Enjoying their first day at Merrin School, with their teacher Miss Posthuma, are (from left) Eleanor, Zoe, Jackson and Alex . When I visited Room 23 this morning, to welcome our newest pupils, I explained that my name was Mrs Black.   "We know," one of them said, "because you're wearing black." " What if I wear white tomorrow?"  I asked.  "We'll call you Mrs White then," was the response, and then someone added, "And if you wear lots of colours, we'll call you Mrs Rainbow!"   Don't you love 5 year olds! 

I would like to extend a very warm welcome to the other new pupils who started at Merrin yesterday:    Isabella in Room 4, Ava in Room 22, Julia in Pataitai Pod and Kate in Mahūta.  We also have some new international students: Teddy and Ivan in Māhuta, Lin (for 5 weeks), Ricky and Fu Ying in Tuakana Whetū, and Alan in Room 7.  New families are welcome to join us for our Mihi Whakatau at 10am this Friday 29 July.

Last, but by no means least, we welcome 5 new teachers to Merrin School: Sarah Posthuma (Room 23), Grazie Daly (Room 20), Wendy Hay (Room 22), and Jennifer Bourne and Vanessa Mansfield in Mahūta.

When I look out the window to the courts I see lots of bike riding, some of it a bit wobbly! Year 6 students are spending this week learning about cycle safety and bike riding skills with the Christchurch City Council Cycle Safe Programme. 

The winter break has come and gone. We all have a different perspective on this two week break in the depths of winter: rest and recharge for children, an opportunity for parents to spend some quality time with their children, extra childcare needed if parents have to work, revenue for movie theatres, boredom if the weather is inclement………..

It’s a wonderful opportunity to indulge in some family time without the pressure of school commitments. As a mother of two sons,  now grown men, I recommend you make the most of this ‘window of time’ when your children are young, and enjoy their company. Unfortunately, for some people, this is difficult because of work commitments. 

The following news is sad for Merrin School. Our wonderful Assistant Principal, Ngaire Sigmund, has won a position as a RTLB (Resource Teacher of Learning and Behaviour), a job to which she will be well suited. Ngaire has been at Merrin since 2008, overseeing our Junior Department, and doing an amazing job with Learning Support. She will be working as part of a group called Cluster 36 which includes her 'home' territory of West Melton. 

Nāku iti noa

Lesley