When I was made Head Girl of Acland House my initial thought was "Oh no!" I’m going to have to speak at the end of year prizegiving."

 The year has rolled around and although I have had a year to practise speeches, I'm still here thinking oh no I’m making a speech at the end of year prizegiving.

Looking back at my Year 8 interview with the then principal Mrs Duthie, I remember how nervous I was. She was asking questions like "do you play sport?", "what kind of books do you like to read?", "where would you like to travel?" and all was going well until she asked, "now what do you know about Acland House?" I was stumped. I had visited the boarding house multiple times, having an older sister there, but I couldn't think of anything. I blurted out, “Well I know they have a pretty good trampoline?”

Over the last holidays, I started to wonder what's the difference between a hostel and a daygirl? Well, let me tell you. Have you ever seen a Hostel step on a city bus confidently and know where they are going to end up? Can a Day girl belt every single lyric word to word to the songs Country Road, Waggon Wheel and the Gambler? When you talk to a Day girl about your RM’s she looks at you as if you have some sort of contagious disease. Before coming to Christchurch Girls' High School many boarders thought Bondi was just some beach in Australia, but it turns out there was a whole tanning selection of it. Acland girls are known to be polite, confident, proud, humble, grounded, and have the ability to smell out the best steakhouse in town, and it has been an incredible honour and privilege to have filled the role as head girl this year.

I was introduced to Acland House years before I started, as my older sister was already there and I can remember it was going to be such a great place. We started in Year 9 with our slicked back side ponytails and squeaky clean uniform two sizes too big. For myself coming from a primary school with 100 students to Girls' High, I was feeling a little overwhelmed to say the least.

We all went through the CGHS student cycle, Year 9 feeling excited and proud, Year 10 all of a sudden thinking you run the roost, Year 11 the introduction to the sack dress as we went up the food chain, Year 12, where we had to knuckle down academically and then Year 13 where we all gained a sense of pride in wearing our uniform and were proud to say that we were Christchurch Girls’ High School students. Five years have flown past and I can honestly say the time that I have had at Acland and Girls’ High has been the best and most memorable in my life, and it has been such a privilege to be able to lead and give back to the hostel this year after all it has given to me.

This year some of the events include going to Sumner to have fish and chips on the beach, packing out the movie theatres to watch the latest movies on the big screen, giving back to charitable organisations, having a friendly social dinner with Adams House, compulsory weekend in, the many dress ups and of course winning this year's Lip Sync, being one of the proudest moments. However, we have had some challenging moments as well. Mother Nature has teased us with a few small earthquakes - hopefully, most Cantabrians are now accustomed to these, however nothing- absolutely nothing could have prepared us for the horrific Christchurch Mosque attacks in March on the Friday afternoon. I know for many girls at the hostel all we wanted to do was to be home with family, but for some that wasn’t possible. But I think it is events like these that brings us all together and makes the hostel environment even stronger. This year I would like to think that I have lifted the awareness of Acland House at school and helped to educate staff and students what goes on at Acland.

It was rumoured that I had been chosen as head girl for Acland because of the mini-me likeness to Ms Guillimot in the 2018 House photo. Whether this is true or not, it has been a tremendous privilege to fill this role and I hope I have succeeded in your expectations. I am very excited for next year's Head of Acland, Steffi Burra, who I know will do an amazing job and I wish her all the best.

There are so many people that I owe a huge thank you to including my deputies, prefects, Acland and school staff, all the hostel girls and Ms Guillimot. Guilly I owe you a massive thank you for guiding me through this year with your ability to make me laugh when I thought I might crumble, giving me confidence when I felt out of my depth and just being an incredible mentor.

Thank you to Sophie and Helen, Head and Deputy at school this year. I have had such an incredible year leading alongside the both of you. Thank you to my three deputies at the hostel ,Helen, Maggie and Alice, and my team of prefects, who I would be lost without.

Thank you to the Acland and school staff who have also been extremely supportive, and I'm sorry to Mr Thornhill as I don't think myself or Sophie were on time for one History class this year because of meetings. Most importantly I would like to thank my parents who sent me off to boarding school in the first place, and for giving me an opportunity of a lifetime, and my older sister who has been my rock this year and has been incredibly supportive.

I am so proud and humbled to be able to stand up here as your Acland House Head Girl of 2019 for the end of the year, and hopefully I have done you all proud. To be apart of Acland House for the past five years has been such an incredible experience and I'm going to miss it so much. For the rest of the girls, you are all so lucky, so take every opportunity that comes your way and absolutely run with it!

Alice Ridgen