This week saw the pared-down 2021 Senior Prizegiving held at the School Hall as a result of COVID restrictions.

Despite the limited number of participants, the event was still a wonderful celebration of the achievements of our students over a challenging year. Highlights included the announcement of 2021 Dux – Hupdric Eng, 2022 Head Girl and Boy – Sasha McNeil and Ammon Betham, and the awarding of the David Te Maipi Memorial Trophy to 2021 Head Students Shakira Khan and Dhanraj Soni.

Our seniors are now on exam leave, and will be attending tutorials at school, studying at home or participating in our Academic Achievement Programme (AOP). With only a month or so to go until we finish for the year there is still much to do with our junior students who are planning their Manaakitanga projects, and thinking about Activity Day. We will be holding Year 9 and Year 10 Prizegivings but, unless COVID alert levels change, they will be in a different format to last year.

COVID-19 Update

As you are probably aware, Monday 15 November is a key date for all schools as the Public Health Order relating to vaccinations comes into force. All staff and anyone who comes on site when students are present must have had their first vaccination by that date or they can no longer work with students. At time of writing we have over 95% of staff who have at least received their first jab (and nearly all of those are double-jabbed) with the great majority double-vaccinated.

The vaccination mandate also applies to all volunteers (eg in sports and cultural events) and we will be asking volunteers for this information on their vaccination status.

Next year we will focus on collecting our students' vaccination status as required and we will be asking students /parents-caregivers for this information and to provide evidence.

Finally, we are delighted to be seeing an increase in student numbers enrolling at all levels for 2022. If you know of whanau/families who are yet to enrol for 2022, could you remind them to do so asap please. It helps enormously with our planning for next year.

Ngā mihi nui

Judith Taylor

Principal