It’s crazy how this year has already nearly come to an end. Proving that time flies when you’re having fun. Not that long ago, I was packing my bags to leave home not knowing anyone, to now have packed my bags to come home for the end of the year and not wanting to leave all my friends.

We have had a jam-packed term with exams (thank goodness they’re over). We also had more fun activities like dance battles between dorms, year 9 & 10 soccer matches, and putting crazy makeup on each other for a Halloween scavenger hunt (thank you Whaea Kim). We can’t forget the Father-Daughter Breakfast when a few of us girls got up a bit earlier than usual to have a nice breakfast with our Dads.

Thanks to the house parents and all the girls for making this a home away from home. Looking forward to next year!

Ava Jones - Yr 9 Moxon House

Term 4 for the Year 10s was like a blink of an eye. We can’t believe that we will be seniors soon! Anyway, we had a very packed term. To sum up, we had tests and sports, helped in our community, and had fun.

Highlights of the term were ‘Habitat for Humanity’, a non-profit organisation that helps families to build and improve their homes. Each and every one of us helped to improve people’s houses by scraping off old paint and repainting them multiple times in just three days. The year 10 activity days to Maungatautari, Raglan and Dio soon followed. We got to see loads of native species such as the Kākās, the Takahē, the Kererū and the Tuatara in the wild during our visit to Maungatautari-the sanctuary mountain that provides protection to endangered species. In Raglan, we paddle-boarded along the coast and kayaked between the rocks to explore the wildlife both beside and in the sea. At Dio, we continued to help restore the gully by removing weeds and freeing plants, making cupcakes (12 each!) and going for a swim in the pool.

Term 4 was a very exciting term that marked the end of our junior years. 

Daisy Zheng - Y10 Herft House

Term 4 has been one of the busiest for Davis House! Among all the NCEA external exam stress, the girls have done an exceptional job at self-managing themselves through study and other commitments such as summer sports in boarding life. As the weather has started to warm up again and summer is approaching fast, we have enjoyed lots of time in the pool and studying outside in the sun for some fresh air. At the beginning of the term, we were lucky enough to have a year 11 leadership day run by the company Burn Bright and a boarding leadership day specifically for future leadership in Waikato Dio boarding. Many of our girls received awards at senior prizegiving, sports awards, and arts awards, which reflects all of their hard mahi throughout this year.  Dio Day was definitely a highlight of the term. Thanks to the school prefects, everyone had a great time participating in a wide range of fun activities. Following Dio Day, everyone in year 11 came together for Secret Santa organised by the Davis leaders, which was a great way to end the year before going into exams.

Overall, it has been an amazing and eventful year for the year 11 boarders, I’m sure everyone is excited to head into the summer holidays with heaps of new memories and come back in 2024 as year 12s wearing our senior uniform.

Katie Wootten - Year 11 Davis House