Principal's Message

Kia Ora Koutou

Term Three Address

This was my address to the school for the Final Assembly for Term Three.

Here’s to strong women, may we know them, may we be them, may we raise them.

May we also remember that sometimes it is hard to be who we are, and we may need help

to help ourselves.

For some of us who are older than the girls; for some of the girls in fact, being able to handle the tough stuff has been cultivated through some rough or very rough patches through which we have lived. This does not make those tough times going forward any easier…far from it. It does mean that you know that you will come out the other side, because there is something to reach for.

I set out to do some reading about the hardest things about growing up in New Zealand. Like many before me I thought that at the top of the list it would be "Bullying". But it turns out that these things are higher on the list: school, health, family, parents, care, work, alcohol, and depression; and they are worrying some of the girls more than bullying does. That should not be taken as an invitation to say “sweet, bullying is okay”. This indicates that there is ‘stuff’ that is bogging students down. So, they and we need to do something about it. In fact, it shows a complicated web of things can make life feel too much for some teenagers, and some of us in the not so young category.

So, when stuff is getting too much I asked them:

• are you talking to someone?

• is that someone in a position to help? If Yes that is great. if no – ask someone who can help.

• are your parents aware? If no because you struggle to talk to them- then that needs to be dealt with.

• Is retribution stopping you? You need to get past that – if help is needed let us deal with that safety first.

BUT the key message is to find someone they can talk to or find someone who can find someone who can help.

I have told you that teachers are not trained Counsellors. We can listen and advise within our professional brief, but more we can find ways and can direct you to those who are trained to help.

Our young ones should not wait for days and weeks before asking for help, because it will make it bigger or worse and it will get inside them and weigh them down. There is a caution that if they are the helper…who is keeping them safe? What are they anchored to? they are doing themselves no favours if they have not got the right supports to anchor them, and I can say that about what we are charged with doing for our young ones.

In fact, without the best anchors and supports, it can make problems bigger or situations worse. My next recommendation is that if our young ones have approached someone for help and it has not worked…let us know so something can be done about it.

There is a phrase which you have probably heard before…that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. As Demi Lovato also famously said ‘no matter what you are going through there is light and you will get there’. How quickly you get through it depends on how quickly you seek help. There is always hope and we all have a purpose. We got though Lockdown a little easier by being Kind. We need to be kind to each other. You need to be kind to yourselves.

Finally, there is a movie and a book called ‘The Help’. In it there is scene where the maid Abilene says to the young girl for whom she cares, because she is feeling alone; “You are smart; You are kind; You are important’. I want you to always remember, each of us is important.

Our differing ‘smart’ and that does not mean the grades you get because we all have different talents. Our differing ‘Smart’ means each of us has a purpose.

Student Rep on the Board

It is my pleasure to announce that Samantha Plimmer has been elected to be the student representative on the Board of Trustees.

Parent Initiative

I end this with hugely positive gem from parents, which they have coined ‘Connecting the years; We’re Better Together’. These wonderful parent volunteers would like to build parents’ connection to the school. It is a new initiative, so Year 9 parents expect a phone call over the holidays.

Ngā Mihi

Kiri

Around School This Week

Reopening of Lazarus

In 1970 the Board saw as essential a number of things but an Appeal to raise $100,000, that was launched that year was to build a new hall/ gymnasium (for which the Board would approve $18,000).

The Hall/Gym was deemed out of the question until Rev Ted Dashfield saw the newly completed assembly hall at Christ’s College. The new hall would have tiered seating with offices attached.

Rev Dashfield proposed that instead of demolishing the old hall ‘Lazarus’, that it be shifted to its present site at the swimming pool.

‘Cleghorn’ was officially opened in April 1974.

It also states in Helen Dashfield’s ‘To the Stars’ “One cannot let pass the memories of a hall, erected nearly half a century before.”

A few years ago, we were compelled to close Lazarus. I thank Denise Beazley, the Board Chair for TSTB, for speaking to that necessity. Basically, under Earthquake codes, Lazarus was not Earthquake safe.

Time, funding, and clear needs later -the approval was given for the refurbishment of Lazarus to happen.

What of the future of this building?

Interestingly it begins with a resurrection of its past uses. The building has been and will again be utilised for:

- PE classes, especially on a cold day.

- An alternative venue for the term three House Music rehearsals.

- An exam centre.

- Large gatherings like Swimming sports and Boarders’ end of year functions.

- Fundraising via the Facilites hire.

- School socials and dances.

- Ballroom classes.

What we hope to see grow with this facility as just one example, is the Dance Pathway. This is a subject for trained and untrained dancers so keep it in mind. The capacity for the use of this building is endless

We thank our school Board, and we thank the Board of Proprietors for investing in the resurrection of this building for the use in the present and future of our school.

