Usually I would provide everyone with an update from the Board of Trustees at the final assembly. With the slightly different spin on the celebrations this year the 2021 update has moved to the newsletter.

2021 is the third year of the current Board being in place and we are pleased that many of our projects are now starting to come to life and early decisions made have paid benefits. As I look back on my term as Board Chair I am immensely proud of what has been achieved so far. In the last three years we have seen the introduction of pants and shorts to our uniform, we have opened up more learning opportunities with the removal of school fees and provided more sporting opportunities with the introduction of the sports equity fund. It has been an absolute privilege to work with a team of future focused, passionate Board Members and School Leaders to remove these barriers for our students.

Strategically the Board has undertaken a number of reviews. External reviews have been completed for the Sports Department, Guidance Department, Māori Achievement and Our Community Perception. These reviews have formed the basis for work in each of these departments and many of you would have participated in these. All of these reviews have facilitated positive change in our school and we thank you for your contribution.

Financially the school is in a stable position. While the majority of the school costs are funded by the Ministry of Education, we do require additional income to provide additional staff and resources. Before COVID we earned these funds from our International Students. With the borders being closed this income has significantly reduced. Fortunately, with good financial management we have been able to continue to fund additional resources and will continue to do so.

Operationally the school is also in a stable position. We continue to recruit high calibre teaching and operational staff and offer a diverse and rich learning opportunity for our students. 2022 looks to be the highest intake of Year 9 students yet and our focus is to ensure the school will be well equipped to welcome them and support our other returning students.

We continue to work with the Ministry of Education to upgrade our property. The limited investment funds held by the Ministry along with COVID complications have made this no easy task. This year has seen significant upgrades to C Block and June 2022 will finally see building work start on J Block. To get any of these projects funded requires the work of a huge team and we are fortunate to have some very passionate people in our school.

I look forward to handing over to the new board after the elections in September next year. I hope that many of you will put your hands up to become a Trustee and carry on the work started to build a school that will serve our current and future students well.

Wishing you all a safe break.

Yvonne Handley
Board of Trustees Chair