Kia ora,
Welcome to our final edition of the Community News for 2021.
2021 has been another immensely challenging and complex year for us all - despite this, it is important to think of what we have managed to achieve. And, although the threat of Covid will likely remain with us for 2022, we are all very hopeful that positive solutions will be found to support our school functioning as normally as possible.
At this time of the year we have needed to say farewell to a number of staff who will be leaving us. We have wished them all the very best, and thank them for the many years of service they have provided to our school. I would also like to collectively acknowledge and thank the entire staff, the Board of Trustees, and the school’s Parent/Teacher Association for their support and commitment to our school.
I would like to acknowledge and thank our parents, whānau, and the wider community for their support of the school, without this we cannot achieve and give the students the opportunities they deserve. I would also like to thank you and acknowledge the support and understanding you have shown as we negotiated our way through the Covid Pandemic this year.
As I am sure you can imagine we are well into our planning for 2022. Last Tuesday and Wednesday a large number of our Year 12 students participated in the first stage of the training programme to be Peer Support leaders for 2022. Their first task will be to lead the orientation programme for our incoming Year 9’s next year. Once again we have a superb group of young people who have been prepared to give up their time to support others. In late January they will attend a final training camp at Hanmer Springs, and a number of our staff will look forward to working with them up there.
Tuesday was the last day of exams, and sign out for our senior students took place on Wednesday. I’d like to congratulate the students on the manner in which they worked through this process. Following the sign out was the Leavers lunch for Year 13 and departing Kimi Ora students. I would like to acknowledge and thank the staff who have worked with the ‘Class of 2021” for their contribution and commitment to ensure the best possible support and guidance was put in place, and as a result our students leave us as mature, responsible young adults ready to take their place in the world.
On Friday we finished off the year with two wonderful Junior Prize-givings. I want to acknowledge how proud we are as a school of our junior students, despite the challenges they have faced this year, they continue to show us that they are a very multi talented group who have experienced success in many areas of school life. Our students’ resilience, and care that they have shown towards each other, is something to be very proud of.
This school is full of many wonderful students, who have contributed in a very positive way, not only to their academic and co-curricular achievement, but also the values, culture, and success of our school. They have a strong sense of social responsibility, and I am very proud of what they have achieved, and the manner in which they have conducted themselves.
I leave you this year with the whakatauki “Ehara taku toa, i te toa takitahi, engari, he toa takitini” - success is not the work of one, but the work of many. I look forward to 2022 where we will continue to work together to make the school an exciting and rewarding place.
Have a safe and happy holiday period.
Ngā mihi nui
Jeff Smith
Principal