Our Principal, Ms Marie Gordon, reflects on the beginnings of 2022.

E te tī, e te tā, nei rā ngā mihi mahana ki a koutou katoa.

The start of 2022 was certainly not what we had planned for, but if 2021 taught us anything, it is that agile leadership, resilience and positivity are key qualities that are instrumental in our planning. We are implementing our learnings and although we were hoping for a calm and consistent 2022 with few interruptions, Covid-19, Cyclone Dovi and “no Hepburn building”, have had other plans for us. Nevertheless, we have thoroughly enjoyed welcoming our students back to the 2022 academic year and remain optimistic about what the remainder of the year has in store.

Routine and structure are so important in the lives of our students and our first term will be about getting back to basics, reconnecting face to face (with masks on), and inspiring our learners to flourish. Online learning platforms are still a key part of our learning at HGHS, and we encourage parents to ask their daughters to show them our Schoology platform. All teachers are expected to share their lessons and resources online.

Communications and instructions to our school community have been emailed out regularly and are always written with your safety in mind. Please ensure that you are familiar with the Covid-19 protocols and we implore you to follow our instructions. The goal posts are forever moving with Ministry announcements, so please understand that we will keep you up to date with changes as they come to hand.

At HGHS, we encourage academic excellence in a supportive environment where young women can make the most of every opportunity. We value diversity of opinion, thought, and culture. This week we will celebrate our top academic honours for 2021, and congratulate all students who gained an Excellence endorsement in Levels 1 and 2.

We also encourage our students to ‘have a go and get involved’ through our clubs, performing and visual arts, on the sporting field, and in the classroom. Collectively, we celebrate this involvement and we applaud those who embrace the opportunities on offer.

Finally, there has been much in the media of late about diversity and the importance of inclusion. Discrimination has no place in schools. Schools should be safe places where everyone feels valued and is seen for who they are, and within our place, every student has the right to receive a good education. We value and celebrate the differences within our school community because we believe that diversity and inclusivity enrich our lives. These include differences of culture, religion, political view, sexuality, and ability. We respect the right for all members of the HGHS community to personally hold different views, and we embrace students from all cultures and different whānau structures.

Our school vision is to empower young women. When we model kindness and inclusion, our students can see that compassion and humanity are the key to our being.

Nō reira, kia tau mai ngā manaakitanga ki runga i tātou, kia haumaru te noho, kia mauri tū, kia mauri ora, haumi e, hui e, tāiki e!