A final word from Tony

Next week we finish yet another school year, and once again it has been somewhat surreal, with the first half of 2022 being hugely affected by the pandemic.

It’s hard to believe that it’s only been this year that we had our first known cases amongst students and staff, when our school was hit hard very early on, with lots of cases that saw the roll plummet (NZ Herald Article about our school) 

Despite these challenges, I am again immensely proud of how our staff, whānau, & students supported each other during these trying times, and continued to ensure we maintain a culture of togetherness and learning.

The 2nd half of the year has been more “normalised” and it has been great to see sustained traction around regular learning programmes, and the return of many schoolwide events and opportunities, such as camps, nearest & dearest & the Xmas in the Park, which had an incredible turnout.

This week it has been nice to see so many of our parents at our Hui-ā-whānau (student/parent/teacher meetings). It was great to see our learners lead this process, share their learning, and celebrate the highlights of the year.

This weekend is our Hospice Working Bee, which is one of the most special events on our calendar. We would love to see you there (please refer to separate article)

I wish you and your whānau a safe and happy festive period, and hopefully a chance to relax & enjoy time with family and friends.

To those whose children are finishing at Te Ao Mārama, we wish you all the best for the future, and to those returning in 2023, we look forward to seeing you next year.