Principal

As I sit down on our second day of being back on site after our longest lockdown to date, recollecting on February/March seems like a distant memory. To say 2021 has been eventful would be an understatement on a large scale. However, as we proved in 2020, Glenfield College as a community has adapted exceptionally well. As we said at the end of 2020, out of a crisis comes opportunities which you need to grasp. One of my biggest learnings as we look back on this year is that while it has been exceptionally challenging and difficult, we have all come such a long way in terms of resilience, adapting and remote learning. The greatest factor that has been mentioned previously is teaching is relational and people are the heart and soul of Glenfield College.

2021 was a fresh start after a challenging 2020. We wanted to forget about Covid-19 and enjoy all the freedoms of being back at school. The Year 9 intake was our largest in recent years. Glenfield College was being recognised in the community as a settled school with quality teachers who operate in a safe environment. The 2020 academic year was another strong one for the school and while the Learning Recognition Credits (LRCs) were introduced, our Merit and Excellence endorsements were once again on the rise. Special mention goes to the Year 12, 2020 cohort who relished the opportunity to fulfil their academic potential and set themselves up for academic opportunities in 2021 and beyond.

Glenfield College has continued to encourage community engagement and through ceremonies and functions, are building a culture of celebrating success. The Honours Ceremony is always a highlight where we celebrate our core business of student achievement and academic excellence. As Principal, nothing gives me greater pleasure then seeing more and more whanau attend and witness their children receiving recognition.

Early in the year we held our Prefects’ Camp in Taupo and to say it was a resounding success would be an understatement. 14 students had the privilege of attending with Ms Zhu, Ms Smith, Mr Anderson and Mr Gardner. The activities and opportunities truly made this a memorable experience for all involved and highlighted to me as Principal the maturity of these fine young people.

Special congratulations to Zane Paki and Eden Taula for your appointments to Head Girl and Head Boy. I commend you on the way you have led the school this year. It hasn’t been easy, but you have relished the challenge and risen to the occasion, assisted by the guidance of Mr Gardner.

Arguably, one of the highlights of the year has been the school House Competition that continues to grow from strength to strength. Special mention must go to Ms Smith who has done an excellent job running this competition. For the second year in a row, the profile has been lifted with House leaders being introduced and the challenge in 2022 will be to sustain and build on this programme that adds to the culture of the school.

One of the most important people in the lives of a new Year 9 student are the Peer Support Leaders. These special young people complete the two-day training programme in late January and then spend the next two terms helping the Year 9s joining Glenfield College feel welcome and safe. Many thanks to Ms Fan for her leadership and guidance to these students. I know that when I speak with parents they talk about the profound effect the Peer Support leader had on their young son/daughter when they first walked through the gates of Glenfield College.

2021 saw us welcome a number of new staff including Michelle Cleaver (Assistant Principal), Stuart Dove (Sports Coordinator), Amoure Homburg and Stephen Shand (Technology), Ashleigh Scanlan (Student Wellbeing Centre), Melanie Waugh (Mathematics), teacher aides – Daniel Baker, Hannah Colquhoun-Petherick, Blessing Kerehoma and Harri Tricker, as well as Wendy-Lou Vosloo in the Library. We also welcomed returning teachers, Karen Daniel (ESOL) and Anna Williams (English), as well as Annalyce Openshaw & Chloe Hurtley covering maternity leave for Elise Huggard and Jordyn Wilson

We are very fortunate to have such excellent and committed practitioners joining us and helping grow our students.

This year has seen the departures of two long-serving staff members, Ms Sarah Gray (ESOL), Mr Roy Harding (Property Manager) and Sports Coordinator, Mr Jamie Mason. We thank them for their service and contribution to the school over the years.

Special congratulations to the following staff who have been recognised for their commitment to the students. Two years ago we introduced a Staff Excellence and Support Staff Excellence Award. This year’s recipients have both contributed in different ways to the youth in our school community. We really are so fortunate to have dedicated staff that go above and beyond to help both staff and students.

The first award is the Support Staff Excellence Award. This award is valued at $2,500.

