Kia ora Whānau,

On Monday we held our last Tribe Dinner for the year. This was a big night for the hostel as we announced the winning Tribe. A big congratulations to Grendon! Each member received a very cool makeup/toilet bag. We also had 14 brave Year 12 students present their speech to the hostel as to why they wanted to be considered for a Head Boarder role in 2024. Standing up in front of 160 students takes a lot of courage but they all spoke exceptionally well about boarding, belonging, connection and servant leadership.

Secret Santa this week was also a fun activity. It’s when each year group buys a surprise present for someone in the year group. Everyone enjoyed guessing who their Secret Santa was and it was an excellent way to bring the year groups together.

Many of the Year 12s and 13s have headed home for study leave. This will be a busy week with the start of NCEA exams, including the Year 11s. Good luck with all of your exams, remember that you always know more than you think!

Last week in Year 9 Koru we talked about how we wanted to support the new students who would be joining us on Thursday for their Sleepover. We went over what this year's cohort enjoyed about their experience and what they found challenging. They then wrote “ Welcome Cards”, giving out some tips and advice. It was lovely to see kindness and empathy for others.

On Sunday, the juniors were lucky enough to have surfing lessons at St Clair Beach. Thanks to Bex for organising a wonderful activity. Even though the sun wasn't shining, it was still lots of fun.

We wish the Year 10s a fun camp week and look forward to welcoming our 2024 Year 9 cohort for their sleepover on Thursday.

Ma tē wā 💕

Beth Anderson
Communication Co-ordinator