How are we already at the end of another year? It seems like this year has flashed by in the blink of an eye! The year started by welcoming our new Year 9 cohort to theTolcarne whānau. The Year 9s were dressed in the new uniform, all looking swish and ready to take on a new school, make friends and see what life at Tolcarne was all about.

It wasn’t long before our newbies had slotted in perfectly to the daily routines of their new home for the next five years.

The pool has been in great use for pool parties, after-school activities and even just making the most of the warmer Dunedin days. Our kitchen staff have been awesome at preparing yummy fruit and marshmallow kebabs and poolside snacks after a quick dip.

Some other favourite after-school activities have been outings to Timezone, baking, jewellery making and trips to the dairy. The activities carried on into the weekends, with the juniors having the option to head out and explore Dunedin more. Bex took them all over the city, from surfing and hiking the Pineapple Track to Larnach Castle, road trips and ice skating - there was always something to mix up the usual weekend routine.

Another big social event on the calendar this year would have to be the formal season. There are hours of preparations for these events, planning the perfect outfit, deciding what tan to use and if the shoes will match! The seniors also had their nail bar evening getting pampered, whilst sipping on drinks and enjoying nibbles from the kitchen.

Terms 2 and 3 are always jam-packed with winter sports commitments, taking over the students' normal routines. However, they manage themselves well when the school workload starts to pile on. Many different tournaments and finals were being played for various sports. We also had many students dancing, climbing, horse riding and completing various other extracurricular activities. We were very proud of the students and how they carried themselves, no matter the outcome, they always came back with a smile and positive attitude!

National Boarding Week was also celebrated at Tolcarne. Highlighting and celebrating the wonderful students, whānau and community that Tolcarne has around it. The Head Boarders organised many initiatives during the week such as a Day Girl afternoon tea and tour and the Grandparents High Tea.

Another exciting event on the junior calendar was the Tolcarne Social. This year's theme was Cops & Robbers. A huge thank you to the Tolcarne Council for all of their hard work in organising such a smooth night for our neighbouring boarding schools.

At the end of Term 3 Ange, Robyn and Beth were lucky enough to take a group of students to Coronet Peak for the annual ski trip. This is always a highlight for our students, spending time with their friends on the mountain, exploring Queenstown and enjoying Robyn’s delicious meals that she whips up!

Term 4 has come and gone like no tomorrow. It only feels like yesterday that we were welcoming everyone back for the last term of 2023, now we are at the end! It has also been a jam-packed term with various celebrations, events and activities to keep everyone on their toes. At the start of Term 4, we had our final Tribe Hoedown. It was a wonderful night with lots of line dancing and the do-si-do. It was great to see all of our tribes dressed in their colours, putting so much effort into their outfits!

A few weeks after that, we had our senior Christmas dinner combined with our Year 13 Leavers' dinner. The Year 13s all looked so grown up, ready to grow their wings for the next adventure that lies ahead of them. Georgia and Lucy gave out the Tolcarne Leavers' bracelets and put together a motivating speech for the rest of their Tolcarne whānau.

The Year 9s went on their overnight camp to Waihola. They were treated to a superb weekend of sunny weather and the fabulous company of Ange and Danielle. Whilst on camp they completed an army obstacle course, team bonding activities and even a waterslide!

The juniors over the last few weeks have had Christmas-themed preps to keep them busy. With the school workload slowing down, it has been a great opportunity for our juniors to be creative and mix with their peers during prep before they head away for the summer. They have had to work together, collaborate ideas and think outside of the box for these activities which has made for a few laughs and giggles! Some of the activities have included decorating gingerbread houses, Christmas cards, peg fairies, making and drinking hot chocolate bombs filled with marshmallows and decorating Christmas cookies. A huge thank you to Robyn and Nat for all of their organisation around these prep activities, they have certainly been a hit for our junior students.

We want to thank our Tolcarne community for their continued support throughout 2023, along with the students. A big thank you also to our wonderful team of hostel, kitchen and cleaning staff - it wouldn’t be possible without you all.

To our Tolcarne leavers, all the best! We can’t wait to see the adventures you head on and are very excited for this new chapter in your lives. “To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream, not only plan, but also believe.” — Anatole Franc

Have a wonderful holiday break. Enjoy time with your special people, get a sleep in (no morning bells!) and the holiday celebrations.  We look forward to welcoming you all back next year, a year older and in a different corridor.

Meri Kirihimete Tolcarne Whānau