It is great to be back at Level 1 and once again experiencing a high degree of normality here at the school. It should be noted that schools are regarded as a safe environment for students and in the case of our Bay of Plenty and Lakes District there has not been an active case of COVID since mid April. The school will continue to make hand sanitizer available and all hard surfaces will be cleaned daily. We would ask you however to be vigilant and to keep any sick students showing any symptoms of COVID at home until they have recovered. With the move to Level 1 there is no longer any restrictions on mass gatherings and as a result school trips, sporting events and assemblies are all back on the calendar.

The majority of students managed their time at home well and made the most of a very difficult situation. The use of technology to deliver the curriculum was a challenge for staff and students and I would like to thank you for your support and perseverance. Moving forward we have learnt a lot of useful information and the school is looking at how it can use technology to improve our communication with whanau, how we can make teaching resources more widely available and how we can use technology to allow students to move ahead at their own pace.

Moving forward it is important to keep students on track, to be optimistic and to be working towards clear goals. We have completed goal setting exercise with our senior students, and I would ask you to work with them and monitor their progress. It is important that they take ownership of these goals, take the initiative and ask staff for help and to make the most of their reassessment opportunities.

We have some exciting news on the building front. The forty heat pumps that were installed over the Christmas holidays are now providing our students with warm and comfortable classrooms. Construction is about to start on the redevelopment of the “C Block” toilets, a new emergency alarm system has gone to tender and we are presently putting together a tender document for the redevelopment of the Gym changing rooms, toilets and showering facilities. Tenders have also been requested for the redevelopment of our outside court area and this will include new fencing, drainage, the installation of “Astro-Turf” as well as a host of new equipment. This will be completed by the end of the year. Probably of less interest, all the numerous projects, dealing with water tightness, addressing a number of structural issues and the replacement of many of our access doors.

What is exciting is that the Ministry is fast tracking a 5-6 million dollar investment in the school. This will be used to improve the quality of our teaching spaces and to undertake a major project in the school which the Board has yet to approve.

I would like to congratulate Ben Hancock on his appointment to the position of Principal here at Tauhara College. I am sure we will all be excited with his vision for the school, which has a positive balance between student welfare, academic success, effective pathways and developing positive whanau relationships.

Tauhara College is facing a positive and exciting future.

Nga mihi