Kia ora e te whānau. Our senior students have now completed the first week of Derived Grade Exams, and I have been really impressed with how they have approached them. Attendance has been particularly strong, with more than 91% attendance in every single exam session, which is fantastic.

We have talked a lot with students about the importance of simply turning up and giving themselves the best chance to show what they know. Thank you to our students for taking that seriously, and to whānau for their support in helping make that happen. We still have another week to go, so the message is the same: keep going, attend every exam and workshop, and make the most of every opportunity.

We have also come to the end of two weeks of activities celebrating Te Wiki o te Reo Māori. It has been great to see students and staff getting involved in different ways. As I said last week, the importance of te reo Māori goes well beyond one week, and I hope we continue to see it become a more natural part of everyday life at school.

Next week is the final week of Term 3, and while everyone is looking forward to the break, we still have an important week ahead. For our senior students, Derived Grade Exams continue, and for everyone else it is important that we keep our standards high right through to the end of term. That means being at school, being on time, staying focused in class, and continuing to look after each other. Then we can all enjoy the break knowing we have finished the term well.

Have a great weekend.

Fiona Barker
PRINCIPAL