On Wednesday we held our Junior Prizegiving ceremony. This was held in the school hall and was, sadly, without parents due to Covid-19 restrictions. Despite this, we celebrated the achievements of all our Year 9 and 10 students and congratulated our prize winners. The pinnacle of the ceremony was the announcement of the Otago Girls’ High School Nautilus Prize for the Best All-Round Junior Student. This prize is awarded in memory of Brigitte Reddell, a student of Otago Girls’ who was tragically killed when walking home from school. The OGHS Best All-Round Junior Student for 2021 is Maya Satake, an extremely deserving recipient.

This was the final event for our juniors this year and they are now on holiday. Meanwhile, seniors are sitting the remaining NCEA examinations, the last of which is held next Tuesday. Year 13 will hold their graduation ball that evening, again in the school hall and again, sadly, without parents or partners due to the current Covid traffic light system in place.

The graduation ball will be my final event as principal of Otago Girls’ High School. After almost 10 years in this school, it is time to say farewell. I took up the role in April of 2012, after being principal of Fiordland College in Te Anau. It was quite a change moving from a small, rural co-educational school to a large, urban, single-sex school. What struck me immediately was the range of opportunities open to students - both curricular and co-curricular - and the commitment of staff to support excellence inside and outside the classroom. These impressions remain. The students of this school are exceedingly fortunate.

I am proud of the work we have done as a school over the past 10 years. We have adapted to the changing political, educational, social and technological environment in which we operate, brought in many innovations of our own, and responded to the needs of our students and whānau. This has only been possible through the hard work of our amazing teaching and support staff, the input of our students, and the support of the Board, PTSA, and parents. Thank you all for the role you have played in this journey.

While there are many aspects of the job of principal I will not miss, what I will miss is watching our students develop and grow. I have spent many very satisfying hours watching students’ cultural and sporting performances and reading and hearing about their amazing ideas and achievements over the years. The students of this school frequently leave me in awe of their accomplishments.

As I sign off for the final time, I wish you and your whanau all the best for a happy, healthy and prosperous future. I know that Bridget Davidson is going to continue the wonderful work she has been doing in the school already, but now in the role of principal. I wish her and the school well.

Ngā mihi mahana

Linda Miller