Kia ora, e te whānau.

There’s a sense of spring in the air – one minute we’re wading through puddles and mud, the next we have daffodils and spring blossoms. That change is felt at school too – after a long winter of masks, reduced timetables and absent teachers and students, it feels like our school is starting to wake up again too. This newsletter is full of activities and events that our students have organised and/or been a part of.

A highlight has been the Senior Ball, held recently at Te Papa, absent for the last two years because of COVID. It was a great evening, with students and staff enjoying the glitz and glamour of the evening, the sumptuous food and surroundings, and the opportunity to dress up and to create those special memories.

The focus of our seniors is now on NCEA, and it was good to see that students will be entitled to NCEA Learning Recognition Credits. It’s only fair that the disruption that many students have had this year with COVID, illnesses, rostering home and reduced timetables is recognised. Further information is in this Newsletter. This doesn’t replace the efforts needed in the next few weeks. Studying for the Senior Exams, attending the tutorials, seeking help from teachers – the normal hard graft is still required.

We do need to ask for your help in a couple of areas.

Our uniform has taken a bit of a hit over winter, with a number of students substituting correct uniform for a range of hoodies, tops and shoes. Please check the school's webpage for information on the correct uniform items or talk with the Deans. When we remove the masks at the start of Term 4, there are two areas that may lead to conversations if not addressed before then. Firstly, a reminder that boys must be clean-shaven, and secondly, one small plain nose stud is allowed but it must be a small, plain stud. No other visible piercing (including septum, tongue, or eyebrow piercing).

The shift to BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) is becoming more pressing, and we strongly encourage students to bring their own learning device (chromebook, tablet, laptop) to school to support their learning. Our teachers are about to embark on their own learning around digital fluency, and we can expect that the device will be needed more and more in the classroom, and in preparation for the online assessment that NZQA is moving towards.

I want to again thank our parents and caregivers for their patience and support as we have worked through the issues resulting from COVID and other illnesses this year. I think we will continue to deal with the impact for some time, as our children and young people work their way up and through the school system. Please be reassured that our thinking around student wellbeing, engagement, and the transition from Intermediate/Primary school to College is at the forefront of our thinking and planning.

Ngā mihi nui

Judith Taylor

Principal