Can you believe that the first term of 2021 is nearly over?

Comparing this time last year and today, it’s so nice to have completed Term 1 at school without any Covid interruptions! This term has been so busy for so many of our Year 10 girls, and it doesn’t show any sign of slowing down.

We started the year, as usual, with Athletics and Swimming Sports. We have some amazing young talent in our cohort and although the results aren’t officially out, I congratulate every single one of you who went out there and gave it your best shot. And, how nice was it having our Swimming Sports in the flash new outdoor pool at the Aquatic Centre? House Chants were again the highlight of these sports days. There is some tough competition out there for the chants and each term I imagine the chants will just get bigger and better!

We have had our production auditions and a huge congratulations must go out to Dee Jay Selwyn who has secured the lead role - well done Dee Jay! A monumental effort for a junior! Our dance crews have all been selected as well and again, the Year 10’s are dominating this area with some awesome talent making it into the Xecute Megacrew. Rehearsals will be in full swing next term and we have a lot of Year 10’s involved on and off the stage for both dance and production. It is a good chance to have a wee korero with your daughter about time management and burn out. These extra-curricular activities can cause burn out quite quickly so balancing the activities with school work is a skill that needs to be perfected.

We are focusing a lot on attendance this year, with the school-wide goal of 85% attendance at the forefront of what we do. Attendance equals achievement! Fun fact: if you are at high school for five years and you have an average attendance of 80%, at the end of your five years at school you would have missed the equivalent of one whole year of education! That is a statistic I don’t want our Year 10 cohort to be part of.

The expectation is that our students are at school from 8.35am until 3.05pm, with Whanau time being part of that compulsory learning time. If a student’s attendance drops below 80%, whanau will receive a letter asking for an explanation. Please encourage your daughters to be at school and in class throughout the week. If we can help support this in any way, please flick me an email or contact your daughter’s Whanau teacher.

Have a safe and happy holiday period. I will see everyone back here, Term 2, in full winter uniform.