Our Principal, Marie Gordon, encourages us to be courageous and resilient in our academic pursuits this term.

Education is an opportunity to unlock our strengths and see our future aspirations realised. It offers different tools and ways to understand problems that lay ahead of us and helps us to resolve them. While there were many happy times in my upbringing, there were also some negative aspects of society present. Education helped me break that cycle. I was fortunate enough to have a teacher who believed in me at school. If it was not for those teachers who encouraged me to be the best version of myself, I would not be here today. They empowered a little 15-year-old Māori girl to understand that she could be whatever she wanted to be, and to believe in herself.

I encourage our students to always do their best and give 100% effort in everything they do. Mindset and attitude are important. Having the right mindset and attitude can literally change lives. Success and happiness are a mindset - our attitude towards life determines life's attitude towards us.

It is important for our students to really focus on their academic pursuits this term. With courage and resilience, as well as leaning on the support of the people around them, they can achieve the aspirations they have for the future.