
9 July 2021
Whāia e koe te iti kahurangi ki te tūohu koe, me he maunga teitei
(Pursue excellence – should you stumble, let it be to a lofty mountain.)
This whakatauki challenges us to pursue our dreams/our goals. It asks us to persevere through adversity and only bow our heads if the obstacle is truly great.
Ngā mihi mahana ki a koutou katoa
We have now reached the end of Term 2 and I have chosen the whakatauki as I feel that it captures all the hard work that staff and students have achieved so far. Compared to last year when we were challenged by COVID-19 we have been able to hold many of the things that make school special. A couple of these which were all held in the last week of term include:
Our Kapa Haka team performed at the Wellington Regionals. This is a highly competitive event and the students put in over 350 hours of training, as well as attending 6 noho maraes (sleep overs). In the end, the students were placed 6 out of 12 but the score differences between places 3-6 were miniscule. The winning school was Te Kura Māori o Porirua and over the years, they have been one of the top performing kuras in Wellington.
Matariki
We celebrated Matariki on Wednesday July 7th. It had rained through the night but fortunately it had stopped by morning. We gathered at 6am and lit our bonfire and welcomed in the new year. The science department brought their telescopes but unfortunately Pleides was covered with cloud. We were able to see Saturn and its moons though. After the ceremony we had a very generous breakfast in the Pavilion then headed off to work.
Winterwander
Once again we had our Winterwander that showcased, Music, Art and Drama. Our visitors were able to see a mix of singing, orchestras and bands, progress that was being made on the Art folders, and a Level 2 performance of Heavenly Bodies. As always, the students enjoyed performing in front of a live audience. The feedback we received was extremely positive.
Year 9-10 Dance
This was a great way to end the term for our Juniors . There were over 200 in attendance who had a great time. It was not uneventful though. We had isolated the smoke alarms in the hall, but smoke from the smoke machine seeped into the staff room, setting off those alarms. We ended up evacuating the hall and waiting for the fire brigade to give us the all clear before we could resume. It made for an interesting interlude.
We celebrated with our Year 10 Me Whakamātau award winners, with a morning tea on Thursday. These students were chosen by their Form Teacher as the embodiment of the five aspects of our school vision.
Next term is incredibly short for our seniors. It is ten weeks long, followed by Term 4 which is 13 schoold days before NCEA starts. I would calculate that students have 40-45 periods of study per courses left. The pressure will certainly build. Looking forward some of the significant events next term include: Winter Sports Tournament, conclusion of the winter sports season, NOSCARS and the Year 11 Semi-Formal.
Next term also sees the building programme begin in earnest and I will detail that for you early next term.
I hope that you all have an enjoyable break.
Ngā mihi nui
Grant Jones
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