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Kia ora koutou,
I always find there is an energy that fills a school in these opening weeks. It is more than just the scent of fresh stationery or the sight of clean carpets; it is a blend of excitement and a shared anticipation of what we will achieve together. Whether you are a returning family or joining our community for the first time, I hope your first full week has been a positive one.
"Nāu te rourou, nāku te rourou, ka ora ai te iwi." (With your food basket and my food basket, the people will thrive.)
This whakatauki is our guiding theme for 2026. It is why this term is deliberately packed with opportunities for us to connect—some purely social, others with an educational focus. Your insights as parents, combined with our experience as educators, create the ultimate environment for our children to flourish.
By now, you will have gained a sense of how a typical week "ticks" in our learning spaces. At our school, we don’t just teach subjects; we teach people. We want to ensure our children have the emotional toolkit to navigate challenges with confidence. And let’s be honest—there will be challenges!
If you were at karakia on Monday, you would have seen our staff modeling this firsthand, strumming away on a colourful array of ukuleles. We were practicing our "growth mindsets"—reminding the students that we are all learners here. Some of us are becoming quite accomplished, while others are still requiring a bit of support and aren't quite there… yet!
When I think about our goals for our children, I realise they are the same goals I hold for our adult learners /staff. We all want to feel:
Connected: Knowing we belong to a supportive community.
Capable: Believing in our ability to learn and improve.
Optimistic: Seeing the future as a place of endless opportunity.
We have big aspirations for the year ahead. As for me, I’ll be trying to keep my feet on the ground while keeping at least part of my head in the clouds! My "anchor" this year is an image on my office wall—an old Afghani kilim depicting the ‘Tree of Life,’ celebrating interconnection, growth, and strength.
I’m glancing at it as I type. Please feel free to remind me it’s there if you notice me getting sidetracked!
Ngā mihi nui
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