Kia ora, mālō e lelei, olá, hallo, namaste, salām, tālofa, g’day and hello to all members of the Te Aratai community.

My name is David Draper and last term I stepped into the role of Year 9 Dean alongside Heather McLean. This term we have been working hard to ensure all students are in their classes and making the most of their learning. For some students, this has meant changing their classes to meet their needs. For others, it has been a matter of addressing their concerns and supporting decisions that ensure all students operate with the school uara (values).

I have been enjoying putting names to faces and supporting our ākonga as they explore their first year of high school. The after-school and weekend sports have been another chance of seeing our students excel and demonstrate the value of their character.

Heather has been astonishingly busy with both the school production, regional hip hop competitions and the demands of deaning. Thanks to Heather’s hard work we have been tracking students' dedication to the school values and are planning a reward for students in the form of a pizza lunch.

This week we will be celebrating students that have demonstrated our uara with badges at our first assembly of the term.

We’re all excited to see how our students continue to develop and grow over the course of the year. We hope that all students are embracing the mauri of Te Aratai and support their friends, peers and whānau.

Ngā mihi nui,

David Draper and Heather McLean 

dra@linwoodcollege.school.nz

hmc@linwoodcollege.school.nz