This staff member is very deserving of this award. Her dedication to our students is outstanding. She ensures they are well-prepared for their work placements from having the right equipment, to knowing how to get there and most importantly, how to behave when they are there. Her job is certainly not a 9am to 3:30pm one, nor just 40 weeks a year. She fields phone calls and messages from students at all times from 6am in the morning until 11pm at night. She also makes herself available during the holidays to follow up on work placements and sometimes hold courses. She has also built positive relationships with a number of employers who regularly come back to her looking for students to work for them. Her wealth of knowledge about Gateway is regularly called upon by coordinators from other North Shore schools. The support staff recipient for 2021 is Mrs Rena Foolchand.

The second award is the Teaching Staff Excellence Award. This award is worth $5,000 and presented to a staff member who exhibits excellence in their field.

This year’s award winner has been involved in many facets of school life. She was integral in implementing the House Competition, contributed to staff and student wellbeing and the use of whakatauki as part of her CoL role, put her hand up for the staff representative on the Board of Trustees and led the Statistics course within the Mathematics Department. She is an advocate for our students and has both a personal and professional interest in improving outcomes for our Maori learners. She connects well with all of the staff and wears her heart on her sleeve. She is a truly passionate teacher, with a desire to see change and celebrate the success of others. The recipient of the Staff Award for 2021 is Kristina Smith.

Term 1 was briefly interrupted by Covid-19 but otherwise ran smoothly with a sense of normality pervading. Athletics Day was a sea of colour with the new House shirts being clearly visible and a resounding success in taking the House competition to the next level. Two further highlights of the school year that were enjoyable and we were delighted to be able to celebrate were the annual Anzac Day ceremony and the Relay for Life. Staff Bickford did an outstanding job of organising the Anzac Day ceremony which was also attended by special guests from the community.

The student body is often reminded that the greatest gift you can give is service. Ms O’Hara and her team, which included 80 students, did an excellent job as they raised $12k for Relay For Life. This special event is becoming part of what makes Glenfield College special and a leading school on the North Shore in the area of serving others and fundraising for cancer research.

As Term 2 commenced, we welcomed back the winter season and for everyone’s wellbeing it was great to be on the sideline, either during the week or on a Saturday morning. Special thanks to all our parents, coaches and teachers for their support this year.

Outdoor Education continues to flourish and grow under the leadership of Mr Anderson. The OPC experience is now in its third year and for those fortunate enough to attend, they will never forget this experience. The opportunity to experience events that take our student body out of their comfort zone are becoming far more prevalent and something our students are more confident being part of.

As we come to the end of 2021, I would like to specifically thank the HODs and Deans for their leadership of staff and students. There is no doubt this has been a very difficult year for teaching and learning, yet your professionalism, commitment and ability to adapt to provide the best opportunities for our community is admirable. With our new strategic plan launched this year, it has further reinforced we are on the right track and the strategic initiatives of Hauora, Dynamic Learner and Student Success bod well for the future. It just takes time!

To the Board of Trustees, thank you for your unwavering support as we continue to lift Glenfield College and head in the direction of being the school of choice for our community. To Donna Kahaki and Neil Crooks (Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson), I cannot emphasise enough how fortunate we are to have you as leaders of the Board. The role of Principal can be challenging one at the best of times, yet knowing I have such a supportive Board is vital in allowing me to lead the school.

To Gillian, my PA, once again thank you for another great year. As each year goes past, your role continues to evolve and your support of myself as we try to make Glenfield the best school it can be, is so appreciated. Being Principal over the last four years has been incredibly challenging, but your support, work ethic and professionalism has been outstanding. Thank you.

To the Senior Leadership Team of Anne, John and Michelle – the key word in "SLT" is "team" and it genuinely feels like we are a real team. The balance of the team is exactly what a leader hopes for. Anne, your wisdom is key. John, your attention to detail is vital and Michelle, your new ideas and can-do attitude helps us all perform well. Thank you.

I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a safe and happy summer break.

Mā Maruwehi, Ka Rāhiri
Paul McKinley