Kia ora whānau,

When we started planning for the 2023 school year we were hoping it was going to be a chance to get back to 'normal' after the COVID years ... how wrong were we??? This term has been another with so many challenges for us. Yet your children have coped so well and have settled into school extremely well. You can be very proud of them.

I want to thank all those who have shared kind words about my new position for the remainder of the year. My work with the Ministry of Education will see me be based in Napier but there will be a lot of travelling to do as I get out visiting schools and their principals in remote areas ... at least, once road links open up. I shall really miss being around Greenmeadows School for the rest of 2023, although I still intend playing a role with the GMS PTA over the year.

We also wish the best for Mr Andy Mackay as he finishes his tenure at our school, and takes up a position at Henry Hill School. Andy starts there next term, but we still hope to see him from time to time linked with the numerous sports exchanges we have with Henry Hill School. All the best Andy.

May I finish by sending best wishes to you all for the Easter break and for whatever 2023 has to offer. You are part of a wonderful school whanau and this year ahead looks so exciting.

Have a great, happy and safe holiday.

Ka kite anō,

Mark Johnson

Principal

Virtually all schools in Hawkes Bay appear to be taking the 24th April as a Teacher Only Day to prepare for the introduction of the refreshed NZ Curriculum. Initially we had not planned to do this, partly as we had the late start to the year.

However the last part of the building project that began in December 2020 is now close to completion. This involved finishing the block of classrooms facing the school field (soon to be renumbered Rooms '3', '4' and '5'). It is going to be a tightly run work programme to guarantee the work will be finished by the end of the holiday break.

Linked to this is the removal of three prefab classrooms along the school frontage of Osier Road. These rooms came from schools in Rotorua and Mount Maunganui back in 2017 - and were only supposed to stay for two years! Now finally, there are new plans for them to go to another Hawkes Bay school - and the intention was to remove them during this holiday break. This puts a lot of pressure on the teachers setting up rooms for the new term, especially as we are not sure when the renovated Rooms 3 to 5 will be ready to occupy.

So this week we have decided to take the 24th April as a Teacher Only Day to give teachers a chance to look at of the draft curriculum, as well as allow time to get the rooms set up to start on 26th April. We apologise about the very late notice.

Term 2 will commence on Wednesday 26 April 2023.

This past fortnight we have had seven new arrivals at school. We welcome these wonderful new students to GMS:

Dunura Loku Gamage, Ovini Jayasinghe, Freddie Fulton, Minura Loku Gamage, Ania Angeles, Chloe Linstrom and Pedro Angeles.

Our roll at present is 425.

Sun hats are no longer compulsory wearing now daylight saving has ended. Great to see so many children still being 'sun smart' and protecting themselves form the sun's damaging rays (now that the weather has finally settled ...).

Just a reminder about the uniform we have at GMS. So many children turn out immaculately in the correct clean uniform. We are noticing footwear coming into school that is not the black colour we ask for. There is variety in the footwear, so long as it a black colour. Don't let your children try and tell you otherwise! And if children have sports practises that require different footwear, we ask that they bring them as shoes to change in.

This is how we communicate with the school community any importmant messages or reminders.

https://www.smore.com/app/reporting/out/ktaxf?u=https%3A%2F%2Fschoolappsnz.co.nz%2Finstall%2F&t=install%20link&w=w-5610919473&i=&l=l-7600403145