We have been blessed this term with golden weather, and it is such a treat to see so many of our students making the most of it at breaktimes through playing sport and enjoying the sun. Long may it continue!

This week has been busy with events. On Wednesday, our 11-13 students attended the Sexwise workshops. It was great to hear them respond so positively to this group and explore issues that are very much a part of their social landscape that we didn’t face as teenagers ourselves. On Thursday, 28 of our competitive and club swimmers participated in the swimming sports event. Covid meant that we couldn’t hold the swimming carnival as planned and I am assured that our swimmers had a great time and participated with heart for their fellow competitors. We are hoping that with a review of the alert levels, that we may get the athletic sports in soon, too. Watch this space.

It was fantastic to see so many students dressed in their house colours today as a fundraiser for Caritas to support disaster relief in Tonga. You’ll see some photos in this weekend’s Grey Star. Out year 12 & 13 Sport Scientists arranged the obstacle course this afternoon including the water bucket challenge, obstacle course and everybody’s favourite waterslide! Special mention to Jasmine Dodemaide, our new PE teacher, for her role in helping organise the swimming sports and events this afternoon. It’s awesome to see our young staff getting involved and making things happen for students.

We are fortunate as a school to continue with low covid case numbers and high attendance figures (93%). We currently have 5 students isolating with covid, with 3 due to return next week. We have several isolating as close household contacts, and we wish to extend our thanks to families for supporting us by keeping them home. Online classroom spaces have work to keep them ticking along if they are well enough. With four weeks to go until the holidays, we would like to keep those case numbers low. If your child is a bus user, please have a chat to them about always wearing a mask while travelling on the bus to help keep themselves, their peers, and their families safe. The Ministry of Education will deliver RATs to JPII so we can ask a student to self-test if they are displaying symptoms or feeling unwell. You’ll see some comms from Ministry of Health in this newsletter about these tests.

Wishing you all a relaxing and restful weekend.

Ngā mihi nui

Renée Hutchinson

Principal