Kia ora e te whānau; warm greetings.

Term Three is always a busy and challenging time that tests our resilience. So, I am very proud of our Executive Prefect team and associated councils in setting up our Semper Sursum Week. The rationale was to end the term on a high note, come together in whanaungatanga and promote and nurture our positive school environment. Every lunchtime this week they have organised a school event: Monday was a Chalk Drawing competition; Tuesday was, ‘Anything But a Backpack Day”. Students showed great enthusiasm for this and ingenuity in their chosen receptacles including toasters, watering cans, trolleys and even a kitchen sink! Wednesday saw a Ki-o-Rahi tournament between staff and Year 13. The students won this narrowly! Thursday was an inter-house netball game and the week culminated in Friday with our Founders Day celebrations.

Today, we are celebrating being 103 years young as a stand alone school for girls in the Manawatū. My thanks to the Humanities and Sciences Committee who arranged a multitude of celebration activities. It was especially interesting to hear from our group of teacher alumni on the changes the school has made over the decades. Girls' education is important and there is something powerful about girls learning together. Somewhere, in the world today, girls and women are facing barriers to and sanctions on access to the workforce; access to childcare; how they present themselves and manage their own health and bodies and most importantly, their access to education. So, let’s not take it for granted. It has been great to celebrate girls’ education and share in the legacy of Palmerston North Girls’ High School from the past to the future.

Seniors have now completed their practice school exams and most of their internals so know what is ahead of them now. Our juniors will be preparing for a busy term four as we move into the Blue Skies Project for Year 10 and Year 9s complete their trimester options and core subjects. This year we have re-instigated Junior Exams for Years 9 and 10 in their core subjects of English, Mathematics, Social Studies and Science. These will be over two days occurring in November with more information to follow. We believe they will provide our junior students with important study and examination practice to help build on their foundational skills before moving up into senior school and NCEA assessments.

I am so very proud of our students and their achievements, so do enjoy seeing many of them reflected in this Update. Wishing everyone a relaxing and restful holiday break.

Ngā mihi,

Tracy Walker
Principal