Tēnā koutou | hello to all of you

I am incredibly proud of the range of sporting opportunities that we offer through our amazing Sports Department. Pip Deans, our Sports Coordinator, and her colleagues Jo Beswick and Lexie Sinclair-Dockerill, have provided a two-page list of team and individual events which are all being supported by our school community. They have secured volunteers from staff, parents and the wider school whānau and funding from donors, grant organisations, activities and parents. They organise uniforms, transport, communications…the list goes on…and they still go along to watch and appreciate our students. My thanks to them for their incredible mahi and passion.

The whole school got behind our First XV rugby team on Wednesday for their first game of the season. It wasn’t the result we were after but that’s sport and it was a great game. It was fantastic to see parents/grandparents come along and we hope to have further opportunities like this.

ShowQuest is offering our arts-focused students a wonderful opportunity with the leadership of teacher Robyn Cutler. Many students have taken this up and I can't wait to see their performance. Thanks to Robyn for making this happen.

I took a tour of our Year 7 Project exhibition and was very impressed with the quality of their work and how they could talk to it. Whether it was a ‘future Darfield’, designed in computer software and built from cardboard, or an educational toy for our pre-schools, students had all learnt about working in teams and managing projects. These key competencies are essential for all aspects of working life and - in my view - the most universally important part of our curriculum.

Our thoughts are with the whānau of Whangārei Boys High School as they mourn their loss. Please be assured that we, as a school which values outdoor education, are actively reflecting on our own practices.

The last item of our new uniform - the hoodie - arrived this week and those students wearing it look great. However, a manufacturing fault in the material has led to recalling them and withdrawing them from sale until it is addressed. Sadly, I’m aware of offensive comments by adults on Facebook which has thankfully been withdrawn but revealed an ugly side to our community that we need to face up to: racism. Having a design and colours taken from our school logo is bold, but the fact they have a Māori influence is no threat to non-Māori and it is disappointing that this still offends some people. European design and culture is prevalent everywhere, in clothing and speech and greetings such as hand-shakes and even the very way we organise our education system. A future NZ, with a truly blended culture of Māori and non-Māori, is an exciting prospect. I do recognise that, for some people, this can be scary as it is unfamiliar: the government education system almost eradicated Māori language and customs so there are some generations with little or no knowledge or connection. But Māori were here first, Britain signed a binding Treaty in 1840, and now we’re starting to honour that.

The Board’s decision to approve this design, however, was actually about offering students something brighter and more interesting than the blandness of plain school uniforms. Once a hoodie had been approved, last year, students were engaged in a design process and the most popular designs were similar enough that the professionals in the manufacturing process could apply the finishing touches. Samples were sent last term and shown to a range of students for feedback before the order was placed. We acknowledge that there is a risk that anything with design or pattern may not appeal to some people, but so can an absence of pattern which is also a deliberate design reflecting another culture. Either way, with uniform being compulsory (although there are options within the uniform) this can create a problem. Given the manufacturing issue presents an opportunity to modify, we are considering minor modifications currently.

PPTA strike action is still happening at this stage, with year levels targeted as below. Given that most of our teachers are PPTA members, we do need to roster year levels home on the days set out below and we recognise the impact of this on students and whānau. If you or your child has a real need to be in school on that day, please let us know in advance and non-members will ensure safe supervision with study. Please keep an eye on comms as these can change with short notice.

Mauri ora ki a koutou | best wishes for all of you

Andy England

Key dates:

See https://darfield.school.nz/calendar/

Tuesday 16 May: PPTA strike targeting Year 9 students (Year 9 stay home unless really need to attend)

Wednesday 17 May: PPTA strike targeting Year 10 students (Year 10 stay home unless really need to attend)

PPTA Strike information