From the Tumuaki | Principal 2023 Term 3 Week 6

Kia ora tātou

Wow - we have only 8 school weeks left for senior students! We have made the decision to extend our teaching time for seniors to 3 Nov, the Friday before exams start, to make up for time lost during term 2. This also coincides with national Gumboot Friday so we hope to have a fun day again with tractors and, of course, gumboots. We also have a staff only day on Thursday 16 November which is the day before Canterbury Anniversary.

It was an honour to be the judge for a very special Lip Sync competition this week, witnessing acts that demonstrated talent and courage. Our staff act was interesting and very entertaining! Well done and thanks to all those who organised and performed.

Our Head Student candidates for 2024 addressed assemblies so that they could try to sway the voters who, from this year on, will be all of our students. Their speeches were awe-inspiring, describing how they would embody and develop one of our school values: they left me with full confidence that we will have a strong leadership team again next year and some difficult selections to make.

With our Commerce students running a trade fair, and Daffodil Day yellow clothes, there are lots of good things happening around school. 

Congratulations to our basketball teams on their great results last weekend, placing 2nd (girls) and 1st (boys) in their grades. A belated congratulations to Mason Thompson for his award with Selwyn Schools 1st XV, a fitting reward valuing his commitment to giving back. Next week, three teams head away to represent us in winter Tournament Week: good luck and best wishes to our U15 Rugby (Alexandra), Senior A Netball (Invercargill) and Girls Hockey (Greymouth) teams. Well done to Pip and the sports team for their coordination and thanks to all the volunteers and sponsors supporting our teams.

Next week we have Shave for a Cure. We have a range of brave souls facing the shave to show support for cancer sufferers, especially leukaemia. I've grown fond of my mullet but it's time for it to go! We're on $7,405 as a school - if you can help raise that further, please click here.

Congratulations to Whaea Niki Medhurst who has been accepted onto the TeachFirst Ako Mātātupu “Rautahi Pathway”. This is a two year teaching apprenticeship to bring skilled people into areas of teaching with critical shortages such as Te Reo Māori (this case) and Technology.

Mauri ora ki a tātou (good health/wellbeing to all of us)

Andy England

Key dates:

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

Week 7 Tournament Week

Week 8 Senior Exam Week

Week 10 Koru Games (years 7&8)

22 Sept Last day of term 3

9 Oct First day of term 4

3 Nov Last day for seniors, Gumboot Friday