It seemed that at the end of 2017, we were recruiting so many new staff to cope with roll growth and replacing staff who had moved on. At the start of 2018, it was exciting to welcome our new staff, many of them new to teaching and full of enthusiasm.

A number of the new teachers were appointed in the Junior College. We welcomed Sam Tisch and Chelsea Birtch in Yr8 and Tracy Allan, Raewyn Davis and Patricia Hastie in Yr 7. At various times over the year, they were supported by Kat Cotter and Di Alpers once she had returned from surviving the revolution in Azerbaijan.

There were new staff in many other departments also – Aaron Heath in Chemistry, Lauren Briggs in ESOL, Luke Taylor in English, Abi Keene in Art, Juliet Buenaventura in Maths, Poovindri Naidoo in PE, Annabelle Simpson in PE & Social Sciences, replacing Laurie Tafau who was appointed to a senior role at Avonside Girls High for 2018. Welcome to the Hornby team.

Barbara Climo returned as the new Careers teacher replacing Wendy Toohey who retired in 2017. Lauren soon became permanent following the resignation of Lynda O’Donnell. Alex Aitken gained a permanent position as HOD Health when Janette Merrin took up a permanent position in the Ministry. Corey Kamariera took a year’s study leave to complete his Masters degree.

We also welcomed a number of new Teacher Aides this year - Joanne Jones, Judy McGirr, Rose Arthur, Megan Heaney and Janene Ward.

You may have seen a new smiling face as you enter our school. Andrea Wall joined us at the start of the year and stepped into the very big shoes of Kate Boyes who retired at the end of 2017. Richie Mayo was employed as relief caretaker for Term 3 and Term 4 and will take over the role permanently going forward.

As usual, events both happy and unfortunate happened over the course of the year. Sarah Richardson got married in March. Abi Keene went on maternity leave and was replaced in Terms 2 and 3 by Michael Collins. Jane Turner went on maternity leave and was replaced by Nicole Eastwick and Sam Stokes. Katie Beer scored a part in “Les Miserables”. Robyn Close suffered a major medical incident but is thankfully making a wonderful recovery. Honor Petrie and Laurie Tafau announced they are expecting additions to their families. Congratulations.

It has been an exceptionally busy year for all staff, disrupting but exciting. At the end of Term 2, our new building was ready for occupation and we shifted in just before the July holidays. Virtually all teachers had to pack up and move, either from D and B blocks to the new building or out of A and S Blocks, mostly to the older part of the school. Through all these disruptive times, teachers kept teaching and the students were amazingly helpful. We would not have managed without them. Then in Term 3, A and S Blocks were demolished and the next phase of the rebuild was started. At the end of Term 4, the Hornby Technical Centre closed and the whole operation was moved to the high school campus. By any measure, it has been an exceptionally busy year, with more busy times ahead.

Carla Gibson decided that if she didn’t try to run a café now, she never would and would die wondering. She bought a restaurant in Fairlie instead and left teaching after 33 years to pursue the dream at the end of Term 2. Helen Boothby resigned to return to the UK for a year and was replaced by Daniel Reizinger and right at the end of Term 2, Marina Shehata returned from maternity leave.

Mel Goodin arrived from the North Island mid-year to teach Te Reo and was well worth the wait… sadly we could not hold her and she had to return. We are grateful that Frankie Chapman came over from Hornby Primary to help out with our junior Te Reo classes.

As we approached the end of the year, we were saddened by the death of Pete Manson, our wonderful caretaker of ten years. Pete is remembered in a separate article in this magazine.

It seems like all the ‘Johns’ have decided to resign at the end of the year. John Simons, lead teacher at HTC, has been on the staff of Hornby High School for five years and at Branston Intermediate for many years before that. John Minto has been teaching Physics and Science at Hornby for four years and will be missed by both teaching colleagues and students as he enters retirement and turns his attention to other pressing matters. And after 25 years as Deputy Principal at Hornby and forty-four years of teaching altogether, Jon Rogers is calling time on a very satisfying career. However, we should still expect to see him around for another year or so, part-time, making sure the rest of the rebuild and moving goes smoothly.

The Christmas holidays begin shortly. After such a busy year, we wish all staff a very relaxing and well-deserved break.