Principal's Weekly Message
Kia Ora Whanau
A very big welcome back to all friends and whanau for the final and most exciting term of the year! The holidays certainly came at the right time for the students but they have returned in a very
positive manner. The staff have repeatedly made comments that the students are extremely settled within the classroom, which means a lot of focussed learning has occurred. This helps set the
students up for success as they build towards the final round of school assessments held towards the middle of the term. There are many events to look forward to this term with syndicate and
class trips, our much anticipated Electives Programme and the return of Inter-Intermediate sport. We are busy preparing and planning for all these events to run smoothly and for the students to
take the maximum enjoyment from them.
One of the major differences for the school this term was the start of our Healthy Lunches Programme. Once the process of entering an agreement with an appropriate supplier was completed, we were able to concentrate on making sure this initiative is a success. The first week has been exactly that with everyday bringing healthy, well prepared and tasty lunch dishes for all students. Naturally there have been a few teething problems to work through like the timing of food delivery and returning the food bins, but these have all been sorted out. One of the main issues is getting the choice of menu items right for the students to enjoy. The menu is planned to rotate through a 3-week cycle before beginning again. Naturally there will be some less popular dishes for the students than others, but we are monitoring this and communicating with the caterer all the time. There has already been a menu change for next week with one dish being removed and another added. This will continue if the need is there. It is also a chance for students to try new or different foods and we are encouraging them to taste each dish before making judgement. Each week will bring more familiarity around our healthy lunches and allow them to be a success.
There is a lot going on throughout the term and we encourage everyone to be involved with each event. Our doors are always open to whanau and look forward to meeting you at some point in the term.
Nga Mihi, Mike Webster.