Friday 22nd March

Dear Parents / Caregivers

Kia ora koutou

How do you put into words what we have experienced this week ?

The expressions of love /aroha shown by our children this week has been overwhelming and has brought a collective tear to our eyes. Children have a way of cutting though the red tape and just say it as it is and act accordingly. We have been humbled by their words and their big hearts. Love for others, compassion and kindness and acting as one team have been themes that have been expressed all week. Seeing our young people talk about the type of future that they want to be a part of in this country is just so inspiring and a wake up call for us big people.

We have loved the way our children have expressed themselves through their cards of compassion, the coloured chains, the linked paper dolls holding hands, their pictures and notes on the pavement, the colour day, the big love heart on the back field and the coin heart on the front court where $ 1,200 has been raised for the people in the emergency departments as decided by our school council. Thank you to Mrs Jansen and the House Leader team for their organisation of the colour day and to the School Council for their organisation of the Coin Heart.  See the pictures below of our Colour Day @ QPS today.  Today has been quite moving.

We have also been overwhelmed by the gifts, words and yummy morning teas that we have received from you our parent community as you have expressed your thanks to us as a school for keeping your children safe last Friday when uncertainty reigned as this tragedy played out. Thank you for your words and your encouragement as you acknowledged the tricky situation the staff were placed under as we coped with the many challenges that came our way.

In due course we will take part in a police / MOE review of school lockdown procedures and like all schools we will discuss our learnings from our lockdown event last Friday.

In the meantime we can feel inspired by the big hearts of our QPS children and draw strength by their views on the world they want to live in and the changes they would like to make. Have this conversation with them this weekend.

We join hands with all the families at this time who have lost loved ones in this tragedy and we grieve with them as one community in Christchurch, New Zealand. Over time our collective prayer is that all of us will become more tolerant of others and their differences and we will be more willing to show love, patience and kindness towards each other. Our world will become a better place as a result. It starts with each of us.

Love to you all

Ross Willocks

Principal