#enrolattgc - Open Night Thursday 06 August

As enrolments for 2021 get underway, we here at TGC are really excited by the interest shown by our new families with daughters in Year 8. TGC considers all enrolments as opportunities to engage with families to ensure that our school is the best fit for your daughter. Come along to our Open Night, this Thursday 06 August at 5.45pm in the Sports Hall and see for yourself what we have on offer. Student led tours will take place throughout the evening.

Changes to our House and Whānau structure

This week is the final opportunity for submissions into our new ‘house’ structure and $500 is up for grabs for the winning submission. Presently we have four houses. ‘Houses’ represent comradery, school spirit, collaboration, sisterhood, competition, whanaungatanga (a sense of belonging) and of course fun. Our school athletics day, swimming sports and Waiata competitions are all examples of some of the house activities that take place during the year. There are minor and major events each term and are led by our student leaders. The opportunity for leadership, teamwork and sisterhood are evident in each event with Year 9 through to Year 13’s getting in behind their house.

Presently we have the original four house names from 60 years ago and that includes two males. Freyberg and Rutherford. At a recent assembly, the majority of girls could name who Batten (Jean) and Mansfield (Katherine) were but not who Freyberg and Rutherford were, let alone what they represented. As I explained, it wasn't that we wanted everyone at TGC to be aviators (Jean Batten) but in this example it was her resilience, determination and aspirational qualities that were inspirational for our girls. And, as you can imagine, many were not sure why we had male role models. So, there began the opportunity to rethink what or who in a house name would better reflect a 21st Century wahine attending TGC. Submissions are due Friday 7 August and student and staff votes will take place this term in preparation for the change in 2021.

Of note, our brother school, TBC has long since removed Batten and Mansfield from their house names and added several new male house patrons. In addition to this they also have vertical whanau grouping to demonstrate and reflect life outside of school just as our current vertical house structure does.

I look forward to sharing more about our changes for 2021 in our next newsletter.

Together we make the biggest difference and that allows us to uphold our standards

I ask that you encourage your daughter to make good decisions so she can be the best version of herself as a member of TGC. Being kind, getting involved and participating in activities offered by the school, encouraging friends to make better choices (they in turn will help her to do the same) and using social media for good are just some examples of how your daughter can help herself to be that person. It is always unfortunate then, when some students spoil this for others and make poor decisions. It is unfortunate as the College prides itself on providing significant support through its pastoral system, tutorials, flexible timetabling, extra curricular opportunities and Individual Learning Plans (IEP) as well as a depth in its teaching and learning programs. Our values underpinned by RESPECT need to be reciprocated. Bystanders and poor behaviour are not acceptable and do not uphold the standards of expectations we have for everyone attending TGC.

Positive decisions lead to positive outcomes. Poor decisions do not. It takes all of us to support TGC to be the ‘School of Choice for Girls’.

Zoom or Face to Face for Te Ara Ako hui this year

This year we are providing the opportunity for parents to engage with their daughter's teachers via zoom meetings or face to face. We acknowledge that you understand how important it is to meet with our teachers but travelling into school isn't always easy to do and the opportunity to do this remotely is. Details of the two options will be sent to you. Zoom meetings will be 7 mins in duration and take place on Thursday 20 August whereas face to face meetings at school will take place on Wednesday 26 August. Due to COVID-19, it is particularly important for us to have a conversation about your daughter's learning so we look forward to ‘meeting’ with you soon. 

Alert Level 1 Plan, taking up opportunities and impact for benchmark exams

Whilst we know the impact of COVID-19 around the world, we are fortunate in New Zealand to have had fewer deaths and no recent community transmission. This allows our school to offer a significant range of extra curricular opportunities, many of which had been suspended due to the pandemic. To support us and team 5 million, we continue to ask your daughter to stay at home if she is unwell, to get tested if she has COVID like symptoms and to stay home until her results are through, to wash hands/sanitize regularly, to cough/sneeze into one's arm and to keep a record of movement for contact tracing purposes when not at school. With approximately 400 school owned devices being issued, there should be no one without access to a device to support their learning should we need to go into lockdown and go back into remote learning. This is also a reminder that should a lock down occur before NCEA exams begin and they get cancelled (as we have seen overseas), our school benchmark exams will be used as derived grades. This means the grade they get in the practice exam will be supplied as a possible final grade and therefore need to be undertaken as a ‘final’ result - so, taken seriously! Thank you for your support with this plan and for encouraging your daughter to be connected with TGC beyond the classroom.

Bathroom upgrades

The pool bathrooms were given a makeover last holiday and work is almost complete once the new mirrors and dryers are installed. New showerheads and new paint work makes this space soooo much better. The next toilet block to be worked on is being decided as I type!

Our disability bathroom will also be complete this week and will then be followed by a major $1m plus upgrade to C Block. This project is at the concept stage.

Formal Leadership roles for 2021

Applications for Head Girl, six Deputy roles and Prefects opened on Friday 31 July. Leadership at TGC is underpinned by service and by being community minded. Girls are expected to have completed 40 hours of service when applying for positions and to have contributed to house spirit, supported extra curricular activities and upheld the values of the College. Amendments to the application process have been made based on feedback from the current leadership team. In keeping with a new tradition our Head Girl (Hannah Rose) will be on the interview panel for the top seven positions.

Tara Kanji

Tumuaki/Principal