I hope that you have managed to stay dry this week, certainly it has felt like all of the rain we need has arrived in a few days.

This week, I have been very excited to return to the school. You might find this hard to believe - I missed it. I enjoy being with the staff and boys, their humour, energy and just good nature, long may it last!

My thanks to all of the staff and community who supported me in Term 2 with my sabbatical. It was great to know the school was in such capable hands. The sabbatical time gave me the unique opportunity to step back, to look at our school and to study some of the wonderful things that we do AND to see how we could improve.

Some of the specific things I have worked on are: a junior curriculum review, what we teach from Year 9 -11 and how it provides growth, academic improvement especially in literacy and numeracy as well as giving challenge and opportunity for your son. Alongside that I have refined our campus development plan, the property if you like. Both of these are not 'do now' projects, but they are the work that really needs to be undertaken.

One of the most important opportunities for me, over the last 10 weeks, was the time I was given back to simply be a Dad to my two children. I am not sure they liked having me attend all of their dance and sport fixtures, teacher parent interviews and school trips, but I did! I love this job, but it does take time away from my family, so getting some back was great. And yes, I did do dishes, laundry, vacuum and even cleaned the toilet!

Following good health and safety procedures, mask wearing is still important so we stay healthy. You may have seen in the media the real stress that school students and staff have been under this year. This is no exaggeration. Honestly, this has been the hardest of the last three years and I am concerned with the fast approaching NCEA deadlines. We know this is not unusual to education, we all feel it, but my role is to advocate with the Ministry for all staff and students.

The next nine weeks will be make or break. Please, if your son is in Year 11 to 13, carefully look at the indicator report when it comes out in week 3. Boys are brilliant at saying they have it under control...

Enjoy the weekend and I look forward to seeing you on the sidelines.