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

This week we have made our final move, from those old prefabs that were first placed on the school site for its opening in 1975 into our new ‘kahui’. These buildings represent some of the best that we have in New Zealand schools at the moment, and are the completion of the school rebuild that gives you the Hornby community the school facilities that you have always deserved, but until now have never had. I would like to thank you all for your patience and accommodation as we have shuffled days and worked in the middle of a construction site. We have several more months to go as contractors complete asbestos removal and demolition of those old buildings, and the finishing touches which will give us some basic landscaping. I would also like to publicly thank our amazing staff team who have lived and worked through these days of mud, disruption, long walks between buildings,and noise. We made it.

Perhaps the most amazing thing is that through all of this we have kept our eye on the ball with learning, with sporting activity, with cultural growth. NCEA data shows pleasing improvements in the proportions of internal NCEA grades at the Merit and Excellence levels across all three year levels, our Kapahaka has thrived, Voices With Soul and our musicians have shown what creative excellence looks like. Our basketball teams have made Nationals for the first time in our kura’s history, both junior and senior girls rugby players have experienced success in their respective tournaments, and our senior girls’ netball team achieved its goal of a top 8 placing at South Island tournament. To cap it all off, our international festival day and foods evening last week were outstanding, a beautiful warm feeling in a great new venue (Te Pae Rewa).I’ve said before that the diversity of our wonderful community gives it a richness to be savoured, much like a fine wine. There have been many other successes too, many chronicled on Facebook and in these newsletters, and this newsletter tells even more of the amazing stories of achievement. You should feel proud of your rangatahi, and of your school. Ka mau te wehi!!

In the midst of all of that, staff are working on further significant improvements in curriculum, and our pastoral systems, all of which will further improve outcomes for your tamariki. The pace of improvement and change is relentless.

What makes this happen? Dedicated staff who believe in your children, a growth mindset amongst staff and students, The Manaiakalani Programme. These are some of the key ingredients, and you should have confidence that going forward your children will receive the best education. The piece of the puzzle that I have not mentioned is your support. ‘It takes a village to raise a child’. It takes a village to educate a child, and your support for your children is essential to the growth and development of your tamariki. Don’t forget the benefits of ‘Learn Create Share’, and Chromebooks, in your child’s growth. Our data continues to show real acceleration in their learning as a result of both ‘Learn Create Share’, and the use of Chromebooks. I have said many times before that after your time, the provision of a Chromebook for your child is the second best investment you can make in your child’s success. Please ask, if this is a struggle. We have a number of financial options available to support you.

Back to the buildings, we see the impact of the new buildings daily, in the sense of pride that your tamariki have, in the ways in which they hold their heads high. Visitors to our kura repeatedly, and unprompted, comment on the calm focussed feeling in our kura, and the clear pride that they have in being in this place, their kura, your kura. Yet again, I quote Sir Winston Churchill: “We shape our buildings, thereafter they shape us.”

The buildings aren’t everything, but by goodness they are a great platform on which to pursue our vision as ‘a centre of creative excellence’.

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 on education at Hornby High School, and more generally, on my blog at https://whakataukihewakaekenoa.blogspot.co.nz/

Nga mihi nui

Robin Sutton

Tumuaki