Principal's Message....
Tēnā koutou katoa, Malo e lelei, Talofa lava, Bula vinaka. Kia ora whānau, I’d like to start this week’s newsletter with a heartfelt thank you for your support last Friday by keeping your child at home for our Professional Learning Teacher Only Day. This time was crucial for our teachers as they worked to enhance their skills, align on important learning objectives, and ensure our students continued to experience success in their education.
We were fortunate with the weather this week, which allowed us to hold our athletics events successfully. A huge thank you to Sharon and Belinda for their tremendous effort in organizing two distinct events to cater to all our students, focusing on participation or competition.
At OIS, we created a fun, skill-based day incorporating running, jumping, and throwing. Meanwhile, at Centennial Park, our competitive group enjoyed a more traditional athletics day, where I was thrilled to hear about the numerous personal bests and school records broken. Congratulations to all our athletes, and a special shout-out to those who have qualified for the North Otago Athletics Champs—we know you will represent our school with pride!
As we approach the end of the year, I want to remind our whānau about our uniform expectations. We appreciate your support in ensuring that ākonga wear their uniforms with pride, including appropriate black footwear. I understand that some students’ shoes may be nearing the end of their lives, but it’s important that we maintain our standards.
Additionally, during terms 1 and 4, we ask that students bring a hat for outdoor activities and break times. Unfortunately, about a quarter of our students came to the Athletics sports without hats. We managed to find some for them, but we kindly request that each student have a black or navy hat that can be left in their bag for school use. You can purchase bucket hats from the school office for $12. NO EFTPOS / CASH ONLY.
This week, I had the honour of attending the Prizegivings at both WBHS and WGHS. It was incredibly rewarding to see so many of our former pupils recognised for their hard work and achievements. The energy and enthusiasm from both staff and students were palpable. Congratulations to everyone involved—these evenings were truly special!
Today a number of our staff and students were wearing gumboots in support of Gumboot Friday via the organisation I Am Hope - the free counselling platform provides a bridge to rangatahi in need. An invaluable service we definitely appreciate.
Rebecca Meek
Principal