What a year 2020 has been! When the staff notes were published this time last year, no one had heard of Covid-19, and we would never have dreamed that our world - and the way we operate as a kura - was about to be turned on its head. This column recognises the welcomes, the farewells, and the milestones that take place amongst Hornby High School staff in a busy year, but this year there also has to be acknowledgement of, and congratulations to, all staff who rolled their sleeves up and made 2020 work. It has been a hugely challenging year to be an educator and we thank everyone for their flexibility, their creativity and their resilience in getting our young people through.

At the beginning of 2020, we welcomed Anne Howison into the newly created Learning Support Coordinator role. Anne comes with a wealth of experience, and has been a knowledgeable and valuable addition to the team. We also welcomed Chelsea Bremner into the Year 7 & 8 team, along with Morehu Soloman in Te Reo Maori, and Michael Collins in Art. 

We were fortunate to welcome some wonderful and talented support staff and teacher aides to our kura throughout the year. Wilma Leala and Bec Harris joined us in Term 1, followed by Sofia Henderson and Rochelle Jackson in June. Later in the year, Olivia Gigich and Emily Burbery also joined us in supporting our young people in their learning.

There were plenty of milestones to celebrate on staff in 2021. Congratulations to Daniel Reizinger on his engagement to Emily, Aaron Heath on his engagement to Sree, and Sasha Johnson on her engagement to Harry. Congratulations also to Kelsey Morgan (now Kelsey Clifford) who got married during the year. Sam Tisch and his wife Adrianne welcomed a son, William, to the world in August, and Sarah Handley and her husband Mykal welcomed a son, Ben. A huge congratulations also to Chelsea Bremner on her selection for representative rugby honours with Canterbury (winners of the Farah Palmer Cup) and the Black Ferns.

We farewelled a number of staff in 2021, and it is always with sadness that we see people go. Whether they have been at our kura for a long time or a short time, they are part of the Hornby whānau, and we are privileged to have had them working alongside us, and each leaves their own mark on the organisation. Teacher aide Rachel Davis left us at the end of Term 2, as did other support staff after short but valuable service: Karilyn Breed, Farina Begum, Noriko Sakurai and Katie Jenkins. We also acknowledge the service of Andy Reid who has been a much-loved presence in our kura for years with 24/7 Youth Work. Andy’s fun and responsive presence amongst our young people will be missed.

Teacher aides and support staff are the unsung heroes of any school, and none personifies this better than Jill Wellman, who has worked as a teacher aide at Hornby High School for six years and has worked tirelessly alongside our highest-needs young people. Jill leaves us at the end of 2020 for a support staff role at Lincoln High School. She will be missed!

The end of 2020 also sees the departure of some much-loved members of the teaching staff. Liz Prebble finishes her time as a part-time teacher of social sciences, as does Di Alpers who filled in several functions in the Year 7 & 8 area. We hope we can see Liz and Di around again in 2021 in a relief capacity.

Nicole Eastwick has taught with us for the last two and half years, originally taking up a maternity leave position in History and Social Studies, and soon proving herself versatile across several teaching subjects. We will miss Nicole’s calm and serene presence, but wish her well for her new Humanities role at Linwood College.

Lauren Briggs, our hardworking and dedicated head of ESOL, is leaving us to take up the role of HOD ESOL at Christchurch Boys High School. This is a well-deserved new challenge, and CBHS are certainly fortunate to have secured the services of such a knowledgeable and caring individual.

And last but definitely by no means least, Frank Rzoska departs at the end of the year, after six years of service as Head of Technology. Frank has seen the technology area through massive physical and logistical change, firstly in the transition to new buildings, but also with the integration of client school technology onto our school site, and the subsequent expansion of student and teacher numbers that came with it. Frank has also been a dedicated PPTA stalwart, having served as branch chair for the association for much of his time here. Frank will certainly be missed, and we wish him well for his new role at Rolleston College.

From the staff of Hornby High School, wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday season!