Kia ora e te whānau,
Firstly, huge apologies that the October Principal’s Message is arriving in November! We have a jam-packed article this time, as Term 4 has started with a roar. I’ll do my best to keep each section brief — though there’s plenty to celebrate and acknowledge.
ERO Visit
Each school in Aotearoa undertakes an external review by the Education Review Office (ERO). The purpose of an ERO visit is to look at and assess a range of areas including teaching, achievement, attendance, health and safety, personnel, governance and leadership. Kaiapoi High School had its visit in Week 3. At this point, we’ve only had an informal overview of their findings, which we are not allowed to share. However, we are very much looking forward to sharing the final report when it’s released — hopefully before the end of the school year. Watch this space!
Head Student Announcements
Even though ERO visits are always… exciting, of far more interest to most is the outcome of the Head Student application process. At the Year 13 Leavers’ Assembly last week, the 2026 Head Student Team was announced. Although the specific roles of Head and Deputy Head Students won’t be revealed until the Senior Prizegiving on 4 December, I’m pleased to announce that the 2026 Head Student Leadership Team consists of Oscar Bai, Hannah Wells, Liam Dalton, Josh Metzger, Bridie Herriott, Isaac Jefferies, and Emily Dutton. A huge congratulations to them — and to the other incredible applicants — for making it through what is always a truly gruelling process.
Our current Head Students — Issie, Hayden, Talula, Addison, Hannah, and Izzy — have done an outstanding job this year and have been the best representatives of our kura we could hope for. Their work, both inside the school, within the wider community, and alongside external organisations has built upon the excellent foundation laid by previous teams. They’ve strengthened the culture of our school and left it in an even better place — ready for the 2026 team to take up the mantle and continue the momentum.
Farewell to Our Leavers
A heartfelt thank-you to all the whānau and community members who joined us for last Friday’s Year 13 Leavers’ Assembly. This ceremony is always an emotional milestone, as our Year 13s come to grips with the end of thirteen years of schooling and prepare for the next stage of their journey. It’s also a moment that reminds us of the strength of our community and the many people — staff, families, and friends — who have supported them along the way. It was a moving and memorable occasion, and there weren’t many dry eyes by the end!
Celebrating Excellence and Achievement
Last week was particularly busy, with two other major events on the calendar.
- Māori/Pasifika Whakanuia: Held on Tuesday, this celebration of excellence, achievement, and success was an absolute highlight. I may have mentioned it before, but if you haven’t attended one, you really must. Seeing our ākonga excel while celebrating the unique cultures that make up who we are as a country is something that stays with you. It’s vitally important that we, as a school and as a community, acknowledge excellence in all its forms.
- Sports Awards: The very next day, we held our annual Sports Awards, recognising sporting achievement across local, national, and international levels. I wish I had recorded the kōrero between our guest speaker, Shane Bond, and our very own Mr Liddell — it was so full of gems of wisdom that genuinely blew my mind. It was such a privilege to host a speaker of that calibre, and our young sportspersons took away so much from his insights. As I’ve mentioned before, sports participation continues to grow at an incredible rate — both in the number of teams and individual competitors. It was wonderful to see students being recognised for their hard work and dedication. With our current boom in sports, next year, you can be sure there’ll be another call-out for support across our many sports — whether that’s driving, managing, or coaching — every bit helps!
Board of Trustees
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our outstanding Board of Trustees, both the new members and those who have recently completed their term. The role of school governance is often unseen, but it’s absolutely crucial in ensuring that our kura maintains high standards and continues to meet the diverse needs of our students. It’s not always an easy or glamorous job — and sometimes not the most exciting — but it’s vital work that allows our school to thrive.
I could easily veer into politics here and talk about the importance of Boards in maintaining high-quality education for our ākonga — and the need to ensure their role is not eroded. But I’ll resist that temptation for now! Instead, I want to acknowledge our outgoing Student Trustee, Zoe Sole, for a job very well done — the year has flown by far too quickly. We also warmly welcome Aaliyah Raja as our new Student Trustee. Welcome to the team!
NCEA Examinations
As our senior students head into their final exams, we wish them all the very best of luck. This term, assemblies have focused strongly on encouraging students to sit every examination they’ve entered for — and more importantly, why it matters. In an increasingly competitive world, completing exams is about more than just grades. It’s proof to future employers, scholarship panels, and tertiary institutions that a young person can commit, work independently, and push themselves beyond the basics.
Looking Ahead
I have a tonne of other great things to celebrate and share — including next year’s production and several exciting projects in the pipeline — but I’ll save those for the final newsletter of the year.
Until then, have an excellent month of November!
Ngā mihi mahana,
Jason Reid
Principal / Tumuaki
