Nau mai, haere mai ki te pānui whakamutunga o te wāhanga tuatahi — he mihi nui ki a koutou katoa! Welcome to the final newsletter of Term 1 — greetings to you all.
Pop quiz! If pānui means newsletter, what might pānui whakamutunga mean…?
What a term it has been. Across the education sector, there has been a great deal of activity, with national changes to curriculum and assessment becoming clearer. While change always brings a level of challenge, it also creates genuine opportunities. Our focus is on making the most of these opportunities for our ākonga, while working carefully through the areas that need refinement. Where needed, we will continue to advocate for approaches that are practical and in the best interests of our students. As always, we will keep our community informed as things continue to develop.
It is also important to acknowledge the wider global context our young people are growing up in. Many ākonga now have access to an almost unfiltered stream of world events — often presented in ways that emphasise crisis and uncertainty. While staying informed is important, constant exposure to this can create a sense that the world is overwhelming or beyond our control.
As a community, we have a key role to play in helping young people navigate this. The aim is not to ignore challenges, but to balance them with perspective, sense of control, and hope. One helpful approach in conversations — whether about the current fuel situation or any future global issue — is to acknowledge the reality, then shift the focus:
“This is a real challenge. Let’s look at what people are doing to work on it… and now, what can we do? See why I’m confident we’ll find ways through?”
This helps move thinking from “this is happening to me” to “there are things we can do”. Very few media sources consistently provide that balance, so it becomes even more important that we model it at home and at school. Supporting our young people to think critically, stay informed, and remain hopeful is one of the most valuable things we can do.
On a completely different topic, as we head into the break, a few quick reminders to help set things up well for Term 2. Attendance continues to be one of the strongest predictors of success. For many of our co-curricular opportunities — including trips, sports tournaments, and the school ball — an attendance rate of 85% is required. The positive message here is that it is very achievable. Even students currently sitting lower than this can make significant gains over Term 2 with a clear plan. We encourage taking action now. A conversation with a tutor teacher or dean is a great place to start.
We are also currently gathering feedback on our Term 1 Referral Pilot. Early indications suggest it has had a positive impact, significantly reducing disruption to learning environments schoolwide, especially in Years 10–13. Once we have reviewed all feedback, we will share our next steps with our community.
Finally, I feel very privileged to have been granted a principal’s sabbatical for Term 2. During this time, Scott Liddell will step into the principal role, supported by Ashleigh Fowler and Sam Creed as acting deputy principals. I leave knowing the school is in very capable hands and look forward to returning with new skills and insights to support our ongoing development.
Kia tino pai tō rā whakata — have a wonderful and well-deserved break.
Ngā mihi mahana,
Jason Reid
