Principal's Comment

 Kia Ora Kevinians and Supporters of the College,

Today I have sent home the newly adopted sports policy which the College Board voted through on Wednesday night. It is never nice having to be in a position to ask whānau for money and I realize that things have been tough for many people over the past two years, but as Tumuaki of the College I have a responsibility to ensure that the school and its associated clubs are financially responsible and that we are realistic about costs. I also have a responsibility to my staff not to place them in a position where they are abused for doing their jobs which is why I have placed debt recovery into the financial arm of the school rather than making it the responsibility of teachers whose job is to be fantastic advocates for students not debt collectors.

I ask whānau to help us avoid embarrassing situations by doing the following things:

Please think carefully about the costs associated with the sport/s your young person is doing. While sport is a wonderful thing, it should not be driving any families into financial difficulty. Students don't have to play multiple sports or go to every tournament. Feel free to say 'no'.

Please be informed. I have asked teachers, coaches and managers to be fair and specific in the information they give out pre season so that caregivers are prepared for what is coming up in terms of travel, sport and tournament costs.

Please get involved. We are offering partial fee rebates for coaches and managers who step up and support school sport over the season. We are also happy to see fundraising happening for clubs to help spread the load. In order to fundraise for your sport, please contact the College and we will help you work through the Board process.

Please familiarize yourself with the portal. This is a hugely helpful system which doesn't take long to set up, is secure, is also linked to reports and attendance and is at the heart of our student management system. If you need help, please do not hesitate to ring the office and they will talk you through it. You can also pay part payments in the portal or pay through the office if the portal is not an option.

Finally, please communicate. We would much rather know there was a problem before things get out of hand. The last thing we want is for caregivers to be intimidated about coming to school simply because they are struggling.

To all of you playing sport over the weekend, best of luck!

God Bless

Jo Walshe