Blake Benney Student Representative

Hello

I am Blake Benny, the new Student Representative of the Rangiora High School Board of Trustees. I am currently in Year 12 and a member of Sheppard House. I’m an avid reader, enjoy travelling and in my spare time binge-watching Netflix.

It’s hard to believe we are nearly at the end of the school year. 2018 has been a huge year, with the Boards re-establishment in April following the School’s return to self-governance. In the short time the Board has been governing, we have already had some major accomplishments.

These include being the first secondary school Board of Trustees in the country to pass the new BoardSure audit programme by the NZSTA (New Zealand School Trustees Association). In the first week of this term, we also had a review of school practices by ERO (Education Review Office). Their report is underway and will be released shortly.

Term 3 saw the appointment of Mr Paul Donnelly in the newly created position of Associate Principal. Mr Donnelly started in the middle of this term, coming from St. Thomas of Canterbury College, where he was a Deputy Principal. This position was created following the Board’s review of the School’s Senior Leadership Team structure, and this much needed position for a school of our size will allow the Principal to concentrate on some specific areas of the School’s Strategic Plan.

As mentioned in the previous newsletter, next year the current Board’s term will end, as we re-join the national trustee election cycle. Elections for new Parent Representatives on the Board are scheduled to be held in June next year, so over the Christmas period is a great time to think ahead and consider whether you would like to put your name forward for the election. There will be an information evening early next year for those perhaps interested in standing, so keep an eye out for that.

Finally I would like to thank all the members of the Board and staff for the huge amounts of time and effort they have put into the School this year, and I would like to wish everyone an enjoyable Christmas break.