Dear Parents and Caregivers

I know this has been a long, disruptive and challenging term and I am proud of the way our staff and students have adapted, worked through the changes, and focused on what was ahead. We have had some wonderful moments and events, where we have come together, had fun and enjoyed being back in the routine of school. Sunshine Day, Book week and the Arts festival were all fabulous events that reminded us of all we had to be grateful for.

I hope you all have the chance for a relaxing and refreshing holiday and time together as a family. I think we all need it!

It is also fitting on this last day of the term, that we acknowledge Ms Corkery’s tremendous contribution to our school after 23 years of service to St Hilda’s.

Ms Corkery arrived at St. Hilda’s in 1997, from Menzies College. That is a very, very big investment that she has made in the life of this school and in the lives of all the young women who have come through the archway during those years.

Over that time, she has contributed massively to the culture of the school. She has taught Science as a Biology specialist and we are very fortunate to have had her teaching Yr 7 Science as well as Yr 13 Biology.

She has led many initiatives in the school, and always shared her love of the outdoors which saw her leading and developing the Duke of Edinburgh programme with many, many girls gaining their bronze, silver and gold awards, and also enjoying tramps, excursions and adventures which she organised. She has helped lead trips to Vietnam 2 times and loved supporting students to travel, see and experience new things.

Ms Corkery has made sure that the school has run smoothly on a daily basis, in lots of ways that most of us will never know. Behind the scenes, she has worked tirelessly to keep us all safe, improve our systems, make sure we are organized – not that easy when there are so many of us. Most of Ms Corkery’s work is invisible – we just have a well-run, organized and highly functioning school – but that is never taken for granted. We would really notice it, if Ms Corkery wasn’t so good at her job.

Several times she has been Acting Principal and has taken on more responsibility and a greater work load in the best interests of the school.

Along with her passion for science has been her commitment to the Arts and the Artist In Residence is one of the initiatives that she started and is a wonderful legacy that she leaves us with. We have Ms Corkery to thank for the wonderful Arts Festival this week.

She has been incredibly loyal to this school – and its’ students. She has worked to ensure St. Hilda’s was the best school it could be and has always, always had what is best for the girls at heart of everything she has done.

In particular, she has been passionate about learning and helping students who had diverse needs, helping girls to find their own pathways, and learning that sparks their interest. Her tutor group lunch with the white table cloths and formal setting were legendary. She has mentored, supported and been an advocate for our Maori and Pasifika students, working one on one with them, taking them on the BEAMS trip, working with their whanau and iwi and making sure that they felt valued as learners and as Maori and Pasifika.

We know that Ms Corkery leaves St Hildas all the better for her efforts, hard work, professionalism and commitment to learning and that her contributions have made a difference in the lives of others. We will miss her and we wish her all the best for the future.

Jackie Barron