Review of all things Waiporoporo for 2020.

Kia ora Waiporoporo whānau.

2020 has been an eventful year. It still amazes me that just moments ago we were introducing our ākonga to their new subject teachers and learning areas. We reflect on a year, hoping that we have modelled Mauri Ora through Ako, instilled and displayed life long values and never strayed from our ultimate goal – to be present and excellent.

Term 4 has been a year on its own; from the introduction of revised NCEA modelling to an exceptional senior prize giving. What a delight to celebrate our learners and to acknowledge our Year 13s in their final year. As the term progresses we commend all learners and staff involved in the NCEA exams. We trust that smart work and determination has paid off. We look forward to celebrating with our junior award winners and their whānau in the days to come.

I would like to honour our kaiārahi - you have been and are the backbone of building deeply valued relationships with our ākonga, their whānau and with each other. You are an exceptional team, thank you. To the Waiporoporo assistant dean, Lukas Davidson, you are a kindred spirit. Thank you for your endless mahi; your passion for our students and their best interests is commendable. To Natasha Powell, our line manager, you have led well, thank you for your guidance and keeping the focus on our vision, always. To our guidance and learning support teams, thank you for always considering the wellbeing of our learners, your mahi is greatly appreciated.

We celebrate you, our ākonga, you have persisted through a year with unpredictable events and sometimes insurmountable challenges. Well done; you are the reason we continue to invest mōhio into every bit of your lives. To our Year 13 students and seniors that will be leaving us to participate in alternative pathways, Carpe Diem, and be great at everything you do.

To all Waiporoporo whānau, let’s look forward to a successful 2021 as we sow seeds of unprecedented young futures and reap rewards of mahi past. "In whatever we do, let’s stay present”

Ngā mihi nui,

Garth Lewis