Star Board Term Two Week Ten

Principal's Message

Kia Ora Koutou

The focus Mark of Mission has been Treasure and for my closing speech for term two it was my theme. Let me now share those words with you.

Term Two Final Assembly Address

Life is always going to throw great and not so great experiences at you. Every one of those experiences are learning curves. Some of the learning will be – ‘Yip never going to do that again’, or ‘so glad I did that- and it was so good’, or ‘hated that and I hate them’, or ‘that was so valuable for me to have experienced’.

So, I took some of the events of this term and looked at each as a potential moment or event worth treasuring because of the learnings provided by that event.

Sheilah Winn performances -Who does not love Shakespeare? His plays may have been originally performed in the 16th Century but the themes of his stories are just as pertinent today as they were then. If I take the play performed by those onsite ‘Midsummer’s Night’s Dream’; of course this play is relevant because it explores love and relationships and the challenges of maintaining relationships. It is also a play that challenges traditional gender roles and power dynamics. The literature of our past is a treasure of our present.

ANZAC celebrations reminded us that we must not forget the sacrifices made in the name of peace. The stories of our history must always be told because treasures of the past allow us to make informed decisions in the present

Open Afternoon reminded me and so many others that our students are our school’s treasures. Those of you who assisted at this event represent the gift of the school’s future and we are blessed to have you.

Enrolment interviews have formed the lion’s share of this term for me and we have had significant interest so I look forward to the new treasures who will become part of our whanau

LitNums were in their second year this year. Those who sat them may not realise this but they have provided an important impetus to year 10. This early venturing into an examination setting is actually a treasured opportunity to set you up for the exams ahead.

Trinity Service is all about the fact we are a Special Character school and we exist because of our Anglican character so spending that event together is vital for the family of schools, and treasuring our Christian character is tantamount to our existence.

Year 9 Camp at Kaitoke, in fact camps in general are about learning about who we each are and learning about similarities and our differences and accepting and treasuring our unique qualities.

Winter sport, alongside summer codes are treasures that are a special strength for us as a school. We punch well above our weight on the sporting platform and one of the discoveries via the Sports Strategy is that sport is highly valued by the majority of our community of students, staff and parents.

Cold weather: well, there is nothing like a fresh breeze or a nip in the air to remind us we are alive. Winter plays its part in the ecosystem and to be fair gives us the summer to look forward to.

Keyboard etiquette, rather the lack thereof became an issue for me this term. If you would not say it out loud why in the world would you type it or text it? that is my suggested learning- a bit of wisdom to be treasured.

Schooldocs Policies have become constant reminders to all of our community. We govern based on our policies and it is to all our benefits that we review these.

Weeks to celebrate and acknowledge key themes have seen us all doing our bit to remind us of the importance of inclusiveness, diversity and equity. Bully free week, Samoan Language week, International Languages week, and Pride Week are fantastic reminders to celebrate diversity, but I look forward to a time when we do not need a reserved “Week’’ because the expectations associated with these things are embedded in our everyday existences.

King’s Reunion weekend was again a significant opportunity to see students of the past returning to treasure their time in the school. One day in the not-so-distant future you will be the old girls and I hope that you will take the time to come back and be reminded of days gone by.

The Relay for Life fundraiser- was an amazing reminder of the fragility of life. Our efforts raised 9K+ and we did not even run (weather affected that). But even without the activity our school saw the need to contribute to a cause that treasures life and did so with gusto.

Collegiate and Pent to name just two, are yearly fixtures and part of our traditions, and therefore are treasured by our school. They promote sisterhoods with our other Anglican schools but also remind us about Manaakitanga and being part of healthy competition.

Mama Mia and Seussical Jnr are examples of the cultural strengths of our school and schools. Being able to showcase the many talents of our students is something very special and something to be treasured. Thank you to all who took this opportunity to be on the stage, in the orchestra pit, or backstage, so that those of us who were in your audience could be very well entertained.

Assessments – let us not forget that in amongst all that you do and want to do is the vital reason you are here and that is your academic qualifications. Illness has plagued this term and created absence in its wake but we have a responsibility to ensure that you are tracking as best you can to achieve your academic goals.

