Kia ora koutou,

I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the incredible spirit of our school community, which has recently been exemplified at two notable events: swimming sports and netball. Witnessing parents and grandparents rallying behind their children, encouraging them with such passion and dedication, was awesome. The unwavering support I saw on the sidelines at both events highlighted the deep pride and commitment our families have towards nurturing their children's endeavours.

These experiences have prompted me to consider how we can extend this supportive energy to our children's academic pursuits. Just as parents fervently champion their children in sports, imagine the positive impact of harnessing that same enthusiasm for nightly reading, spelling, and times tables practice. Such involvement could significantly enhance the academic achievements of our tamariki.

I urge you to celebrate your child's academic milestones with the same zeal shown during sporting events—whether it's mastering a new spelling word or conquering their 2 times tables. The importance of mastering times tables cannot be overstated. By reinforcing these fundamental skills at home, we enable our teachers to dedicate more classroom time to other essential areas of mathematical learning crucial for our children's development before intermediate school.

I believe we have the most supportive and determined community in New Zealand.  We punch well above weight.  My challenge to you, as a parent, is to make an explicit effort to personally be as competitive about your child learning to read or learning their timetables as you would be for them scoring a goal or finishing a race.  This will make a far larger impact on their lives!

Let's continue fostering a culture of holistic support and celebration within our school community, where academic and extracurricular achievements are valued and encouraged.

I look forward to seeing you all in term 2.

Ngā mihi nui,

Curtis Gaylor

Principal

Kia ora koutou

Please note that THURSDAY 9th MAY & FRIDAY 10th MAY are Parent/Teacher Conferences.  School will be CLOSED for this purpose on FRIDAY 10th MAY.