Kia ora, Talofa, Malo e lelei, Bula Vinaka, Hallo, Kia Orana, Fakaalofa Atu, As-salaam alaykum, Shalom, Konnichiwa, Ni Hao, Hola, Bonjour, Warm Greetings to you all.

Today we welcomed our Year 8 students who will become our Year 9 students in 2024. They are an amazing group who will bring much to the school. I thought it would be timely to repeat some of the key messages of the school that I spoke about this morning:

This is a very important and amazing school. Our Vision is: Whakaohoho ~ Whakamana ~ Werohia ~ Moemoeā. Inspire ~ Empower ~ Challenge ~ Dream. These are powerful words and concepts that challenge us to step up, to grab our education, to embrace the opportunities and lead the way.

Here we know the power of being together, working together, thriving together. Don’t be afraid to be passionate, to be empowered, to challenge yourself to go further and to dream.

Ka mua, ka muri : Look to the past in order to move forward. This school was the first state secondary school for girls in the southern hemisphere. We have been open 152 years. We are just a small part of this history, passing through for only five years (or 28 years in my case!). We should feel the weight of this proud tradition on our shoulders. We should feel that we are a part of this great school and belong to it - that we are kaitiaki - acting as carers and guardians for the school while we are here, improving it for the generations of students to come. The opportunity is here to build enduring and meaningful school spirit and connection to this place. When we leave the outworn shell of the Nautilus to move out into the world, we take the school with us. Uniform is the first part of this belonging but the friends and connections we make here will stay with us all our lives, even when we are apart.

Every one of you matters. The future and direction for every one of you matters. School is not an end unto itself. It is our Malaga - our journey through to being adults. School gets you to where you want to go. Do not waste your time. Do not just come to eat your lunch - tasty as it may be! Embrace your learning, get involved, give service, show leadership. Connect and belong. Include everybody. Find your place and your tribe. Build our school community.

Attendance matters. Every day at school builds your education and the layers of understanding you need in order to do well. If your attendance is poor, there is a reason for that and we will support you to attend. School attendance is compulsory. Unjustifiably missing school is illegal. Celebrate every day here. You have an amazing team of HoDs, Deans and teachers who will help you get to where you need to go. Seek help and support early. Build a positive team of friends around you. Stand up for yourself and do not tolerate anything that stands in your way. Get help. Sort out issues. Be kind on social media and build community. Get to know each and every person in the year level. Look for the strengths and commonalities that bind us together. Learn from and celebrate our differences. Staying at school until the end of Year 13 is important. There are five years of quality education here - use every one of them.

Finally, pay attention to your well-being. Resilience and mental and physical well-being comes from small habits - making your bed every morning, exercising every day, having gratitude every day. Demonstrate the school values of Whakaute ~ Respect, Pono ~ Integrity, Hihiri ~ Positivity every day and weave them into your whole life.

Go proudly as an Otago Girls’ High School student. Wear your uniform with pride. Show dignity, courtesy and kindness when you are in public and the community. I am proud of you - each and every one of you. I know what you can achieve and I believe that you will be amazing - every single one of you. Embrace everything. Go hard on the sports field, create amazing art, dance, sing, laugh and be generous. Move on from discord or struggles. Smile. Reach out. We have something special here and we are all a part of it. We have a great opportunity to find inspiring opportunities, to challenge ourselves, to be empowered and to realise our dreams. I look forward to our future together.

Kei ō ringaringa te ao

The world is yours

Ngā mihi nui