Kia Ora Koutou Katoa

Our Year 13s have enjoyed their week in costume with their themed days. Hats off to them for their tropical theme on a freezing day! Next week our Year 13 students will attend their final retreat at Punakaiki, reflecting on their journey to adulthood. Prayers for fine weather would be greatly appreciated. I would like to acknowledge the organizational efforts of Head Students Emily Berry and Riley Fairhall and their leadership team for the excellent job they’ve done to make the last days at school so memorable for their peers.

You will no doubt have read the disturbing headlines this week from Christchurch schools about sexual assaults on young people Survey shows 21 students at a Christchurch girls’ school have been the victim of rape or near rape | Stuff.co.nz  It is so important that we have the lines of communication open for these difficult conversations, and address head on the issues our young people are facing. This afternoon, we had the NZ Police speak to the assembly about social responsibility and digital citizenship, particularly around the legal processes that kick in when rumors of a sexual nature are spread. These rumors can cause significant reputational and social harm to a person, and we ask all parents to please speak to their children about making good decisions about what they say and what they share. This same message applies to everyone – not just those under the age of 16 – who are sharing sexual images online. This comes under the Harmful Digital Communications Act and is a legal offence. While many young people regard the sharing of ‘nudes’ as a normal thing, the Police spoke at length about the harm this causes to that person when their image is shared beyond the intended recipient. We encourage our students to think before the send any images or unkind messages:

- Would I want the whole assembly to see this see this?

- Is this how I want to be remembered?

- Would my parents be proud of me?

If the answer is no, then don’t do it!

We will be working to develop a comprehensive digital citizenship programme throughout the school as part of a refreshed health and hauora approach at JPII in 2023.

We are in for a windy wet weekend, a perfect time for our seniors to get in some revision before their exams start on November 7.

We thank all our families for their support.

Ngā mihi nui

Renée Hutchinson

Principal