Kia ora 

Another chilly week has passed here in Dunedin, but our girls have shown their resilience once again. With another long weekend giving everyone a chance to unwind and enjoy some family time, I'm sure it was a well-deserved break for all. Despite a few sports games being cancelled throughout the week due to the bad weather, our athletes have been extremely determined and bravely forged ahead, unaffected by the chilly conditions.

On Tuesday, our Year 9 girls enjoyed a cozy retreat from the rain and cold in the warmth of our lounge. Engaging in some friendly competition, they engaged themselves in a Mario Kart Race tournament. Plenty of laughter between the girls as they navigated the colourful tracks and battled it out for first place.

Our girls have been thoroughly enjoying some new culinary masterpieces created by our new Head Chef, Marcus Verberne. Last Wednesday, he treated them to an impressive feast featuring flavoursome pork belly steaks, slow-roasted with apple sauce and roasted veggies for dinner. The girls have developed a few favourite dishes, some being the sweet pumpkin and ginger soup served with house-made bread, savoury chicken and mushroom fricassee, and the bread and butter pudding. It's so lovely to have Marcus bringing fresh ideas to the kitchen, adding warmth and flavour that make these cold days a bit cosier. Below is a snippet of Marcus preparing the pork steaks for the girls.

Last week, Tolcarne hosted a Pink Ribbon Breakfast on Thursday to show support for those affected by breast cancer in New Zealand. The girls arrived dressed in pink, sporting sleepy smiles. Our amazing kitchen team prepared a spread of pink hotcakes, waffles, bacon, cream, bananas, and pink milk for everyone to enjoy before school. 

Later in the day, I organised a Pink Ribbon Bake Sale in the school quad.  I want to extend a massive thank you to Meg Miller and Paxton Francis for spending hours in the activities room helping me bake cookies and coconut ice for the sale. We had a variety of treats available, from raspberry white chocolate crumble to Robyn’s rocky road, black forest, tan slice, and pink iced cupcakes. 

Thanks to the generosity of our girls and staff, we raised $700.00 from the Bake Sale, which will support new research and resources for those affected by breast cancer. On the day of the Bake Sale, Jazz Allison and Samantha McLean volunteered to help set up and serve treats to all the girls. It was an incredible event to be part of, knowing that the funds raised are going towards such an important cause makes it even more special. 

Finally, a massive thank you to all the parents who generously donated to our donation page! Below I have attached a few photos from the day.

This week is a bit shorter for the girls, with Monday being a holiday for King's Birthday. There's excitement on the horizon with Laser Tag planned for the Year 9 girls over the weekend with Bex, and a trip to see the movie Inside Out 2 for Tuesday's activity. Additionally, warmer weather is in the forecast, which will be a lovely change for our girls participating in sports.

Have a fantastic week, everyone, and enjoy the shorter week!

Ma tē wā

Celia Wyat

Communications coordinator