Welcome back to what will be a long and busy Term for us all. With winter brings shorter and colder days, as well as our Events day and Cross-country on the last day of the Term.  These will be on top of a full-on academic programme for you all.  With all this underway we will all need to be good time managers, keep fit and healthy, and stay focused on our goals.  

We are encouraging our students to be self-managers, which means they need to keep their student diary and plan their day well, using their Learning Centre time well.  All students are responsible for managing their time, tasks, assignments and check points.  Parents can help at home by checking student's diary or planner as well as their Canvas pages. 

The last week of Term 1 was a very busy but such a rewarding week for me.  I started my week in Tasman, travelled to Marlborough for Tuesday.  Back to Tasman for Wednesday and then over to Westport for Thursday, returning to Tasman on Friday. 

It was my pleasure to personally acknowledge our top scholars from 2018 (please see attached photos below).  The work and dedication these students all put into their studies to gain these Level Endorsements is well worth celebrating. 

BLENHEIM

NELSON

WEST COAST

On top of these achievements, the Campus Trading team presented the CA's with a cheque for $100,000. This is their first target goal for reaching $500,000 by the years end.  We all acknowledge the support of the Campus Trading volunteers and all the purchases made by families.  

While in Marlborough, Dusky, Poppy and Rilla were able to show and tell me (and you – please see the attached video) all about their English and Social Studies inquiry project based around three wineries in Marlborough. 

In Tasman on Wednesday 10th April the senior leaders staged a fundraising breakfast.  It was an organisation master piece, raising over $700, and I certainly enjoyed my egg and bacon muffin. 

While in Westport I was roped in (actually I really enjoyed it, but highlighted how unfit I was) to having a run around in a basketball game, and someone caught it on film.  Please ignore this video, as I almost shot an airball. 

In Term 2 we will focus on our Values once again, beginning with the core value of respect. We want students to demonstrate respect for their education and school; their environment; each other and people’s differences; and for themselves. Young people often need to be taught the meaning and importance of respect – it is not necessarily something that comes naturally. At school we will be exploring the concept of respect in many learning contexts, and I hope it is something you are prepared to discuss at home too. 

One of the times in which New Zealand is united in the concept of respect is on Anzac Day.  Anzac Day is a time of national unity when we remember the sacrifices made by others throughout our country’s past so that we can enjoy our future. It is a timely reminder each year that we should not take things for granted – our country, our families, our education and our opportunities. We remember to respect our proud heritage, and to show that respect by living our Values to the full each day.