Kia ora and welcome students, whanau and teachers to our 2020 Senior Prizegiving.

Year 13s, where have the last 5 years gone? It feels strange that this is our last week of school forever.

I guess we’ve finally outgrown high school. I honestly never thought I’d admit it. And for months I’ve resisted the feeling of wanting to leave, but it's finally time. and it feels so bittersweet. The past two weeks I’ve felt so guilty for wanting to move on from a place that has been my second home for 5 years.

Each year, each path till this point has been set in stone. But now, we forge our own paths and reclaim our futures. The future is inevitable and forever haunts us, as we don’t know what it may entail. But our individual futures are the products of the decisions we make now which steer the course of our lives, as we find our purpose and define what success means for each of us.

Our futures are limitless, albeit terrifying, but we stand upon the cusp of infinite possibilities and we are the agents of change. As we look towards the unknown, we hope our lives will be rich with successes and highs, we may not anticipate the lows and we will encounter hiccups, failures, tragedy and adversities, however these will make our journey more meaningful. We fear the unpredictability that awaits beyond the school gates, but we also despise predictability because it's boring. However, given our year groups energy, passion and curiosity, our collective future as 21st century thinkers and do-ers is bound to keep us on our toes. I've been continuously impressed and in awe of our year groups ambition and passion. We are an inquisitive bunch, who question anything and everything- a blessing and a curse. Apologies to our teachers and staff for any grief we’ve caused you, but our curiosity and tenacity will surely do us well in the years to come.

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal, it is the courage to continue that counts”-Winston Churchill. Some of us will go on to be successful, and some of us will think we are not. Because it's how you define it, we each hold ourselves accountable to different definitions of success. In this way, it's not about the destination, but about the journey, and we must reflect and re-evaluate ‘success’ as a concept which seems to dominate our lives for its subjectivity and the fact that it exists in a multitude of forms.If we’ve learnt anything from our time here, its that we must redefine, reinterpret, and reimagine possibilities because success can be more than a job, it doesn’t have to be reflected in wealth, status, power or the ability to make things happen, success can be the feeling of accomplishment gained through new experiences, forming relationships and connections, and maintaining our wellbeing. So whatever it may be to you, get out there and grab it with both hands.

Whilst covid has made for a tedious year, it served as a reminder to value our relationships with family and friends, prioritise our wellbeing, and direct time and energy towards interests, hobbies, passions and things which make us happy. Through lockdown, we were reminded that each of us has the capacity for resilience. we often resist change or any abnormalities to the regularity of life, and a pandemic has disrupted all normality, forcing us to adapt and overcome challenges and obstacles, resulting in an emotional, long year for all, but one which we will remember, yes for the chaos but also the learning experience and positive takeaways.

As a leader in 2020, I’ve had to find new ways to communicate and coordinate within the confines of lockdown and having to operate in an online presence. Ironically enough, as we entered lockdown feeling disconnected and befuddled, we became more connected than ever before as a community. With profound and constant communication from Mrs O'Neill, the slt and teachers, which i like to think the prefect team mirrored through our use of online platforms to keep all year groups engaged and maintaining that glass half full mindset.

To the Year 11s with us tonight, don't let NCEA Level 2 consume you. Yes it's important, yes you’ll feel the pressure and notice an increase in workload. But at the end of the day your wellbeing is more important, be attentive to your needs and you will surely flourish.

To the Year 12s, some of you will have the privilege of becoming 2021 prefects tonight, and unfortunately some of you will miss out. Please remember it's not the braiding on the blazer that makes a leader, and I really urge all of you regardless of position to take and make those opportunities as senior students. Being a leader is about upholding the school values; manaakitanga, rangatiratanga, aroha and whanaungatanga.

CGHS is founded on the duality of tradition and progression, and over the past year with Mrs O'Neill's leadership we’ve embraced this duality as we reinterpret success and excellence in the context of a 21st century learning environment. It's an exciting time to be a CGHS student with the change, increased connection amongst students of all year levels and teachers, and the vibrant culture. It’s been a privilege to have had a year with Mrs O'Neill as principal and myself, along with Steffi, Ruby and Hannah are immensely grateful for your support, wisdom, passion for education and change.

And to the senior leadership/management team, thank you for your endless support, guidance and advice.

2020 has tested everyone's patience, so I'm sure we are all very grateful to our teachers and staff who went above and beyond especially during lockdown, structuring classes and maintaining excellent communication to ensure the needs of all students were met. And additionally for the incredible sense of humour displayed with online videos of staff at home and participation in prefect-led activities, which ensured school spirit and connection remained strong.

It's been a privilege to work alongside my team of deputies; Hannah and ruby this year who have given more than 100% to their roles, along with Steffi, Head of Acland, who very much had a dual role being a superb leader for Acland House and the school community. I couldn’t have asked for a better team for this rocky year, I'm inspired by your enthusiasm, resilience and passion. And the same goes for our incredible team of prefects who have proven their dedication to individual roles with originality, organising new initiatives this year, adapting with covid, and endless commitment to the prefect team and responsibilities.

To our parents, where would we be without your ongoing support behind the scenes. As Year 13s we’ve spent the year deliberating on how we should spend 2021 and have leant on our families for much support and advice. Thank you.

And once again Year 13 leavers, I remind you all that this is the end of the chapter, not the end of the book. Our narratives shall continue to unfold, and the next chapter relies on us embracing our passions and following our hearts.