It has been a big 10 weeks at Tolcarne, but it's been nice to see regular routines and events falling back into place.

Winter sports have been in full swing, with late night hockey and rugby games during the week - we recommend bringing back some extra layers as it is very cold! Curling and climbing are back on, along with our dancers preparing for dance exams/rehearsals and netball taking over Saturdays. It is lovely for parents to be able to get down and watch some games, adding to the excitement for our players to have spectators back.

We had a very successful Boarding Open Day this year, with the students doing a fabulous job of decorating their doors for our guests. The Year 13s were superb tour guides, being able to give the Year 8s a 'real life' look at boarding and answer many questions. This is always a busy day, but rewarding to share what we have to offer with so many families. We are very excited to have offered places and can't wait to welcome these students to our Tolcarne whanau next year!

Another big event from the term was our Pink Ribbon Breakfast and Bake Sale. This was a great chance to raise awareness of the fantastic job the Breast Cancer Foundation do to support affected loved ones and their families, along with being able to pay it forward through fundraising. 

It was a big week of baking and preparing for the breakfast and sale, with the juniors decorating cookies and cupcakes to sell. We loved seeing everyone so involved and the outfits on the day of the breakfast were incredible! I was so proud of all of our students for embracing the pink theme to support this cause. In total we raised $822.70 - so thank you to all of our generous supporters 💕💕

After a big week of pink celebrations, we had the St Hilda's Senior Formal on the Friday. This meant our annual nail bar night was on, with painting, pampering, socialising and snacking on Thursday evening #pampernight

On Friday we loved seeing the seniors all glammed up, ready for the biggest night on the school social calendar! The juniors looked on in awe, as they all entered the Dunedin Museum. It is such a special night for our students and their families, so we enjoy getting a wee sneak peek as they walk in! Everyone looked absolutely stunning, with new outfits, hairstyles and some even wearing heels for the first time! We were glad to hear it was a fantastic evening enjoyed by all.

The Tolcarne Council and Head Boarders were busy planning the clothing sale they had in Week 7. This was a well thought out event, with the students figuring out how to collect items, name them and how purchases and payment of clothing would work. It was highly successful, with the seniors being able to sell pre loved items and everyone else had the chance to find a bargain! Well done to the Council for this great event.

It was great to be able to have full hostel Tribe Dinners again, meaning competitions and games were back on! Our Tribe Leaders have been doing a great job of leading their Tribes and organising a range of exciting new events with Ziggy. Highgate is narrowly in the lead, so remember to think of ways to get those signatures to earn more Tribe points!

Bex has been busy in the weekends with the juniors, taking them all around the local area to complete a range of activities. Some highlights have included, The Escape Room, Laser Tag and Pole Fitness. She already has some exciting events planned for next term!

I have enjoyed my Tuesday activities with the juniors, getting to head off site a bit more and enjoy filling in those after school hours. We have made cards for Mother's Day, baked for the Pink Ribbon Bake Sale, been to Timezone, headed on a 'road trip' around Dunedin, created galaxy star cookies for Matariki Day and headed to Maori Hill for a hot chocolate and afternoon snack!

There is much to look forward to next term, with new activities planned, our highly anticipated Ski Trip, sporting tournaments and of course the junior favourite - our Tolcarne Social!!

We also want to remind you of the fantastic Parent Seminar that Marcelle and Ange will be running at the start of next term. We would like to extend an invitation for you all to join us for our 2022 Parent Seminar, in which we will explore resilience and how we can build resilience strategies as a parent, and in our tamariki. When we consider the past two years with Covid-19, our ability to be resilient is more important than ever! We encourage you to invite your family and friends to this inclusive and open event. Please find the RSVP link here.

We hope you all have a great two week break. Enjoy time with your family, friends, special people and pets. Make sure you find the time to relax and recharge, while also doing things that fill your cup. We look forward to hearing all about your adventures when you arrive back to Tolcarne on Sunday the 24th of July.

Take care and we will see you soon! Ma tē wā 👋👋