The International Council has undoubtedly had a successful year with many opportunities to showcase the diversity of students at Avonside.

With COVID-19 dying down and things starting to return to normal, we were finally able to welcome a number of new girls from Japan, Thailand and Germany. This year we had a total of 30 international students, a big number we have not had since 2020. It was nice to see so many new faces, as well as returning faces.

Our big goal in 2022 was to acknowledge students of all cultures and ethnicities as we believed it was important to make sure everybody felt included. Throughout the year the council worked hard to commemorate festivals from all over the world, whether it be by cooking cultural food or playing traditional games. We kicked off Term 1 with a traditional Indian Holi Festival, then continued to celebrate many more including Africa Day, Filipino Independence Day, and Bastille Day in Term 2. The sweet crepes sold for the French holiday were the biggest hit. There was also a movie night held at school, where the council and international students gathered for pizza and a Disney film to get to know each other better.

Term 3 was a particularly busy time not only with the arrival of new girls but also with the preparation for International Week. For each day of the week we celebrated a different continent. We started off strong with Asia for Monday, where origami, calligraphy and traditional yukata try-ons were on offer. On Tuesday the International Assembly was held and it was spectacular to say the least. We had a K-pop dance group, a Japanese dance group, an Indian dance group, a Vietnamese dance group, a Filipino dance group, and a Pasifika dance group as well as 3 German speakers, 1 Thai speaker and a musical performance. At lunch there was a traditional clothing fashion show and even more dance performances in the reception area. It was great to see everyone having fun and the talent of many certainly exceeded expectations. On Thursday we played a general knowledge Kahoot for Europe, and Friday was Pasifika Day where the Pasifika Council prepared a blindfold food tasting challenge. Two weeks later we had Gala Day and the council opted to sell friendship Pocky snacks, which sold out quickly. We also held an international birthday party where the new girls had the chance to experience a NZ style birthday party with classic Kiwiana games and food. It was an enjoyable afternoon with pizza, cupcakes, and multiple rounds of hide and seek as well as musical chairs that got competitive.

Mrs Silvester and Lisa Garrett usually take the international girls on trips to different areas in New Zealand every year. This year students had a chance to travel to Lake Tekapo in Term 3 and Wellington in Term 4. These outings enabled the girls to form closer bonds with each other while visiting beautiful places and participating in activities like skiing and stargazing. Other events throughout the year included tree plantings, baking for the elderly, and a quiz night for host families.

Before finishing off I would like to say a big thank you to all international students for their enthusiasm, council members for their effort and dedication, and Tamara Percival for being an excellent Head of the International Council. Last but not least to Mrs Silvester and Lisa Garrett, thank you for all of your support and hard work - we could not have done this without your help!

Jenny Kim, Deputy Head of International Council