Kia ora tatou,

Term 4 is always a busy and packed term and yesterday was no exception. For as long as the school can remember we have always held athletic sports at the stadium. However, this year due to unforeseen circumstances we decided to use our own school site. All students were mixed into 10 different groups and they spent the first three learning blocks rotating around lots of different athletic events, from high jump, long jump, hurdles, obstacle relay, shot put, vortex throw, noughts and crosses, hoop throw, mini relay races and then we finished the day with the whole school participating in sprint races and a house and teacher relay. Highfield has so much space and it was great to see how we can hold these whole school events together with minimal fuss but maximum engagement. Our year 8’s were awesome and ran each event with confidence and structure, this gave our staff the opportunity to walk around and watch all tamariki. Not having whānau watching was a difficult decision, but we hope our live streams gave everyone a chance to taste the atmosphere and feel like they were involved. The day ran so smoothly and I am so proud of all our tamariki’s achievements, showing great motivation, resilience and respect. When our school uses its values the environment we create is calm and supportive. A huge thanks to Mrs Cooper for her great organisation skills - thank you Robyn.

Highfield’s aim is to grow great teachers and part of this process is to ensure that our teachers gain the necessary skills to become fantastic leaders. For the last 8 year Mrs Haynes has flourished in the role. She arrived at Highfield as a beginning teacher and has spent the last 8 years filling her kete. When I arrived over 2 years ago it was evident that she had the mana to help lead the whole school. Mrs Haynes enjoyed this opportunity, but this year wanted to return to being a full time teacher as well as a team leader. Fantastically for Mrs Haynes she has successfully gained a new position for 2022 at Winchester School, as a senior team leader. She will be really missed, but Highfield should be very proud that it has grown a successful teacher and leader. I wish her all the best on her new adventure and educational journey.

Highfield has been busy with our recruitment process and we are pleased to say that we have just employed two experienced teachers to our whānau for 2022. Paula McCall has been teaching for the last 5 years in schools in Auckland. Paula comes with a wealth of life skills and teaching ability. Siobhan Burgess has been teaching for over 12 years and has spent time teaching in the UK, United Arab Emirates and New Zealand. Siobhan has taught a range of year groups and has also been an SEN teacher and a SENCO. Earlier on in the term we successfully employed Kate Potter who is a beginning teacher. These 3 teachers will be positive role models and assets to Highfield School. Presently, we are completing our teacher/class jigsaw. Next year we will have one extra teacher from the start of term 1, rather than half way through. This will enable smaller class sizes, particularly in the senior school. We will announce our classes and teachers during week 8 and tamariki will have a transition day on Wednesday 8th December.

Next year our whole school focus will be on structured literacy. The Board and our Home and School are kindly helping to fund this professional development and we know that if our tamariki can read, spell and write they all will be confident and engaged life long learners.

This week Catherine Coster, our school counsellor, will start to see some of our students who have been referred by us or by families. We thank her in advance for the work she will be doing at Highfield.

Highfield SLT have been working behind the scenes and strategically planning for the next 3 years. We have created an exciting, forward thinking journey and would like your voice. Could you please take time to complete the google form that allows you to have a say on our school journey. Please remember that a school will only work through whānau support.

Please remember that my door is always open.

Nga mihi

Stu