Dear parents/caregivers

It has been great to be back at Nayland College after a six week period travelling around the United States as part of the ‘Study of the US Institutes’ programme. This involved engaging in an intensive academic programme at California State University, Chico, including lectures, seminars and workshops led by subject matter experts, professors and professionals in the field. As part of the programme, I also developed an in-depth research project on the impact of Artificial Intelligence in education. 

The academic curriculum was complemented by cultural activities, site visits, community service projects and opportunities to interact with American peers, professionals, and community leaders. We also visited cultural locations in and around the Chico area, as well as San Francisco, Sacramento, Chicago and Washington D.C.. Professionally, the time away was a huge success. I am in the process of preparing a report for the board and working through potential ideas and resources for Nayland College, and look forward to sharing these in due course. I would like to thank Hannah Banks for stepping in as Acting Principal during my absence, and the board for allowing me to take up this opportunity.

At our very successful Open Evening earlier in the week, I put together a list of student achievements over the past six months. I was absolutely astounded with how large that list quickly became, and the wide variety of areas in which students are successful. You can read about many of these achievements in today’s newsletter.

Finally, enrolments for 2024 have now opened. We do have out-of-zone places available at all year levels, so I would encourage families to ensure their applications are submitted by the due date of Friday 25 August. More information can be found on our website.

Ngā mihi

Daniel Wilson