Puketaha School
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395 Puketaha Road
Hamilton NZ 3281
Subscribe: https://puketaha.school.nz/subscribe

Email: office@puketaha.school.nz
Phone:  07 824 3870

Principal's Message

Dear Parents, Caregivers and Children,

This time last year I wrote the below for our newsletter and as I read it I find it interesting that the message is very relevant and on point 12 months later.

Term 4 by nature is a bit of a sprint, 9 weeks of learning which includes lots of events. Purely by this description you can create a sense of urgency and even panic around having to fit all the events and tasks in before the end of year. As a result your mindset changes and even your behaviour / approach. This is not always a bad thing. Sometimes it is a positive to change gear, increase your speed and achieve more in a shorter time frame, you could argue you are improving your fitness towards the job (whatever that job maybe). The important thing to consider when doing these things is to also ensure we see it for what it is, 'a phase', 'a moment in time' that requires a bit more of you. It has to be just that, as the speed and pace in that period of time are not sustainable (they're not supposed to be). When you find yourself in these periods it is important to not see this current status as a problem but rather an opportunity to achieve more and enjoy the energy that surrounds it. The reason why I feel it is important to take this mindset rather than the alternative is that these 'urgencies' don't last, they fade. Knowing this and knowing that we will outlast the current status allows us to accept the challenge and do so with courage and confidence, not with panic. 

What interests me is what have we learnt from this, are we better at dealing with the sprint? Have we developed better strategies to 'run the race' more effectively? What is worth noting is the comfort of predictability. We know what is coming, we know what needs to be done and we know the time frames. The 'no surpise' factor helps. 

This week I shared a book to our children in assembly titled 'the Flower Man'. It is a wordless story. The essence of it is how a man brings colour to peoples lives, he role models and lives the change he wants to be. It was an important message to all our children, in particular our seniors as we look to them to finish their time here strongly and continue to role model the values, behaviours and expectations we have as a school. 

Finally, in two weeks (Week 9, Tuesday 10th Dec and Wednesday 11th Dec) we have our Term 4 Student Led Conferences. These conferences are a wonderful opportunity for you to come in and share in the learning that your child has been doing over the last couple of terms. Please take the time to book a slot using the www.schoolinterviews.co.nz website. Our code is: 2ctst. We will be asking for an early pick up (1.45pm) if possible on the Wednesday as our teachers will be involved in conferences from 2.00pm onwards. Thank you for your support with this. 

Warm Regards

Geoff