We have welcomed two new students this term, Yuta and Leo from Japan. They have settled in well and are a pleasure to have in the international room.

The boys are enjoying winter sport, with many involved in badminton, table tennis, basketball and rugby.

Feast Day was a highlight for our boys. They decided they would like to run a food stall showcasing food from their home countries. Everybody pitched in to make signs, sort floats, and vote on food. Reinforcements were called in to make 180 dumplings (thank you Susan Wang!), 140 pieces of sushi (thank-you Yeena Sia!), and 15 cups of Korean noodles. The food was sold out in record time, with ideas and improvements noted for 2025.

Lockdown practice this month saw us all huddled in the international office. This was turned into a feature as we celebrated Winston’s 18th birthday (quietly) with donuts and chocolate croissants.

Our visit to Canterbury University last week has spearheaded our boys considering their future pathways and focusing on their NCEA plan. We have amongst us aspiring pilots, sport and health professionals, engineers, and law students.

We have a two-day trip to Wellington planned in a couple of weeks, and this will not only give our students an opportunity to check out Victoria University, but also the chance to explore our capital city. It will be a busy two days, with plans to explore Te Papa, Weta Workshops, Victoria University, and the Beehive.

The end of term will see many of our students returning home to enjoy a couple of weeks of summertime, with the rest of our students going into homestay.

If hosting international students is something your family might consider, please contact Ruth Major at rmajor@stbedes.school.nz. There are hosting options for short term students, long term students, or school holiday hosting for our boarding students (renumeration is $330 per week).