Principals Last Piece 2010

It truly has been an eventful year this year, full of different challenges for us as a school and community, and within the school, there have been a number of significant challenges faced by different groups and individuals. It has been a year also of change in key areas – a change of people and a change in the way that we do things. We have a new Board this year with 5 new members, we have a new Deputy Principal, we have a new library and a number of new property projects underway, including a new staffroom. We are almost ready to launch a new school website which will allow direct access for parents and students into different areas of the school at any time and this this is a project that has been led by two of our senior students. I have been proud of the way the school has managed these events and changes and through it all I believe we have kept true to our vision of creating a learning environment that demands excellence in all that we do. 

The year began with a visit from the Education Review Office and after a week long process; the end result was a report that was both positive and affirming about the progress the school had made over the past 3 years and the strategic direction in which we are heading.

Around the same time of the ERO visit a crazy idea was proposed to take a group of students to Spain and France to play Ki o Rahi. I thought at the time that it seemed like wishful thinking, but that dream became a reality and those students have climbed the Eiffel Tower and have been part of a crowd of a million people watching fireworks over Barcelona. I can only credit that achievement to the vision of the teachers involved, the determination of students and the absolute support they received from parents.

Towards the end of term 3 there was a small group of intermediate boys who tried their hand at playing chess and ended up winning the Northland Chess tournament. They went on to represent the school at the national tournament in Christchurch (just after the big earthquake) and although they didn’t get a placing they proved to themselves and others what can be achieved if as a school we have faith in them and give them the opportunity to succeed.

To me those are the two big things we must be able to do as teachers and as a school – we must have faith in all our students that they can achieve and we must give them a range of different opportunities in order for them to do that.

Things haven’t always gone smoothly or to plan but overall I am proud of the things that have been accomplished this year. We have achieved good things and this has been because of the way the school and community have been able to work together for the benefit of our students.

I look forward to the opportunities, challenges and changes that the New Year will bring. In the meantime I wish you all a safe and restful Christmas period.

Thank you all very much.

Pateriki Toi

Principal