Kia ora koutou. We are well and truly back into the swing of things at school having returned from lockdown. As I walk around some of the classes, it is great to see how many students have settled back into their routines and are working well again in their classes.

Lockdown was difficult for many of our students, with some struggling to engage in the work without a teacher there to guide them. Some will have had extra responsibilities at home, supporting younger siblings or other members of their whānau who may have been working during this time. Hopefully we do not have to do that again!

It was good to hear the recent announcements about the support that NZQA is offering to all students sitting NCEA because of the 3 weeks of lost class time. Please read the earlier piece in this newsletter on NCEA and Covid disruption. For more information, see the following page of the NZQA website: https://www.nzqa.govt.nz/about-us/covid-19/.

The Year 12 students have all been emailed prefect application forms recently. Although there are many leadership opportunities within our school community, becoming a prefect is often a very sought after position. If your child thinks they would make a good prefect, then please encourage them to make the time to complete an application form. I saw a large number of students on the Next Steps Camp earlier this term with awesome leadership potential, and I would love to see some of them take up the opportunity to become a prefect in 2022.

Lastly, with the holidays coming up I hope your child has the chance to properly relax after an eventful, and possibly stressful, term. For students sitting NCEA it is also a good chance to catch up on any missed assessments, and start studying for any external examinations they may have.

If you have any questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Ngā mihi nui.

Phil Daines

Years 10 - 12 Mōhua Kāhui Dean

(03) 349 5396 ext. 923

da@hornby.school.nz