Kia ora koutou e te whānau,

Welcome to Term 3 (almost)! I do hope you’ve had an enjoyable and restful three weeks, and feel as excited as we do about the second half of 2023. As Dr Hastie mentioned in the previous Intouch, she is away on sabbatical leave, returning at the start of week four (14 August).

We’ve got a busy term ahead, and I’d like to draw your attention to a few notable events:

• The Female Athlete speaker event is taking place in Atawhai on Monday 14 August, with speakers Sara Widdowson and Conrad Goodhew discussing a number of important topics relating to our young people. Further info here.
• Daffodil Day Family Breakfast – parents, caregivers and students are warmly invited to join us for a delicious cooked breakfast, hear from guest speakers The Flourish Doctors, and raise funds for the Cancer Society, on Friday 25 August. Further info here.
• Connect events – those in Marlborough on Thursday 17 August or Queenstown on Thursday 24 August are welcome to join Dr Hastie for our Connect community events. See further info here for Marlborough and Queenstown.
  
  

You will have by now received in your mailboxes our Winter Edition of Wide Sky magazine, celebrating 100 years of being on our current site, and amazingly also 100 years almost to the day that the school produced its first magazine. You can find the digital version of this stunning publication here.

I would like to acknowledge the recent Teaching Council decision publication, and subsequent communications to you all on Monday 3 July and Monday 17 July from our Board Chair, Nicki Carter. If you have not done so already, please read the communications. A reminder that support is available for students; our School Psychologists, your daughter’s Dean and I are always available should you wish to raise concerns with us (of any nature).

Finally I would like to congratulate those students who have been busy over the term break representing Rangi Ruru. There have been some fantastic achievements, some of which are covered in other articles in this edition of Intouch, so be sure to keep on reading! 

Ngā mihi,

Stephanie Barnett
Acting Principal