Tena koutou katoa. Nga mihi atawhai nui.

Refreshed and refocused. That’s how we hope to begin this school Term under new Covid requirements. It would be great to be able to say that this Term will be less disrupted by illness and home isolation than last Term, but we must not become complacent. Covid is still very much active in our community. This first week back, we have four staff and, so far, 26 students who are in home isolation or have tested positive. We are hopeful the main ‘Covid surge’ is behind us.

In these winter months, with the onset of the flu season, we strongly recommend that our students and staff continue to where masks when indoors. Masks continue to be one of the most effective measures to prevent the spread of air borne infections.

This Term, we will begin to move towards more in-person gatherings, in well ventilated and larger venues, for our students. We know that the opportunities to get together, as larger groups, have been very limited over the past three Terms and we want to ensure we can continue to build community, especially for our younger students who have just joined our learning community. We will begin with House assemblies and weekly Mass, holding assemblies in the gym and the hall, and the Mass in the hall, where there is plenty of room for social distancing.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” – Romans 15:13