It’s nice to be back together as a school!

Kia ora whanau

Well what an interesting time we have all been through over these past few months. Many have developed their character as a result of the recent lockdown. Our students had to suddenly demonstrate a high level of self-motivation and organisation when it came to continuing on with their learning. Our teachers had to quickly change the way that they delivered work and stayed connected with, and gave feedback to, their students. What became evident to me quickly was the power of our strong community. I was delighted to see our senior student leaders take the initiative to connect with the rest of our school via social media, providing some fun activity or inspiration everyday of Level 4. This was a time when a light-hearted dimension was needed, and a daily connection was important.

As we now operate at Level 2, with the vast majority of our school back on site, the strong sense of community is evident again. I saw and felt on day one people pleased to be back together. People reflecting on the time apart and acknowledging that nothing beats the influence of a face-to-face teaching and learning environment. While there are things to be gained from the online experience (and we will explore those things in more detail, and hold on to them as we move forward), the small nuances of teaching face-to-face can’t be beaten.

Our focus now is on moving forward. Assessing where everyone is with regards to their learning, and doing the best that we can to support everyone over the second half of Term 2 and the rest of the year.

We are all looking forward to the cultural, musical, theatrical and sporting side of our school getting back up and running. These experiences are a big part of school life. It is not all just about academic learning. Schools provide our young people with a wide range of experiences both in, and outside of, the classroom and I know that for many, the loss of these extra-curricular activities has been keenly felt. We are all watching this space with interest.

We are aware that for some this lockdown has created extra, unexpected financial stress. If you need support with school expenses, please do not hesitate to contact us about this. We want to help wherever we can, so please let us know.

Finally, thank you to you, our parents, who quite possibly took the biggest “hit” when the lockdown occurred. You were asked, in a short space of time, to become a “jack of all trades” in the family home, becoming learning co-ordinators for your children, along with managing everything else that the lockdown situation created.

A whakatauki that I often like to use is: He Waka Eke Noa – We Are all in this Together.

These past few months have been a perfect example of everyone needing to do their bit to support each other and help our wider community. We have certainly ALL been in this together! I’m very much looking forward to the rest of the school year.

Nga mihi nui Koutou

Deb Hales