Kia ora koutou

This week I will share with you the speech I made at the Year 9 parents evening on Monday. This was a wonderful opportunity for us to meet Year 9 families and it was exciting to have Wairua Pūhou back in their usual role of welcoming guests into our school. Matilda Hall 9Nch and Phoebe Ashdown 9Adl did a wonderful job of speaking about their time so far at Otago Girls’ High School. I think it is timely for all of us to reflect on these messages, as well as helpful for those who were unable to attend.

It is my absolute - and long-awaited - pleasure to welcome you into our school and to introduce myself, Bridget Davidson, as the 12th Principal of Otago Girls’ High School - in fact wearing the brooch that has passed down through 12 Principals of this school. Our home-school partnerships are a key factor in student success here and we have many families with whom we have long-standing and warm relationships that last far beyond the school years.

Tonight is an abbreviated form of what we would normally do at the start of the year. The people with me here will introduce themselves as they speak and they will elaborate on some of the aspects I touch upon here.

Firstly, this is a great school. Our vision here is Whakaohoho ~ Whakamana ~ Werohia ~ Moemoea: Inspire ~ Empower ~ Challenge ~ Dream. Your child is on a journey and we are all on that journey together. It takes a village to raise a child and we are a big part of that village together for the next five years.

This is a school of high achievement, high expectations and ground-breaking firsts. Emily Siedeberg was the first female medical student in New Zealand. Ethel Benjamin was the first lawyer in New Zealand. Yvette Williams was the first Olympic Gold Medallist. Margaret Cruickshank was the first female doctor in New Zealand. Flora Allan was the first ex-girl to become a Principal of this great school in 1912. We can do and achieve anything here. There are no ceilings or barriers to becoming anyone we want to be.

I have some key messages for the students and their families as we embark on this journey together. COVID and other valid health issues excepted, all students need to be at school and in class every period of every day. This is the most significant indicator of success. Students and parents can access their attendance data in a pie graph on the Edge app and should keep track of this.

This is a five year journey. Staying at school until the end of Year 13 matters. There are five years of free education here. Students should use them all. Some trades and other pathways will draw students away earlier - with good reason - but generally, the best outcomes come from staying here for the full five year journey. We aim for all students to have University Entrance or an equivalent qualification when they leave here - not because all students go on to university but because we want them to have a choice to go to university. Be involved in what your child is learning and discuss learning and progress with them. At the end of those five years, occasions such as Celebration and the Graduation Ball mark a very special ending to your time with us and we celebrate the young person that your child has become.

We are a PB4L school - which means Positive Behaviour for Learning. We have very clear expectations for student behaviour in order to allow everyone to learn in a settled and calm classroom and school environment. We reward students for doing the right thing - focussing on the school values of Respect, Integrity and Positivity. Please support the school by discussing and adopting these values in the home environment as well.

It is vital that all students here are engaged in school activities as these build the well-rounded individual, giving discipline, motivation, social skills, friendship and support. We have 27 sports to choose from, a vibrant Arts programme, Clubs, Global and service activities, Outdoor activities, Camps and House Competitions. Getting involved supports the whole student, their health, their mental health and their development into a citizen of their community and their world. It also fosters friendships with students outside their normal friend group and across levels.

At present we are revising our Māori, Pacific and Muti-ethnic Strategic Plans and more will be rolled out about these in the coming months. We invite whānau to take part in the Māori Strategic Plan consultation that is presented in the newsletter this week. The Nautilus Newsletter remains the single most important communication with you so do contact the school office if you are not receiving this every Friday afternoon.

Students have indeed had a disrupted two years with the pandemic. It is important that they are developing settled routines and good phone protocols. Be very aware of what is happening on the phone. At school phones are to be off and away or in the classroom phone motels. Students are not permitted to post on social media during school hours. Phones should be off and away at lunchtimes and intervals to promote face-to-face social contact with friends. Likewise behaviour, language and uniform should be exemplary when out of school. Blazers are to be worn to and from school.

Finally let me alert you to the parent-teacher interview with subject teachers that will happen at the end of the month. There is an option to have these online or in person and instructions are in this week’s newsletter on Friday. In Yr 10 students go into a mentoring programme where parents and students meet with the mentor for 30 minutes twice a year in a more in-depth conversation.

I will now pass you over to our Head Prefect, Jordan Evans-Tobata. I would also like to introduce you to Kaitlyn Marsh, our Deputy Head Prefect and Kaea for our Kapa Haka group, Wairua Pūhou. I look forward to travelling with you on our five year journey together. Never hesitate to contact the school if you need anything at all or have any concerns.