Our very best wishes to the class of 2022!

For Chris and I, you have made our first year in this advising role a real pleasure. What an outstanding group of rangatahi we have worked alongside this year!

I’ve commented a number of times that your year group has been impacted by the disruptions and disappointments of covid through your senior schooling, as well as the tragedies and challenges that our community has faced over the last few years. Your 13 school years take us back to 2010: if you have lived in Ōtautahi for much of that time, you will also have experienced varying amounts of disruption from earthquakes and aftermath. As we look forward to 2023 and beyond, we acknowledge the extra challenges that these events have presented. This past year we have seen you commit yourselves to studies, step outside of comfort zones and look out for each other with real bravery and graciousness.

As far as leavers’ events go, many enjoyed the Leavers’ dinner at Winnie Bagoes, our final assembly with year group and tutor photos, and the last day lunch for seniors. Leavers’ hoodies will be ready for those who purchased them before the end of exams – we’ll be in touch when they arrive. We had a copy of the year group photo printed up for each person in the photo: these can be collected from the Enrolment Centre.

This year, we are also looking forward to a Year 13 Graduation. In previous years, year 13 students have been able to attend Senior Prizegiving, as a formal send-off, but this was not an option for this year. So it’s a real privilege to be able to support this student-initiated event. This will be this coming Tuesday, 15th November at 11am. It seems only appropriate that our class of 2022 will be farewelled in the first event to take place in the new auditorium in Auripo. See the attached flyer for details, and please contact me directly for late registrations (emma.lumb@staff.hagley.school.nz or 021 916 631). A big thank you to Bee Wright and Lily Tovey for their leadership for this occasion.

For those students heading on to university study next year, we would like to invite you to join us on Thursday, 1st December for our Navigation Guide for Starting Uni. 1pm in the Careers Room. Please RSVP to Kim or me. Flyer also attached.

Setting sights a little further out beyond these next few weeks, it would be lovely to have you maintain connections with the kura through the Hagley-West Association (formerly Westonians). It is a special tie that the college has with former students, and the current membership would like to warmly invite 2022 leavers to be in touch. Information and membership forms are on the college website.

Again, it’s been our privilege to travel this year with you.

Ngā mihi nui - best wishes for your next adventures,

Chris and Emma