What a busy month it has been! School sport has kicked off, Kapa Haka is in full swing and our Voices with Soul choir are gearing up for Arts Evening at the end of the term. It is great to see so many Year 9 students involved in the culture of our school.

An obvious highlight for this month was the Stars Community Day Out to the Ngai Tahu Farms. Fourteen of our students, along with their Stars mentors, volunteered to help on the farm for the day to give back to our community by moving firewood, weeding and planting. Well done to those students, it is great to see you taking up opportunities and getting involved.

The students of 9Rn participated in a mock classical battle with students from our senior Classics class. Each student was armed with a 1.2m bamboo pike to represent the 6m long sarissa that would have been carried by the soldiers of Alexander the Great's Macedonian army. As they marched forward in tight formation they were pelted with bean bag arrows by our staff mock Persians. Once they had defeated this enemy they headed across to Kyle Park and attempted to manoeuver over hills and around trees whilst maintaining their formation. It was great to see tuakana teina in action with learning being passed between year groups as they worked together to achieve their goals.

As the term progresses, the mornings are getting dark and we are all getting tired. Unfortunately, the effects of this can be seen in a rise of students arriving late to school, struggling to focus in class and an increase in referrals. Please support our learners to be prepared for school by ensuring they have their equipment sorted the night before and get a good night's sleep so they are refreshed for the day. 

Thank you again for another wonderful month at Hornby High!