Woohoo it is Friday - how are we already at the end of Week 3?! Last Friday we held our annual Tribe Games. This was a hit, with everyone dressed in their colours and ready to compete for the final points of the year.

The juniors and seniors both competed in a range of activities, including egg toss, the water spin, tug of war and a lolly scramble! There was fierce competition throughout the year levels, with the egg toss proving to be rather entertaining (some deciding to give up the chance of points to crack an egg on their partner)! There were certainly plenty of laughs, as the Tribes came together one last time for 2021.

The staff finished the games, taking on the Tribe Leaders in a final tug of war round. We did end up coming out on top - not that we were competitive or anything... 😜 Well done to the Tribe Leaders for always bringing enthusiasm, positivity and inclusion to our different Tribe events. It has certainly been an unusual year with changes, but you have all done extremely well to keep spirits high!

Ross prepared a Mexican feast for dinner, along with the Churro Truck bringing treats for dessert! A massive thank you to Ziggy for organising such a successful Tribe event. You always do a wonderful job of making the activities run smoothly.

After our Tribe Games on Friday, the final points for the year were calculated. For the first time since 2016, Baxter took the win!! Each student was awarded a lucky dip prize, for their work in earning points throughout the year. The mystery items included, jewellery boxes, face masks, reusable cups, diffusers, travel jewellery boxes and more! There were lots of nice goodies for all, along with chocolates for those who were awarded the top point earners across different year levels.

Ziggy and Ross held their final Korero session on Tuesday evening with the Year 11s. They had a focus on upcoming Boarder Leader applications. The group discussed what kind of person they would like to be, things that were good about themselves to celebrate, what they would like to personally develop and how this might happen. This was a beneficial refection time for all, helping to identify why they are wanting this position and what they would bring to the leadership role.

On Wednesday evening we held our annual Christmas Dinner. This is always a highlight on the calendar, although unfortunately this year it looked slightly different due to Covid-19 restrictions. We had our seniors students, hostel staff and Senior Leadership Team from school involved with the dinner and leavers celebrations. The juniors didn't miss out, with takeaway pizza for tea and a plan for a Christmas celebration later in the term.

The kitchen team went above and beyond (as usual) to prepare a Christmas feast! We had everything from roast ham, to turkey, Surimi Pasta Salad, Crème Brûlée, a variety of other desserts and more! The photos do not do it justice 😍 For more pictures from the evening, check out our social media pages!

The dining room looked incredible and made us realise it is nearing the end of the school year. All of our seniors students looked fabulous, dressed up for the occasion. Although we love the big Christmas feast and being together before study leave, it does mean we have to farewell our Year 13s 😢 Molly and Tash presented their final speech as Head Boarders, reflecting on their time spent at Tolcarne. There was lots of laughter and tears as photos were shared from 2017 right through until 2021. Each student was then presented with their Tolcarne leavers gift, before being cheered out together.

It is the end of an era for these girls, finishing school today and heading into their final NCEA exam period. Even though we are feeling sad at the prospect of not seeing their smiley faces every day, we're very excited for their next chapter and the adventures that lay ahead. You will always be welcome at Tolcarne girls, so don't be strangers - make sure to come back and visit us!! But for now, enjoy your final celebrations as St Hilda's students, before heading on exam leave and becoming the newest St Hilda's Old Girls 😍

It has been a big week here and the kitchen team especially deserve a relaxing weekend after a successful Christmas Dinner! We hope the rest of you enjoy some sunshine and relaxation before heading into Week 4. Please remember to complete your/your daughters wellness declaration form before returning to Tolcarne - thank you 🙏

Next week the Year 10 students are off to camp - it is sure going to be a bit quieter around the place! We can't wait to hear all of the stories once they return. Please also remember to check the gear list for our Year 9 Waihola camp. We will be leaving next Friday after school, so this weekend would be the perfect chance to bring any last minute items off the gear list back to Dunedin!

Teen Ag