Kia Ora  Whānau,

It is with pleasure that I write my first newsletter as Acting Principal of Marshland School. As you will be aware, Jacqui is away on sabbatical leave for term 3 and I’ve been nominated, to keep the seat warm in her absence. I am thrilled to be given this opportunity and feel confident in executing the complex duties of the role. I’m excited about the new learning and challenges ahead and the impact of these new experiences on my professional development .

I am extremely fortunate to work alongside such dedicated and passionate staff members, who go the extra yard for our tamariki. I appreciate and value the continued support from our parents and caregivers and look forward to meeting with new families. I feel very proud of our children in their abilities to work collaboratively, to problem solve, to think critically and be motivated and engaged in their learning.

Yesterday was a perfect example of that! I popped into the Pukeko Nest for their special event - 100 Days at School! There were so many fun activities for the children to participate in e.g. counting in 10s to 100, finding 100 objects to put in a bag, reading 100 words, creating individual crowns for every child, icing biscuits and adding sprinkles. The children thoroughly enjoyed the day. I would like to give special thanks to the teachers for their time and effort in preparing the hub & creating the activities for tamariki.

It’s the final countdown before the first performance of "The Lion King Jr" production. The children have been working hard to fine tune their specific roles and the excitement is building. Many thanks to Bex Osborn, her support crew and the cast for their time and commitment. The show is going to be fantastic. There is still time to purchase tickets to either the matinee or Wednesday evening show.

Congratulations to Dave Sutherland and his wife Tessa on the birth of a healthy baby boy, Harry Mario Mitchell Sutherland weighing 4.17kg. We look forward to meeting young Harry in due course.

The Marshland Board of Trustees have sent an email to all parents regarding the strike action on Wednesday 15th August. Due to the conflict of interest, Terry van der Schaaf (Staff Rep) and I will not be involved in any discussion or decision making with the Board of Trustees.

As mentioned in the previous article (25.7.18) from the Board of Trustees chairperson, it is important to know what we are campaigning for:

* More teachers - so your children can get more attention

* More resources/staff to support children with additional       learning needs

* A pay jolt to salaries for teachers to address the teacher     shortage - so that your children will have a teacher in the   future

Ngā mihi nui

Riki