On 25 August, we are holding our Parents Information and Senior Options event. The afternoon/early evening event aims to provide parents and students with advice and information about senior subject choices and the NCEA system.

As part of the event, all Dio parents are invited to join us to reconnect through a principal and board's address. We invite consultation with our community on how Dio can best adapt to this COVID world. We have an opportunity to build back better - to develop strategies and systems that build resilience into their design.

COVID-19 has been incredibly challenging for schools across the globe and has created even greater inequity in education systems. There are health questions related to COVID-19 vaccines and safety precautions, along with many other pandemic-related challenges like impacts on students’ social-emotional and academic well-being.

But the pandemic has also allowed us to strengthen and develop our systems and build back better. What have we learned from the pandemic? How do we better support student learning and engagement? How do we support student and staff wellbeing? How do we enable teachers and leaders to thrive?

On the back of this, we currently have the triennial elections for school boards. Every three years, state and state-integrated school communities elect their parent and staff representatives to help govern their schools. Boards of state and state-integrated schools with students above Year 9 also hold a student representative election in September each year.

The pandemic has proven that leadership at every level matters. School board members have a significant influence on setting the vision and direction of our school.

The role of the Board of Trustees (BOT) is to ensure that the school is properly managed, financed, and complies with the educational and legal requirements of the Ministry of Education. The BOT also sets the strategic direction of the school.

In essence, the board determines the “what,” the big picture and the staff determines the “how” or the day-to-day operations. For example, the board might create a policy on attendance, but then it's on the administration to take that policy and implement it.

Board members also monitor student achievement and ensure that the policies and budget created is equitable, leading to the results we want, where every student can reach their potential.

Details about candidates were sent to you this week. Those with valid email addresses will receive election papers and instructions from CES by email on how to vote online. For those without emails, election papers and instructions will be sent to you by post from CES.

The most immediate way to affect the outcomes of school board elections is to vote. Please take this opportunity to cast your vote for candidates who will make a positive, values-driven difference in your daughter's education - the Dio Difference.

Mary Curran