Kia ora Koutou

By Mary Healey | Posted: Thursday June 18, 2020

As we come to the end of another week there have been a few things happening that are unsettling some people.

Some of it is related to the aftermath of lockdown and some is related to the impact of the Black Lives Matter movement and the demand for change in acknowledging and addressing long term injustices and prejudices.

I spoke at assembly this morning about how misuse of power leads to injustice, which leads to anger.

I spoke about our O.I.S. values of Act with Respect and Engage with Mana and about being kind and taking time to understand others who may be in a minority group.

It is all too easy to misuse power through size to intimidate, bully, threaten or words to humiliate, and make fun of others, or to isolate others whom we don't understand.

Our Board of Trustees has a strategic goal for 2020 to prioritise and sustain a caring culture of inclusivity. To achieve this we all - staff, students, whanau and community - need to be mindful of being respectful and kind.

I invite you to talk about this in your homes. What does respect and kindness look like, sound like and feel like?

I also invite you to contact us if you are needing support following the impact of lockdown.

Nga mihi

Mary Healey