Kia ora Tolcarne whanau. WOW who would have thought we would be at the end of Term 3 already?! The year is flying by!

It has been an action packed 10 weeks, filled with all things sport, social events, activities and exam time for our seniors.

The juniors have been lucky enough to have their weekend activities with Bex. She has taken them on a range of outings, from ice skating and the butterfly house, to a games night with John McGlashan and a road trip around Dunedin. These activities are always a great chance to get out and about during the weekends, exploring a bit more of the city!

I have enjoyed my after school activities with the juniors, also having the chance to take the Year 11s down to Timezone - which was highly entertaining! We have baked, made beaded jewellery, learnt how to make DIY pizzas, crepes and more. I am excited for next term with summer based after school activities - bring on the pool parties and picnics!

Our Year 9s had the opportunity to thank their Year 13 buddies, with our annual 'Buddy Supper'. This was a lovely evening and the juniors presented their buddy with a handmade card, as a token of their appreciation. We shared a variety of delicious treats while we celebrated the amazing job the Year 13s have done, making the transition to life at Tolcarne that much easier 🙏👏

With Tribe Dinners back to running as usual, we have loved seeing the activities Ziggy and the Tribe Leaders have come up with. A personal favourtie was the singing, with a mixture of High School Musical, Taylor Swift, Bruno Mars and Miley Cyrus echoing down the halls. We have a very exciting Tribe event coming up next term - so watch this space to see what is planned...

One of the many highlights from the term, would have to be the socials! First up was our Tolcarne Social, where we decorated the dining room top to bottom in all things 'NEON'! The space was packed full of our junior boarders, along with the Year 9 and 10s from John McGlashan and Otago Boys. This was a fantastic night and huge effort from our Head Boarders, Steve, Kitchen team, Tolcarne Council and Hostel staff!

A few weeks later we headed over to Otago Boys for their Hawaiian themed social. This was a fun night and everyone did a great job of dressing up! The hostel socials are a great opportunity to mix with students at other schools, hanging out with friends and getting to meet new people 💃🕺

Other events this term included our Year 9 and 10 Day Girl Breakfast, where the Day Girls were invited to experience a morning at Tolcarne. They came and ate breakfast, packed lunch and saw what morning routines looked like before walking down the bush track to school! We also had our Otago Boys Dinner Swap, where the seniors hosted OBs at Tolcarne and the juniors headed over for dinner with the boys. We enjoyed a variety of food, activities and catch ups.

We also had another busy term of Koru, with the Year 9s having a focus on fear. These sessions involved many challenges, such as the impromptu singing, 'Night Line' and Fear Factor. We are always so impressed with how involved the students get and enjoyed sharing many laughs throughout the process.

The Year 10 focus was on values and what these meant to them. We discussed different values, identifying why each was important and narrowed down a final few that we hold closely. Each student wrote a mission statement, with how they wanted to use their values throughout their time as a senior and after leaving Tolcarne. Everyone positively engaged in this topic and Robyn and I loved hearing what everyone had to share - a few feel good sessions!

Another highlight of the term was our annual Ski Trip. What beats two nights away in Queenstown staying at Coronet Peak with your friends?!

We had a great group of Year 10 and 11 students, all making the most of the snow and social side of skiing. Plus, with the bonus of Robyn's delicious food, we certainly did not go hungry! I am working away on a movie from our weekend, so keep an eye out on our social media for when this is finished ❄☃

We are excited to be hosting our annual Tolcarne Grandparents High Tea again in 2022, on Sunday the 30th of October. This will be an afternoon of catch ups, cups of tea and of course glorious sweet treats! Please RSVP to the link here by Friday the 21st of October. We look forward to welcoming the Tolcarne grandparents, hosted by their granddaughter for this event!

As we look ahead to Term 4 it is certainly seeming like a busy few weeks. This is always my favourite term, filled with many special celebrations, warmer weather and of course Christmas themed activities 🎄🎄

We hope you all have a restful two weeks, spending time with special people and doing things that 'fill your cup'. Enjoy the Spring weather and all that this season brings 🌸☀

New Zealand Senior Women’s Ice Hockey Team