After an extremely busy and rewarding term 1 we enter an equally busy term 2 and it is hard to believe that we are already at the stage of the year where we begin to welcome prospective Year 9 students for 2017 starting with our annual Information Evening next week.

Kia ora Koutou

I hope that our students used the April holidays not only as an opportunity to ‘recharge their batteries’ but also to reflect on their efforts in the first term with a view to setting goals for this term both inside and outside the classroom. The key to their success is to have some balance in their lives: we have a large number of students who make an incredible contribution to the life of the school in so many different ways and this is a special aspect of the school, however, it is important not to lose sight of the priorities. The academic rigour which comes with completing NCEA assessments/ assignments for example does prove to be a real challenge for some and results in exposing some deficiencies in the students’ ability to get organised and to plan ahead. It needs to be remembered that support from the subject teacher, Whanau teacher and Dean can go a long way in providing a counterbalance to these challenges.

I would like to offer my sincere thanks to the 35 parents who gave up their Saturday morning on the 2 April to complete a number of tasks around the school as part of our annual Work Day. Whether it was painting, gardening, carpentry, cleaning or tidying, your efforts were appreciated. My thanks also to our Executive Officer, Rebecca Nicholson, Property Manager, Chris Parr and Groundsman, John Steeds for their organisation of the event and to everyone who contributed to the amazing morning tea on the day.

I am reminded on a regular basis, at a time when teenagers in our society often receive a bad rap because of their behaviour and attitude that most of our students are well behaved, are doing their best at school and are often making an important contribution to our community. During the holidays I received an email from the Christchurch City Council who wanted to let me know about the very positive interaction that they had had with some of our students. These students had participated in the first University of Canterbury Student Volunteer Army programme by helping to restore a section of boardwalk at the Halswell quarry which had been destroyed by vandals. The Council rangers reported “an amazing effort by the students who were full of energy and enthusiasm and who were a credit to the school.” It is this sort of feedback that reinforces the great things that you are doing as parents and we are doing as teachers in creating responsible, committed young men and women.

Finally, can I remind you of the upcoming Board of Trustee elections with the process taking place over the next 4 weeks. This governing body of the school are a group of people with a range of skills and experiences who believe in making a positive difference to our children’s learning. You should have received an election notice and nomination forms in the post by now and it is important to note that these nominations close at noon on May 20th. If you are interested in finding out more about the role of a trustee please do not hesitate in contacting our current Board Chairperson, members of the Board or myself through the school office.