The 2018 year began with a new Harper House committee of 20 students from across each year level at the school, coming together to hopefully have another successful, fun, and interactive year, much like our last.

Athletics day is always a great way to begin the year for our inter-house competitions- a day full of fun, house rivalry and a great opportunity to dress up in your house colours. It was great to see many Harper girls getting involved within the day, even though the weather wasn’t the most ideal. Everybody got stuck in and gave it a go, rewarding our house with multiple house points for those who got involved. The annual inter-house relay was once again a competitive and entertaining event, with Harper coming off to a very close second behind Selwyn, but was never the less a great effort and created a great sense of cameraderie between the houses.

Before we knew it, Lip Sync was coming around the corner quickly and after many weeks of practising, was about to get underway. With a reputation to uphold after last year’s win, we wasted no time collating a group of over 60 girls across Harper who were keen to get involved and be a part of the team to make Harper a success. With Australian TV show ‘Love Island’ a current hot topic around the school, causing much drama and debate amongst the girls, we decided to set Harper’s theme for Lip Sync this year, based on the Love Island TV series. The night was a successful, entertaining and fun one that attracted much attention from family and friends who came along to watch. All houses performed exceptionally and upheld the high expectations of performance which keeps being raised each year. Harper was unlucky to scarcely miss out on a placing in the top three, but overall it was another great night. Some entertaining house competitiveness produced and many weeks of hard work paid off.

 I would like to make a special thanks to the Harper House committee for helping organise and hold practices nearly every day of the week, and being there to offer support and advice as planning and creating a large Lip Sync dance isn’t easy. A special mention to some of my amazing helpers and dancers in younger years, Flo Flores in Year 11 and Bronte and Tamzin Phillips in Year 9. You three were amazing help and your creativity and experience within dancing was much appreciated, making my job much easier!

Overall Harper has had a successful house year once again, with great sense of spirit built, a new house chant, and many opportunities to come together and create a tighter unit and rivalry against the other school houses. It was awesome to see everyone getting involved in events within the school and raise the school spirit around CGHS. A massive thank you to my awesome house committee for all the work and commitment you have put in over the year, and a special mention to my deputy Maggie Copeland for being an immense help with everything I do.