Kia ora Parents and Caregivers,

Last week I attended the Secondary Principal’s Association New Zealand (SPANZ) Conference down in Queenstown, with around 200 participants. It was good to meet with other high school principals and share our experiences of education in a Covid environment.

The conference was also an opportunity to hear from leading experts on best practice across a range of topics. It was an informative and full-on four days, with lots of ideas for myself and our Board to consider.

Talking to other principals and learning about the various challenges they have faced over the past two years, highlighted the importance of strong leadership in school governance. Having a group of dedicated Board members bringing expertise, fresh thinking and a balanced perspective to the decision-making process is invaluable.

We are very fortunate at Westlake Girls to have an enthusiastic and capable Board of nine members, who are actively engaged and passionate about our school. The Board has been presided over by Joy Bradfield since 2017, after she initially joined the Board in 2013. Her three daughters have all been through Westlake Girls, she brings a wealth of governance experience to her role and is always available to provide support and guidance when needed. We also have a mix of Members (voted in) and Co-opted Members, along with a Student Member and Staff Member.

The Board’s role is extensive and varied, however one of its primary focuses is to review curriculum areas and track student progress. The academic achievements and wellbeing of students, along with staff wellbeing, is a priority.

This year we will be holding elections to admit new Board members into our close-knit team, and we are very interested to hear from parents or caregivers who have the skills, expertise and zeal to contribute to our school in a significant way.

The first step would be to attend one of our meetings to better understand our role and how we function. The next meeting is on Thursday 7 July at 6pm in the Conference Room, Gernhoefer Admin Centre. We welcome your interest and would love to have a conversation with you.

Elections will be held on 7 September, however we will be calling for nominations in July.

I hope you all have a lovely weekend, after this short week.

Jane Stanley
Principal