Wow, what a crazy and fast few weeks this has been for everyone! Although it was a shorter term, it has been jam packed with activities and getting back into ‘normal’ hostel life.

The girls did so well returning and seamlessly slipping into our ‘new Tolcarne’, with contact tracing, different rules and plenty of hand sanitiser! It was not easy, so we would like to thank all girls and their families for adapting to our procedures so well.

Tolcarne Girls - Social Distance Style! Isla Huffadine

Once we reached Level 1 it meant there was more flexibility around rules, the kitchen and social activities. We all enjoyed being able to give each other a hug and socialise with more people at one time.

The girls were lucky enough to have hot lunch every day for the first few weeks (a real treat they thought!), but soon enough we were able to have the poke bowl station back up and running, along with the daily smoothie station, self-serve breakfast and hot food options. 🍳🥞🥗🥪

Milly and Laura at the Poke Bowl station — Image by: Isla Huffadine

Next term an exciting addition to the lunch options will be 'make your own sushi'. The kitchen team have been doing lots of planning around this, aiming to offer sushi rice and nori sheets at breakfast, so the girls can create their own DIY rice ball or sushi roll. There will also be the option to take hot soup to school next term, perfect on those chilly Dunedin days!

The weekend activities have been back in full swing. The juniors were able to keep active with Silk class, boxing, ice skating and the Escape Room. Looking ahead to next term there are plenty more activities to look forward to, providing the girls with challenges and the opportunity to discover new interests.

It was great to squeeze in a Tribe Dinner before the end of term, with a night full of Abba, Sing Star and decorating the dining room windows – Tribe style! The girls did a fabulous decorating job, covering the glass in all kinds of designs from top to bottom. The Tribe cards have also been getting more use, with signatures given out to girls who are representing our key values. These values include, Integrity, Respect, Belonging and Empathy – well done to everyone who received signatures or even a whole card full!

Here is an update of the Tribe Leaderboard for Term 2;

- Baxter – 435 💜

- Highgate – 410 💓

- Grendon – 405 🧡

- Falkland – 300 💙

The John Mcglashan dinner swap was another highlight in the girls social calendar for the term. The senior boys came over for dinner and games, while the juniors headed to the JMC hostel and completed activities in their gym. This was a nice chance for both hostels to catch up again before the school holidays.

We also got around to hosting the annual ‘My Flat Rules’ cooking competition. The efforts did not disappoint the judges, with creations made from the key ingredients of; Star anise, raspberries, pearl cous cous, cauliflower and beef cheeks! The dishes looked amazing, with options of cauliflower soup, chocolate lava cake with raspberry drizzle, braised slow cooked beef cheeks and even cheesecakes. What a feast! Desert flat took out the win with their ‘Moroccan Bistro’ evening. Well done to all the girls involved.

The Desert Flat, 'Moroccan Bistro' — Image by: Isla Huffadine

The raspberry cheesecake from Forest Flat — Image by: Isla Huffadine

Looking forward to next term we have plenty of exciting events on. The Senior Formal, Year 11 Dance and even the famous Tolcarne Junior Social!! Our Term 2 Tolcarne Trumpet will be emailed out to boarding parents in the upcoming days. See you all back soon and recharged for Term 3. Enjoy your breaks and stay warm ☃🤩💕

Year 11 and 12 Drama