KORERO FROM MIRANDA

Kia ora, kia kaha, kia noho whakakotahi Rototuna e te Whānau

A warm hello to you all as we celebrate Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori. An important part of our culture, history and identity is language. Our cultural council has organised a great week of activities as we work together to build our confidence speaking Te Reo Māori. Every day the council has a kōrero mai challenge for our kura - ka mau te wehi!

We are moving into another important time for your young person. The end of this week heralds the beginning of preliminary exams, alongside internal assessment workshops. We are following the NZQA external exam processes so that your student can experience what sitting an exam at the end of the year will be like. If your student does not have an exam, they could be attending internal workshops. These workshops will be supported by a specialist teacher and focus on completing internal assessment work. Your student will have received an email if they are expected to attend a workshop. Otherwise, they should plan to attend the workshops related to their subjects and modules. The exam/workshop schedule is covered in more detail later in the newsletter. Again, if you are unsure or have any questions please contact your student’s Kaiārahi.

I know that the last two and a half years have been a challenging time for all of us, with everyone working incredibly hard to keep each other safe from COVID-19. You may be aware that the Government announced changes to our country's response on Monday 12 September. These changes are detailed later in this newsletter. As a school we will continue to follow the public health advice to ensure we keep doing our part to protect our community.

It has been comforting over these turbulent times to have some predictability in our lives. One person who has provided us with a sense of stability has been Queen Elizabeth II. During her 70 year reign she remained steadfast in her devotion to duty and public service. The queen declared “that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service,” a few years before she took the throne. Her statement has rung true throughout her life. I know she will be missed by many.

Ngā manākitanga,

Miranda