Have a safe and happy holiday break with your families. Here is Board Chair Carolyn Brazier's speech from the end of year Leavers' Assembly. Link to the video at the end of the article

Nau mai, haere mai.

Tena koutou katoa

Ko Aoraki te maunga.

Ko Waimakariri te awa,

No Otautahi ahau,

Ko Papanui toku kura

Ko Carolyn toku ingoa

Nga mihi nui, ki a koutou

Welcome to our parents, whanau and friends watching online. We are grateful you can still join us from the comfort of home or work for this special occasion via our live stream - how very 2021 that is!

This afternoon we celebrate our 2021 leavers and their time here at Papanui Primary School. As the board chair it is also my opportunity to thank the many hardworking people that contribute throughout the year. The success of a school and its students is a collaboration between school leaders, teachers, students, parents and whanau. For this group of students it could have been a very disruptive final year at primary school but you have shown resilience and flexibility facing the challenges of 2021.

Since Papanui opened 150 years ago in 1871 education has come a long way but I believe the fundamental goal has always been the same, that our tamariki will grow to be confident, connected, life-long learners. Schools continue to be an important part of our communities and often sit right in the centre.

There are many important components that define the success of a school that are often overlooked by our wider community such as effective leadership, staff collaboration and morale, community support, property maintenance, learning support and pastoral care, just to mention a few. Behind the scenes here at Papanui there are some amazing people working extremely hard. I would like to take a moment to thank these important people and if you pass them by I hope you will do the same.

Thank you to Mr Kingston - our leader. You are one in a million and highly respected by all staff and students. Thank you for leading us all through 2021. I know you have a lot of pride for this school and it is reflected in all that you do. I hope you get a well earned break over the summer months and enjoy reconnecting with your family.

Thank you to our senior leadership team. I have learnt in education information and changes come thick and fast but every decision is made with positive outcomes for tamariki at the front and centre and I thank you for your hard work, resilience and passion for our school.

To the teaching and support staff - thank you. I appreciate this year has been another challenging one for teachers and we are very fortunate to have such a skilled and dedicated staff to navigate us through these times. At the end of the year we must say goodbye to Mr T - who has been a warm and welcoming face to many students over the years. We will miss his fun and energy, but we wish him all the best for his next teaching journey.

Thank you to Anita Smart who continues to lead the Friends of Papanui group. This year through great parent support Anita has been able to coordinate a disco, sausage sizzles, raffles and book clubs to provide valuable resources for our school. The board and staff really appreciate and value support from our school community and we look forward to seeing what you achieve in 2022.

Thank you to my fellow board members Alana, Joss, Mike and Mark - Lisa Thompson our staff rep and Lynne Levick our wonderful minute taker. I look forward to working with you all again next year and celebrating all our students achieving their personal best in a happy and safe school environment.

Every year whilst writing this speech I reflect on what makes our school so special. Here at Papanui our values underpin our school culture and philosophy. They influence our decision making and are expressed in the ways we think and act. You will find these values on our fantastic new website and I encourage you to think about what these values might mean to you and take them with you when you leave us today.

And finally to the Year 6s - I know you will be excited or even a little nervous to move on to Year 7. Think back to who you were when you started at Papanui - focus on the personal growth you have undergone, the challenges you have faced and the successes you have enjoyed. I encourage you to embrace all the opportunities that will come your way, and you will continue to learn and grow. Primary school really is just the beginning and I hope you will reflect on your years here and have some wonderful memories. Be proud of where you have come from and always strive to be the best that you can.

I wish you all a safe and happy holiday.

Tena koutou, tena koutou, tena koutou katoa.

You can view the Y6 Leavers' Assembly here.