July 2019 Newsletter

Kia ora Katou.

As I write my comment for the newsletter, cast members and support crew involved in our major production for 2019, ‘Grease,’ are performing their first show in front of a packed-out audience containing students from several of our contributing schools. What an amazing feat to be able to put this together over the last 5 months, with both staff and students having to balance already busy schedules with endless hours of rehearsals, stage construction and technical set up. I am sure that the shows will be well supported by our school community over the next 4 nights - they certainly deserve it!

Next week our new Board of Trustees meets for the first time and I am thoroughly looking forward to working with the new parent representatives; Mark Paul, Joanne Roberts and Blair McConnell, in addition to re-elected members; Janine Ogier and Paul Bridgeman, as we enter an exciting but also challenging era in Riccarton High School’s history. In terms of our redevelopment, our designers for the project have been confirmed and now we begin the exciting phase of Master Planning. With regard to our curriculum, the next few years provide us with some exciting opportunities but also some challenges in a rapidly changing world. On that note, I encourage you to come along to a community event being held in our Hall early next term, where you will not only have the opportunity to meet members of our Board of Trustees, but also hear about Riccarton High School’s response to Global and Educational change. You will find further details on this event in our newsletter.

As we get nearer to the July holidays, I would like to thank you for your patience and support with the numerous interruptions this term. Partly this has been due to industrial action over the Secondary Teacher’s Collective Agreement, and we wait for the response to the Governments latest offer. Obviously the hope is that this is resolved quickly for the benefit of all parties concerned. We are already past the half way mark in the senior academic calendar and with prelim exams in week 4 of next term, it will be important for our senior students to use the break not only to recharge their batteries, but also to start a solid revision programme leading up to these exams. There are many people who can help with setting up this programme for your son or daughter, starting with the subject teachers themselves.

Enjoy the holidays and stay warm!

Neil Haywood

Principal