Kia ora Parents and Caregivers,

As this newsletter arrives in your inbox, our students will be wrapping up Athletics Day at Onewa Domain. I spent some time there this morning, and enjoyed seeing everyone having fun and competing together. The beauty of this whole school event is that all of our students can participate. For those who are athletically talented, it’s a chance to compete against the best in our school, and for those whose talents lie elsewhere, it’s a great opportunity to give something a try, support their House, and spend time with friends. Our staff and student Zumba session set the tone for the day, and House spirit was high. I’m sure your daughter will come home tired but happy.

I want to thank you all once again, for your support during last week’s 3-day lockdown. It caught us a little by surprise, but I was very impressed with how quickly our staff and students slipped into the rhythm of remote teaching and learning. In assembly this week I encouraged students to talk with their teachers if they encountered any issues during lockdown. It’s a great opportunity to make sure we have ironed out all the kinks, in the event of future lockdowns.

Auckland’s move to Level 1 this week has meant we’re back in full swing with House assemblies, sports, class trips and our ever-popular Clubs Expo, which was held on Wednesday lunchtime at the covered courts. With more than 30 clubs on offer, I hope your daughter has found something exciting to be a part of – I know a lot of sign-up sheets were overflowing. We are attributing the swelling interest in our Chess Club to the popularity of The Queen’s Gambit!

I know that a few events were disrupted during the lockdown, so if you have any questions about itinerant music lessons or sports teams, please email Moira Clarke for Music ([email protected]) or Liz Page for sports  ([email protected])

This week marks the end of a 22-year career at Westlake Girls for our Associate Principal Julie Saikkonen. Julie arrived at Westlake after several years at Rangitoto College, where she was Assistant Head of the Maths Department. Initially joining our Maths Department here, Julie moved into senior leadership four years later, taking on various portfolios including IT, timetabling, curriculum and assessment. Over the past four years, she has also led our Pupuke Kāhui Ako (Community of Learning).

The whole school joins me in thanking Julie for her outstanding dedication to Westlake, and wishing her the very best for her future endeavours. You can read more about Julie further down this newsletter.

Jane Stanley

Principal