St Hilda’s COLLEGIATE SCHOOL

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Jeremiah 29:11

Dear Parents, Caregivers and Friends of St Hilda’s,

As a community we have spent the last two years discussing, exploring and defining the skills and dispositions that we think the St Hilda’s graduate needs to be future ready. We want our graduate to be able to leave school assured that she has the skills to be a confident, connected, actively involved life-long learner. We do not know what the world will look like for her, so she has to be adaptable and flexible, needs transferable skills and the ability to problem solve so she can thrive in a volatile, ambiguous world that is constantly changing. Increasingly, she will have to be a capable communicator and able to collaborate with others, think critically about the world around her and the waves of information that are coming at her, and as a community we have recognised that the ability to empathise with others and have compassion, will enable her to build lasting and meaningful relationships. Our graduates will all be individuals; we do not want to produce cookie–cutter girls, but we do want all the young women who walk through our doors out onto the next stage of their learning journey to have a set of skills that will serve them well. The onus then is on us to ensure that during their time at school, they have had the opportunities to develop, practise and enhance their skills and dispositions, growing in confidence and awareness as they do so. To develop the framework to achieve this we have gone back to the foundation of our school culture and examined what we value and how that shapes those skills and dispositions.

Newsletter No. 2 6 July 2018 In This Issue

Page PagePrincipal’s Message 1 - 2 Special Character 2 Open Evening - 2019 Day Girls 3 Departments 3 - 9 School-wide Activities 9 - 10 Cultural 10 - 12 Sport 12 - 13 Prefects & International Student Leader 14 - 17 Board of Trustees 17 Community 17 From the Archives 18 Staff 18 - 19 End of Term Round-Up 19 - 20 Term Dates - 2018 & 2019 20

Page 2

As a school community we recognise that we have six key values: Wairua – spirituality; Manaakitanga – personal qualities of integrity and respect; Wananga – creativity, critical thinking and problem solving; Whanaungatanga – belonging and the importance of relationships; Tangata whenuatanga – tolerance of diversity and equality; and Hauora – wellbeing: spiritual, emotional, mental and physical, which underpin our school culture. When we considered what we valued as the foundation, and the skills and dispositions that we wanted as the outcomes of that culture, then we recognised four groups of behaviours and attitudes that would allow us to practise and develop those skills. Those behaviours are best summed up as:Be YouCan DoBetter TogetherExplore Faith We have worked with the girls and as a staff to consider what these behaviours look like every day, and so the combined voices have given us a clear framework that will guide us all. Embedding this in our every day lives is the next step for us as a community. We know that building a culture that enables our students to develop the skills and dispositions they need for the future is a critical component of our role as a school, a role we embrace, and a challenge we enjoy.

“The mark of higher education isn’t the knowledge you accumulate in your head. It’s the skills you gain about how to learn.”

Adam Grant

Mrs Jackie BarronPrincipal

Sienna Wright lighting the Paschal candle with Dr Gillian Townsley looking on

Special character

Chaplain’s Chat

We have just tipped over the Winter Solstice, the time of the year when we have the shortest amount of sunlight and the longest night of the year. This time of the year is when we celebrate things like the Midwinter Carnival in Dunedin, or the LUMA light festival in Queenstown (although that was held over Queen’s Birthday weekend). There is something wonderfully magical about being outside in the cold night air, all bundled up in jackets, hats, and scarves, and seeing spectacular lanterns and light sculptures, creative installations and street performers. In the Northern Hemisphere, the Winter Solstice is in December and therefore coincides with Christmas which, of course, also has lights at the heart of its festivities: candlelit carol services, lights on the Christmas tree, and the star at top of the tree representing the star over the stable at Bethlehem, shining brightly for the magi to follow.

During Term 2 at school, we light the Paschal candle in every chapel as we say these words: “May the light of Christ, rising in glory, banish all darkness from our hearts and minds … The light and the hope of the risen Christ be with you.”

These words remind us that Jesus brings light into the world; as the famous carol Silent Night states: “Son of God, Love’s Pure Light.” John’s Gospel is the one which speaks the most often about Jesus as the light of the world: “Jesus said, ‘I am the light of the world; whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life’” (8.12); and, “I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness” (12.46).

