Kia ora koutou

Well done to senior students on approaching their parallel examinations so diligently and positively. These exams are important in narrowing down what is needed going forward into the actual externals. Following the results of the exams, students should set meaningful goals for going forward and make a good timetable for NCEA revision. Well done also to our Year 10 students who have sat the new Literacy and Numeracy tests this week. This is an ongoing ‘mastery’ test so there are multiple opportunities to gain success.

This week staff engaged in professional learning around leadership, emergency procedures, classroom pedagogy and Mātauranga Māori. Professional learning has been shown in research to be the greatest factor in raising student achievement, along with excellent home-school partnerships where parents support the school and vice versa. We value our relationships with parents and encourage early communication when problems are small – rather than trying to tackle them when they are bigger.

We welcome you to our Former Refugee Cluster Cultural Evening (women only) on Tuesday 18th October and also our Cultural Blues event on Wednesday 19th October. This date was transferred from next Monday for the Queen’s Memorial Day public holiday. Sports Blues will follow on Thursday 27th October and our very special Celebration Service on Tuesday 1st November. These are wonderful celebrations of all that we do at Otago Girls’ High School and important opportunities to build our school community and connections. Please put these in your calendar now.

Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari kē he toa takitini

'My success should not be bestowed onto me alone, it was not individual success but the success of a collective'

This whakatauki acknowledges team effort, that one’s success is due to the support and contribution of many. Just as it takes a village to raise a child, it takes community/a team to enable an individual’s success.

Ngā mihi nui

Bridget Davidson

Principal