By Simon Clarke | Posted: Monday December 5, 2016
It's that time of the year again to say thank you and Merry Christmas!
It is a cliche, but the year seems to have gone very fast and yet a number of highlights stand out.
Well done to all of our children for their accomplishments this year. After reading every report it is great to see every child made improvements in some part of their learning whether it be academic or social. I am always impressed by the large number of children who live by the schools values of Kindness, Aspiring, Independence and Keeness. This was most evident when the school visited the Marae this week. I was so proud to see all of our students especially the juniors speak so confidently in Maori on the Marae.
It is not just the children who have done well this year. We have had many teachers gain success this year and congratulations goes to the following teachers.
Nicky Garden is now a qualified as a English as a Second Language Teacher and Emma Riley was recently appointed as a permanent member of the teaching team. Sarah Gilbert and Kirsty Anderson both graduated from the "Aspiring Principals Programme" and finally Paula Fisher was recognised as an Advanced Classroom Expertise Teacher. One of only 800 in the country.
We thank and farewell Sonya Menzies who has done a fantastic job in Room 10 this term and also Darcy Knox who has been working largely in the senior school.
Tony Reid is not retiring! But we do thank Tony who for over the last 25 years has been teaching in Room 2A. Hundreds of children have gone through his classroom during this time and I am sure they all have very fond memories of being in Room2A! He will be working at least two days a week in Rooms 1,3 and 8 next year supporting our senior management team and no doubt on the sidelines for many of our sports teams.
Thank you to all of the teaching and support staff whose tireless efforts ensure that the students at Kaikorai get a very high quality education. Not just academically, but also with a strong emphasis on improving the student as a whole, be that through sports, cultural experiences and developing better social skills. I hope that you have a well deserved holiday and come back ready and recharged for 2017.
The fair was a highlight, not only setting a record $30,000 profit but also promoting a strong sense of community. My thanks again to our Parent Group and Ros, Nicky and Vanessa for all of their work this year. Thanks also to all of our volunteers as we cannot provide the programmes without your support. Special thanks to Vanessa Hornal and Sarah de la Harpe for ensuring our children's safety by co-ordinating the Road Patrol and Walking School Bus.
Thank you to the Board of Trustees. For some, this is their first time on the Board, while others are now serving in their seventh year. Your continued focus on what is best for all of the students at Kaikorai School is greatly appreciated by all.
We look forward to seeing our returning students next year as we have many exciting plans in place including Kaikville and maybe even a movie sequel!
We wish our year 6 students all the very best at what ever school you are attending next year. If you continue to live by our school values next year - you will all do well. You're all 'big kids' now so it is time to be more independent! Have lofty goals and work hard to complete them. Be keen to make new friends with people from different schools and try out something you have never done before. Lastly and I still think most importantly, be kind.
Finally I would like to wish you all a safe and enjoyable holiday.
Merry Christmas
Simon Clarke
Principal