So, whether we’re lighting candles at a carol service, enjoying the lanterns at a Midwinter Carnival parade, stringing up LEDs in our bedrooms, or lighting the Paschal candle, we’re responding to a deep human urge to celebrate light – which is hope, and faith, and joy – when times are dark. The symbolism of all of these lights shining in the darkness of the long, cold, wintry night is one of the most powerful spiritual images we have as human beings. It reminds us that no matter how dark the night might be, there is always the possibility of light and hope. It reminds us that even the smallest flicker of light can illuminate the darkest and deepest space.

God’s promise of light in the darkness is there for everyone.

Dr Gillian TownsleyChaplain

Ncea review proceSS

The Ministry of Education is presently looking at ways to strengthen NCEA and is exploring a variety of ways to gain feedback from different stakeholders. They want to hear from parents and students and ask you to join in the conversation to submit your ideas, experiences and suggestions for change: conversation.education.govt.nz/NCEA.

We urge you to visit this site to see the ways in which you can give your views.

As a school we will be talking with students and plan to run a parent seminar on 12th September as part of the consultation process.

Page 3

Page 3

opeN eveNiNG 2019 DaY GirlS

Thursday, 26 July 2018

6:40 pm for 7:00 pm startAssemble in the Chapel for welcome

7:30 pmGuided tour of the school

Please note that parking will be very limited due to construction of the new Arts Building.

DepartmeNtS

International Department

It has been an action-packed term in the International Department. We have had students participate in the school production, ‘Bring It On’, and the Year 12 and 13 Formal. We held a Big Day Out activity day, had Global Public School visit for a week from Kerala in southern India, and had a farewell evening with hosts for four students who returned to their home countries.

Fuka Sugure and Sarah Lee took part in “Bring It On” for what was a superb production. They did themselves proud with some funky dance moves and fabulous singing. Well done girls. It is great to see international students joining in with school-wide activities.

This term we said farewell to Greta Dammer, Grete Lieberknecht and Lisa Engel who returned to Germany after being with us for two terms this year.

It was sad to say goodbye as these three students have shown they have adapted to life in a different culture so well. We have really enjoyed their sense of humour and lovely personalities. They have contributed so positively, not just to the international cohort, but also to the whole school community. Auf Wiedersehen and goodbye girls. We know you will take fond memories of your time at St Hilda’s back home. Keep in touch!

L-R Grete Lieberknecht, Lisa Engel and Greta Dammer

We also farewelled a student who has been with us for longer. Fuka Sugure joined us in 2016 and has gone from strength to strength. She has has come such a long way with her English ability since she first started at St Hilda’s and now it seems she is a complete natural. Fuka has also wowed us with her slick hip hop moves in the time she has been here. We will miss your familiar face around here Fuka but I know you will get a chance to catch up with your friends again when a group from St Hilda’s visits Japan in December this year. It will be your turn to be the expert guide!

Fuka Sugure

We will welcome five new international students next term.

In early June we took the international girls on a Big Day Out activity day. It started with horse riding for some and a beach walk at Aramoana for others. Then we went to Gone Potty to create a ceramic souvenir. After that it was off to Megazone for some action before slowing down for dinner at The Jitsu. We finished off the day at Nele’s house for hot chocolate, dessert and games. It was a very enjoyable day and I’m sure everyone slept well that night!

Page 4

Big Day Out

Mayu, Lisa, Janine and Cloria, all in Year 12, attended the Year 12 and 13 Formal at the Town Hall. They all looked stunning and enjoyed their chance to flossy themselves up with make-up, superb hair, and gorgeous frocks. We’re glad you all made the most of the opportunity to attend this occasion.

L-R Lisa Engel and Janine Soonthornsaratul

For a week when it was cold and foggy in Dunedin, we had a visit from Global Public School in India. Four girls and eleven boys braved the cold and joined us and John McGlashan for a week of buddy classes and activities. They went sightseeing to Baldwin Street, Taieri Gorge on the train, Larnach Castle, Monarch Cruise, Toitu Museum, and some of them watched the polar plunge at St Clair. We enjoyed them sharing their culture with us at the farewell and once again thank the families who hosted the students for the week. Without you, these visits from overseas schools wouldn’t be possible.

