Principal’s Notes – February 2024

An outstanding Scholarship result for 2023 has seen our 2023 Dux Arushi Gupta winning 5 scholarships in the subjects of Biology, Calculus, Chemistry, History and Technology. Arushi will be a student among the Top Scholar awardees at Parliament in May this year, and will receive $5,000 per year for three years at University – a $15,000 prize!! We congratulate her on this ‘first’ for Springs/Waiōrea.

Springs/Waiōrea students won scholarships in Biology, Calculus, Chemistry, Classical Studies, Dance, History, Music, Statistics, Technology, Te Reo Māori and Te Reo Rangatira from the 2023 examination round.

Another spectacular result from last year’s NCEA examinations has been recorded by our Year 13 cohort with an 84% pass rate in Level 3 standards compared to a national average of 66%, and in University Entrance we recorded a 73% pass rate compared to a national average of 42% – a stunning 31% above the national average!

Our roll for 2024 is nearing 1900 students and building capacity is becoming stretched (the new school was built to accommodate 1700 students). The refitting of the Hall in to 5 learning spaces is nearly complete and ready for handover and we are still proceeding with the planning and design of a 4 classroom modular relocatable block on the lawn south of the cafeteria. This is planned to be ready for occupation by the beginning of Term 3, but I am nervous with the recent round of budget cuts for school build projects announced yesterday!

I have reported in a Community Update the success of the “phones away for the day” initiative and also mentioned a return to detentions for late arrival to school. While we understand the current congestion due to the Meola Road upgrade, the impact of lateness on settling classes to work in the morning is debilitating.

Our beautiful summer weather has meant we have enjoyed a wonderful start to our school year. Let’s hope there is more to come!

Ngā mihi,

Ivan Davis
Principal