Kia ora Parents and Caregivers,

It’s been a very exciting week for us, as construction draws to a close on our new Event Centre. A small group was present at 6.30am today to participate in a Blessing before the Centre is used by students and staff for the first time. As I write this, the building has passed its final inspection which means we can hold our Study Skills Evening in there on Monday.

I’ve been through the Centre a few times over the past couple of weeks, and it’s amazing to see it move from construction site to a beautifully-crafted, state-of-the-art hub for our students. I know we are all looking forward to it’s official Opening on 20 August and having the Centre become the heart of our school.

Another big change for our school is the introduction of trousers as an official part of our uniform. This has been a long-time in the planning, but we are delighted to now offer it as one of four options along with our knee-length skirt, long skirt and culottes. These items can be worn by students at all year levels, all year round. You can find more information under “Important Things to Note” in this newsletter.

This is the first newsletter since the holidays, but I’m sure they must feel like a distant memory by now. We hit the ground running in Week 1, with our Open Night on Tuesday 27 July attracting the largest number of potential students and their parents we’ve seen, and our school production “Socially Distanced Shakespeare” performing to sell-out crowds most nights. Congratulations to everyone involved in those two events – they were both outstanding.

Tonight we continue with our Gala Concert. This is your chance to experience our orchestras, and see the award-winning Westlake choirs perform before they head down to Christchurch for the finale of the Big Sing later this month. You’ll find all the details in this newsletter and under “notices” on our website.

As always, Term 3 will be busy, and there are a few evening events open to our parents and caregivers – which will also showcase our new Event Centre. These include our Subject Selection Evening, Dance Showcase, and Pasifika Showcase.

I hope to see you many of you enjoying our new Centre over the next few weeks.

Kindest regards

Jane Stanley
Principal