“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another…..” Hebrews 10:24-25

Kia ora parents and whanau,

One of the key functions of a school is to ensure all who belong, be they students, staff, parents or old girls, feel included, connected and part of something larger than themselves.

Our recent Parent Seminars and Parent Advisory Group meetings were an excellent example for me where the Guidance team and parents exhibited a collective desire to address important issues, share information and ideas, and work collaboratively to support our students. Surely that is the essence of an effective community: communication, inclusion and shared responsibility?

Watching our Madrigalli Rouge at the Big Sing Cadenza, our teams during Tournament week, Cinnamon Cinema at the 48 hour Film Festival and enjoying the quiet reflections of chapel service, are events that highlight for me how that same community offers meaningful opportunities for our students to form those connections, shared experiences and memories that make up such a powerful part of learning.

At St Hilda’s we recognise the importance of relationships that enhance student welfare, happiness and self belief and establish a culture of shared responsibility and care for each other. We continue to explore ways to embed best practice in the school, and so are currently looking at our management of student phones, to minimize the disruption they can cause to learning, connections, belonging and wellbeing. Please refer to the article below (Year 9 and 10 Phone Management) for more details on our trial around student access to phones for next term.

Happy students are positive contributors to our community who learn more effectively, enjoy more success, can manage their emotions and face failure with resilience and pragmatism, and those are the outcomes we want for all our students.

Our students continue to impress me with their work ethic, vibrancy and pursuit of their passions. They have managed adversity this year in the form of uncertainty, illness, masks and mandates and while they face a changing and dynamic world we are committed to assisting them to develop the healthy, life long skills they need to be the best version of themselves. The evolution of our policies and procedures, all have that goal as their foundation.

I know that Term 4 will be another exciting, busy and fulfilling term, and hopefully with good health and few disruptions, we will all be able to enjoy the richness of events and connections that are so much a part of school life in Term 4, and that have been missing for the last couple of years.

“If parents want to give their children a gift, the best thing they can do is to teach their children to love challenges, be intrigued by mistakes, enjoy effort, and keep on learning. That way, their children don’t have to be slaves of praise. They will have a lifelong way to build and repair their own confidence.” Carol S. Dweck

Nga mihi nui

Jackie Barron