Kia ora e te whānau

Another full term of learning, activity and connection has progressed through, and we find ourselves at the end of September with our senior ākonga turning their attention to benchmark exams and end of year planning. The term has offered many opportunities both inside and outside the classroom for our learners to extend their skills and experiences, and we are grateful for the efforts of our incredible staff who continue to ensure opportunities are available, and accessible, for all ākonga. A great sense of connection has been felt when witnessing our wāhine shining bright on the stage at Polyfest, performing with pride across winter sports week, driving initiatives such as the Pink Ribbon Breakfast, and showcasing their talents at the Celebrate Art Awards Exhibition. All such activities strengthening the pathways for our ākonga to become confident, compassionate, global citizens.

As a restorative practice school, St. Hilda’s Collegiate aims to build and maintain positive relationships for learning through restorative means. Staff and board members were invited to attend a professional development workshop recently to refresh and reaffirm our commitment to this model of relational learning and problem solving. The processes followed to address harm, problem solve, collaborate, and rebuild relationships respectfully and responsibly are powerful, and the restorative approach strongly aligns with the values and principles that underpin our school vision. If you would like to learn more about Restorative Practice, an excellent podcast featuring Greg Jansen is available online, and I strongly encourage you to find some time to listen.

https://nziwr.co.nz/how-restorative-practices-can-contribute-to-school-wellbeing-with-greg-jansen

Along with St. Hilda’s Collegiate School, Board members and staff from Otago Boys’ High School, John McGlashan College, and King’s High School, came together in our Chapel recently, to discuss the CLEAR Voice initiative – A Dunedin Cross-School Approach to Sexual Violence Reduction. The CLEAR Voice initiative (Change, Learn, Educate, Advocate, Respect) is a project that has been started in response to the korero and kaupapa of the Community of Practice. It was encouraging to see a strong number of representatives from each school community in attendance and willing to engage in this critical conversation. There is still much work to do, but we remain immensely proud of the young wāhine who bravely stood up to be the catalyst for change. We thank you, and we remain deeply committed to this mahi.

Following recent elections, we have a new student representative on the School Board for the year ahead, and we look forward to officially welcoming Megha Senthilkumar at our next meeting in October. Outgoing student rep Tarryn Croot has brought a fresh and innovative way of sharing the student perspective with Board members over the past 12 months, and we have greatly valued Tarryn’s considered approach and meaningful contribution. It is extremely rewarding to see our student reps evolving in their role, and I encourage all rangatahi at St Hilda's to see the position of student representative as an exciting and worthwhile leadership opportunity.

The next board meeting in October will focus on strategic planning for our kura, and the voice of our community is an essential part of this process. A reminder that your feedback, and feedforward, is welcomed at any stage through the SchoolDocs site (link below), or directly through Board Secretary (Deb Sutton) or Presiding Member (Gretchen Beardmore). Continuing to collaborate as a community, will continue to build a strong and thriving culture within our school.

SchoolDocs site: https://www.shcs.school.nz/about/our-community/school-policies-and-procedures

School Board Email: boardsecretary@shcs.school.nz

We hope the October school holiday break offers a chance to rest and recharge, and we look forward to another vibrant term of learning in Term 4!

Ngā mihi nui

Gretchen Beardmore

Presiding Member

St Hilda's Collegiate School Board