Exciting times! While this is an extremely busy time of the year for school it is nice to be able to pause and really appreciate the amazing things happening at our school.

Exciting times! While this is an extremely busy time of the year for school it is nice to be able to pause and really appreciate the amazing things happening at our school. 

I have just returned from speaking at the Trades Academy graduation where our lovely Harley Huntley, Deputy Head Girl, did us proud in taking out the top of the class for her Whenuiti Class. The tutors commented on the wonderful personality and leadership skills Harley has shown throughout the year and Whenua iti is going to take her on as a cadet trainee for future Whenua iti leadership roles. She has represented us so well with her mana and leadership qualities and it was fabulous for her to be singled out as top of the class.

We also have a number of Y10s being the first year group to try out the new Literacy and Numeracy assessment activities for NCEA. Our staff and in particular Sharon Alvey-Ball and Dianna Nicholson have done an amazing job getting our school and students ready to complete this new digital assessment and Sharon’s work was even showcased in the Education Bulletin as an exemplar for other schools. Well done to the students also for giving their best and being the Guinea pigs for our first runs at these assessments.

As we prepare the prize list for end of the year awards we are reminded of the amazing things some of our students have achieved this year and look forward to being able to share these with you at the coming prize-givings.

I am also humbled at just how well everyone has worked together to overcome all the noise and disruption around the school during the demolition phases of the buildings. It really is quite exciting to see the constantly changing face of the college after so many years of planning.

I would also like to give a shout out to the great and endless work Lindsay McLenaghan (our Academy Builder) and Ray O’Connell have put into getting the Building Academy shed up, the roof is going on as I write this and it will be an amazing facility for our students to start building the house under next year. 

We have our pool up and running and as the weather quickly warms up I am sure it will be in demand a lot. We are just waiting on the council for the finalised opening time for being open to the public. 

Finally just a reminder to all, that next year students will not be allowed to use cell phones at school as devices. So if possible the purchase of their own Chromebooks would be a great Christmas present.

Ngā mihi, 

Betty Whyte.