E hara taku toa i te toa takitahi, he toa takitini - My strength is not as an individual, but as a collective.

The sensitive souls of our girls may be feeling fragile as we come to the end another term with uncertainty hanging over us like a foreboding storm that never breaks. For some, this may be compounded by their attention to the plights of others through social media feeds dominated by ‘sad news’ stories highlighting Black Lives Matter, LGBTQ+, and natural disasters. It is both a blessing and a curse for our girls to the sensitive, empathetic and caring girls that they are.

So, it has been lovely to share two uplifting weeks to finish our term, with Champion Week and Arts Week, alongside Simple Acts of Sweetness in celebration of NZ Boarding Week. I hope your dinner table conversations have been enlightened by stories of TheatreSports, Jump Jam, chalk art, and any number of the opportunities that have been on offer for our big sisters and little sisters to come together for fun.

Personally, I have caught myself reflecting on last week’s ‘Champion Chats - Live’ panel presentations. The seniors were treated to four champions in our community, giving of themselves for the benefit of others - refugees, mental health advocates, our LGBTQ+ community and young children with disabilities.

For the Middle School assembly, we welcomed five young SMC Old Girls, who offered their reflections on the values of school life. There were two current uni students - one a sports scholar studying in the United States and one the President of the Student Volunteer Army here at the University of Canterbury, plus three SMC alumni who are in the early stages of their post-studies careers - a lawyer, an author, and an agricultural truck driver. They shared such an incredible mix of stories and experiences already realised in their young lives and some uncertainty about what might still be to come. Yet each was so positive and passionate and hopeful about their futures. It made me especially proud to think that our school had a hand in the journey of these young women.

And while they were a diverse group, they shared a common unprompted message to the girls - the encouragement to practice a healthy discipline for academic pursuits while enjoying a balance in school life. They certainly advocated for application to classwork and study, for they were all thankful for their strong SMC education and had all felt well prepared to go on to their university studies. But they were unanimous in encouraging their younger selves to cultivate a variety of interests while at school, to be active, be creative, try new things, get involved, for life outside of school will be that much richer for it.

As our girls head away for the term break, I hope they are inspired to embrace these opportunities, alongside our pursuit of academic excellence and endeavour, and enjoy the light heart and joy that can come from their time at SMC.