It has been a heads-down-tails-up term, and we are looking forward to the sunshine that comes with daylight savings and the change of seasons as we move into summer.

Recent Events 

Special Chapel Service Sunday 11 September 

At a beautiful Chapel Service on 11 September, we not only celebrated our school Houses of Blake, Hillary and Ross but also paid tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II as the head of our State and the head of the worldwide Anglican Church. We are so grateful to be able to gather together again after the disruptions caused by COVID-19. Thank you to everyone who attended this special service with us, and also for all of the generous donations made for the Hamilton Food Bank. Nā to rourou, nā taku rourou, ka ora ai te iwi; With your food basket and my food basket, the people will thrive. 

Whaanau Dinner Friday 9 September 

Thank you to everyone who supported and attended the Whaanau Dinner. It was a wonderful occasion, well attended and enjoyed by all. We had an inspirational guest speaker in Donnamaree Ryder, who spoke about her humble beginnings and moving on to becoming the creator of an amazing App. Donnamaree highlighted the importance of challenging ourselves - we can all be learners and accept new challenges. Thank you to everyone who helped arrange this event and for the effort put in behind the scenes - especially Faith Tautuhi and Errin Nin. It was good to celebrate with you all, and the Mana Waahine Team were overwhelmed with the Aroha shown by whaanau and staff.

Annual Father/Daughter Breakfast Monday 5 September 

Our annual Father-Daughter Fundraising Breakfast was held on 5 September, and we had a fantastic turnout. Dr Baird Fleming, Director of Hamilton Zoo and Dio Dad to Alice and Tea, was our guest speaker. Dr Fleming shared some amazing stories and his passion for wildlife, and it was fascinating to gain some insight into his life growing up with animals. We thank Dr Fleming for his time on Monday and all our families who supported this event. I also want to acknowledge our communications and marketing and student event council team for their superb organisation. 

Senior Derived Grade Exams 

The Senior Derived Grade Exams ran from Thursday 15 September - until Thursday 22 September, with some catch-up examination sessions taking place this week. All examinations ran smoothly, and all of our students taking levels 1 - 3 NCEA external papers this year have put in a great effort to have these reflect the mahi that went into their academic achievement this year. 

Te Wiki o te Reo Māori / Maori Language Week 12 – 18 September 2022 

As we celebrated Te Wiki o te Reo Maaori, some of our Te Reo students were lucky enough to attend the University of Waikato's annual celebration of its unique history and relationship to the Kīngitanga. Attendees were treated to a programme that was jam-packed with presentations and events. 

I hope you all have a peaceful and restful term break with your whaanau and friends.

Mary Curran 

Principal

principal@wdsg.school.nz