Welcome to the last newsletter for Term One.  As I intimated in the last Newsletter, this has been a whirlwind term - full of events that have certainly elevated the enthusiasm of students around the College House Competition.

I was immensely proud of all the students who took part in Relay for Life, which raised $8,000 for the Cancer Society.  My sincere thanks to Jo McInerney, members of the Ngā Ringa Whero Team and the Manukura GPS boys who all contributed to the effective running of the event.

One of the highlights of our school year is the College Ball, which again ran incredibly smoothly thanks to the organisation of Anne Hagan, other staff members who participated on the night, and the Student Ball Committee.  Huge thanks to all the students who attended for the way in which they involved themselves and conducted themselves throughout the night.

As I write this on Thursday morning, we are looking forward to the College Variety Show, which I am certain will be another great event that showcases the many talents of students at the College.  I look forward to seeing a number of students on stage tonight.

Please be aware that next term will be incredibly important for students, particularly those working on their NCEA credits.  During this term many students will commence major assessments and so their ongoing commitment to study and attendance will be critical to assist achievement.  Thank you to all whānau who have supported our efforts to lift attendance.  We are certainly seeing the benefits of this over Term One.  

I would like to thank Marion Lumley for stepping in this term to cover Mrs De Kock's classes while she was on bereavement leave.  I would like to welcome back Mrs De Kock, who will commence teaching again in Term Two.

I would also like to thank Natasha Simpson who has been covering classes in the continued absence of Penny Quinn.  Natasha is returning to her study and in her place we will have Julie Downey and Whaea Tash Mills continuing to cover these classes in Term Two.

I wish all our students a good break and we look forward to having them all back in Term Two, refreshed and ready to learn.

In closing I would like to also acknowledge that later today at 3.00pm the second reading of the Treaty Principles Bill will see it stopped and put to an end. While it should never have gone ahead in the first place this is a historic moment and validates the efforts of all those that gathered together to push back against this bill. I want to acknowledge the amazing work that the Toitu Te Tiriti movement have done over this time to activate against this bill.

Today at 3.00pm staff and students at the college will join together to perform the Haka, Ka Mate. The push back against this Bill commenced with Hana-Rawhiti Maipi Clark and others performing this haka in the house and it is only fitting that the defeat of this bill be celebrated by again performing this haka to acknowledge it going in the bin where it belongs!

Ka mate, Ka mate, Ka ora, Ka ora, Whiti mai te ra!