Students in Years 11 to13 are currently sitting parallel examinations. These examinations mirror, as much as possible, the conditions students will experience when sitting NCEA examinations at the end of the year. This helps familiarise students with what to expect and gives them a good guide on how their learning is progressing and what techniques and knowledge they need to master before the end of the year.

These examinations continue through next week, with Friday being portfolio day when students studying art and the technologies will have the opportunity to spend time on their practical work.

Examinations provide the opportunity for students to consolidate the learning that has occurred over the course of the year and to demonstrate what they know and can do. There are many resources available to help students prepare for examinations via the Careers site that is available on the student landing page or by clicking on the Careers and Subject Selection tab at the bottom of the school website landing page https://www.otagogirls.school.nz/.

Over the past fortnight a number of our talented students have had their art and technology work recognised through regional and national competitions and events. These have been highlighted on the Facebook page and in this newsletter. Congratulations to all of these students and to their teachers who encourage their skill development and participation in events that occur outside of the school.

We are all eagerly awaiting the Government’s announcement regarding the Covid Alert Levels on Monday afternoon. Should we come down to Alert Level 1 we will be going ahead with our Year 12 Formal on Thursday night. Unfortunately staying at Alert Level 2 will mean it will be cancelled. Camps planned for the final week of term are set to go ahead regardless, with appropriate contingencies in place.

There is no doubt that Covid-19 and the responses to it have seen an increase in students requiring support here at school. This has seen a huge increase in demand for counselling services and the Board of Trustees has committed additional funding to allow us to employ the equivalent of another full time counsellor through until the end of the year. We have also accessed funding through the Ministry of Education’s Urgent Response Fund to help with this. In addition to our guidance counsellor, Kirsten Taylor, we have Kushboo Raju working with us until the end of term. She is a specialist in anxiety management and has been working remotely with a number of our students since the beginning of the year as part of her Masters in Counselling studies. We have also had Catriona Murray-Strachan with us on a part time basis for part of this term. Cat will continue with us in Term 4. This additional resource is helping us catch up with the demand for counselling appointments, support students waiting for community based interventions (critical, given the extensive waiting period for these) and will hopefully provide space for the development of further proactive strategies to help students be aware of and manage their own wellbeing.

At this point I would like to acknowledge the incredible work being done by our pastoral team; Sue Porter (Assistant Principal), Kirsten Taylor (Guidance Counsellor), Heads of Houses - Tiffany Holmes, Vicki Millar, Moira Young and Jo Nielson, and our PIMS Deans - Alvina Brown (Pasifika), Katherine Boomer (International and former refugee students) and Whaia Joe and Matua Mac (Māori). Their support of our students and their whanau is second to none and has never been more important than this year. I am so grateful for the care, encouragement, empathy and support that they provide to enable our students to be the best they can be.

Ngā mihi

Linda Miller