Kia ora e te whānau,
This week, I have had the privilege of attending the ICPC conference for principals from NZ and across the world, and it has been a fantastic couple of days listening to inspiring speakers and connecting with fellow educators. In fact, as I sit down to write this, I am listening to Gilbert Enoka, the renowned mental skills coach for the All Blacks, and his insights on culture and leadership have been inspiring. One takeaway that resonated with me was his perspective on how we handle the demands of daily life. He noted that “pressure is a lifestyle – we all have constant challenges and priorities coming at us.” Rather than wishing for those challenges to disappear, he challenged us to “understand that it is part of the gig – train to live in it.” It is a brilliant reminder for all of us – whether as educators, parents, or learners—to focus not on avoiding pressure, but on building the resilience, structure and mindset needed to thrive within it. As he said “You can’t improve what you wont talk about- silence about fear, pressure or doubt is a killer in effective teams” It was an insightful keynote with many gems which I look forward to sharing once back at school.
It is with immense pride that we announced the appointment of Penny Clout as our new Deputy Principal earlier this week. Penny will officially begin her role in January 2027. Over her 14 dedicated years at our kura, Penny has built a wealth of leadership experience, having served effectively as a former team leader, a within-school Kāhui Ako lead, and our current Cultural lead. Her appointment was driven by her outstanding organisational and communication abilities. Penny consistently leads with a mana-enhancing approach, and her aligned vision for the kura, and strengths in Te ao Māori and cultural leadership were key factors in her selection. We are all incredibly proud of Penny’s continued growth as a leader over the years, and I am eagerly looking forward to working alongside her in our Senior Leadership Team.
As we look ahead to next week’s highly anticipated performances of Honk Jr, the final costumes are being fitted and our last practices are well underway. Our dedicated cast and crew are gearing up for the Technical Rehearsal on Monday, followed by the Final Dress Rehearsal on Tuesday, all leading up to our three spectacular performances across Wednesday and Thursday. We are incredibly proud of the massive effort our entire community has put into bringing this production to life, and we want to extend a huge thank you to all the whānau who have purchased tickets to support our tamariki. For anyone who may have missed out on securing a seat, please rest assured that we will be recording the production, and a video will be made available for everyone to watch and enjoy at a later date. Tickets to the Day show are also still available to purchase too.
As we look ahead to next year, we would like to send a gentle reminder to all whānau intending to enrol their child at Dyer Street for 2027 to please complete the enrolment process as soon as possible. We are already beginning our planning for next year’s classes and staffing, and having a clear picture of our incoming student numbers is vital to this process. Early enrolments allow us to make the best possible preparations for your tamariki, ensuring balanced and well-supported learning environments from day one. If you know of any friends, family, or neighbours within our community who are planning to join our kura next year, please pass this message along and encourage them to contact the school office or enrol online via our website.
Have a wonderful weekend everyone, and of course….. Up the Wahs!
Ngā mihi
Lee Ewington
He tumuaki no kura o Dyer Street
English
Arabic
Chinese (Simplified)
Dutch
French
German
Italian
Maori
Portuguese
Russian
Samoan
Spanish