Kia ora koutou katoa

As week four of the term draws to a chilly close, I have been reflecting on resilience and playing the long game. This is something to think about as our students start to really feel the squeeze with the academic year and its assessment demands at the forefront of their minds. Our students are focused on their classes and assessments, as well as balancing competing priorities like sports, jobs, and a social life. This is where resilience and a can-do attitude fully come into play.

As an English teacher, I’m always amazed by the relevance of sports metaphors for life. Anyone who is under pressure or struggling should know that professional baseball players only hit the ball about three out of every ten times. How do they live with such a high failure rate? By focusing on the law of averages. They know that if they just keep swinging the bat, they’ll get on base.

It can be frustrating for students to put in effort and not get the result that they want – that’s life. However, it’s true for all of us that if you refuse to quit when you fail, you’ll ultimately succeed. You just have to be willing to get back up and keep moving forward. That is the power of resilience and a can-do attitude.

In this challenging world we live in, opportunities will continue to be offered to those who are prepared, imaginative, resilient, hardworking but most importantly trustworthy. This formula has stood the test of time. The path to the right decisions is not always clearly marked – the signs say only ‘quality’ and ‘excellence’. The path offers no other directions but your gut instincts or your moral compass to provide internal signposts to guide you. Those that navigate the path to success and happiness start where their feet are now and take the next positive step in the right direction.

I thank all our students, staff, and families for their support of our young people, and this excellent school.

Ngā mihi nui

Renée Hutchinson

Tumuaki Principal