Kia ora koutou

This week at assembly we reflected on our school vision: Inspire ~ Empower ~ Challenge ~ Dream. Whakaohoho Whakamana Werohia Moemoea. This drives all that we do. We have no shortage of wonderful role models - both past and present - at our school. We have to make every day of our education count - really empowering ourselves to be motivated and focussed at school, engaging in activities where we find connection and joy. Challenge pushes us forward and encourages us to take risks, getting up again and starting afresh when we might fall and fail. Challenge will also find us - so we seek support - from teachers, deans, school counsellors and friends. Moemoea - Dream is about rest and reflection - so that we can see who we want to be and what is possible. 

I also reflected on the school values: Respect ~ Kia Whakaute, Positivity ~ Kia Hihiri and Integrity ~ Kia Pono. Respect is the value we focus on this term and it means treating others well. It means maintaining the mana and dignity of every person, putting aside past differences or disagreements and building community. It also means reaching out to those who are ignored or excluded from social groups. It means giving everyone a voice and looking for opportunities to listen to what they have to say. Everyone has a story. I encouraged students to smile, say hello, ask questions and spend time with other people. 

Integrity is about doing the right thing - making good choices. Positivity is about giving things a go, getting out of the comfort zone, stretching and extending ourselves. It is also about grit and resilience, picking ourselves up and moving forward from challenges. 

Attendance is the sole key factor to success at school. Last year we did not meet the government’s attendance targets as we had too few students attending over 90% of the time. Research consistently shows that good attendance - well above attending 90% of the time, is the greatest factor influencing success. Regular attendance also supports wellbeing, mainly through building deep connections with school and those around you. Coming to school every day has a lasting impact on mental health, happiness and work ethic in life. I finished by telling the students: no matter how you feel, get up, dress up, show up and never give up! Please keep an eye on your child’s attendance graph on Edge/ Helix. 

We look forward to being able to return assembly to our repaired school hall towards the end of the term. Thanks to the Senior Leadership Team and Prefects - and all of the students - for managing assembly in the gym so well. 

Ngā mihi nui

Bridget Davidson 

Tumuaki ~ Principal