Social Media

The government legislated the removal of phones from school for a reason. Despite St Matthew’s removing them from our midst in 2020, the use of applications (often via a phone) outside normal school continues to plague. Keeping ourselves safe in an ever-changing digital world is not easy. At a recent PLD for staff a reference was made to digital integrity. What is it? Put simply it means being honest, responsible, and trustworthy in everything you do online. It is about making good choices and treating others with respect in your digital interactions, just like you would in real life. It means protecting your own privacy and respecting the privacy of others. Essentially, it is about being a good digital citizen by using the internet in a positive and ethical way.

I invite you to consider looking into Netsafe which students and parents can sign up to in order to find about ways to keep yourself or your child safe online. What Is The Harmful Digital Communications Act? | Netsafe. I also have borrowed the following text which says ‘The internet has undoubtedly made our lives better. We have the flexibility to work and learn from home. We can purchase goods and services from the comfort of the couch. We can access vast libraries of streamed content. And we can stay connected to friends and family on the other side of the world. Sadly, the internet has also created a new way for people to bully, abuse, intimidate, threaten and cause harm to others.

What is the Harmful Digital Communications Act?

The Harmful Digital Communications Act 2015 (the HDCA) was introduced to tackle some of the ways people use technology to hurt others. The aim of the HDCA is to “deter, prevent and mitigate harm caused to individuals by digital communications”, and “provide victims of harmful digital communications with a quick and efficient means of redress”. Digital communication is any form of electronic communication including for example: Emails, Text messages, Voice mail messages, Social media content (e.g. blogs, posts, comments, images and videos), Content on messaging and communication apps (e.g. WhatsApp, Messenger), Content on image and video-sharing apps (e.g. Snapchat, YouTube), and Posts on community online forums (or chatrooms).

Watches

The ‘Phones Away for the Day’ legislation according to the MoE only applies to student phones. So, I am wondering do the rules include smart watches? Our school has policies around the appropriate use of laptops and tablets. In the Briefing notes under NZQA assessment conditions it states that along with other items any electronic devices that can store, communicate, retrieve information; and that includes watches (both analogue and digital) cannot be brought into the exam room. To do so is a breach.

We can make decisions about the management of wearable devices like smart watches – but I am curious, what do you think?

St Matthew’s Old Girls’ Association Grants

A number of seniors applied for two St Matthew’s Old Girls’ grants. One of the grants is for Outward Bound and the other is for the Spirit of Adventure. The lucky recipients are for the St Matthew’s Old Girls’ Outward-Bound Grant - Vanessa Taylor. The recipient of the St Matthew’s Old Girls’ Spirit of Adventure Grant is Isobella Edge.

Staff

After a period of ill health, it is with regret that I inform you that Mr Josh Fielding is leaving us. We thank him for the time he has given us and wish him well for his future.

Thank you

Where does one start, or more importantly where does one stop in thanking the many people who give their time so generously in supporting and volunteering for the school. Parents, staff, and students – thank you for the mahi you give over and above to us. You are the difference.

We have all earned this break so rest well. Be safe and be your best selves.

Ngā Mihi

Kiri

Around School

Boarding Note

At the end of every term we celebrate with a special dinner on the last Thursday night. Although we had many girls away unwell, it is important we create traditions in boarding and acknowledge those who have made a special contribution throughout the term.

Thank you to those boarders who have been Year 11 Dorm Leaders, in the Year 13 Leaders Apartment, on the Boarders Council and those who have simply done nice things for others.

Happy holidays everyone. Enjoy the break with your girls at home. I hope you all have a chance to rest and we will see you again on Sunday 21st July when all boarders are due back in between 3-5pm.

Jo

Seussical

Our Seussical show is now complete, and we would like to acknowledge those who made the show what it was.

A massive CONGRATULATIONS to our talented Miss Mahony for directing the show and guiding our girls through this massive undertaking. Also to our dedicated technical crew: Miss Sharon, Riley McAlister, Bonnie Noble and Stella Carrington - YOUR TIME WAS MUCH APPRECIATED.

A huge THANK YOU to Bryn Gibbs (Year 13 Rathkeale College) for his expertise on sound.

Also, to the many parent helpers who came in and braved the green room to help with make-up, costumes, hair and supervision - THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.

We are so proud of the girls for this wonderful show!