It was wonderful to welcome so many new and prospective students and parents to our Open Night last week. I want to share with you some of the feedback we have received.

‘We were truly impressed by the warm welcome we received on Tuesday. The night had the right ratio of speeches and interaction with the classroom teacher. The students guiding us through the grounds really impressed us, they were confident, very friendly and willing to talk about the school and their education. The passion of students and teachers alike portrayed a very positive school environment’.

Others have spoken to me of how they felt welcomed into the Learning Areas and were impressed at the involvement of the students.

I feel very proud of this school and the way our staff and students present themselves and as parents you should also be proud of your daughter. These comments are evident that we truly do demonstrate our values.

This week we participated in our annual Quad Tournament in Timaru playing against Avonside, Christchurch and Timaru Girls' High. This tournament is a key fixture on our sports calendar and proved its value in the run up to our winter tournament week later in the term. I had the opportunity to attend Quad and it was wonderful to see the number of our supporters as well as team officials there.

The focus of our assembly this week was about looking after ourselves. This is not just our physical health but our mental health as well. We all know what the right foods are - plenty of fruit and vegetables with a balance of few sweets and sugary drinks but do we always give our bodies the right fuel to make it work well…not always and we know that has an impact on how our body and mind works. The Student Health Committee are encouraging students to focus nutritious food for the brain and have put out a challenge of eating a piece of fruit or a vegetable in Whānau time.

Our mental health is just as important and for all of us that means we need to take time for ourselves, put away our devices and get plenty of sleep without the distraction of a phone. It also means looking out for our friends and making sure they are OK and knowing what to do if we have concerns about them.

Tomorrow night is our Waitaki Formal at the Loan and Merc and I know the girls are excitedly preparing for this event. The Student Social Committee have spent a great deal of time organising this and we are looking forward to an evening of ‘Rustic Country’.

Kia Whakaute, Kia Haepapa, Kia Kaha i ka katoa