Kia ora e te whānau

Despite finding ourselves dealing with another level 4 lockdown, I am humbled by and proud of our nation’s sense of the collective good.

Upon notification that we were heading into lockdown - and like lots of other Kiwis working or travelling away from home - I had to drive home within the 48-hour lockdown transit period. Driving from Wellington to the Hawke’s Bay, I was mesmerized by the many giant-sized, brightly lit signs looming out from the dreary afternoon greyness - made even drearier by the strange otherworldliness of deserted streets.  

The signs simply said, ‘Stay Home, Save Lives’.

That’s it, in a nutshell.

As the world struggles to contain the new COVID variants, we are so fortunate to live in this beautiful country of Āotearoa New Zealand, where everyone cares enough for each other, to comply with the health advice our Government has issued.

The COVID community cases we currently see won’t be the last challenge we have to deal with in the ongoing management of this lethal virus however we know it is critical that we buy enough time to boost our vaccination rates.

It is often difficult to understand the psyche of one’s own nation, who we are and what we value. I enjoy following the Twitter feed of Dr Judy Melinek, a San Franciscan, who accepted a position as a pathologist in Wellington to escape the unfolding tragedy that is the management of COVID in the United States.

It is ironic that she is a pathologist. She knows more than most the deadly dangers of this virus running rampant.

Her Twitter feed is full of amazement that a country such as ours can call a national level 4 lockdown based on one case; that we are all subject to emergency alerts on our cellphones, informing us clearly about our responsibilities; and that we listen to the advice of Government because we know that we really are our brother’s keeper.

I am proud that in a time of significant crisis, New Zealanders continue to be fiercely independent thinkers and collectively caring enough to act in the interest of others, especially our most vulnerable.

I stated it publicly at the NZPF National Conference in Rotorua and I’ll say it again here, principals’ leadership in these COVID times has been outstanding! Once again, this past week, as schooling has gone remote, principals have stood as a beacon of strength for their communities - strong, caring and reassuring. Your capacity for hard work and enduring support for the young people in your care, your staff and community, is a treasure to behold.

Thank you all. You are a special bunch. Let’s keep strong and keep connected.

NZPF Election 2021

Please note the 2021 candidates, who can be found here.

Elections - New Zealand Principals (nzpf.ac.nz)

My sincere thanks to the 2021 candidates for their enthusiasm and willingness to represent principals. Congratulations to Jason Miles, Principal at Kaiapoi North School who has been elected to the position of Vice President unopposed.

The Electoral roll closes on 25 August at 5pm 
If you are not a financial member of NZPF by 5pm on this date, you will not be eligible to vote.

Voting opens on 1 September and closes on 20 September at 12 noon.

Ngā manaakitanga

Perry Rush
perry@nzpf.ac.nz