As Director of International Students, I would personally like to say farewell to St Hilda’s, and welcome in the new Director who started on June 25. Sharon Beaumont has joined the International Department as Director of International, and we also welcome Roberta Lawrence who is the new Homestay Coordinator. Welcome to you both – I know you will really enjoy the opportunities and experiences that come from working with international students.

Sharon Beaumont Director of International Students

Roberta Lawrence International Homestay Co-ordinator

I have really cherished getting to know each of our international students and also the professional and collegial environment of St Hilda’s. I will miss the girls very much but know they will continue to develop in a supportive and enriching school. Goodbye and thank you to everyone who contributed to my time here.

Missing you already! Ange xxx

Ms Ange SpearsDirector of International Students

Languages Department

The first half of 2018 has been a busy time for us in the Languages Department.

In Term 1 all students studying French took a trip to the Rialto Cinemas to view “La Melodie” (Orchestra Class) during the French Film Festival. Beaucoup de glaces, popcorn, bonbons were eaten and du coca et de la limonade were enjoyed by the girls and the various teachers who kindly gave up their non-contact periods to join us.

Page 5

In Term 2, from May 21 to 31 there was frantic typing going on during the Education Perfect Languages World Championships. The girls ventured out of their language comfort zone into other languages to maximise their point-earning potential. They quickly saw how the months of the year in French, Spanish, Portuguese and Italian were all closely linked, and they made short work of learning them. The chances are that if your daughter was bitten by the Language Perfect bug, you saw little of her over the ten days of competition. There was some fierce competition between the Year 9 classes with 9H emerging the victors. On average 9H spent 184 minutes over the ten days of competition learning vocabulary. Their rewards of viewing the French film, “Le Petit Nicolas”, and trying out making their own crêpes using a raclette à crêpes were challenging and enjoyed by all.

Top L-R Hannah Murray and Rosie Dykes Bottom L-R Sophie Guy and Stella Rathbone making crêpes

Standout achievements were:

Sophie Wispinski Shreya Das

Elite Awards (10,000+ points) Sophie Wispinski (for a second year) and Shreya Das, both in Year 10. Sophie clocked up an impressive 61 hours earning her award.

Emerald Awards (5,000+ points): Lily Dockerty, Lauren Heng, Emily Wilson and Emma Boult.

Gold Awards (3000+ points): Nemo Asawaborissuttikul, Lily Chamberlain, Megan Foster, Anna Hutchens, Poppy Johnston, Emma de Lange, Sophie Silcock and Breane Byck.

The top students in each year level were:Year 13 - Grete Lieberknecht Year 12 - Lily Chamberlain Year 11 - Georgia Broadley and Hannah Wolf Year 10 - Sophie Wispinski Year 9 - Emma Boult

SpanishTerm 2 has been a busy term for Spanish. We welcomed Daniela Castenada (Y13) and Catalina Verbal (Y12) from Concepcion College, Chiguayante, Chile for six weeks. During this time they participated fully in life at St Hilda’s, enjoying a varied timetable and experiencing how we learn Spanish. Our senior Spanish students were able to learn about life in Chile and the differences between our two schools. We were also lucky enough to try some traditional Chilean pastries.

Jess Powell (Y13) and Anna Young (Y12) departed for Chile on June 10th and are now into the swing of things. We will welcome them back at the start of Term 3.

Senior Spanish CampIn late May our senior students participated in an overnight joint immersion camp with four other schools from Otago and Southland. They experienced a range of activities focusing on using as much Spanish as possible, while making new connections and expanding their cultural knowledge.

Mrs Nicki HoltzActing HOD Languages

English Department

Spelling Bee

L-R Brianna Le, Emily Wilson and Lauren Heng

The annual ODT Extra Spelling Quiz took place at Otago Girls’ High School on the evening of Thursday June 21st. It was a tense evening for the Year 10 Team. Last year they had gained second place, being beaten by one point, and for the past four years they had come second! This was their last year and they were determined to win.

Page 6

The team, Lauren Heng, Emily Wilson and Brianna Le, had a tough competition. They were leading at the half way mark, but the rounds were challenging, asking them not only to spell words such as ‘ archaic’ and ‘homogeneous’, but also to know from where words originated and the cunning ‘guess the word’ competition using as few clues as possible. There were 99 points up for grabs. They gained 84….. to take the win.

As this was the last year in which they are able to compete, it was a momentous way to end their competition efforts.

