Dear KingsWay Community,

Thanks for making the transition to Alert Level 3 so quickly and effectively. I realise that many in the community hold different views on the need for another lockdown and/or are experiencing the frustration that we find ourselves in this situation again. However, I ask that we commit to this next phase to ensure that our focus remains on supporting each other and our children.

To that end, a reminder of a few key messages from the previous lockdown:

• Near enough is good enough. It cannot be business as usual. The reality is that we all need to be responsive to this ever-changing landscape. Students and teachers cannot expect to achieve at the same level as in previous years. I am not proposing a dumbing down of standards approach, but instead advocating a realistic view of achievement and progress this year.
• Be kind to one another. This is not only a message from the Prime Minister. We all need to be kind to each other and to realise that many in our community are doing it tough. For instance, our counsellors are inundated with students who are struggling, and as a school, we have had to respond by adding counsellor hours. Let us continue to pray and look for opportunities to support each other.

I am acutely aware that many of our students in Senior School are fretting over NCEA results. The leadership continue to respond and are working on adjusting programmes to ensure all students have the opportunity to succeed. At this point, I would ask that Senior School students do not book holidays until the end of the official school year to allow for space for catch-up programmes.

It appears that this next wave of infections is spreading and that we may be in another lockdown for a little longer. All sports’ fixtures are cancelled for this weekend. I will send out the plan for next week tomorrow once I have greater clarity regarding the government’s response. Once again, the leadership hope to postpone rather than cancel events and aim to update you closer to the time.

Kind regards,

Graeme Budler
Executive Principal