Principal's Page

Kia Ora and Namaste - Greetings Friends  

This is a very special time for our Indian community. It fills our hearts with joy to see our children and parents (and grandparents) so proud of their culture, traditional clothing and culture.

Diwali is the Festival of Light and our Indian community definitely light up our school at this special time.

Diwali, the Festival of Lights, encourages us to reflect on its timeless values—hope, kindness, and the triumph of light over darkness. Diwali reminds us that even a small spark can ignite warmth, joy, and unity in our lives and the lives of those around us. Just as a single diya, or lamp, illuminates the darkness, so too do our acts of kindness brighten our community and strengthen our bonds.

In Friday's Diwali Whānau Time, I played a short silent movie about a little girl with three balloons. As she walked happily along, she came across three sad people. To each, she gave a balloon and brightened their day. At the end of her kindness, she was left with no balloons, but she sat on a park bench, and there was a 'glow' about her.

I asked Michael, one of our juniors, to explain to our school why she was happy and bright even though she now had no balloons left. Michael said, "When you share with others, that makes them happy, and it makes you feel happy and warm inside. That's why she had light; it was  happiness from sharing and making others happy."

I feel very proud to see our children understanding the importance of kindness, being a Bucket Filler and Paying It Forward. These values are foundational for our school. They mark our school, our culture and our children as different. 

Diwali encourages us to take this spirit of kindness even further, inspiring us to be a source of light and goodness for others, whether by offering a helping hand, sharing a kind word, or going out of our way to make someone’s day a little brighter. By Paying It Forward we build a stronger, more compassionate community that thrives on respect, kindness, hope and love.

May this Diwali bring joy, peace, and a renewed commitment to these shared values in each of our lives. We wish you and your whānau a celebration filled with warmth, love, and the knowledge that together, we can make the world a kinder, brighter place.

Namaste and Diwali ki shubhkamnayein.

As always - if you have questions or concerns about anything school-related - email me at macash@mac.com, and I will get back to you asap.

My very best regards to you all,

Ash Maindonald

Principal.