Tena Koutou! Schools are busy places. Things do not slow down, a lot gets covered in a short space of time and that has been exactly the case for Term 3 this year!

We went through most of the term in a “Level 2 Alert status”. For us, this meant no whole school assemblies, sport being played with a reduced spectator component, re-considering the logistics for every trip that we took outside of the classroom, holding the House Choirs Festival during the school day rather than at night, and sadly, many things being cancelled. That is the world that we are living in at the moment however, so there is no use in focusing on what we have not done, instead we should remain thankful that we are living in a country where we were able to attend school all term and still able to attend functions albeit with restrictions.

I have been encouraged and inspired by the leadership qualities that we have seen from many of our students this term. Our senior leaders have done a great job in guiding their Houses in the build up to the House Choir performances. Our Tuakana–Teina project is up and running and it is wonderful to see some of our senior girls truly nurturing and keeping an eye out for our younger students. When we see true leadership coming from the ground up (i.e from the students, to each other), then we are in a strong position as a school.

We said goodbye to our Property Manager, Murray Davies, at the end of this term. Murray has been our Property Manager for the past 15 years. He has been a hard working individual for our school with a great knowledge and understanding of everything to do with property and buildings. He always took great pride in his work. Our beautiful grounds and ever improving state of our buildings is a credit to Murray and his team. Murray, thank you for all of the good times, the support, the camaraderie, the laughs and above all else, your genuine commitment to our school over the years. We wish you all the best for your retirement.

It is with great sadness that I announce the resignation of Pikimai Ouknider, our Te Reo Maori teacher, Kapahaka tutor and so much more. Pikimai’s contribution to our school culture has been huge. She will be missed by students, staff and whanau. Pikimai is answering the call to go home. The time is right for her and she and her family will return “home” at the end of this year. We will farewell Pikimai formally at the end of the year. We are so grateful for all that she has brought to our Kura.

I extend a big thank you to our staff. We have teachers and staff members who will go the extra mile for our students, and for that, I am hugely appreciative. Positive relationships between teachers / staff and students is absolutely vital in creating a healthy school. We need to be able to communicate with our students honestly, openly and consistently. Teachers are constantly talking with students about their academic progress and how we can help. I am reminded of the adage “It takes a village to raise a child” and I believe that that approach is what is needed if we are to continue to be an effective, caring school community. We are truly all in this together – He Waka Eke Noa. A healthy community is one where everyone works for the benefit of the greater whole. Everyone has a part to play in making our school thrive. Students are an important part of that equation – they need to engage and want to contribute as much as the teachers and staff do.

I wish for our students and staff a well-deserved rest over this holiday period. The mind and body needs a break from routine once in a while. When we all return in Term 4, that will be the time to pin the ears back and give everything a final determined push as NCEA examinations loom and the end of the school year creeps up upon us.

Nga mihi nui ki a koutou, thank you for your ongoing support.