From our Principal
Mrs B Davidson, Tumuaki~Principal - December 5, 2024
Kia ora koutou and Best Wishes for the Holiday Season
This week I would like to share my address from Prizegiving on Tuesday evening. I wish all of our students a happy and safe holiday and we look forward to a great year in 2025.
Tēnā koutou katoa and warm greetings to each and every one of you
Recently I received an email from Derek Cheng, a journalist at the New Zealand Herald: The email read as follows:
The Herald would like to interview someone at the school regarding its excellent NCEA 3 results. We have crunched the 2023 numbers for every school against every school's roll and Otago Girls’ comes out among the best, especially relative to its EQI or equity score.
This story ran in the NZ Herald yesterday and was based on our school’s ‘secret sauce of success’.
In addition to this last week we also made the Crimson List of the Top 50 Schools in New Zealand for gaining entrance to the World’s Top Universities - this based on 70% academic performance, 15% co-curricular and 15% access and diversity.
Although we are aware of our strong academic performance, it is affirming to be approached about this nationally and to be recognised as a leading academic school in New Zealand. This is a very heartening compliment to the teachers going forward, knowing that the work they are putting in is paying off in outcomes for students, and particularly, students in our equity band. The story around equity here is perhaps the most inspiring story of all.
We are heartened this year that ex-girl Mai Chen has introduced a Transformational Leadership Prize to be awarded this evening with a very generous $2000 going the prize-winner. Although Mai is not able to be here in person, we expect that possibly her mother Jean may be able to award the prize in person on her behalf and Mai has made a short video which will be featured on our website and Facebook page. We value your support Mai and are proud of you and your sisters’ achievements.
This is the conclusion of a very successful year and two years. With exceptional academic results, stable enrolments, increasing student retention, minimal stand-downs and no suspensions or exclusions, increasing international business recovery and low staff turnover, we count ourselves fortunate in a time when there are great challenges for schools and young people. We have also managed to attract quality staff and are not facing the staffing shortages many of my colleagues are experiencing.
Alongside the above, our greatest achievement over the last two years has been a lift in positive school tone and culture. We have achieved this through empowering our Heads of Department to bring PB4L back into the classrooms and learning. We have achieved this by putting time and energy into training our student leaders to lead. In line with our Transformational Leadership ethos, we have introduced the Year 13 Peer Support Camp at Warrington, introduced the tuakana-teina ‘Sisters’ programme and planned the 2T High Performance and Prefect Unite programmes – all led by student leaders. Our student leaders are the greatest advocates for and influence on positive school tone. Fun and engaging lunchtime activities, music and evening events have further enriched this leadership, alongside our shared OBHS activities such as ‘Friends First’.
I would like to give four strong messages to parents and whānau going forward into 2025. The first is let’s practise Maths and Reading at home. If we can align school and home in teaching Literacy and Numeracy, we have a definite advantage.
The second is breaking down the language around exams. Exams are about confidence and practice. If we use language like stress and anxiety around exams, we fail to support our students to see exams as a normal and necessary part of everyday life.
Thirdly, I would encourage you to thank the teachers. The teachers who go the extra mile. The teachers who return kids to you late on Sunday night after a Sports Tournament. The teachers who light that one spark in learning that sets your child on a learning pathway for life.
Finally - there are five great years here. Do not sell your child’s education short. Let kids be kids. Don’t send them to work early. Send them to school every day. We can look after them here at Otago Girls’ High School. High School education is free until 21 and what is the future worth?
Congratuations to all Prize-winners. You are amazing. But congratulations also to the ones who didn’t win - but are here anyway. You are the truly successful because you come to celebrate others’ achievement and you are reliable, caring, connected citizens of the world.
Finally I would like to thank the Prefects, Staff and the School Board for their support of a wonderful year. Particularly I thank Head Girl, Rata Williams, Board Student Rep, Laura Allison, Sharon Knowles, Presiding Member - or Chair - of the Board and Shane de la Harpe who is leaving the Board after five years of dedicated service, particularly in the areas of Finance and Property.
Finally, to the students, I will leave you with a quote from Otago Girls ex-student, Jenny Armstrong, former Olympic Gold Medallist sailor and parent here at our school:
Dream big and just go for it. Don't let anything stand in your way
Ngā mihi nui