Poetry in Action 2018

Poetry in Action

The dynamic theatre company’s Team Raven came to St Hilda’s on Wednesday 12th June. For the Year 11 classes they gave an emotional and affecting performance focusing on the WW1 poet Wilfred Owen’s life and works. Not only did they dramatise key moments in his life, from his religious upbringing to the trenches and his pivotal meeting with Siegfried Sassoon, they also dramatised and analysed some of his most famous works such as Futility and Anthem for Doomed Youth. The peformance ended with a retrospective look at the UK’s Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy’s Last Post which takes inspiration from Owen’s iconic poem Dulce Est and considers what history would be if it could be rewound.

For the Year 10s, Poetry in Action looked at the concept of “Fact Vs Fiction”. In an age where alternative facts are used and clickbait entices us everywhere, they made us realise that we should question everything we are given in the media; to consider its origin, the writer or presenter, and examine the language that is used. They used real life examples such as Trump’s inauguration and fictional retelling of real events, where the Aristotelian idea of Pathos was used to garner the reader’s sympathy.

Both performances explored words and the power of words. In an age where images are used so graphically, it was good to be reminded that words still have the power to excite and that they are worth examining to get to the truth of the matter.

“All a poet can do today is warn. That is why the true Poets must be truthful.”

Owen

Mrs Helen AlmeyHOD English

Social Sciences Department This has been another busy term for the Social Sciences Department.

The Year 13 Geography students have been studying the Dunedin coastal environment. The class had a great field trip looking at Tunnel and Tomahawk beaches and the different processes that create these unique Dunedin locations. Their view of a beach environment will be forever changed as a result of this research.

Year 12 Geography students also took their learning out into the field, studying the South Island High Country and visiting Aoraki Mt Cook National Park and surrounding areas. Students collected data on vegetation, altitude and temperature to see if there were links between the three. The class had a fantastic helicopter ride to a glacier and landed in knee deep snow. It was wonderful to see Aoraki Mt Cook in the distance on an almost cloudless day. The girls were great and Mrs Bradfield and Ms Turner appreciated their positive attitudes throughout the trip.

Mt Cook Field Trip

Page 7

The Year 11 History class visited Toitu Otago Settlers Museum to work with the curator and archivist to better understand the use of primary and secondary sources in the telling of History and to see the process of curating an exhibition first-hand.

Social Studies classes have been looking at Human Rights, the nature of work and access to resources over the first half of the year. The Human Rights topic produced some stunning ‘museum display’ assignments, including that of Priyanka McKenzie-Patel who brought along the sari that her grandmother wore when arrested along with 80,000 other people during the Salt March in India in 1930.

Ms Judith TurnerHOD Social Sciences

Technology Department

Otago Robocup Success

St Hilda’s was represented by 34 girls and 10 teams at the Otago Robocup competition on 23 June. As well as showcasing a strong range of technical and programming ability, all of the St Hilda’s teams demonstrated excellent teamwork, problem solving, and creativity during the lead-in to the competition.

Robocup is a means for students to be exposed to the types of engineering, programming and problem-solving skills that underpin the field of robotics, which has become so important in today’s society.

The following teams have earned a place at the Otago Regional Competition and will be working towards refining their robotic entries for Robocup Nationals, to be held in Dunedin on 16 September.

Senior Search and Rescue:

3rd L-R Kate McEwan, Courtney Lloyd, Lily Knox

Senior Theatre:

1st L-R Hannah McCoubrey, Rosa Smith, Evie Rose Grace, Eliabel Legrand

2nd Team Umpa Lumpas L-R Laura Ring, Victoria Avery, Olivia Ollerenshaw, Hannah Lawerence

3rd Team Carnival L-R Lucie Holtz, Emma Boult, Ella Hodgson

Mrs Julie McMahonHOD Technology

Year 7 and Year 8

National Young Leaders Day 2018 - Year 7 and 8National Young Leaders’ Day (NYLD) is a creative, fun-filled event where hundreds of school students come together and get inspired. It happens all over the country and occurs every year. Each year NYLD invite well known people from all over New Zealand with different experiences to share with us, and give us tips for now and later on in life. This year’s theme was based around a Maori proverb, ‘Me whaka ro rangatira’ - ‘think like a leader’. Listening to the presentations definitely got us thinking about persevering in our own lives and taught us how we can help others. We enjoyed socialising with other schools and catching up with old friends. Playing the fun games and taking pictures with the superheros always put a huge smile on our faces. This is certainly a highlight in the Year 7 and 8 students’ year. We all can’t wait to inspire others, just like as National Young Leaders’ Day inspired us!

