Principal's Message

I am sure there were mixed feelings on Monday when the government announced a move to Alert Level 3 next week and the next step towards a sense of normality. I imagine that our response to this will have been shaped by our experiences during the last four weeks. For some it will have been a time with family that we never expected to have (that is my personal experience which has proved very special) or it may have been a satisfying time of ticking off a list of jobs around the home. For some, the loss of income and job security will have caused significant distress and, for others, this time in lockdown may have turned into a time of reflection about what is important in life, and getting out of the rat-race for a while may have caused some soul searching about job satisfaction. We have talked a lot about student wellbeing, but wellbeing as parents and breadwinners is just as important. I do hope that the next few weeks will provide clarity, reassurance and support to those in our community who need it.

Your children will have settled into a rhythm with their learning this week and they will be looking forward to a well-earned break over the long weekend. The government has announced that Tuesday will be a teacher only day. This day can be used flexibly by our students. Some will wish to continue with self-managed learning, and others will be looking forward to a day away from the screen and plenty of fresh air outside. I imagine that a trip to the McDonalds drive through might be high on the list for some of our teenagers too! On Tuesday, our teachers will be using the day to refresh their teaching resources, preparing the next programme of learning, and catching up on their own work organisation. To allow them to do this, I am advising that they do not communicate with students nor answer emails for the day, so they can work uninterrupted.

From Wednesday, 29th April, we are able to welcome back those year 7-10 students who are unable to stay at home and need to come to school for their learning. To keep the school bubbles safe, we are not in a position to have different students attend every day just because they want to catch up with their friends, unfortunately. You will have heard the messages in the media about staying at home unless you can’t. We are still gathering our list of student names and if you need this service for your children, it is very important that you let us know this by 9am Friday morning so we can continue our planning for Wednesday and beyond.

Enjoy your last weekend in lockdown and make the most of a slower pace of life. Our staff enjoyed a social event in the form of a staff quiz night by zoom during the holidays and we are looking forward to another staff social event by remote this Friday! It is amazing how much technology learning we have all done in a short space of time. I note the staff are nearly outdoing the students in the activity challenge being run by the Otago Secondary Schools’ Sports Association. The long weekend is a good chance for our students to get out and about and log some activity minutes. We are currently the top Dunedin school, but St Hilda’s is on our tail – let’s put some distance between them and us. Keep it up, Kavanagh!

April 22nd was the 50th anniversary of the first Earth Day. During the last few weeks, I know many of us have spoken about how much more we are taking time to notice nature and Earth Day has possibly taken on a different significance. I will leave you with this reflection.

"When we can see God reflected in all that exists, our hearts are moved to praise the Lord for all his creatures and to worship him in union with them" (Laudato Si, 63)

Ngā mihi nui,

Kate Nicholson

Theme for 2020 “Do the little things well’

‘Ahakoa he iti he pounamu’ (Although small it is highly treasured)