Principal's News

Parent Teacher Interviews: A reminder that parent teacher interviews will be held on the 4th of May – the first Wednesday of next term. School will close early with buses running at 12.30pm.  All parents are encouraged to attend. The online booking app is now open, and closes at 12pm on Tuesday 3rd May. To book appointments parents/caregivers should log on to www.schoolinterviews.co.nz using the event code ar666. Those families who do not have internet access are encouraged to ring the school office and we will make the bookings for you.

Relay for Life: We finished the week on a high with a very successful Otamatea High School hosted Relay for Life event. Our head prefects Billie and Michael even got interviewed by More FM on Thursday morning, and were very composed and articulate, doing a fantastic job promoting this event and our school. All mufti money raised on Friday went towards the Cancer Society and there were numerous other fund raising activities on the day, including raffles, sausage sizzles and the amazing Rapid Relief team who cooked up a storm. We had Zumba, blind fold and 3 legged races, games, music and more. The Remembrance Tree was a reminder to us all of the price so many of our loved ones have paid over the years to cancer. A massive thank you to Nikki Donaldson for putting the day together, and to all our incredible year 13s whose hard work has seen their fledgling idea grow into such a wonderful community event. 

EOTC: All the best to our kapa haka students who are having their second  noho here at school this weekend, and good luck to our bronze, silver and gold Duke of Edinburgh groups who are away training in the Tangihuas this weekend.

Positive Contact Home: On Wednesday teachers were asked to choose five students they teach who have impressed them with their work or conduct during the term, and contact their parents/caregivers with a positive phone call or email. This is a popular initiative introduced last year and is something I will continue with each term going forward.

Buses: I regularly receive positive feedback from the bus drivers about our students and how they conduct themselves. A reminder that all students are still required to wear masks on the school buses (unless they have an exemption). We have received a few reports of vandalism on the bus so I encourage you to please talk to your child about the importance of being respectful to others and to others' property. 

Goal Setting: All seniors will be completing their 2022 academic goals over the coming week. These goals need to be SMART goals - Specific, Measurable,    Achievable, Realistic and Time-framed. Goal setting gives students focus, helps to measure progress and helps motivate students. Those who set and monitor their goals throughout the year are more likely to achieve higher levels of success.

Ngā mihi
Dirk Smyth