing hands (for at least 20 seconds with warm water and soap and dry thoroughly)
• covering your mouth and nose when you sneeze
• staying home if you are sick
• avoiding close contact with anyone with cold or flu-like symptoms
• if you feel unwell you should avoid public gatherings and events
• cleaning surfaces regularly (when infection is suspected).

Keeping ill children at home until they have fully recovered is particularly important in a school setting as coughs, colds and cases of flu can spread quite easily and this has a direct impact on staff and student wellbeing.  As the seasons change and we begin to move towards the cooler months, we ask parents to be extremely vigilant about illness and ensure that sick children remain at home. 

New Office Manager Appointed

Finally, I am delighted to announce that Heather Burnby has been appointed to the Office Manager's position. Heather will be familiar to some of you as she is a parent at Halswell School. She will be joining us from Avonhead School where she is the Office Manager and PA to the Principal. The Appointments Panel was very impressed with the skills and experiences Heather will bring to this role. She will begin her new duties on 24 March. 

Ngā mihi nui

Stuart Cameron

Principal