Star Board Term Two Week Six

Principal's Message

Kia Ora Koutou

I have not long got back from SPANZ (NZ Secondary Principals Association) Conference in New Plymouth. If I was to summarise the key themes, they would be Equity, Diversity, Inclusivity, Safety and education in the age of smart machines. For me another wondering is not ‘How smart is your child?’ but ‘How is your child smart?’.

I want to cover off a few topics in this message so buckle up.

Road Safety

Crossing Pownall Street, both before and after school has become akin to an adrenaline experience fraught with danger which for extreme exercisers is exciting. However, we are a school, and we want your children, our staff, and you to be able to use the road safely. I immediately recall that riddle “how did the chicken cross the road?” – well if the road is Pownall street, then that chicken crosses the road with fear and trepidation.

So why fear and trepidation? because parents are pulling out from the curb without indicating, leaving students stuck in the middle of the street. It is also disappointing to see that there are distracted drivers, because they are on their phones.

Please also be reminded that there is no parking on the corner of Pownall and Kummer because there are yellow lines. The parking space was removed last year as vehicles parked there were causing a black spot for drivers turning right out of Kummer onto Pownall.

Vaping

All schools will have signs like this up:

In our school we take the above expectation seriously. This week I stood down several girls who made a choice to ignore the ‘No Vaping’ rule. But the thing is as inappropriate as that choice was, they did have a choice.

It is important to remember mistakes have clear, and sometimes heavy consequences. Our mistakes are meant to guide us, not define us. Everyone makes mistakes in life, but that does not mean one has to pay for them for the rest of one’s life. Sometimes good people make bad choices. It does not mean they are bad; it means they are human. Life does not come with instructions but when it does follow them closely.

King’s Birthday Reunion Weekend

I close by welcoming back those of the ‘years of the threes’ to St Matthew’s and Rathkeale this weekend. Both SMOGA and ROBA (St Matthew’s Old Girls’ Association and Rathkeale Old Boys’ Association) have organised a wonderful weekend of reminiscing and fun for those who once walked our schools’ corridors and grounds.

Have a safe long weekend.

Ngā Mihi

Kiri

Around School

Boarding Note

This photo was taken by our tutor Eleanor when running the arts and craft session this week. It is great to see boarders from different year levels interacting and making the most of the afternoon activities that are on offer in the boarding houses. Great effort girls.

Last weekend a small group of boarders visited an orchard in Greytown to pick their own apples. This was an extra special experience for our International students who thoroughly enjoyed their time in the orchard.

Enjoy the long weekend. Please note the boarding houses reopen at 7pm on Monday night.

Jo

Kotahitanga

Over the past 4 weeks our literacy service group has visited Solway Primary School year 3/4 students to support them with literacy tasks. Together they have written letters to each other, read each other books, wrote poems, been on an alphabet scavenger hunt and written descriptively about popcorn. It has been fantastic to see the excitement in both age groups during this collaboration.