Kia ora whānau

Thank you very much for the support we have received from parents/whānau this year. 

You will all remember the physical, emotional and social challenges of early adolescence. Times are rapidly changing with the impact of technology and particularly social media. It has never been so important that we work together to ensure the long term well-being of our young people. Setting clear boundaries and expectations around how we treat each other is essential as our students are developing their sense of who they are and their personal values.

I am becoming increasingly concerned about the impact the game Fortnight is having on some of our students. It appears to be highly addictive and students are playing the game for hours on end. I have noticed that some students are tired, irritable and quickly becoming angry, aggressive and non-compliant. Over the summer holiday is a great time for our students to get outside in the fresh air, ride bikes, play sport etc. I know Jane Boniface would also add in reading a book every now and then as well.

Thank you to the amazing Heaton team for all their hard work and for being such a fabulous group of people to work with. This year we are farewelling two of our teacher aides, Ileea Stace and Sarah Helleur. Both of them have been incredibly supportive of our students who have special needs. We wish them all the best for their exciting futures.

Lastly, if your youngest child is leaving Heaton this year we wish you well on the next stage of your educational journey. Thank you for being part of our Heaton community. A particular thank you to members of the PTA who are moving on. Your support has been very much appreciated. For parents/whānau who have children who will be with us next year, we look forward to seeing you on 4 February next year.

From all the Heaton team we want to wish you all a wonderful Christmas and a very relaxing holiday time. 

Ngā mihi

Andrea Knight, Principal