Mansfield House News

Kia ora whānau

Welcome to the final newsletter for Mansfield House for 2020, what a year it's been! Students and staff of Mansfield house have shown resilience and perseverance in this unusual year, they should be very proud of themselves.

Term 4 has seen us compete in the Junior House quiz, where we came second. Our junior students showed lots of enthusiasm for answering questions quickly and correctly. Well done to the 8 students who took part.

We have our last house competition coming up this week - Junior Public speaking. Best of luck to Phoenix Hart 9MVRJ and Oliver Burns 10MSTB.

Week Four saw us holding our final assembly for senior Mansfield students. It was a great occasion of celebration and giving thanks. We wish our Year 13 students all the best for 2021 and beyond. They have been a fabulous cohort to work alongside. I would like to personally thank Katie Paterson and Pete Courtney for all the work they have done with our two Year 13 classes. They have guided them through their school years, they have been their students' champion and I know support and advice has helped shape them into the students they are today.

Thanks also to our Senior Executive - James Mullan, Madi Silcock, Willa Carpenter, Amy Phillip, Caitlin Tipping and Jade Northover. A special mention to Amber Patterson - our Year 10 representative on the executive. These students have worked hard all year. It has at times been difficult for them with not having assemblies and not being able to do our annual 'Shave for a Cure'. But they have shown perseverance and flexibility and should be very proud of themselves.

One of my proudest moments this year was watching the Mansfield House choir. They worked tirelessly as a group to produce a waita and power ballad that knocked the other houses out of the park. They really deserved their second place. Special thanks to Amy Philip from the senior executive who ran every practice with flair and dedication. A special mention to Kayla Bowen and Freya Kersey, who reworked the power ballad to come up with some great harmonies.

In Week 7 Ms Taylor and I were lucky enough to accompany our Year 10 students for a field trip to the Waimakariri River and Silverstream Reserve. It was a great day seeing students relaxed and learning outside the classroom. Thank you to Rose Connell for organising the day.

To wrap up the year we have final junior assembly, prize giving and graduation. These are all great occasions to celebrate the success of our students. Every student has gained their own success this year in some way. We need to all pat ourselves on the back for completing the school year during the uncertain times of COVID-19.

Thank you for supporting your rakatahi during this time and for supporting our school. We cannot do our job without whānau support. I wish you a very relaxing holiday season, away from making school lunches and the rush of the school year. Enjoy your time with family and friends. Looking forward to working with you all again in 2021.

Robyn McGrath

Head of House