Kia ora koutou. Talofa. Kia Orana. Malo e lelei. Bula Vinaka. Fakaalofa atu. Namaste. Kumusta. Haere mai ki Te Kura Huruhuru Ao o Horomaka. Warm greetings to the Hornby High School community.

Polyfest .. what an absolute pleasure it has been to watch the performances of this amazing group of young people. Ka mau te wehi,  and thanks to all of the staff who have supported these rangatahi through their journey, including ex student Lapana who has returned to tutor these students. It warms my heart to see such connection and enthusiasm. It is of course hardly surprising, as we all need connection with our whakapapa, our roots, and we all need to be affirmed for who we are, and Polyfest provides that for our wonderful Pasifika rangatahi.

I am similarly thrilled (you’ll see me grinning from ear to ear) with the reappearance of kapahaka at Hornby High School. It is wonderful to see over 70 of our rangatahi attending practices, with our tutor Te Huaki Puanaki who ‘has them in the palm of his hand’. We are truly blessed to have a tutor of such skill and mana supporting our rangatahi. The group is already so large that we can no longer accommodate them in the whare. Ka mau te wehi.

It reminds me of what I have often said in ‘speeches’: Hornby High School is a beautiful rich tapestry of people. Our diversity is our strength.

We had another large contingent of students attend the Canterbury Athletics championships, and as always a large number qualified for a wide range of events. It is so wonderful to see the effort, the aspiration, from so many of our rangatahi. As a former ‘athletics person’ myself I can appreciate the amount of work that has to go into the training, and the coaching. Thanks to Mr Hilliard for his skilled and encouraging mahi with these students.

And then there is the rugby. After a ‘rugby camp’ earlier in the month the team preparing for the Tier 2 Miles Toyota Cup is shaping up well. I am told that their skill levels are looking impressive, and their focus and determination are excellent. Special thanks to Robbie Freuan who is coaching them, and to Mr Richardson and Mr Scott who are supporting the boys.

And then there is academic achievement. I regularly monitor progress in achievement with the internal standards for our students in NCEA, and while it is far too early in the year to talk about trends, things look to be well ahead of last year so far. That’s the sort of observation that can at times come back to bite you, but I am ever the optimist. I believe in the abilities of our young people. As whānau you can ‘do your bit’ by engaging with your young people on their achievement. Ask them how they are doing. Ask them to show you some of their work. Engage them in those conversations.

It is fabulous to see so much great mahi, and such achievement. Te Huruhuru Ao o Horomaka is in great shape.

Please make sure you follow us on Facebook for the latest and most up to date news https://www.facebook.com/hornbyhighschool/ , and on our website www.hornby.school.nz . You can also follow my thinking our education journey at Hornby High School, and more generally, on my blog at https://whakataukihewakaekenoa.blogspot.co.nz/

Kia tau te mauri

Robin Sutton

Tumuaki