Two factors that have an enormous impact on the success of students are the relationships between home and school, and attendance. Both have been front of mind this week as we held our Student Learning Conferences for students in Years 10 to 13 and the issue of attendance has hit the media.

The learning conferences are an important part of our reporting process and put the student at the centre of their learning and development. Having students reflect on how their subjects are going and what their next steps are, how they are (or are not) looking after their wellbeing, and what they want to set as their goals for the year, help them develop a sense of agency or control over their learning journey. Involving parents in these conversations means that they can support and encourage at home making the achievement of the student’s goals more likely. Discussion about learning is not just confined to the classroom and matters such as developing interpersonal skills, taking part in co-curricular activities and self-management skills often canvassed in these meetings. Thank you to parents for supporting your child at these meetings. Your participation makes a significant difference. It was interesting to see that one of the new bills to be debated in Parliament this week was around leave for parents to attend parent-teacher meetings. I believe this reinforces their importance. The next Student Learning Conferences will be held in August and I really encourage you to try and be there with your child.

While the rest of the school took part in learning conferences, Year 9 participated in a Wellbeing day. Sessions included yoga, critical thinking, managing anxiety, taming your negative headspace and team games and physical activities. The sessions were run by a range of outside providers, staff and students. The aim of this day is to support students to develop an awareness of their own wellbeing and to develop strategies to manage their wellbeing. This directly relates to our Strategic Goal 1: All ākonga* are aware of and proactive in managing their own wellbeing.

On Wednesday evening we held our Whanau Hui for our Māori students. It was great to see so many whanau there, supporting their tamariki and the school. Opportunities, successes and challenges were celebrated and addressed and it was wonderful to hear the students’ views and ideas on future directions for the school. Thank you to everyone who came along.

Attendance at school is one of the most important predictors of student success. Otago Girls’ has always enjoyed attendance rates that are better than the national and regional averages. This is nothing to boast about however, as the national rates are, quite frankly, appalling. Last year, however, our attendance dropped below the regional rate, despite the efforts we put in last year to support students and their families during a very difficult year. The attendance statistics for 2020 are as follows: Otago and Southland 72% of students attended school regularly; Nationally 62% of students attended regularly; OGHS 69% of students attended regularly. Attending ‘regularly’ is defined by the Ministry of Education as being at school over 90% of the time. In other words over 30% of students at Otago Girls’ missed at least one day of school every fortnight last year, and this is having a detrimental effect on achievement. While there are legitimate reasons for many of these absences (53.4% are deemed justified), the rest are not. As a school we work hard on developing a sense of belonging and providing learning environments that are stimulating and relevant. We need you to help us by making sure your child gets to school every day, unless they are unwell. As I have said before, not only does regular attendance significantly improve students’ learning and friendships, it also establishes lifelong habits that are essential to get ahead in life.

Today is my final day before embarking on a 10 week Principal’s sabbatical. I will be leaving the school in the very capable hands of Bridget Davidson who will be acting principal. She will be supported by the equally capable senior leadership team of Sue Porter, Chris Richards and Kathryn Dick. I look forward to returning, refreshed and enlightened, on 8 June.

* The term “ākonga” refers to learners and includes students and staff.