Final Assembly Awards

Congratulations to the following girls who received awards in Final Assembly this week:

Principal's NCEA Excellence Awards

Level 1:

Maisy Ballantyne – English, Mathematics and Statistics

Grace Tanner – English, Visual Arts

Kate Cherry – Drama x 2

Christina Kirkup – Home Economics, Mathematics and Statistics

Madison Wilkinson – English, Visual Arts, History

Sophie Borthwick – Business Studies, English, History

Luana Felix – Drama x2

Abigail Green – English, Home Economics

Felicity Johnson – Mathematics and Statistics, Construction and Mechanical Technologies

Olivia Kirkup – Home Economics, Physical Education

Olivia Cooper – English, Visual Arts, Mathematics and Statistics, Construction and Mechanical Technologies

Jiya Patel – Visual Arts, Construction and Mechanical Technologies

Asha Blyth – Dance x2, Business Studies, Mathematics and Statistics

Sophie Jones – Business Studies, English, Home Economics, Physical Education, Mathematics and Statistics

Stella Masters – English, Visual Arts, Mathematics and Statistics, Construction and Mechanical Technologies, Music x2

Meghan Macri – Music x2

Ava Rickey – Business Studies, English, Physical Education

Madeleine Wellbrock – Mathematics and Statistics, Construction and Mechanical Technologies, Music x2

Hanna Cohr – Mathematics and Statistics, Construction and Mechanical Technologies

Ivy Hosking – English, Visual Arts

Harriette Klingender – Visual Arts, Construction and Mechanical Technologies

Macy Lyford – Home Economics

Teagan Abbott – Visual Arts

Ella Beveridge – Visual Arts, Mathematics and Statistics

Augusta Rutherford – Business Studies, English

Jasmine Wellington – Physical Education

Rosa Fowler – Business Studies, English, Dance, Visual Arts

Ella Gray – Business Studies, English, Dance, Visual Arts

Samantha Matuszek – Business Studies, Home Economics, Mathematics and Statistics

Isabel Ashwell – Dance x2

Eloise Bannister – Business Studies, Visual Arts, Classical Studies

Nikki Jones – Visual Arts

Porscha Kendrick – Construction and Mechanical Technologies

Amica Valencia – Business Studies, History, Mathematics and Statistics

Saffron Juniper – Music x2

Annabelle Smith – Construction and Mechanical Technologies

Ruby Broom – Home Economics

Level 2:

Audrey Jamieson – Chemistry

Tania Kiang – Chemistry

Annabelle Milne – Chemistry

Beth Pallister – Chemistry

Catriona Savage – Biology

Zoe Sheehan – Chemistry

Nanaka Takagiwa – Chemistry

Vera Wang – Chemistry

Isabella Ward – Drama

Ella Arnold-Barron – Physics, Chemistry

Lily Burgin Penlington – Physics, Chemistry

Charlie Butler – History, Drama

Johanna Cloutman – History, Biology

Freya Cook – Physics, Chemistry

Kianna Dawson – Biology, Chemistry

Francesca Domanski – Biology, Chemistry

Kate Forrester – Biology, Chemistry

Claudia Hawkes – Physics, Chemistry

Ellen Johnson – History, Chemistry

Corrin Prince – Physics, Chemistry

Sophie Renton – Biology, Chemistry

Skye Ryan – Physics, Chemistry

Ruby Wells – Biology, Chemistry

Cecilia Beck – History, Biology, Chemistry

Charlotte Burgin Penlington – Biology, Physics, Chemistry

Summer Didsbury – Biology, Physics, Chemistry

Selene Mak – Biology, Chemistry, Physics,

Natalie Wong – English, Biology, Chemistry

Level 3:

Anna Bebbington – Drama

Eleanor Boyce – History

Majella Dempsey – History

Amy Drysdale – Health

Neve Hopman – Drama

Kate Lewis – Drama

Hannah Maunsell – Chemistry

Hannah Penn – Chemistry

Charlotte Summerfield – Chemistry

Mia Aitchison – History, Drama

Madeleine Ashwell – Agriculture and Horticulture, Health

Holly Green – Health, History

Amanda Harris – Agriculture and Horticulture, Health

Ruby Kyle – Agriculture and Horticulture, Agribusiness

Claire McFetridge – Chemistry, History

Abby Crawley – Agriculture and Horticulture, Chemistry, Health

Speech Competitions

Merit Year 7 - Harriet Summerfield

Merit Year 8 - Isobella Edge, Poppy Tatham, Maiah Purcell, Lucy Wyeth

Colours Award - Winners of Primary Speech Competition - Year 7 Lucy Disbury, Year 8 Sally Booth

Merit Awards - Junior Intercollegiate Speech Competition (to be awarded in Assembly next term), Francesca Shaw (Year 9), Kersha Napier (Year 10)

Corrin Prince - Merit Award - Participation in the Intercollegiate Speech Competition

Cultural Awards

Colour Award - Contribution to Performing Arts - Charlie Butler (Year 12), Neve Hopman, Anna Bebbington (Year 13)

Merit Awards - Senior Novice Team, Harlequin Theatre Sports Competition

Duke of Edinburgh Awards

Bronze Award - Jiya Patel

Silver Award - Lily Pearce

Wellness Thursday

This week was another busy afternoon for visitors coming into the school to talk to our girls.

Year 13 invited recent old girls to talk to them about their first years out of school, university, flatting, job hunting etc. Many thanks for Ella Young and Sarah Saunders

We were fortunate again this week to have the expertise of Steph Burling from Drake Recruitment to talk to Years 11 and 12 about their employment in the future.

Years 9 and 10 continued with a careers focus. This week we invited Lynley Wyeth (Spring Valley Farming Enterprises), Sarah Crofoot (NZ Beef and Lamb) and Michelle McCabe (Forestry 360).

We would like to thank all of these inspirational women for sharing their time with us and telling their stories.

Industry Day Out - Year 11

On Tuesday four Year 11 girls, Jasmine Wellington, Annie Lowes, Molly Karam and Phoebe Spencer attended the 'Industry Day Out' (pictured above). This was an open day for students to visit different workplaces to get a taste of their industry. The girls visited farms, logging sites and factories.

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