The start of this week saw me in Rotorua where I was attending the Secondary Principals’ Association of New Zealand annual conference. Because one of the members of the current Auckland cluster spent time in Rotorua while I was there, I am currently working from home and awaiting the results of a Covid-19 Test to ensure I am clear before returning to school.

Principals’ Conferences are a great opportunity to meet up with colleagues, hear from experts - usually local and international - and share what has been happening in our schools. The absence of international presenters did not in any way detract from the conference, with New Zealand presenters and workshops filling the void. Included in the line-up was Alexia Hilbertidou, founder of Girl Boss. She is an inspirational young woman whose quest to encourage women to ‘come to the table’ in the science, technology and entrepreneurial fields, has been recognized internationally. A number of our students have already engaged with this organisation and have been reaping the rewards of the leadership training and opportunities available. Anton Blank, a researcher in the field of unconscious bias in education, challenged us to consider both the conscious and unconscious biases experienced by our Maori and Pasifika students. A number of workshops were aimed at wellbeing – both individual and schoolwide – and it was gratifying to see that our own initiatives measure up well against what is happening around the country.

The conference was brought to an abrupt end on Tuesday night following the announcement of four cases of Covid-19 resulting from community transmission. What a feeling of déjà vu! Throughout the conference there were many opportunities to reflect on how schools had managed the Covid-19 environment, including the various Alert Levels. Once again, I felt very proud of the way our entire school community worked together to manage the situation earlier this year. Now we find ourselves moving back into Alert Level 2, a little older and a little wiser than the first time around.

The most encouraging lesson learned earlier in the year is that, as a country, we can arrest the progress of the virus by working together. We also know that, as a school, we can continue to deliver high quality programmes of learning and assessment in an online environment. This is not to underestimate the challenge of what we are still dealing with however. The economic, social, and emotional toll of Covid-19 is yet to be realised and it is essential that we all work together to support our students and each other as we navigate the current situation. As mentioned in the email that went out yesterday, it is very difficult for students to engage fully in their learning without access to their own laptop and internet connection at home. If you require help with either of these requirements, please let us know. We want to help.

Coming up over the next few weeks are some important opportunities to communicate between home and school. These are designed to check students are on track and that you are informed and involved in plans relating to them. With all the disruptions of the year this information is more important than ever before as we seek to work with you to support the girls. Some students have found the uncertainty and challenges of the year more upsetting than others and it is fair to say that the experience for some students during lockdown was far from ideal, whereas others thrived. The senior reports (Years 11, 12 and 13) which come out on Monday (17 August) provide a snapshot of your child’s progress and achievement to date, with the Student Learning Conferences on Thursday (20 August) providing an opportunity for you, your child and their mentor to discuss what is needed for their success. There are many pathways to success and, regardless of what has happened to date, there is much support available to help this happen.

Maintaining the balance of information and communication is challenging at times like this. While we do not want to bombard you with unnecessary information, we do want you to know what is happening. As always, we are guided by the information that comes to us from organisations such as the Ministries of Health and Education. At times we delay putting things out as we await promised communications. We will continue to put information relating to Covid-19 out through the school App, on the website and via email so if you are unsure about anything please check these places in the first instance and then feel free to call us. With the Government making an announcement about Alert levels at 5.30pm tonight, I will be sending out a communication via the School App and Website over the weekend to update you on the situation.

Enrolments for out of zone placements closed yesterday and the ballot was held last night. We are delighted with the strong enrolments for 2021 and look forward to seeing the offers of place accepted.

Thank you for your continued support of the school. We are working hard to try and reduce the disruption to your daughter’s education during this unprecedented time.

Ngā mihi

Linda Miller

Principal