Message from the Board Chair

Tēnā koutou katoa,

I’m so pleased to be able to provide this update on behalf of the Ko Taku Reo Board. It continues to be a busy time for the board but also very exciting to see new initiatives and developments being rolled out throughout Aotearoa New Zealand. Being a national school board is unique and it is a privilege to be able to work alongside passionate staff who are focussed on raising our students’ achievements and well-being.

The theme of this newsletter is “Belonging” – not an easy thing to do when our Deaf and Hard of Hearing students are spread right across the country. However one way of belonging is by becoming involved with Ko Taku Reo’s Board and so, as a board, we were extremely pleased to see 13 young people putting their hands up and being nominated as student representatives. As I watched their candidate statements I was impacted by the common wish to become involved, to belong to deaf education and the Deaf community while growing their own leadership skills. These young folks are well on the way to becoming leaders and developing skills and knowledge that will prepare them well for life beyond the school gate.

Do have a look at the candidate statements which are available on our Ko Taku Reo Board page and be inspired by these young people’s enthusiasm to contribute in a positive way to the future path of deaf education in Aotearoa New Zealand.

So for now, noho ora mai - stay well, look after yourselves and enjoy the holiday break.