With the largest primary school roll in the Cook Islands of just under 400 students, Apii Avarua had “welcoming and wonderful” one hundred per cent attendance on the first day back at school for Term 2 on Monday.

During Term 1 many of the students were affected by the Covid-19 outbreak, and some children actually missed eight straight weeks of school.

After the two week school holiday break the students were “so happy” to be back at school.

Apii Avarua students Thea Makimare, Rita Adamu, Hina Purua, Carlie Mailau and Leila Tamangaro were delighted and cheerful at the school break yesterday afternoon.

“I missed school so much and I didn’t like being away, because I missed my friends and my school,” said Mailau.

Principal Engia Baxter says: “it was good to see full attendances and to see how happy the kids are to get back in the classroom.

“On Monday, we had a great assembly and all the children were so happy, singing and coming together and it was great for us teachers as well, finally coming together as a school.”

With the lifting of Te Marae Ora restrictions, Baxter said having sports activities on the go again has been great. He says it’s also been good to have the noise back, as the school was been pretty quiet last term.

Apii Avarua continue to encourages the students to sanitise their hands and to wear their masks if their parents wish them to.