Kia ora koutou to our school community this week

Happy St Patrick’s Day!

Our school value for the term is respect and alongside this we are reflecting on Whakapapa and Whanaungatanga. Whanaungatanga is about connection with other people. It is about building family and community in this school. Classes are families. Year levels are families. Houses are families and the school is a family. In a family we have responsibilities to each other and to ourselves. We care for each other and look out for those excluded from the family. This week at assembly we reflected on how we treat others, how we speak to others and how we look after others. I encouraged students to reach out to everyone at our school and to use the THINK principles online: Is online behaviour Thoughtful, Helpful, Intelligent and Inspiring, Necessary and Kind?

At assembly we began a series of short speeches about people’s experiences as part of our Diversity and Inclusion initiative. I explained that it is important that we listen to other people’s stories, learn from them, walk in their shoes and show empathy. If we always get around with the same people, who are the same as us, we live in an echo chamber and artificial intelligence (AI) narrows our choices and information further. RJ Johnstone delivered the first of these speeches and gave powerful and inspiring messages around gender identity, resilience and rejection of stereotypes and labelling. This speech will be published in a collection of student voice stories later in the year. We thank RJ for bravely and honestly opening up this important conversation.

Yesterday I was privileged to attend the Pacific Navigators of Tomorrow event, with 68 Pacific professional pathway exhibitors and many other inspiring speakers and seminars. 29 of our senior Moana Pacific students attended and there is a sea of opportunities out there in the Pacific career development space. Thanks to organiser and parent, Lloyd Maole, for being the driver behind this event and also to our school counsellor, Kara Tarapi, for her support of our Moana students.

Next Friday the prefects from both OGHS and OBHS are holding a combined event for Year 9 students from both schools. This will run over lunchtime and period 5. The aim is to build connection between the students and to enhance our brother-sister school relationships. Students are required to wear their PE top and shorts or navy leggings and sports shoes to the event and should have their school jersey, fleece or vest handy in case the weather is cold. Students will be released from OBHS at 3pm.

He aha te mea nui o te ao

What is the most important thing in the world?

He tangata, he tangata, he tangata

It is the people, it is the people, it is the people

Ngā mihi nui