By Hannah Lawrence, Peta Ericsson and Hannah Wilson

Girls’ Self Defence ProjectIn mid-June, the Year 7 and 8 girls participated in the Girls’ Self Defence Project, an eight hour course run by Bell Murphy. The course was generously funded by the Women’s Self Defence Network - Wahine Toa. In this course we learned how to defend ourselves in any uncomfortable situation. Bell taught us how to use our voices and to yell at our attacker. She also taught us all of the ways to get out of a tricky situation. We learned that we don’t have to fight in some situations, but instead can use our voices in a loud shout. We developed the skills to do shin kicks, knee kicks, ballerina kicks and different types of punches to defend ourselves.

Page 8

Over the course we found out that no matter how small you are you can still fight back. Bell told us stories of women or girls who successfully escaped from physical attacks by using self defence. We learned that there are so many options to escape from holds and tricky situations. We now feel more confident about defending ourselves thanks to this course.

By Sasha Lamb, Katie Moore and Imogen Hornal

Year 8 Robo CupRobo Cup is an interesting experience. It’s a roller coaster of emotions with some amazing products at the end, but with lots of challenges to overcome throughout the process. At first it’s exciting when you start to think of what you could make your robots do and whether you will enter in Theatre or Search and Rescue, and if you choose theatre, what is your theme is going to be? Then comes the stress when you think you won’t make it. Just before the day there’s that proud feeling that your robots might actually pull through and perform to their full potential, but anything can happen, right? Anything, like all of your robots malfunctioning or your scene breaking. But in the end you will pull through and maybe you will even get a prize! Mrs McMahon was our teacher and mentor through this interesting experience. We prepared for this event for two hours in class a week and we took time out of our busy weekends to get ready for the competition. Throughout the experience we faced many challenges, such as making sure that all of our robots were in time with each other, finding new creative ways to program our robots to ensure that the performance went as planned and making sure our set suited our theme. We weren’t just thrown into the deep end with the competition, we had time to build up some coding and robot building knowledge in Term 1 to prepare us for the adventure ahead. Robo Cup and Year 8 Robotics was amazing, fun, and a great experience.

By Rosa Smith, Demi McAlwee, Evie Rose Grace

Year 8 Shakespeare Festival

The Shakespeare Festival is an opportunity for all budding actresses, those who enjoy the arts, and those who want to try something out of their comfort zone.

Shakespeare is run by Mrs McMillan. Students in Year 9 -13 can compete and direct their own piece. However, those who are in Year 7 and 8 can still participate, but aren’t eligible to compete. This year, six students from Year 8 and a student from Year 12 participated in the Shakespeare Festival. They performed a scene from Macbeth. The characters were Macbeth, his servant Lennox, the weird sisters and their queen, Hecate. Macbeth decides to seek knowledge from the weird sisters and they tell him of the future; but little does he know that his belief that he is untouchable is far from the truth. This scene is orchestrated by Hecate. Lennox feels as though his master is going insane. The Shakespeare Festival is such a fun experience and it is a great way to build up your confidence. Make sure you check it out next year.

By Eliabel Legrand and Sophie Le

Tolcarne News

Wow! Term 2 has flown by in a mixture of colour and excitement in the forms of Country Visits, Production, Boarder Open Day, Basketball, Mother’s Day High Tea, Tribe Competitions, Laser Tag, Netball, Formal, Rugby, Big Sing, Boxing, Ten Pin Bowling, Soccer, and Hockey! There have been so many activities, extracurricular events and academic opportunities for our students to continue to learn and grow, while doing the things that they love.

Tolcarne has had a number of presenters come to talk to our students about many different topics over Term 2. Robert Pereira came back to chat with the Year 9 girls about bullying. He focussed on why bullies bully and the thoughts and emotions they might be going through, as well as looking at the thoughts and emotions that might run through the bullied person’s mind.

