Hi, I'm Zak Klempel, the academic leader for 2024

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Our parents send us to school to learn, and out of the many things I learnt over my time at school is that for some students, school is difficult. At the other end there are those students who aren't challenged at school, one might say, school is too easy!

I've always wanted to learn, but sometimes it feels like I'm sucking my nice roast dinner through a straw. Meanwhile, I watch people around me struggle with things being difficult. I have always helped my peers where I can, but now, as Academic Leader for 2024, I can help do so much more.

We now have a group of seniors tutors who work with juniors once a week to help them prepare them for the numeracy tests they will have to pass to sit NCEA. My academic committee and I have been designing activities for the tutors to help the juniors with during this time, and we seek to create more engaging tasks at a variety of different levels to meet everybody's needs. I have been working with Mrs Francis and Mr Steggles to make this happen and I intend to continue increasing the support I can provide to all students at our school, this is merely the beginning. I understand it will take time to develop initiatives that can make a real positive difference.

This year I want to help the people who struggle, the people who excel, and also the people in the middle to all be able to get the most they can out of school and be successful. As somebody who has struggled with getting extension, this is going to be a big focus for me this year, hopefully establishing pathways for students to work toward scholarship in subjects, but I intend to help everybody. On my own, there is only so much I can do, but as a leader, I do not have to do this alone. There are so many great students in our school who can help make a difference. When I finish JPII at the end of the year, I don't intend it to be the end of the impact I make, but rather the beginning. I seek to create a legacy that can be continued and built upon by the leaders I leave behind, so that in the future, we can create a truly great learning environment for everybody.