First day of school jitters at Katikati College

Shaan Kingi with Katikati College staff, addressing new students and their families at Thursday's pōwhiri,

There were tears... but mostly excited faces at last week’s Year 7 welcome at Katikati College.

Thursday was the first day of high school for Year 7 students (and new students), and parents and children were greeted with a pōwhiri followed by a morning tea.

Children found out who their teachers were and met the fellow students they’ll be rubbing shoulders with for the rest of the year.

Parents and new students are welcomed to the school.

Speakers included head boy Peter Buckley, followed by poumatua Matua Joe Manukau, new Year 8 teacher Simon Turnbull (who was spokesperson on behalf of the school’s 11 new staff members), Shaan Kingi of Tuapiro Marae and principal Louise Buckley.

Louise acknowledged that the transition to college can be daunting. She said all staff and students will do everything that they can to make new students feel “a part of our school and to ease transition between schools”.

Katikati College principal Louise Buckley.

She urged for parents not be strangers.

“The most important thing we can do is to support them to work together — a partnership between home and school — so that we can best enable them to be successful in this next stage of their lives.”

The entire school attended on Friday.

This year’s head girl is Isla Willacy, and Peter is head boy. Meg Harray and Gemma Groenewald are the deputy head students. Reid O’Connell is the Board of Trustees’ student representative.