Week 10, Term 3

Kia ora e te whānau,

We celebrated our end of term as always with an end of term assembly. But this one was with a bit of a difference. Unfortunately no visitors were allowed and we were unable to sing. However in true Oxford fashion we found a solution - if we couldn't sing our national anthem then we are going to sign it. We have some images of assembly and prize winners for those who were unable to be in attendance. 

Hā ki roto, hā ki waho

A school term is like breathing. At the start of the term we take in a deep breath. We breathe in as we prepare to take off, excited of the possibilities ahead of us. We maintain this breath for 10 weeks. As we enter the term holiday we breathe out - an opportunity to unwind and relax. We are told the brain takes up about 20% of our energy and we can certainly feel that when we get to the end of the term.

And of course, we recognise this term was a bit different. A different we are getting used to. Again we spent some term time learning at home - where lounges and kitchen benches become our new classrooms. Not only that we had a snow day - something we haven’t had in a long time. Then we had a wind day where our kura/school lost power. Our tamariki and rangatahi are a very resilient bunch. We acknowledge that through all of these changes we will come out of it stronger. When we find things a little tough it is always a good idea to consider gratitude, reflecting on what we are grateful for. A good habit, a habit we develop at school, is to start the day considering the things we should be grateful for.

This term we focused on the value kia manaaki - being caring. THis week at school we combined a number of events including shave for a cure, House Week, Mental Health Awareness Week, Caring Week, and ending the week with a staff vs. student basketball match (we don't need to discuss the score). We know it is important to care for those around us. Next term as we roll into the end of the year we will be focusing on being positive, kia manahau. We discuss this morning in assembly that when we are being positive we are aiming for excellence - being the best we can be, have a growth mindset, look for the good in others and encourage them, and celebrate successes.

Finally we do recognise some tired faces around school so we wish our students and staff a restful break, and a chance to get ready for the final term of the year.

Ngā mihi,

Mike Hart
Principal | Tumuaki