A Message from our Principal

Thank you for your participation in last weeks parent-teacher interviews and in advance of today's interviews for those of you yet to attend. What has been really pleasing to see is the number of students attending these interviews alongside their parents. Bringing your young people along to talk with you and their teacher, opens the door for future discussions at home about progress and strategies for success. We have many ways to keep you informed about your child’s learning – written reports, these interviews, Attitude to Learning (ATL) emails, as well as emailed information from individual teachers. Please make the most of these avenues to have encouraging conversations at home.

This week we farewell Mrs Jean Allibone. Jean is leaving Trinity to work in the leadership team at Selwyn College. We know that the same care of young people and the strong relationships we have seen at Trinity, will be appreciated by the first-year university students she will be working with. Jean has taught for the last ten years in the science and maths departments, has been a Year 9 integrated studies teacher, a dean of many year levels for many years, and recently has been our Specialist Classroom Teacher supporting and mentoring our beginning teachers, along with always being generous with the time she has given to sports in particular. She leaves big shoes to fill! Thank you for your commitment to Trinity during this time, Jean, you will be missed. At the beginning of Term Two, Mr Ben Duckett will be joining our staff. As a current Head of Science, we know that Mr Duckett will seamlessly be able to keep Mrs Allibone’s classes moving ahead in their learning.

Mr Michael Grant has a term’s leave from school to tour with the Rock Tenors. Michael is the musical arranger and mastermind behind the songs the group performs. We are certainly fortunate to have someone of Michael’s calibre as part of our music department, and we wish him well for a successful tour. He will, of course, be joined by Miss Sophie Whibley who performs in the Rock Divas, for the Dunedin concert.

Mr Chris Pickles has been awarded a Study Award for Term Two. After many years at Trinity, Chris is taking the opportunity to visit other schools and do some concentrated professional learning next term. Ms Cathy Helps will be the Acting HOD Art and we will welcome Ms Michaela Cox in to the Art Department to teach Mr Pickles’ classes.

As families get ready for term 2, it is timely to remind you about some non-negotiables. We will be returning a great deal of jewellery to students that has been sitting in our safe after being confiscated during the term. The uniform rules are clear, so I suggest that all jewellery is left at home if it is not allowable in the uniform rules; it is much better that jewellery stays at home for weekend use rather than living in our safe for the term! Similarly, the phone and headphone rules are clear. The vast majority of students are great at doing as requested – phones are turned off and in bags, as are headphones and airpods (unless there is an exemption) – between 8.30 and 3pm – thank you! Unfortunately, some parents still contact their children by phoning or texting them during the day. This puts a student in a very compromising position, and it is asking them to go against the rules of the school and, of course, the legislation. If you need to get a message to your child, please email or phone the office and this will be passed on. Otherwise, learning to read emails is another good skill our young people need to practice and you can contact them through this method.

We are looking forward to term two after a very successful and settled term one. Term 2 is crunch time for making significant progress in curriculum programmes and completing important assessments. Being ready to learn from day one will be important.

Make sure you look out for the Term One copy of ‘Trinitas’ which has been emailed out this week, and you will also find it in hard copy in the churches over Easter. Our quarterly round up of school news is a wonderful way to reflect on the successes of the last few weeks. Thank you to Ms Tor Devereux who always produces a very professional publication.

I wish you all the best for a restful and blessed Easter break. Enjoy special time with family and friends and I encourage our young people to rest and recharge in readiness for the winter terms.

God Bless,

Mrs Kate Nicholson

Principal