As was inevitable, a number of school events have had to be taken off the school calendar due to COVID 19 level changes. These include the Year 8 camp in Queenstown, inter-house singing and swimming, assemblies and Chapel, and the school fete. The Sports Dinner which was due to be held before Labour Weekend has been postponed. Nevertheless, we have not lost pace in our day to day delivery of the curriculum. The boys are gaining considerable momentum for their end of year exams and have retained their humour and energy.
As a result of the planned closure of H&J Smith’s Dunedin store, we are investigating an alternative supplier for the McGlashan uniform. Our plan is to find a suitable balance between cost and quality from a range of existing suppliers, including an option to purchase online. More details will be available once this is finalised.
Due to a loss of curriculum time during lockdown, the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) have made adjustments to the NCEA requirements for excellence and merit endorsements. These allowances will take some of the pressure off our students but staff have indicated that almost all students have their full range of standards in hand. I expect that our boys will perform well, despite the obvious challenges this year. Additionally, Yr 13 students across the country will only need to achieve 12 credits, rather than 14 credits, in each of 3 University Entrance Approved Subjects. All NCEA students will also have access to Learning Recognition credits.
The Ministry of Education’s Urgent Resource Funding has enabled us to appoint another highly experienced counsellor who will work at John McGlashan College one day a week until July next year. This will give greater solidity to our existing and comprehensive pastoral care and learning support network.
We would normally welcome Spring this month with our annual Fete but this year we will have to be content with the smell of cut grass on the sports field and a show of blossom in the quad. This has been a year like no other but the collective resilience of our community has shone through the difficulties. As with any challenge we might face in life, we are reminded that adversity builds resilience. By giving greater importance to the things we value the most, we can let those of lesser importance drop away.
Kindest regards,
Neil Garry
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