E mihi ana ki a koutou | wishes/welcome to you all.

Wow - so much happening for students at the moment!

Our year 7 and 8 students went to town for the MASH Tough Kids event, with running and foam and all sorts of fun (thanks to our sports team for organising this)
Our year 10 PE students have been out visiting primary schools to offer physical games as part of their learning programme
Our Duke of Edinburgh students are currently away up the Wharfedale Track
Jess Lal is in Auckland representing us (and Pasifika students across the motu) contributing to the curriculum refresh
A group of senior students are spending two days training to become Peer Support leaders for next year’s new students
Our year 9 Social Studies students have been presenting their ideas about Kaitiakitanga to a panel of judges and their peers
A group of students grilled Assistant Principal interview candidates to give input to the selection process.
And there’s heaps of good stuff happening in classes!
Don’t forget next week’s junior prizegivings on Tuesday (our last day for all students).

It’s not just exam time for our students - Whaea Niki Medhurst is studying to become a qualified teacher | kaiako and achieved an A+ in her first assessment! It’s great to know we have such talent on our team. Niki was also thanked deeply, along with Bee Korewha, by the whānau and students of Ngā Puāwai ō Tawera, the primary schools kapa haka group that includes our year 7 and 8 students. They’ve really taken off this year, with support from MoE, and have started to be asked to perform at various events from the Hororātā Highland Games to farming events.

This week, we signed an agreement with 24/7 Youthwork and Darfield Life Church to enable us to have a youth worker onsite next year. Youth workers are in every other Selwyn secondary school and Mayor Sam Broughton used to do this role at DHS - their job is to just mix and mingle and be positive role models for our students; they’re not counsellors but they can help students to find support if they need to. Their church background is not part of their work. My thanks to Steven Pona at Darfield Life Church for his commitment to this kaupapa and to their members for supporting the funding, as well as to 24/7 and Selwyn District Council for their support.

Teacher in Charge of Geography Mr Chris Quinn will move on to Hornby High School next year with our best wishes. We are advertising currently and have back up plans in place due to the difficult time of year for recruitment. We have appointed but will announce our new Assistant Principal next week.

Mauri ora ki a koutou (good mental/spiritual health to all)

Andy England

Key dates:

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

Year 7&8 prizegiving Tue 12 Dec (1.30 pm - 3.00 pm)

Year 9&10 prizegiving Tue 12 Dec 11.30 am - 1.00 pm (students may be taken home afterwards or remain at school)

Last day of term for all students Tue 12 Dec

L-R: Nate Loong, Steven Pona, Andy England, Jared Peacock

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