We also had Amy Scott come to present her ‘Get Dotted’ program to the Year 12 and 13 students. ‘Get Dotted’ is about people’s different communication styles and how best to connect with people by figuring out which colour ‘dot’ they are so that you can communicate with them in a way that they understand. Tolcarne staff had Amy come and ‘Dot’ them at the beginning of the year and we found it so useful when communicating with each other that we thought the senior students would benefit from Amy’s presentation. It has been so much fun trying to help the students figure out what their dominant ‘dot’ might be, and utilising the language of the ‘dots’ has been highly useful when trying to figure out how best to approach situations and conversations.

Towards the end of the term, Tolcarne was also privileged to have John Hedges, the Dunedin Police Community Relations Officer, come and talk to all our students about how to keep themselves safe on social media, how to deal with peer pressure, practical ways of helping each other through tough times, and for the seniors, how to keep themselves safe at parties. John is always highly anticipated by the students because of his humour and all his fascinating stories and experiences. Thank you John!

Page 9Page 9

The Tribe competition is well underway with Grendon recently taking the lead from Faulkland. We have had two very enjoyable Tribe competitions over dinner time - the first was a Met Gala themed newspaper costume making competition, and then later in the term, a Tribe Talent Quest with lots of singing and dancing. Even Mrs. Rathbone got up on stage to do a wee jig!

This term in Koru we have continued the theme of ‘getting to know myself.’ Both Year 9 and 10 students spent a few sessions discovering what their values might be and creating buntings about what the value means and why it is important to them. We also spent much of the term increasing our emotional vocabulary. Role-plays seem to be a hit with the Year 9s, and by exploring how people react to different emotions, students discover constructive ways to approach different emotions and people.

Have a safe and enjoyable holiday!

The Tolcarne Team

School-wiDe activitieS2018 Entrepreneurs in Action(Previously known as Young Enterprise Scheme)

Tamara Mason (Year 12) - 3rd from the right

2018 Entrepreneurs in Action was a two and a half day business event for 80 students, selected from around the country, to test and build on their business skills. On arrival, I was put into a team of eight students I had never met before, as well as four mentors from the Asia New Zealand Foundation.

The weekend consisted of two main challenges. One was energy saving product innovation and the second was looking at market entry strategy for Latin America. My team was one of ten competing in the event and we were very successful, managing to win both of the challenges. This was the first time that the same team had won both challenges in the many years that this event has been running.

As a reward for our success the team is going on a fully funded trip to Brazil! There we will work with local businesses and students. As well as the trip, we were offered a $7,000 scholarship each for Massey University.

The weekend has presented new opportunities for me, including what I look to do in my future. It has given me new skills in business which will help me for the rest of my life. 2018 Entrepreneurs in Action was definitely a very successful, rewarding and educational weekend. Tamara MasonYear 12

Sustained Silent Reading

SSR (Sustained Silent Reading) was introduced at the beginning of the year out of a desire by staff to increase students’ literacy skills and encourage them to become ‘passionate, skilled, habitual, critical readers’ (Atwell, 2009). Research has shown that the benefits of regular sustained silent reading are significant: improved reading comprehension, increased vocabulary, better spelling, faster reading speed, not to mention an improved attitude towards reading in general. These are skills that are required across the curriculum, as well as for life beyond school. So for the last five months, at the beginning of Period 4, in every classroom in the school, students and teachers have been reading silently for 15 minutes. Students can read whatever they like, at their own pace and with no requirements other than to just read. For some students this 15 minutes has become one of the highlights of their day, while for others it is a constant challenge to maintain focus and settle down with a book they enjoy. The number of book issues from the school library has increased by 55% since last year and Miss Kate Knox, the school librarian, has been scrambling to buy more books to keep up with the demand. A recent survey of students revealed that 43% of students have read more than 4 books already this year. Furthermore, students and staff are saying that they particularly value the quiet space in the middle of the day that SSR provides. As author John Green writes “Reading forces you to be quiet in a world that no longer makes space for that.” The beginning of Term 3 will see our very own Lilliput Libraries scattered around the school which will provide an additional source of reading material. A website with book recommendations and other reading resources will also be launched to help students find books that they find relevant and engaging. How can you support SSR as a parent?• Show an interest in what your daughter is reading by

asking her about what she is reading.• Check in regularly with her progress and remind her to

bring her book to school.• Ask her to suggest something that you could read

alongside her or ask her for a recommendation of something she’s recently finished reading.

