Star Board Term Two Week One

Principal's Message

Kia Ora Koutou Whanau

Thank you for getting your girls back to school for Term two all decked out in their winter kit. I have no doubt that they welcomed the warmth of their winter tights on the first Wednesday of the school term.

I do hope that the holidays were relaxing, refreshing, and in some way rewarding. I send my deepest condolences for losses you may have experienced. For successes you may have experienced I send my warm congratulations.

Teacher Accord Day held April 24

Thank you for your indulgence of this Teacher Only Day. If you have not caught up with Education news, the Government has deferred changes to NCEA so schools can prioritise maths and literacy (reading and writing).

Education Minister Jan Tinetti announced that in 2024 and 2025 schools could use regular NCEA standards instead of the online tests to prove students met minimum reading, writing and math’s requirements.

Changes to NCEA Level 1 would go ahead next year as planned but full implementation of changes to NCEA Level 2 would be deferred to 2026 and Level 3 would be deferred to 2027.

Tinetti acknowledged that "at the moment, we have a sector who are very completely burnt out, and as at capacity they can be, and this is something that the professional advisory group have been telling me around how the sector has come through Covid, and how it's been a really tough time."

What this all means is that “with this adjusted timeline, schools will have more time to build their capacity and adequately prepare for the changes, ensuring that the new standards can be more successfully integrated into teaching practice.”

So, you can plan ahead the next Accord Teacher Only day for the Wairarapa Secondary schools is July 31, 2023.

PPTA Actions

A continuation of industrial actions began at 7:00am on 24 April 2023 and will end at 4:30pm on 30 June 2023. The actions will be continuous over that period. Should negotiations ensue this might change but as it stands this is how it will look for members who will:

1. Be part of a Rolling National Strike for the greater Wellington region, which includes the Wairarapa, on May 10.

2. Follow the rostering home plan (students from the named year level will not be taught or supervised):

3. Not provide relief cover during the non-contact periods they are entitled to under parts 3, 4 and 5 of the Secondary Teachers' Collective Agreement or under parts 2, 3 and 4 of the Area School Teachers' Collective Agreement.

4. Only supervise, not teach, their normally scheduled classes if students from other classes are included because relief teachers can’t be provided.

5. Not attend (or remain in) meetings outside of 8.10 am to 4.10 pm (calculated on the eight hours that are our school hours).

The actions include relief cover or meetings that would otherwise be undertaken on or away from the school site.

NOTE: There is an expectation that sports and cultural practices, games, and activities will continue as per normal.

Just so you know…

As you know I always endeavour to be transparent- it is easier. I feel like the community has journeyed with me through all sorts, including Tony Gill (my Ex and the father of my amazing children) moving in with Lindsay and I so we could care for him as he battled with Motor Neurone Disease.

With recent remembrances of ANZAC Day and other wars, where there were imminent and glorious successes- Tone was never going to win the battle he was fighting. Tony passed away in Easter on April 8 surrounded by those whom he held closest. He told us “Don’t be sad when I have gone, just be glad that I have been.’ Easter has always been important to us- it will do double duty going forward.

It was a privilege to have known him. We miss him so much and will continue our lives without him being a phone call or a visit away. Thank you for the words of support and the words of strength you have given me.

I will close with a stanza from a poem he chose because its words are so fitting for all moments when someone, or something, you value goes way. It serves to remind that you must move on:

Miss me a little but not too long,

And not with your head bowed low.

Remember [all that happened],

That we once shared’

Miss me, but let me go.

Have a safe weekend, and we might even see you at the Old Girls Netball on Sunday from 3-5pm.

Ngā Mihi

Kiri

Around School

Boarding Note

Many thanks to all boarding families for returning your girls to Main House and Hampton House on Tuesday afternoon. This enabled us to welcome everyone back, have dinner together and meet with all year levels in the evening to outline key reminders for term 2. One difference this term is the introduction of clubs in the boarding houses.

With the short week, the cards club got off to a successful start with girls ranging from Years 7-12 attending. Although the intention was for clubs to run for 45minutes, some of our card players were still playing an hour and a half later! Yesterday the table tennis club gathered and again a great afternoon was enjoyed by all.

Interestingly last night at Rob Cope’s session aimed at keeping our children safe online, he mentioned the importance of reconnecting with our young people and spending quality leisure time with them via games, sports etc. Rob’s presentation was extremely thought provoking from both a parental and boarding perspective.

Today boarding staff are visiting both Queen Margaret’s College hostel, and the Scots College boarding houses as part of our professional development. Following on from the online presentation last night, phone use and device procedures will be one of the areas we will be interested to hear about at these schools.

Have a great weekend wherever you are, and I hope to see some of our families at St Matthew’s for the netball event on Sunday afternoon.

Jo

Year 7 & 8 Park visit

As part of the Year 7 / 8 writing unit the whole department went to Queen Elizabeth Park to visit the Cenotaph and the Returned Serviceman Cemetery. We looked at the wreaths and messages at the Cenotaph and using our senses made notes for ideas for our Anzac poems. We saw some very interesting headstones from different countries and sections of the military services. The ideas the students got is looking very promising for their writing.