Good Evening to you all and welcome.

On behalf of the Board of Trustees I would like to welcome you all here for this celebration of achievement and to farewell our Year 13’s at their last official Year 13 Function. What a year it has been. The worldwide pandemic that rages on around us has made this one of the most challenging years for us all. Our business-as-usual approach to running the school was thrown out the window as our country entered a lockdown, the likes of which we have never seen. There was no rulebook or manual on how we would or should behave. In our own personal lives we all found ourselves trying to find ways to cope with living our lives through Zoom catch-up with friends, while at the same time worrying about what this meant for our livelihoods and how long could this go on for.

The initial mandated staying at home novelty wore off after a few weeks and we all started to think what on earth will the rest of the year hold.

As a Board we are so fortunate to have the staff at the school that we have. Individually and collectively the staff rolled up their sleeves to develop a program to get our students back to learning in a new environment. Many juggling family commitments at home while trying to develop online learning platforms and ensure our girls had a chance to reengage in learning.

To the teaching and support staff and the staff at Acland house we thank you for your effort and dedication to the school and the girls over the year. The Board would also like to say a huge thank you to Christine and her leadership team for the way they have led the school through 2020. No one signed up for the year we have had. As a Board we believe it comes down to quality of people. It is in times of turmoil and disruption that we see the true quality in people. What we have seen this year is what an exceptional group of teachers and support staff we have.

For our Year 13 girls we appreciate there are a number of events you have missed out on due to the effects of Covid. From what we have seen you have all taken this in your stride and recognise now that we are very fortunate when we look to the rest of the world. It is fantastic that you were able to have your leavers ball at the weekend and have this celebration today. Your journey through life will be anything but linear. Living in Christchurch has taught us that. What we see is the resilience that has been built up over the years living in Christchurch. The challenges we have faced have certainly taught us all coping mechanisms in these times.

For the Board 2020 has been a challenge. A real focus for the school became the wellbeing of our Staff and our girls. I think it important to note here the outstanding communication that was coming out of the school as we tried to ensure there was clarity around the operation of the school. As in the past the team excelled in supplying clear and concise messaging. This helped us all as we were trying to navigate our way through and out of lockdown.

We do however have some great news with regards to the School building project.

Christine and I met with the Ministry of Education this morning and I can confirm that following the positive engagement that we have had over recent months and the work undertaken with KPMG to review the options available for the redevelopment of Christchurch Girls' High School. The Ministry intends to rebuild the Main Block and the Technology Block and refurbish the Arts Block. The relocatable buildings will also be removed.

The master planning which will begin in the new year on the back of an updated education brief will inform how the project is staged over the coming years to deliver the right outcome and support the schools ongoing operation, while minimising disruption to teaching and learning. Once we have an agreed master plan, we will then progress the design. We appreciate that this has taken time but the outcome will see around 90% of the school being new buildings.

I would also like to say thank you to the Board of Trustees. Parent reps Jennifer Goldsmith , Brian Northern , Sally Nicholas and Rodney Booth, Old Girls Rep Ros Robertson, Whanau Rep Yo Gulliver, Staff Rep Alastair Blyth and Student rep Isla Clarkson. Thank you for being so engaged and supportive over this challenging year.

To our leavers we wish you all well in the next chapter of your lives. We hope as a school we have been able to equip you with a great education and life skills that will help you in whatever you do next.

To the staff, the Year 11 and Year 12 girls, we look forward to seeing you back for 2021 in what we hope will be a year with no Covid disruptions.

On behalf of the Board we wish you and a safe and Merry Christmas.