Tēnā koutou, Malo e lelei, Tālofa lava, Bula vinaka, Good afternoon.

I would like to begin by thanking those of you in the school community who participated in our recent consultation survey. The feedback was both plentiful and invaluable and I have enjoyed reading the results, along with the many comments and suggestions from teachers, students, parents and caregivers. The divergent views of our school community reflect the wonderfully diverse world that we live in and give us the opportunity to reflect on the strengths of our school, along with areas that we need to continue to develop. This is an exciting prospect for us all as we look to the future and more specifically to how we can provide the best environment and conditions for our young women, to ensure that they are successful both at and beyond school.

A key area identified in the consultation process was a desire to continue to strengthen academic achievement, but we must be mindful that this does not, and should not, look the same for everyone. Every student at Waitaki Girls’ must have the opportunity to learn, to grow and be challenged to be their own best. To pursue personal excellence. It is our job to harness each individual’s potential and inspire them towards it. This begins with high expectations for appearance, effort, behaviour and attitude; all common areas that our community consultation survey recognised as important to ensure that WGHS students are proud of themselves and their school, and well equipped to be successful now and in the future.

Another common theme from the survey was the desire to continue incorporating values-based education into school life. Incorporating learning and experiences about wellbeing, relating to others, growth mindset, building positive emotions, personal resilience and self esteem allows young women the opportunity to flourish, both in their learning and in life. It ensures that when our leavers finish their time at Waitaki Girls’, they can move forward on their journey knowing how to be respectful, responsible and resilient. How to be kind, considerate and empathetic. How to be a confident, positive, valued member of society and how to make the most of life’s adventure ahead.

As we look to 2021 and beyond, the feedback from our community consultation process will be the driving force for our strategic planning and the day to day decisions we make at Waitaki Girls’. Balancing the past and the present with where we are heading in the future, can seem a daunting prospect, but I was reassured when I came across the translation of our 133 year old Latin school motto, Dulcius Ex Arduis earlier this term, “Satisfaction from hard work”. It is proof that some things stand the test of time and it aligns closely with our Waitaki Way expectations. It also provides a timely reminder to our students, many who are currently in the midst of their NCEA exams and others who are experiencing self selected module-based learning here at school currently, that there is great reward to be gained from putting your best effort into everything that you do, regardless of whether or not it is something you want to do.

Elizabeth Koni

Principal