Kia ora e te whānau; warm greetings.

It has been wonderful to re-engage face to face in our Learning Conversations. If you couldn’t come on Tuesday, we encourage you to book for Thursday 17 August. It is an opportunity to meet your daughter’s teachers and discuss her learning progress.

Students are currently choosing their subjects for next year and have the opportunity to talk to teachers and look at subject displays in the Huia Centre at lunchtime on 16 August. We invite parents and caregivers to visit the Expo between 5 and 6pm on the same day so you can also engage in the Expo and discuss options with your daughter.

Students involved in winter sports will be preparing for their final games, competition endings and tournaments. We have been discussing in Assembly the huge commitment and benefits that come from being part of a team and an event bigger than self - it develops the key competencies of contributing and participating as well as self-management by committing to something week in, week out. I would like to thank our coaches, managers, teachers-in-charge, parents who drive their children to practices and support from the sideline and of course, the Sports Department, who work tirelessly to ensure students and sports can connect.

We’ve also been taking some time in Assembly to appreciate the small things as this winter goes on and on with seemingly endless grey skies and rain, it is good to acknowledge we are now in the last month of winter and maybe take some time to appreciate the beauty of this season - the clouds reflected in puddles; the amazing branches of deciduous trees around our beautiful campus; the early blooming daffodils. I am immensely proud of our students - they continue to show resilience in learning; they get up every day; they wear their uniform with pride; they are ready to learn. These are the greatest ways to wellbeing - being active; staying connected; giving something back; taking notice and engaging in learning. Ka Rawe!

We had over 700 visitors through the school last week as part of our Open Night. And once again, our students were amazing. We had over 200 student volunteers - as guides and subject helpers. They remain the most important part of our school and visitors found interacting with them to be the highlight of the tours and gave us lots of positive feedback on our student helpers and their interactions with them.

Finally, we would like to acknowledge and remember one of our former teachers, Ms Inge Kampman, who taught Geography and Social Studies at PNGHS for 26 years. She retired at the end of 2021 but sadly, did not get the opportunity to fully enjoy this time as she was diagnosed with cancer last year and passed away on 29 July. At her Memorial, some of our teachers and students spoke about the impact Inge had on them personally, both as a colleague and a teacher. As some students reported, they couldn’t always remember exactly the content of the lessons Inge taught them, but they have never forgotten how Ms Kampman made them feel - valued as a learner and acknowledged as a person. The importance of forming relationships with her colleagues and students was key to everything Ms Kampman did and for that we will not forget her.

Haere rā e hoa

Farewell our friend.

Ngā mihi nui,

Tracy Walker
Principal