Kia ora Parents and Caregivers,

We have a very full newsletter for you this week – our students may have been on holiday, but their successes have continued! Several of our students took part in sporting competitions over the break, with some great results. From sailing, rowing, hockey and waterpolo, to orienteering, athletics, swimming and fencing, the Sports section of this newsletter makes for some inspiring reading.

Our Cantare choir was busy too, undertaking two beautiful performances in the Hall of Remembrance at the Auckland War Memorial Museum as part of ANZAC commemorations on 25 April. It was a long day – starting with a 6.40am performance, another at midday, and ending with an afternoon concert at a local retirement village.

Also in this edition you can read about Zoe Crawford, a Year 11 student who has received a Tania Dalton Foundation Scholarship for Surf Lifesaving. There are several more stories on student success, including the very powerful Polyfest performance by our Kapa Haka group just before the holidays.

We are now into the swing of Term Two, with an action-packed few weeks ahead. Yesterday we held our second Teacher-only Day to support staff in the implementation of the changes to the curriculum and NCEA. All parents and teachers can have our say on the draft New Zealand History curriculum and we will be holding an information evening for parents and an opportunity to discuss this proposal next Thursday 20 May. You’ll find more information and an email to RSVP under “Important Things to Note” in this newsletter.

If you’ve been past the school recently, you’ll see our new Event Centre is really taking shape. We are on schedule for an official opening in August and look forward to this much-needed facility becoming an integral part of our school.

On a final note, if your daughter is attending our Year 13 Ball tomorrow night, I’ll look forward to seeing her there, and hope she has a wonderful time of celebration.

Jane Stanley

Principal