KORERO FROM MIRANDA

Kia ora Rototuna e te Whānau,

Mānawa maiea te Mātahi o te tau — Celebrate the rising of the new year

Mānawa maiea te ariki o te rangi — Celebrate the rising of the lord of the heavens

Mānawa maiea te putanga o Matariki — Celebrate the rising of Matariki

It seems appropriate that as we begin a new semester we are also welcoming in the Māori new year - Matariki. Celebrating Matariki across the country and at our kura provides us with the opportunity to reflect the value we place on our cultural heritage and helps us to grow our sense of national identity. The students and staff have been recognising Matariki by participating in activities organised by our Manukura (student leaders) designed to bring us together and grow our sense of belonging and pride in our school.

As we move into the second half of the year it is a good time to reflect on our manako (hopes) and whāinga (goals) for the year ahead. To this end it was good to see so many of you at whānau conferences last week taking up the opportunity to continue our work together supporting your young person’s learning. At this time of the year regular attendance can make all the difference to your young person’s success. If a student stops attending regularly, it becomes harder for them to stay connected to friends and teachers, and harder to catch up with work they have missed. Ultimately, we want your student to benefit both personally and academically from all our school has to offer them. Every day at school matters. Being on time and attending every class matters.

I hope you all enjoy our first ever celebration of Matariki as a public holiday this week on Friday.

Ngā hua nui o Matariki ki a koe,

Miranda

Pathways