After a summer break that we hope was filled with joy as well as plenty of sunshine, it is with great pleasure that we welcome back our Saint Kentigern families to the new academic year, with a special welcome to the families joining us for the first time. We hope you have all had a most relaxing break and, after the disruption of last year, are looking forward to the bright new year ahead! How lucky are we to live in New Zealand!

We are pleased that each of our schools is starting the year with a very positive roll and all teaching vacancies have been filled with some fantastic new additions to our staff on each campus. We are delighted to have attracted such a high calibre of new teachers.

There was a mix of excited chatter and, for some, a little first day nerves, as students gathered for their first day at the College, with the Boys’ School and Girls’ School Years 7&8 also starting today – Years 0-6 begin tomorrow. The preschoolers are already well-settled and busily engaged in their learning programmes, having returned to Preschool earlier in January.

The first of our students to arrive looked smart in their new uniforms as they mentally prepared for their first day at a new school; their arms full of new schoolbags, boxes of new stationery, laptops and new lunch boxes!

Our staff fully understand the significant commitment many families make to provide their children with the excellence of a Saint Kentigern education. We know the importance of working together with parents to ensure that each boy and girl makes the most of their time at school, taking every advantage that comes their way. A big part of this is encouraging each student to take a full part in school life - engagement in the classroom, enjoyment of a number of co-curricular activities and full participation in the special character of Saint Kentigern, particularly around Chapel life and service to the community.

Last year was a year like no other and one we hope we can put behind us. Our sincere hope is that 2021 continues just as it has begun, but rest assured that should we face another lockdown, our programmes are ready to roll out on each campus so teaching and learning can get underway quickly.

These early days are sometimes a time of nervousness, as new students settle into their classrooms and tutor groups, establish new routines, reconnect with old friends and discover new friendships. It is often an equally nervous time for the parents! If the sound of happy chatter and laughter during morning tea and lunchtime is a measure, then be assured, the new school year is happily underway!

Tags

• College,
• Boys' School,
• Girls' School

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