E ngaa mana e ngaa reo e ngaa rau rangatira maa, nei raa te mihi mahana ki a koutou, ki a taatou katoa.

We have had a busy and rewarding end of year as a boarding community. There were many events and ceremonies that recognised our students' many talents, skills and willingness to be of service to others. As staff we attended sports awards, arts awards, senior prizegiving, junior prizegiving, year 10 camp day trips, Christmas Carol Service and many more. These occasions celebrate the hours of courage, resilience, diligence and whaanau support. Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini - My success is not the work of an individual but the work of many.

This term Mrs Shaeana Jaunay went on maternity leave and welcomed a little boy Bouddi to the family. His older brother Amari is being helpful and adjusting to the new arrival. We have been lucky enough to have had Mrs J, her husband Levi, Amari and Bouddi join us for some end of year boarding activities where we had lots of snuggles. Mrs J is set to be back on deck with our boarders the start of 2025.

We farewelled our two gap tutors Jaimee Newby and Rachel Field-Kozak who returned home to Australia and South Africa respectively. They were wonderful additions to our boarding school and I know our boarders enjoyed spending time with them. They will be missed. Next year we welcome a new gap tutor Jodi Samantha Saville from South Africa to our boarding community. We are yet to confirm our second gap tutor for 2025 however, watch this space.

To ensure consistency and continuity of pastoral care, Emily Maree will be our Year 10 house parent staying with her current cohort of boarders and Kim Rose will be our Year 9 house parent after spending two years with her boarders who will be Year 11 next year and with Sarah Pyke in Davis House. Whaea Al and Ms Klink will continue to be in senior boarding next year.

As we come to the end of 2024, I would like to thank you all for entrusting us with your precious aakonga. We don't always get things right, however, please do know we do love and cherish our boarders. We are very blessed to have this opportunity to partner with you to ensure your daughter thrives in this independent environment where mutual aroha and manaakitanga are front and centre. We have loved getting to know our boarding girls and their whaanau. We look forward to continuing to do so in 2025.

Ngaa mihi mo te Kirihimete me te Tau Hou -

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Ma te Atua e manaaki ki a koutou katoa

Jacqueline Smith | Director of Boarding                                               

MEdLeadership (Honours), BA, Grad DipT, Dip.Soc.Sci, Dip TTP (Te Reo Maaori), CertTEAL