• Help your daughter to access the Public Library or recommend something from your own bookcase that you’ve enjoyed reading.

Ms Julie van RijTIC Sustained Silent Reading

Page 10

World Challenge

St Hilda’s is embarking on a World Challenge expedition to Malaysia and Borneo. The girls will begin to fundraise this year for the trip that will leave in December 2019. It is a fantastic opportunity for the girls to experience different cultures. They plan the trip themselves and while on expedition make day-to-day decisions to ensure their trip is a success. The trip is open to students currently in Year 10, 11 and 12. If you have any questions please get in touch with bbradfield@shcs.school.nz.

Mrs Bee BradfieldTIC World Challenge

cultural

News from the Arts Prefects

Bark like a Dog - Taieri College Band

This Term has been action packed for the arts with several opportunities for the girls to get involved! Just recently we brought in a local high school band from Taieri College called ‘Bark like a Dog’. The band performed during a student assembly and was a great way for the girls to enjoy some good quality live music, have a little break and let loose for a moment in amongst the busyness of school.

Bring it On - 2018 Production

This term we also had our very successful production, Bring it On. This involved about 80 students and was performed over three nights. The production gave an opportunity to those who enjoy and thrive in performing arts, but at the same time allowed those who didn’t want to be in the spotlight the chance to be a part of important activities such as costuming, hair, makeup and backstage help.

Artist of the Month Award

Sings Hilda

This term we have reinstated our Artist of the Month Award. In May we awarded this to Zara Anthony-Whigham for all of her achievements in the Arts, but especially for her amazing performances in the Dunedin show Priscilla, which was on stage for ten nights! Zara was one of the main female dancers (there were only three selected in Dunedin).

June’s Artist of The Month was awarded to Sings Hilda for their achievements at the recent Big Sing Regional Competition. Sings Hilda won the Millennium Trophy for Best European Art Song for their song ‘Tundra’ and also performed the songs ‘Tangaroa’ and ‘Las Amarillas’.

Photography CompetitionAt Arts Assembly we launched the annual St Hilda’s Photography Competition. The theme for this year is ‘The St Hilda’s Graduate’ and the competition will run over the holidays and for the first three weeks of Term 3.

This gives the girls a chance to take lots of photos in the holidays, so make sure to send them in as we have some great prizes up for grabs.

Thank you to Mr Stephen Jacquiery and Mr Glenn Smith who will be providing advice to us on photo composition. The theme this year is ‘The St Hilda’s Graduate’ so there are four categories; Can Do, Be You, Better Together, and Explore Faith. We are looking forward to receiving the entries and displaying them in the school over Term 3.

Page 11

Kapa Haka

The Kapa Haka group has really come together during Term 2. Our new tutor, Lyric, is pushing us to reach new vocals and as a result we are surprising ourselves with what we can achieve as a group. We have quite a few performances coming up so we are working hard at practices, and we are all excited for what is to come.

Choir Sings Hilda performed at the Big Sing Regional Competition on the 6th of June. We performed three pieces we had been working on since the start of the year. It was a fantastic day and we ended up winning a highly commended award and the trophy for best performance of a classical composition. We have also been a guest choir in two separate community concerts in Term 2. The Anglican Family Care Winter Warmer at St Matthew’s and the Dunedin Royal Male Choir Concert at the Town Hall.

Breaking NewsSings Hilda has again been invited to attend the Big Sing National Finale at the Michael Fowler Centre in Wellington from August 30 to September 2. Only the top 24 choirs in the country get to go, making it an honour to represent not only St Hilda’s but the Otago region as well.

Junior Choir Like Sings Hilda, Nga Korimako recently took part in the Regional Big Sing Competition performing three songs. Their song ‘Rubber Ducky’ gained the People’s Choice Award.

Visual ArtsThis term, some Year 9 students are painting a light shade for the Albatross Colony. The light shade will be installed in the education centre at the Albatross Colony and be decorated with a squid. Squid are a main food source for albatross, and the use of squid relates to a mural that some senior students did earlier in the year with Michael Tuffery. They will use posca pens to draw on the squid, similarly to the murals in the chapel windows here at school. Mr Smith’s international students are painting Lilliput Libraries for around the school. These are like little book cupboards where you can give and get books to read. The international students have helped design cultural designs for the libraries, for example one has a Maori design, and one has fish on it which is a Japanese design created by Japanese students.

