Farewell to 2019

What a year we have had, 2019 has again been a year of incredible growth up here at Maungaraki School. We have seen our students continue to achieve excellent results in sporting, arts and academic arenas.

Some of the special moments that come to my mind in 2019 include:

• Our school hāngi which allowed all of our learners to take part in an authentic New Zealand experience.
• Our 'Art Showcase' which celebrated our art focus as each classroom was transformed into its own Art Gallery.
• Our amazing athletes - From netball to athletics, our students have stood out again. Our RIPPA success was a stand out as we represented the region at the national level.
• Mathswell success - Gaining a hard fought second place in the regional competition.
• Achievement levels raising across all three areas of Reading, Writing and Maths.
• Valuable feedback in our Community Consultation. We had such a large number fill this out.

Our Community Consultation this year has really given the school a launching pad for 2020. With a strong message from all stakeholders that wellbeing is important to our learners we will be launching our new values in 2020. I am really excited about this new direction and look forward to fully exploring these with you in 2020. More information around these values has been sent out in our latest board talk.

I would like to acknowledge the staff of Maungaraki School. We are truly fortunate to have such an amazingly dedicated team of professionals working alongside our children. They care deeply about children, have dedication to their wellbeing and are willing to go above and beyond the call of duty time and time again. These special people work tirelessly to make Maungaraki School a special place to grow and learn. Thank you staff - your hard work is appreciated.

A thank you to the Board of Trustees here at school. Our newly elected board has hit the ground running. This is a committed group who have a clear vision for the school and strive to move it forward. I have thoroughly enjoyed working alongside them and their can do attitude. They have pushed the envelope and work hard to get the best for our learners. Thanks to Paul, Kaylee, Lizzie, Megan, Wayne, Julie and Chris for their passion and hard work in 2019. 

We have a wonderful core group of Home and School members who have done so much for our school. This group puts in an unbelievable amount of work to help support our learners. The events they plan and money they raise are key to our school. Over the years this group has been tirelessly raising money for our hard surface area - in 2019 this work came to fruition. We would especially like to acknowledge all of the home and school members over the years who have had a hand in this project and all of the contributions from our families towards this space.  The new court space looks amazing and our kids love it! It has transformed the whole school. Thank you Home and School! 

Thank you to all of you. Our community is simply the best. The staff and I would like to thank you for the support you offer. We simply could not do our jobs without the support we get from our families. We appreciate all that you do for the children and all that you do to support our school. From supporting learning, running sports teams, reading with children, attending trips, helping in classrooms, helping fundraise...the list is endless. Thank you for your support - it means the world to our staff.

Finally, thanks to the children. They are the reason we are here and our Maungaraki children are amazing. They are constantly surprising us with their ideas and ability and I have loved working with them during the year. From excellent spellers to amazing athletes - they all show great spirit and pride in our school. Our school often achieves well above larger schools and that is due to the incredible drive our learners have. Stay safe out there kids, enjoy the sunshine and we will see you next year.

2020 holds many changes and excitement up here on the hill. We are really excited to launch a new set of school values and new school structure. Your consultation has been taken into careful consideration as we developed these. 

Our school will also be in full growth mode in 2020, we have a major building project taking place which will bring more classrooms and a new library/resource space. We are excited by what the future holds for Maungaraki School and look forward to working alongside you in this truly special place.

Until next time, be your best.
Nga Mihi Nui,

Shane Robinson