Principal's Welcome 

19th August 2022 (Friday)

Tena katou kātoa

There have been a number of successful college events that have taken place over the past fortnight.

School Ball

This was a very enjoyable evening. Congratulations must go to all involved. Mrs Rothbart and the Ball committee did a wonderful job organising the evening and preparing the venue. All those who attended seemed determined to have a great time. Opportunities to have such events have not always been possible recently and the students seemed to want to make the most of this occasion. The venue, DJ and photographers were all very complimentary about our students.

Dramafest

For the first three weeks of this term, all the Year 10 to 13 Drama classes have been participating in Dramafest. As part of their course requirements, these classes must perform in front of a live audience. It also gives family and other students the chance to see the dramatic talent our students possess. Congratulations to all performers, they should be proud of their efforts.

KBB Festival and Music Showcase

These events provided our music students and groups with the opportunity to showcase their talents and there was a lot of talent on show. Both the Big Band and Concert Band performed at the KBB Festival this past week and received ‘Highly Commended’ awards. The performances were of a high calibre, and Mr Lile and the students were justifiably proud of the way they performed. Again, students made the most of being able to participate in an event that has not been possible recently.

Open Day

Last Saturday, 13 August, the school ran an Open Day for 2023 enrolments at the college. This would not have been possible without a significant number of students and staff being willing to give up their Saturday morning to highlight the school and its teaching and learning programmes. Students did an excellent job acting as tour guides and undertaking activities in subject areas. Their support was greatly appreciated. Having both the First XI Boys Football and 4^th Grade Rugby playing and scoring convincing wins before crowds of supporters helped make it a very good day.

Community Consultation

A big thank you to those parents, students and staff who volunteered to participate in focus groups discussing priorities for the next three-year strategic plan for the college. There were valuable ideas shared which will be useful in determining the priorities for the college. A follow up survey will be sent to all parents, students, and staff later this year.

Mask Wearing

At the start of this term, the college re-introduced the wearing of masks indoors for students unless they had an exemption.  This was to be reviewed at the end of Week 4.  Looking at the college’s attendance data and the reasons for absences plus the continued high rates of staff sickness, it has been decided to continue requiring students to wear masks.  We will review this decision again in two weeks’ time.

The theme for school assemblies this term is ‘Characteristics of Effective Learners’. We are sharing how by having a growth mindset and applying that to aspects such as facing challenges, effort and receiving feedback, students can develop the skills and attitude to be more effective and successful in their learning. Senior students and parents will have the opportunity to attend an evening presentation on 30 August by experienced educator, Patrick Sherratt, on how to pass exams. I recommend taking advantage of this opportunity.

Ngā mihi nui

Gordon Robertson

Principal

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