Kia ora koutou.

Welcome:

We began the 2024 school year by welcoming new families joining our school, new teachers, Nikolai Solia - Director of Religious Studies, Hannah Ryan - Room 10 teacher and we welcomed back Christine Geraghty. We also welcomed Fr. Patrick Bridgman who has returned to the Sacred Heart Cathedral parish.

Our 2024-26 Strategic Plan which was finalised last year has been lodged with the Ministry of Education and a one-page plan is found below this message. This outlines the four areas of focus (Our Faith, Our Learners, Our Staff and Our Community) and the initiatives under each area for the next three years.

This year, there is a school personal development focus on wellbeing (for staff and students), teaching specifically about the Zones of Regulation and managing emotions.

Professional Coaching Support for Principal Leadership Role Funding:

As part of the recent settlement to the Primary Principals’ Collective Agreement 2023-2025, it was agreed that in each of 2023 and 2024 principals can access funding to ensure that they can access coaching and support which enhances their leadership role and supports their professional development and wellbeing. Bernadette worked with the Board to finalise her use of these funds and  attended the following:

• Principals’ Delegation to Canada where they visited schools, met with the Calgary Board of Education (to discuss a focus on wellbeing for staff and students and how Indigenous learning programmes support equitable educational outcomes) and attended the ULead Educational Leadership Conference (a conference focussing on transformational leadership in schools). Bernadette travelled with eight Principals from New Zealand, during April 2024 school holidays.
• Catholic Convention, Wellington, June 2024.
• New Zealand Institute of Wellbeing and Resilience Master Class.