Principal's Message

This week we have some sign-writing going up displaying our school values on our external walls. It should look very smart and is just in time for our OPEN DAY on Sunday at 2.00pm. 

Over the July break, we also had a multi-sport artificial turf court installed on the Rattray St courts. This looks great and is already being well used for hockey and futsal as well as PE lessons. The cricket nets and run-ups will also be getting upgraded surfaces. We are also making progress on our plans for the upgraded science labs with work scheduled for next term and into the summer holidays. It will create a few headaches but will be worth it. The upgrade is long overdue but it will be a massive improvement and make a significant difference to science delivery in the school.

On the NZ education scene, we have some very important national reviews going on. The future make-up of NCEA is taking most of the spotlight. It is critical we maintain a credible assessment pathway and qualification but there are wider issues at stake in our schooling system, including governance through Boards of Trustees to funding models. One of the big questions is how do we get more fairness or equity into the system without losing efficiency or placing barriers on schools or communities? For our education system to be fit for purpose it has to work for all, not just the few. In many respects, a lot of what we do is still rooted in a 19th-century delivery model of teachers, students, and classrooms. Formal school tuition is still mainly done between 9.00am and 3.00pm. Imagining a new and innovative approach that takes advantage of the technologies we have today is vital. It will require considerable courage and a change in our beliefs about what education and schooling and it's ultimate purpose is.

Let us continue to pray for the sick and those in our community that have passed away recently. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen.