Important Update

Kia ora RVS
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I hope you have had a great time with family and friends over the two long weekends.  We managed some time in the Queen Charlotte Sound, boy we live in a beautiful part of the world.  
Speaking of landscapes, the COVID horizon continues to shift and we have been working through the education mandate lately.  The implications for the RVS community are wide reaching but not insurmountable, difficult but we will find a way through.  There may well be cancellations of activities as we struggle to staff different areas, we apologise in advance.  I know for certain that there are many in our RVS community praying for the situation we find ourselves in and we are incredibly grateful.    
We have been advised by the Ministry of Education that they still wish us to avoid all gatherings for the foreseeable future, particularly under Level 2.  For this reason, amongst others, the Board of Trustees has made the decision to cancel prize giving for 2021.  This is done with a heavy heart as it is one of our favourite, God glorifying, positive celebrations as a community.  We will still be awarding students but will use the new school magazine as a forum to present these award winners to the community.  Every family will receive a copy of this magazine in the last week of term.

I would like to welcome Bailey Watson as the new student representative on our school board of trustees.  She was elected from among her peers, by her peers and we are excited to have her.  I also congratulate all others who stood for election, all who received votes including Jeong-Hun Kim, Libby Ponder and Billy Peters.  Well done.

​The lost property box is overflowing, pretty standard for spring as students come to school in a jacket and take it off throughout the day, and then leave it somewhere…  I have the parent and staff perspective on this ;)  
This will be available to look through this week in the mornings/afternoons on the picnic table near the chess board.  Please continue to observe distancing when onsite and do not enter classrooms.  We do wish this wasn’t the case.

A big thank you to Mrs. Rebecca Silva for organising the 2021 Run for Bibles.  Also to those who worked hard to raise funds for the Bible League.  A magnificent effort providing 235 bible packs for others who need them.  See more about the Bible League here.

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​Thank you to all who filled in the recent Special Character Survey.  The proprietors will collate these and use them to help guide planning in the future.  You are a wonderful, busy community and the fact that so many took the time is appreciated.

Doug Clark and Andy Johnson are seen here working on our new bottle filling station area at the end of B Block.  The B Block wall will have a mural painted on it next year involving our students.  Thanks also to Kevin Dickens, our caretaker for his help on the playground as well as this space.  This is another RVS Crew funded initiative and we are SO grateful! Thank you to all involved in fund-raising for RVS, bless you.

On Friday last week, all our Year 7 and 8 students walked down the Taylor River to unveil this amazing poem near the old flax mill. Alora Crosby's poem was selected by the Springlands School organising committee and has been mounted onto a rock to join the other poems along the river representing each of their schools. All our Yr 7 & 8 poems were submitted and of a very high standard. Thank you Alora for your efforts and being a good ambassador for the school. Our students sang a beautiful waiata which was appreciated by all involved and A Karakia was spoken by Ollie McKerrow.  I encourage you to have a look yourself sometime.

​The Special Character Review initiated by our proprietor Elim and facilitated by Mr. Mark Larson has been an incredibly positive experience.  He spoke with many stakeholders, collected the community response and spoke with the BoT last week.  He will provide feedback to the proprietor via a report.  I will share a summary of the community survey when it is made available.

COVID has caused quite a delay to the beginning of the next building project here at RVS.  ‘F’ Block was planned to begin in October but will hopefully begin soon.  ‘F’ Block is a northern extension off the Art/Tech room completing that block.  It will be used predominantly by Y11-13 students and features: 

• three learning areas
• doors that open creating a large meeting space 
• a Y13 common room, meeting areas 
• outdoor eating areas and a Senior School quad 

With the continued growth of the school, we continue to experience need for more room, particularly at the junior end of the school.  We had been looking at re-arranging the current staff-room/office area but could not meet the needs we have which are:

• 2 classes, one normal size for Koru (Y0/1) and one for Kea(Y0), min 30m2
• Close to our other Jnr classes and playground
• To meet Ministry of Education minimum spec

The solution is a brand new dual classroom building situated near the current forest for new entrant students.  We had looked at many different options but this was the most cost effective and effective solution.  There will also be work done in Room 3 to connect the A Block hallway with the outdoors to allow easy toileting access for the new entrant students.  
Building for this will start ASAP allowing our new entrant students to use this area early next year to release space for our Y12 students until ‘F’ Block is completed.  God is good.  I thank Doug Clark & Glenroy Housing for their consistent work behind the scenes to keep the ball rolling.
Here is an image of the new Kea block.

We will be starting back next year on Thursday the 3rd of February.  Other 2022 Term dates can be found here - Term Dates 2022

So there is still much happening at RVS, even though it may sometimes feel like things have slowed or succumbed to the events around us.  We talk often as staff about the importance of each day, hour even minute when working with young people and schools are a place with so much life in them.  Stay in touch and God bless,

Dave Pauling
​Principal

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