As we bid adieu to another enriching academic year, we're thrilled to share the many accomplishments and cultural explorations that unfolded in the Languages Department. It's been a journey of growth, discovery, and celebration for our students, and we couldn't be prouder of their achievements.

Our Year 7 and Year 9 students have completed their inaugural year exploring the similarities and differences in Spanish, French, and Te Reo Māori. Their hard work and enthusiasm for language learning set a promising foundation for their future linguistic endeavours. Year 7 students have been exploring the ‘a’ and ‘o’ categories in Te Reo Māori. Year 8 students continued to build upon the linguistic foundations laid in the previous year. In Term 4 they created an imaginary animal which they described in Spanish.

In the spirit of the season, the Year 9 French and Spanish class delved into the traditions of Christmas in France and the Hispanic world. Their creativity shone as they crafted French Christmas cards, combining language learning with festive cheer. Year 9 Te Reo have explored the concept of whānau in viewing the modern day masterpiece “Hunt for the Wilderpeople”.

In the spirit of cultural immersion, Madame Holtz surprised the Year 10 French students with a Christmas activity. They created traditional Christmas gingerbread cookies reminiscent of the renowned Strasbourg Christmas markets in France.

Simultaneously, their Te Reo counterparts enjoyed a cinematic experience with a Te Reo Māori viewing of the heartwarming film, ‘Coco’. Spanish students have viewed the films ‘Seventeen’ and ‘Pachamama’ and looked at the similarities between Papatuanuku and Pachamama and the pūrākau around it.

Many of our junior and Year 11 students have also completed and been awarded one or more of their languages badges. Earning their awards this term were: 

French Bronze: Sophie Audeau, Grace McAuley, Bella Donaldson, Māia Koni and Stella Dineen

Spanish Bronze: Amber Rasmussen, Flo Barnett, Stevie Wilson, Josie Elder and Xanthe Dillon

French Silver: Mae Dineen and Stella Dineen

French Gold: Lucy Horrell, Elodie Ilian, Lucy Reilly and Stella Dineen

French Elite Language: Bella Bamford.

Last week marked the departure of Lucy Reilly and Bella Bamford for their exchanges in France, a transformative experience that promises to deepen their cultural understanding and language skills. In January Paxton Francis will head off on her exchange in the south west of France. Their Year 11 classmates spent much of Term 4 creating a video showcasing St Hilda’s to share with their new classmates while in France. We wish Bella, Lucy and Paxton a fulfilling and enriching journey and look forward to hearing about their adventures upon their return in early 2024.

The Year 11 French class celebrated their language journey with a shared breakfast, resembling a dessert menu rather than a healthy breakfast. From the classic crème brûlée to mini croquembouches, éclairs au chocolat, pains au chocolat, and cupcakes adorned with the French flag, this culinary experience was a fitting tribute to their linguistic accomplishments

As we reflect on the past year, we extend our sincere gratitude to our students for their dedication and passion for language learning. Here's to another year of linguistic exploration, cross-cultural understanding, and exciting language adventures in the years to come.

Madame Holtz
HOD Languages