As I write this article, we have been moved back into Alert Level 2 today (12 August).

Whilst we are all living in a time of uncertainty with COVID-19, I still find myself reflecting on how lucky we are to be living in New Zealand at this time, when so many other countries in the world are facing significantly more serious challenges with this virus. This is a time for us to check in with ourselves and make sure that complacency has not settled in!

Having said that, school life on the whole resembles what it did pre-lockdown, although we are raising awareness again around responsible hygiene practices and we will not run whole school assemblies at Level 2. All other activities have been back up and running for some time now (some admittedly with minor adjustments) and the majority of people have gotten back into the regular routine that comes with living a busy life.

Many of our deans and teachers are meeting with students this term and having rich conversations with them around their progress. For our senior girls, these conversations will be complimented and built upon with our Academic Conferencing Day that is scheduled for Monday 14 September. The aim of these meetings is to provide accurate feedback and useful feedforward to both our students and parents as we move through the academic school year. Your presence at these meetings is much appreciated.

I have enjoyed watching many of our sports teams participating in recent weeks. The Quad tournament on Monday 3rd August was a successful day with TGHS getting a well-deserved 2nd placing. I want to acknowledge our strong parent support across all of our sporting codes. We have many parents coaching or managing teams, and our side lines are always dotted with our parents supporting. Thank you all, it does make a difference to the girls who are participating.

Our senior Arts Leaders are planning a Variety Night in the next few weeks. This will be an opportunity for students from all year levels to showcase their various talents and support the Arts in the school. We were treated to some wonderful performances in assembly last week by a group of our Yr 13 musicians. The skill level and confidence of many of our girls is inspiring.

Our senior Cultural Leaders also have some interesting activities planned for the coming weeks that I know our students will enjoy.

I want to extend a very warm welcome to the new families that have joined our Girls High community in recent weeks. We look forward to getting to know your daughter’s (and you!) in the upcoming months / years.

Finally, I know I say this with nearly every newsletter, but I want to thank you for the support that you give the girls as they travel through their schooling years. The teenage years can be complex and challenging. The difference that it makes when a student has ongoing supportive parenting in the background, is significant, so thank you, thank you thank you.

Nga mihi,

Deb Hales