I spent yesterday at Tirohanga camp near Mosgiel with two of our Year 9 classes.

The Year 9 camp is an opportunity for students who are new to the school to get to know their peers and teachers on a more personal level, to learn to work with others, to develop their problem solving skills and to test their own limits. In summary the camp is about students developing the skills they need to become increasingly independent, one of the key developmental outcomes of adolescence.

We are delighted with the calibre and positivity of our Year 9 students this year. Already they are consistently demonstrating the school’s core values and as a result are a delight to work with. Ms Nielson (Head of House with responsibility for Year 9 transition to school), Mrs Porter (Assistant Principal in charge of wellbeing), Ms Thomson (Teacher in Charge of Peer Support), and Mrs Watt (Camp Mum) are the core team who have been at camp throughout the duration, while the Year 9 Liaison teachers have joined their class for the two days each has been at camp. They have been supported by the team at Malcam Trust who have worked with each class, providing activities, support and advice. The Malcam Trust Team have been an integral part of our Year 9 camps for the past eight years. They also do fantastic work with young people facing challenges in their lives. In the past they have been funded primarily by the Ministry of Youth Development, however this funding changes in June, leaving the future of this group who make a real difference for young people hanging in the balance. If you have the opportunity, I urge you to support this amazing organisation.

Tonight we will be holding an Alumni function for past students and staff of Otago Girls’ High School. This is the final function of this kind we will be holding prior to our 150th celebrations which will be held over Waitangi Weekend in 2021. We currently have over 3000 ex pupils and staff on our database. If you, or others you know, are ex girls of the school and are not on our books please email alumni@otagogirls.school.nz so we can add you to our list.

On March 15 students from across the city are holding a Strike for the Climate event. A separate email will be sent regarding this event, which is not a school organised event. Our priorities on the day are to ensure the safety of our students and the normal running of timetabled classes. It is expected that students wishing to take part in the strike are committed environmentalists and have written permission from their parents to attend the event. The school cannot accept responsibility for students who will attend. Students who do not meet these criteria will be marked as truant should they not be classes. Thank you for your co-operation in this matter.