Principal’s Notes

How wonderful it has been over the last week to be part of the award ceremonies that have been so carefully put together by our wonderful staff.  It is great to acknowledge the superb work of our students.  I will never forget the statement from a departing colleague “The kids here at Springs are ridiculously talented!”  They certainly are, and we have seen this at the Pasifika Prizegiving; the Year 13 Leavers’ Prizegiving; the Year 12 and Year 11 Prizegivings and at the Sports Dinner.  I frequently share my observations of the abilities of our students with visiting parents, by saying “could you do that?” as I show them around our working school.  The answer is invariably “No”.  We are delivering a world class education here and we know that by witnessing the quality outcomes that are delivered by our students every day.  Prizegivings are our public acknowledgement of this.

In relation to the Sports Dinner held last Monday evening, there are a couple of stats that I am particularly proud of.  Of the 1452 students currently enrolled at Springs 51% of them are playing sport for the school.  Nationally this figure sits in the low thirties.  63% of the students playing sport for this school are female.  Again vastly higher than the national figure which sits at 37%.  We can be well proud of these participation rates and how they fit the kaupapa of inclusion at this place.

In my addresses to the school prizegivings I have been emphasizing a theme of preparing students for a world of work which will be vastly different to what it is now and how this school has prepared them for this.  Our new buildings and new timetable structure will ensure our students are even better prepared to be creative, ingenious, mentally agile, adaptable and able to work collaboratively with us, as these skills are the ones that are being identified by top CEOs as the ones they are looking for in graduates as employees.

As I write this our students are just beginning the second day of this season’s external examinations.  I have emphasized the important goal of quality – merits and excellences for those wanting to find places in competitive areas of the tertiary education landscape.  I wish you all well for this examination season, knowing as I do that you have been well prepared for the exams and luck won’t come into it!  Kia kaha

Ivan Davis 
Principal