Principal's Message...

Our Purpose: To prepare students to be active participants who will contribute to their community.

Tēnā koutou katoa, Malo e lelei, Talofa lava, Bula vinaka

Today we welcome back three groups of year 8 students who have been away on camp this week. A massive shout out to the parents and teachers who have made these camps successful for all involved. I know that they have all had a fabulous time, and will really enjoy a sleep in tomorrow.

Our school values are built on the foundation of relationships, respect and responsibility. We talk about being IDEAL Students

I...

Dare to succeed

Engage with mana

Act with respect

Learn with purpose

I often find myself having conversations with students about Acting with Respect, this isn't just about how we speak to others but our actions. As we head into another week we are going to have a real focus on KINDNESS, showing kindness can be as small as a smile, it costs nothing, but yet can make someone's day.

The challenge that I am going to be putting out to our students this week is to focus on acts of kindness, thinking about others before ourselves and stopping and thinking before we say something that will upset others.

You may or may not have heard of the words “Trash talk”- this is when children start to have a joke that turns insulting, rude, racist or disrespectful, and often trash talk leads to bigger arguments. This talk is often being bantered on social media, while gaming and face to face. Please have a chat with your child about how they engage with others. We want all our connections with others to be positive and kind.

PE Gear Friday

During COVID level 2 we have been allowing the students to come to school in the PE gear. It does need to be full O.I.S PE gear.

Leaving early

During COVID level 2 we have some of our classes leaving early Room 13,12,19,3,5,9. We do ask that the students head home and not wait outside other students' classrooms.

Chewing gum

We have a number of students bringing chewing gum to school. Chewing gum along with lollies is not welcome at school. Please support us by ensuring that your child is not bringing either of these to school.

Vaccination update from the MOE

Update you on the requirements around vaccination status for parents who provide volunteer help within schools.

In accordance with the recently released Public Health Orders related to testing and vaccination, school staff and parents who help at school as volunteers are required to have received their first COVID-19 vaccination by 15 November 2021 and to be fully vaccinated by 1 January 2022.

I sincerely hope that those of you who are able to support us with volunteer help for trips, swimming, sports etc will continue to do this. If you are providing volunteer help when children are onsite after 15th November or working off site with children e.g. in sports teams, I will need to see evidence of your first vaccination. Then after 1st January I will need to see evidence of the second. This can be done by email with a screenshot from My Covid Record.

Again, I thank you all for your support.

Our school will be required to confidentially collect and store the vaccination status of everyone who works on our site including volunteers and this will be stored with me.

Finally, on behalf of the school I would like to pass on our condolences to the family of Owen Gould, who sadly passed away last week. Owen has been a huge part of our rowing community for a number of years and many of our students have gone on and benefited from his coaching knowledge and dedication to the rowing community. Our thoughts and prayers are with Owen’s family and rowing community at this time.

Rebecca Meek

Principal