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

Welcome to a new school year. As a staff we are excited to begin working towards the ambitious goals that our Board of Trustees have set in our strategic plan. As I mentioned to our young women at assembly last week, these goals will require challenge, change and courage for us all.

Goal 1 is Excellence in Teaching and Learning. This is about having high expectations and working with our students, and you, their parents and caregivers, to achieve their absolute potential. Teachers cannot do this for them or without them. Our students have to rise to meet the expectations and make the most of opportunities that are offered. This might be challenging at times, and I hope that it is. Because adversity and challenge are life’s way of creating strength and growth.

Goal 2 is Nurturing Wellbeing. This is about creating an environment where every student feels valued and accepted. An environment where it is safe to be themselves and where they feel empowered to take risks and step out of their comfort zone. We want Waitaki Girls’ to be a place that encourages positive relationships, engagement and emotions. Where kindness, care and compassion for one another are never underestimated, because with them, we have the potential to change one another's lives for the better.

Goal 3 is Positive School Culture. This is about using the Waitaki Way values to guide the way we live and learn. It is about having pride in ourselves and our school, celebrating the effort and successes of one another and cultivating respect, responsibility and resilience in all that we do.

The wellbeing and success of our students is what matters the most. And these are intrinsically linked. Basic human needs which we all share are the need to feel a sense of belonging and a sense of purpose. As a school, we can provide the opportunities for these, but it is up to each young woman who attends WGHS to take these opportunities. Our parents also have a part to play and we appreciate your support encouraging the high expectations that we have around attendance, appearance, effort, behaviour and attitude. Already it has been rewarding to receive positive feedback about how tidy our young women appear as they make their way to and from school and to hear the positive buzz of our students talking, laughing and building real connections with one another another at lunchtime!

I will finish today with a note about change, as we are certainly embracing this at WGHS this year. Change can be difficult and sometimes daunting, but a lovely book I read not so long ago put it into a more positive light, which I think is worth sharing:

“Growing and changing isn’t always easy; transformation never is. There are going to be moments that break your heart. There will be days when you reach your breaking point. There will be times when you just can’t hold on any longer ... But do it. Hold on just a little longer. Know that you are in the process of becoming. Trust that you are changing and growing and becoming so much stronger. Know that you are transforming from the inside out into who you’re meant to become. It might take time, it might bring you to your knees, but it will be worth it. It always is.”

Elizabeth Koni

Principal