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

The end of the school year always allows time to contemplate and as I reflect on 2022, I am proud that we have continued to make gains towards achieving our school goals of excellence in teaching and learning, nurturing wellbeing and building a positive school culture. It has not always been easy, but goals are not meant to be. They provide something for us to aspire to and work towards. And as we work towards our goals it is timely to remember that it is the journey, not the destination, that matters the most, for this is where we explore, struggle, learn and grow.

On the journey towards achieving our school goals I have learnt how important it is to live our values. Here at school this begins with having the courage to stand up for what we know is in the best interests of our young women. Yet in this age of schools at the forefront of criticism, often from the very people we serve, it is not always easy, I assure you. But when you live in your values, decisions become much easier. When we demand that students wear their uniform correctly because this teaches self-respect, it is easier. When we insist on the commitment of attendance for students to have privileges outside the classroom because this teaches responsibility, it is easier. When we refuse to shy away from opportunities that can result in disappointment and failure because this teaches resilience, it is easier.

This year I have also been reminded that life is what we make it. There is not one of us who has not faced adversity, uncertainty, judgement, self-doubt, illness, and loss. But there is also not one of us who has not had a choice in how we respond to these hardships. Yet, sadly there is a developing trend in New Zealand to renounce responsibility for our lives, in favour of blaming someone or something else. It doesn’t matter how big or small the adversity, the problem with this approach is that by doing so, we risk becoming debilitated and helpless. The sooner we realise that we hold responsibility for how we respond to life’s challenges, the sooner we are empowered to do something about it. We get to choose. Every test in our life can make us bitter or better. Every problem comes to break us or make us. The choice is ours whether we become the victim or the victor.

The final thing I have learned as we work towards our school goals this year, is how important it is to have courage; to be brave. Brave enough to live in your values. Brave enough to take responsibility for your life and brave enough to keep working at it; even when the odds are against you, even when the easy option is to quit. Brave enough to forgive yourself when you get it wrong - and others when they get it wrong. Brave enough to see the lighter side of life in this ‘woke’ world. Brave enough to accept that we are all different, but none of us is better than the other. My hope is that our students have developed similar understandings in their own journey this year.

We will fail, we will make mistakes. We’re human, not perfect. We’ll get bruised, but we are alive. And what a privilege this is - to breathe, to think, to enjoy, and to chase the things we love. Sometimes there is sadness in our journey, but there is also lots of beauty. We have to be brave enough to keep putting one foot in front of the other, even when we suffer, even when things don't turn out the way we plan, for we never know what is waiting for us just around the bend.

Elizabeth Koni

Principal