Kia ora koutou,Welcome to our second newsletter for 2023; as we head into the winter term, it's interesting for me to reflect that even though the ground may look bare, a lot is happening and growing under the surface, just waiting for spring to arrive!

So it is with our ākonga. Ensuring ākonga has the right conditions to continue growing and developing requires careful planning and thought. In our school, it is important that everyone feels they can grow. This can happen in many ways, whether through growing their identity, language, self-esteem, or academic understanding of the world. We can all do this by engaging in classroom activities and lessons, participating in Keeping in Touch (KIT) days, being involved in NZSL day schools and language days, or attending the enrolled school whanau picnics nationwide. All these activities help our students grow; you will see many growth activities included in this newsletter.

I also want to draw your attention to an exciting period of growth coming in the next few weeks; it's when we celebrate Matariki. It's a time when people, whānau, and communities gather to remember the year that has passed, celebrate the present, and plan for the next year. As a school, we have many activities planned through this time and look forward to celebrating all the growth that will take place for our tamariki and their whānau.

I'd also like to acknowledge our recent graduates who have completed their Teacher of the Deaf training! We must continue to grow our staff and knowledge so we can continue to support our students to grow into well-rounded and knowledgeable citizens. Congratulations!

So that's it for term 2. Explore the newsletter and check out the exciting things happening at our school, and I look forward to seeing you all back in term 3.Ka kite ano,

Dr Denise PowellActing Executive Principal