I thought it would be useful to remind parents that we have a caring, skilled and dynamic pastoral team to support your child through school and to a solution for any issues they may face. This team works closely with our Senior Leadership Team to use PB4L (Positive Behaviour for Learning) and Restorative Practices to solve most problems. Where more challenging matters occur we are able to refer for support and work with outside agencies such as Youth Aid, the Police, Malcam Trust, external counselling services and other health and wellbeing providers. In more serious matters, we use clear procedures around stand-down, suspension and exclusion from school that are mandated by the Ministry of Education. This is an option of last resort and our aim is to wrap support around every child before getting to this stage. We urge you to seek help early if your child is experiencing difficulties with emotional regulation or any other issues.

Most of all we want to work with whānau and significant people in our students’ lives to provide a supportive and proactive home-school partnership. It is only by working together that we are able to effect positive outcomes for every student. Most significantly, please assist the school and the teachers by reinforcing the school’s values and supporting the school rules at home.

Eleven members of the Senior Leadership and Pastoral Team attended the Mirror Symposium yesterday, celebrating 30 years of The Mirror Counselling Service Whakaata Tohu Tohu. The day was filled with inspirational speeches by people working with young people in the counselling and wellbeing space, with the highlight being a keynote address by Judge Andrew Becroft, the Children’s Commissioner for New Zealand. Judge Becroft spoke of the appalling statistics around children’s wellbeing in New Zealand and urged his audience to pay attention to children, to listen to them and to consider the children yet to come - making a better world for them to enter. The theme of the conference was E tirohia tamaiti, E tirohia te heke mai - See the Child, See our Future.