Principal's Weekly Review 13 August 2021
Kia ora,
On Tuesday the school participated in the second PPTA Accord Day for this year. I would like to thank our community for their understanding, as the school needed to be closed for tuition to allow our staff to engage in the very important Professional Development linked to the future changes for NCEA. There is one further Accord Day scheduled for this year in November.
I would like to sincerely thank our parents, whānau, and caregivers for supporting the Academic Conference Day on Thursday. As a school we are hugely appreciative of your commitment to the shared responsibility of supporting our students to achieve to the best of their ability. For our returning students, this day also plays an integral part in linking with the upcoming Course Selection process. As part of the planning process for 2022, Course Selection evenings begin from next week. I would also like to acknowledge the students and staff for the parts they play in this conferencing process. With upwards of approximately 90% attendance, the day was an outstanding success. Having an opportunity to discuss students’ academic progress, and identifying the steps that can be taken to support and improve their achievement is critical to their ongoing success.
Next Thursday 19th August our current Year 11 and 12 students will have their Senior Course Selection evening. We would encourage parents, caregivers, and whānau to attend this evening with their child. The evening is critically important as it provides an opportunity for students and families to cross reference conversations with subject teachers and the many external providers that come in. From this, informed decisions can be made about subject choices for the following year, and how they link to career pathways.
Congratulations to the students who attended this year’s week long Southern Jam Secondary Jazz Festival in Blenheim. And, a big thank you to the staff who went with them. It is with great pride that we can announce that our Bands achieved a Gold Award, and Theo Henderson (Bass) and Niko Tudor-Oakley (Drums), were selected to play in the All Stars Band at the Gala Concert event on the final evening. Theo also received the award for Best Bass Player overall - a tremendous achievement. A write-up and pictures feature later in this edition.
Ngā mihi nui
Jeff Smith
Principal