Board of Trustees Chair

Board of Trustees Chairperson

COVID-19 has made an unwelcome return to our country early this year. As we change once again through alert levels, what has remained true has been the unifying mantra that ‘we have beaten this thing before and we will beat it again’, which can be heard echoing around the staffroom and classrooms of Ōtūmoetai College.

Considering the year that has been, I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge our staff for their professionalism and care they have so ably demonstrated towards our students over these past few months. I appreciate the extra work it must have taken to set up distance learning programmes when we first went into lockdown. I salute your resilience in ensuring that our students would continue to learn, albeit from home. I also recognise the fact that our students have continued to receive high quality learning opportunities on their return to school, through Alert Level 2 and into Level 1.

We were all getting used to life returning to normal when, seemingly out of nowhere, COVID-19 re-emerged, bringing with it new and complex challenges. Would we go back into lockdown? Would we resume distance learning? Are we ready to do so? These were the questions the board was asking of the school. What we learned was that the staff of this college didn’t have the luxury of guesswork, they were prepared, just in case.

This last year has been anything but normal and I would like to express my gratitude to Ōtūmoetai College staff on behalf of the board for all that they have done, and continue to do in order to support and uphold our students learning and well-being. Thank you for navigating this ‘new normal’ and for providing an unwavering support to our students. We are proud of you and your efforts! Mr Matthew King Board of Trustees Chairperson