From the Principal: 2022 Term 4 Week 8 (last day of term)

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Here we are again, at the end of the school year. This week, we have student activities and especially our bees arriving, an amazing student award plus new staff for next year.

Kia ora e te whānau | hello to our school family

Here we are, on the last day of the year. Whilst it may only be week 8 of the term, the fatigue of a disrupted year seems to have caught up with most people in our community and we all seem ready for a break!

The MASH Tough Kids mud run saw 170 students head to New Brighton for a fun day out this week, with so much support from staff (especially Pip Deans) and the wider community.

We also brought bees to our school site, thanks to Kirwee Bees and amazing work by Mackenzie Butler especially. I’ve always believed that our education systems has become too “2-dimensional”, book/laptop-based, biased against those who learn with their hands or need to do to learn. Our bees will offer us options for maths, apiculture, business and associated learning such as planting.

Mackenzie's contributions to the school community were recognised by Zonta clubs and she has been selected for their Young Women in Public Affairs Award. This is a major award and we're very proud of Mackenzie. 

Our 2022 school magazine was published this week and looks great. A huge mihi to Courtenay Henshaw who picked up this project at late notice and worked tirelessly to complete it.

Andrea Jacobs will take the place of Jayne Mallinder as one of our school counsellors next year. Andrea will be known to many of our students as a relief teacher, but she has been studying counselling and working with Mana Ake (mental health support) for the last year so she is very well placed for our role.

We have appointed Thomas Simpson-Manley as a new Health and PE teacher: Thomas is a first year teacher from Christchurch with a background in coaching basketball. He will join Nicole Reardon who returns from parental leave in a part time capacity.

Please remember uniform will not be available to purchase until January from Mainland Uniforms, as they need to sort stock from the Warehouse (some of our unsold items from there will be sold initially as that cost is otherwise borne by the school). We are confident of improved customer service at Mainland Uniforms. There will be separate specific info on uniform coming soon.

Have a great break as whānau and we look forward to seeing everyone fresh and ready in Feb 2023.

Noho ora mai (stay well)

Andy England

Dates next term

  • 31 Jan Year 7 and new students welcome mihi whakatau and first day

  • 1 Feb Year 7 & 8

  • 2 Feb whole school

  • 6 Feb day off for Waitangi Day

  • 13 Feb 1 - 6pm whānau conferences (a longer appointment for us to learn about your child’s strengths, from you, and to share workshops you may be interested in as parents/whānau, with kai)