On Tuesday night we celebrated cultural and academic achievements for the year.

This was a magnificent showcase of the talent and effort of our students and the dedication and belief of our staff and tutors. From kapa haka to the choir, Year 12 drama improvisation to a clarinet solo by Sarah de Vries, each and every performance was polished and delightful. For those of you who missed out on Tuesday, some of these performances will be featured at our Celebration and Prize Giving events. As Tuesday night showed, 2019 has been a very good year for the Performing and Visual Arts and my congratulations, not only to those who achieved awards and blues, but also to everyone who took the opportunities offered in and by the school in this area. Some of our many academic achievements were also acknowledged on Tuesday. This follows the NCEA endorsement and top scholar awards presented in Term 1, and the Academic Achievers Awards presented each term to our top performing students in each subject.

The end of the year is looming for Year 11 - 13 students and we are looking at plans for students who may require additional support to achieve their desired goals for the year. If you have concerns about your daughter’s progress please contact the school so we can ensure she has been identified and that plans are in place.

Next week we will be holding our Celebration Service at Knox Church. This is always an extremely popular event and judging by the level of enthusiasm at singing practices, this year’s will be a great one. This year’s theme is around celebrating or acknowledging the year that has been. Please be aware that early arrival is essential to secure seats.

Last year the OGHS Board of Trustees was extremely fortunate to purchase the property at 29 Kitchener Street. Extensive renovations are nearly complete and we are in the process of planning an opening for what will become a water sports and EOTC hub for the school. While the exterior work is all but done, there is quite a bit of exterior painting and tidying to be done. To reduce costs we would like to hold working bees to complete this work over the summer break. If you would like to help, please contact the school office.