Principal's comment 14th July.

Kia ora e te whānau,

A very warm welcome back to Term 3! It’s hard to believe we are already in the second half of the year. I hope all our students and families had a restful and refreshing holiday break, ready for another exciting term of learning, achievement, and opportunity.

At Geraldine High School, each term we focus on one of our core values, and for Term 3, the spotlight is on Achievement. This value takes on particular significance as our senior students begin their preparation for practice examinations and look ahead to their NCEA external assessments. Term 3 is a time for students to really focus on their goals and take the steps necessary to reach them.

To truly achieve, our students need to demonstrate a range of skills and attributes, including:

• Self-discipline – managing time effectively and committing to regular study

• Resilience – staying motivated, even when the work gets tough

• Goal-setting – knowing what success looks like and creating a plan to get there

• Growth mindset – believing that ability can be developed through effort and learning

• Support-seeking – asking for help from teachers, peers, and whānau when needed

We encourage all students to make the most of the support available to them this term, attend tutorials, stay on top of deadlines, and most importantly, believe in themselves.

Celebrating Holiday Success

While many of us were enjoying a break, a number of our students were representing Geraldine High School and South Canterbury with distinction in sport and cultural activities over the holidays. Congratulations to the following students:

• Nicole Schoneveld – selected for the South Canterbury U18 Netball Team at Nationals

• Kyra Marett - competed in the South Island Schools Cycling in Christchurch over the weekend.

  Kyra gained Gold for the Individual time trial, and she also gained gold for the Road Race riding away from the field to finish 1min 40sec ahead of the second placed rider.

• Ethan Hole - selected in the New Zealand Athletics Oceania Cup team

• Lily Jones – also represented South Canterbury U18 Netball Team at Nationals

• Sophia Rusbridge and Makelesi Naitoga – selected for the Under 16 Scorpions Rugby League Team

• Macy Oliver – competed in the 2025 New Zealand Highland and National Dancing Championships

• Junior A Netball Team – represented our school at the South Island Secondary Schools Netball Competition

• Cayden Halsey, Marco Hardie-Lyne, Felix Hardie-Lyne, Dillan Sami, and Ethan Hole – competed for South Canterbury U18 Basketball in the Mainland Competition

• Maddi Cooper – part of the South Canterbury U16 Basketball Team, who placed 1st in the Mainland Competition

• Georgina Hurley - made the South Canterbury womans rugby team wider training squad.

Ka rawe koutou! Your commitment, effort, and achievement are an inspiration to your peers and a source of pride for our school.

What’s Ahead This Term

Term 3 brings a range of exciting events and opportunities for both students and whānau to get involved in, including:

• Vibes – our always-popular house competition talent show

• School Music Festival – showcasing our students’ musical talent

• Riccarton High School Sporting Exchange – building connections through sport

• Winter Tournament Week – featuring multiple codes competing across the South Island

• NCEA Corequisite Examinations – a key milestone for our senior students

• Koru Games – involving our Year 7–8 students in interschool sport

• Practice Examinations – critical preparation for external assessments

I encourage all students to make the most of these opportunities, not only to showcase their talents but to build memories and friendships that will last a lifetime.

Let’s make Term 3 a term of focus, growth, and achievement.

Ngā mihi nui,
Marcus Cooper
Principal
Geraldine High School