Principal News

With the final groups returning to school, we officially celebrate the conclusion of our 2026 Year 7 and Year 8 camp programmes.

Our Year 7 students embraced the challenges at Waihola, navigating tramping trails, confidence courses, and team-building initiatives designed to foster genuine cooperative skills. Meanwhile, our Year 8 cohorts journeyed to Camp Columba near Gore, engaging in high-energy activities such as the "Flying Kiwi", kayaking, and abseiling. These experiences are more than just a break from routine; they are critical opportunities for students to develop the independence and self-management skills they will need as they transition toward high school.

The success of these programmes relies entirely on the dedication of our community. We extend our deepest gratitude to our teaching staff, who committed themselves 24/7 to ensure every student was safe, supported, and encouraged to step outside their comfort zone.

We also owe a massive debt of gratitude to our parents and caregivers. We literally could not do it without you.

A specific and significant thank you must go to Rob Wells and Karen Parker for their exceptional leadership.

As we return to our regular school schedule, our focus shifts to linking these powerful outdoor experiences back to classroom learning. The resilience shown to complete an activity like raft building in cold conditions is the same resilience required for completing a hard piece of class work. Furthermore, the supportive communication used to encourage someone on a rock face that we see so often on camp is no different from how we need to communicate with each other in class. These lessons in resilience, communication, and problem-solving are directly transferable to academic pursuits.

By reflecting on their personal growth and the "lifelong memories" created during these weeks, students are better equipped to tackle challenging new concepts in the classroom. We look forward to seeing how these newfound levels of confidence and independence translate into the projects and collaborative mahi our students will undertake for the remainder of the term.

Kā mihi nui

Simon Clarke

Principal