Principal's Page
Kia Ora from Level 3 - At Last!
It is good to be back in Level 3. We have two bubbles this week operating safely and effectively.
My sincere thanks to all the staff who are making this happen. Particular thanks to those teachers who are teaching in person as well as teaching their classes via Distance Learning online.
We know Level 3 and 4 pose a lot of challenges for families, and we want you all to know we appreciate the way you have stayed sane and helped your children maintain their learning.
Speaking personally, I know I am going to be much more appreciative of the freedoms we have under Level 2 and Level 1. Also, having been very sick for a number of those Lockdown weeks - for the first time in years - it also makes me really appreciative of the good health I enjoy most of the time.
I really believe in the power of optimism, the importance of hope and the value of being appreciative.
There is a growing body of research which shows there are many psychological benefits to being grateful, including feeling happier and lowering stress, depression and anxiety.
And of course feeling good about helping others feels good too.
There is also scientific evidence that expressing genuine gratitude on a daily basis can improve physical health as well by improving quality of sleep, cardiovascular (heart) health and immune function.
Gratitude promotes optimism and helps us to develop a more positive outlook. It lets us pause for a moment to reflect on something we have in our life right now instead of always striving for more … the next goal, the new clothes, the new toy, the new car, or the house renovation …
Gratitude is simply cultivating a genuine appreciation for what we already have.
And many of us do have a lot to be thankful for.
In his classic book, "How to win friends and influence people", Dale Carnegie wrote about the value of smiling at people and helping others to feel important and valued. He suggested that you should show people how much you appreciate them and be grateful for what they do and for the contributions they make.
Smiling is such a simple way of expressing to someone in the street that you value and acknowledge their presence as a fellow traveler.
Right now there is one major problem with this advice - we are all wearing masks!
However, I still believe when you smile under a mask, your eyes and body language convey that message. If you think not, then take one of my biggest life advisements - speak your truth to people whenever there is an opportunity to show appreciation or give a compliment.
A brief story if I may.
A few years ago I was in LA. We entered a huge mall and I got a coffee - a flat white - and carried on my way. Some 40 minutes later we were a LONG way away from the coffee cart and it was getting late, but it had been a great coffee. So I ran a long way back and got there just as the barista was closing up. I explained I had been in the USA for a month and this was by far the best coffee I had had there. I was a bit out of breath, so she could see some effort had gone into this thank you. She just burst into tears. She said it had been a hard day and I had no idea how much those words of thanks meant to her.
I will never ever forget that episode, and it encourages me to go out of my way to speak my truth as often as I can. I encourage everyone to try this too.
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Reminder - A few parents have emailed me re various issues and this is all good. I am happy to be asked anything. While I can't guarantee I'll have the answers, I will try to find out and get back to you when I do. You can text me on 021779009, or email me via macash@mac.com
On behalf of all our staff we send you our love and best wishes, and our hope that you will all come through this strong and safe.
