Dear Parents and WhānauAs we enter the last four days of this term, yes the last day of term is this Thursday, we also enter my last few days as Acting Principal. It has been almost a year now and Martin will be back to start term two. Martin and I have already organised a meeting so that we can make sure the transition is smooth and to ensure the great work teachers and students have been doing around agency will continue to be developed. This type of learning is essential in preparing students for the future.Time has certainly gone quickly. I would like to thank the students for their support over the last year. Our students are awesome and I will certainly miss the daily interactions I have with them both in classes and the playground. This year I have really enjoyed watching our leaders develop and start to assume more responsibility across the school. This group of students are very talented and dedicated and they will help make the school a great place.I have really enjoyed working with both the previous and current Board of Trustees. The school has a really strong vision that I know the board are working hard to ensure comes to life. It is exciting and will ensure learning is relevant to the current and future needs of Westshore students. This board is very focused and determined to make a positive difference to learning for all students.To the parents and wider community – thank you for your support in making school a great place for students. Without your ongoing support school would struggle to offer so many exciting learning opportunities. My last thank you is to the staff, who have been awesome. They are very dedicated and I have enjoyed seeing them develop in practice and pedagogy over the last year. I am most proud of how collaborative they are and how they have embraced student agency and voice to improve engagement and learning outcomes. I thank them for the way they have accepted me and allowed me to challenge them over the last year. They are very professional and the school is very fortunate to have them.I will say goodbye to students at a makeshift assembly on Thursday about 2.40pm just before they leave for the day. If you are available please join us.If I do not see you I wish you all a happy easter, with plenty of family time and a little chocolate.RegardsCraig Henderson

We welcome Jeremy Burkett back on the Board of Trustees and welcome aboard Anna Byers after the recent "selection" process. We now have a full board and can push ahead with the strategic plan.