When we look around the world, we are thankful our country is in the position for us all to be back at school....

Kia ora koutou. Talofa. Kia Orana. Malo e lelei. Bula. Fakaalofa atu. Namaste and Kumusta. Greetings to everyone at LCŌ and our wider LCŌ community.

I am starting this newsletter by thanking all families-whānau-aiga for everyone's efforts over the past weeks. 2020 has been a roller-coaster and no doubt will continue to be one. I try never to assume anything so I keep in mind that both the lockdown itself and these past post-lockdown weeks played out in very different ways for different families. This means we are very aware of the varying employment situation for many families and equally we can be grateful that our community can have their children, our students safely at school with positive classrooms and the hum of learning. The Board of Trustees and staff wish to thank all whānau for their support of the school by ensuring their children re-embraced school routines and learning. While we will continue to face challenges over the rest of the year, there is equally no doubt of our collective strength and determination. As with everything it the answer lies in everyone talking and working with one another: student-whānau-school. The recent learning hui, the Wā Whakanui and Academic Conferencing, are practical examples of this. 

Nā tō rourou, nā taku rourou ka ora ai te iwi. With your food basket and my food basket the people will thrive: When we work separately something is achieved, but working together results in so much more. This is wisdom of the ages and while always applicable, it is never more so than now and the forthcoming terms 3 and 4.

The past weeks have been busy - exhausting at times - but that is happening nationwide and all walks of life. It is also to be expected when we are wanting to make the best use of every available minute of every hour. With this in mind, Term 3 will continue to be busy with both the standard busyness of an active secondary school and with the extra edge of making the best use of the second half of the year, after the disruption of the first. Please be in touch with as early as you can if you think there is something that we ought to know about your child's wellbeing or learning. 

"Just where is my child up to in their learning?"            

"How much progress have they made?"                        

"How many NCEA credits have they got, how many more are there to go, and how many are at merit and excellence?"

These are questions our school community will endeavor to help you with, whenever you need. 

The recent article about the 2022 change of school name to Te Aratai, when we return to Aldwins Rd, is re-featured in this newsletter. Adding to that, the full name for our return will be Te Aratai College.

And on shifting sites and rebuilds, it is good to see that demolition at Aldwins Rd is complete, including the considerable asbestos removal. Foundations are being prepared and we look forward to seeing the visibility of above-ground construction work. Despite the lockdown, the building programme remains on track.

Over the past days and days of heavy rain I am very glad that we are here on our Ōtākaro site with the heat pumps and non-leaking windows and ceilings. Such is the hindsight of what we have moved from, and the prospect of where we are heading. 

Finally, schools can be complex places, so if any member of school whānau wishes to talk to us about anything, including the above, please contact your child's dean either directly or through the office. Alternatively, to talk with me, my direct email is en@linwoodcollege.school.nz and my direct dial is 982 0100 ext 839. My door is open.

Ngā mihi nui

Richard Edmundson

Tumuaki-Principal