Nau mai haere mai, talofa lava, mālō e lelei and warm greetings parents and caregivers

As I get to know the life and blood of Te Kura o Hine Waiora I am continually impressed by the huge number of activities going on here every day and every week – we are a big operation! Staff make a wonderful effort supporting, coaching and guiding our students in many of these activities which cross the spectrum of sport, culture, service, social justice and more. The school calendar and weekly school diary is full of students and staff doing a myriad of things here and offsite beyond classroom teaching and learning. This is part of what makes the profession an uplifting and lifegiving place to be. It is wonderful seeing the energy and idealism of youth, their desire to be part of change in the world and to be out there engaging in all that is happening.

We have students who are leading in the youth climate change movement, a group focused on intersectional feminism, an active LBGQTI+ group, and a civics group, among others. The students are active in inviting community figures and speakers in with a pro-active focus on human rights and women’s issues in particular. In an upcoming event the Civics students have invited Alexandra Davids (Linwood-Central-Heathcote Community Board | Battered Women’s Trust | Chair of Keep New Zealand Beautiful), the Hon. Poto Williams (MP for Christchurch East | Assistant Speaker of the House) and the Hon. Dr Megan Woods (Member of Parliament for Wigram | Minister of Energy and Resources | Minister for Greater Christchurch Regeneration | Minister of Housing | Minister of Research, Science and Innovation) to speak to the students in a panel session in our auditorium.

What a fantastic line-up of wonderful female role models for our students!

Along similar lines I had the pleasure this week of a joining a Year 9 Social Studies class looking at influential women in our lives. I was able to talk with the girls about the influence of my own mother, my grandmothers, a female teacher and my own daughters and young granddaughters on my life. We also talked about a variety of New Zealand female role models from a range of areas:

• Alexia Hibertidou – founder of Girlboss focused on closing the gender gap in Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths, Entrepreneurship
• Dr Siouxsie Wiles - microbiologist and science communicator
• Michelle Dickinson – Nanogirl, nanotechnologist and leading science communicator
• Kate Shepherd – women’s suffrage and founder of the first all female produced newspaper
• Dame Whina Cooper – Maori land rights and Maori women’s living conditions, Te Whaea o Te Motu (Mother of the Nation), member of the Order of New Zealand
• Helen Clark – our first female elected prime Minister and leader of the United Nations Development Programme, member of the Order of New Zealand
• Jacinda Adern – our current female Prime Minister and youngest world female leader, one of few to give birth while in office, the first Prime Minister to march in Auckland’s gay pride parade
• Kate Edger – the first woman in New Zealand to gain a university qualification and the first in the British empire to gain an undergraduate degree
• Georgina Beyer – the world’s first openly transsexual mayor and then MP
• Jean Batten – the first woman to fly across the South Atlantic, first direct flight from England to New Zealand by anyone
• Nancy Wake – known as the “White Mouse” and most decorated WW1 servicewoman for the Allies
• Dame Miriam Dell – devoted her life to women’s advocacy, member of the Order of New Zealand

The story of our own early principal Helen Connon (McMillan Brown) adds to this and is for another newsletter.

Many more could be added to the list. Go to it, girls!

Ngā mihi nui

Christine O’Neill

Principal

Christchurch Girls’ High School/ Te Kura o Hine Waiora