Debating Debating has continued strongly throughout Term 2 with about eight senior girls coming along to practise weekly. As we have many new girls this year we have been concentrating on building up the skills needed to be successful at debating. We have also been looking into what strong and weak arguments look like and have applied these new skills to topical issues such as the denuclearisation of North Korea. Looking ahead we are building up towards Winter Quad which will take place in Term 3.

Dance Recently in Dance, the NCEA Dance class had a workshop with Bee from The Royal New Zealand Ballet and learnt a section from the new touring ballet, ‘Dancing with Mozart’. The class then also attended the performance on the 16th June which the girls found very useful for the External and found a very positive experience. Hip-hop Regionals are seven weeks away and crew practices are in full swing preparing for this competition. At this competition, students have the opportunity to qualify for the National Competition to be held later this year in Wellington.

Drama The Theatre Sports group have been attending the New Athenaeum Theatre every second week and are working towards a workshop that will be run by Improsaurus. The Year 10 Drama class have recently performed the play ‘The Thief ’ to the Year 7 and 8 students. They did extremely well to get up on stage and immerse themselves in a convincing role.

The Junior Shakespeare Group performed a condensed version of ‘Macbeth’ in junior assembly and did an amazing job, with great use of props and costuming to portray their characters well.

Making an appearance as frogs in the Beatrix Potter themed Midwinter carnival were; Victoria Avery, Peta Ericsson, Evie Rose Grace, Imogen Irvine, Hannah Lawrence, Olivia Ollerenshaw, Amelie Warlow, (with Eliabel Legrand on standby). Performance co-ordinator; Rochelle Brophy said our students were “utterly gorgeous”. The lily pads and frog prince lantern were huge and the students had to be unyielding as they negotiated a very fast new route this year. They had a lot of fun taking part in this joyful festival. We hope some of you spotted them on Saturday, 30th June.

Orchestra The orchestra meets every week and are currently working towards the Otago Secondary Schools’ Festival and performances later in the year. A few girls from the orchestra also took part in the Chamber Music Competition in early June. The orchestra also performed in the Term 2 Arts Assembly.

Lydia Holmes and Lillian GibbsArts Prefects

Page 12Page 12

Arts Corner

Term 2 got off to a very busy and exciting start as preparations continued for the school production. Held over three nights in Week 3, “Bring It On” was a huge success and an enormous accomplishment for all involved. Thank you to all the parents and caregivers for your support of the girls (and boys) through what was a long rehearsal period. It certainly paid off.

The St Hilda’s 2018 Artist in Residence, Shayne Carter, has begun his work with singers at St Hilda’s. The evolving concept is the reworking of the song ‘Waiting Game’ from his album ‘Offsider’. The Choir will take up the work and rehearse it to performance standard during Term 3.

Work has begun on the new Arts building which is very exciting for the St Hilda’s community. Arts Prefects Lillian Gibbs and Lydia Holmes are working hard in 2018 to continue to increase participation in the Arts at St Hilda’s. Our audiences are of utmost importance and value. If you are going to shows, looking at paintings and photos then you are also participants and add to the richness of Arts and Culture at St Hilda’s Collegiate School by showing your support. Happy, safe and warm holidays to all.

Ms Barbara PowerArts Co-ordinator

SportS

Badminton - Farrin Quin We have had an amazing number of girls interested in playing badminton this term with girls ranging from Year 9 all the way through to Year 13. We have 13 teams entered in the Tuesday interschool competition with games being played at Queen’s, in our gym and at the Badminton Hall. Next term we hope to have a team entered in the Year 7 and 8 competition. It’s been great to see so much participation in school badminton this year. Curling - Sophie Armstrong

St Hilda’s curling has continued to grow following on from last year’s successful season. We have a large number of girls participating and have two novice teams and one experienced team.

All the girls have really enjoyed the season so far and the teams are going from strength to strength. Three of our experienced players have been selected for the Otago team which will compete at the U21s, which will be played in a few weeks time in Naseby. It is awesome to have such enthusiastic and committed players this season.

Football - Emily Hurdle The football season has so far been successful, with many close games resulting in a few losses but many victories. We have fielded two very strong teams this season and both teams are doing very well so far. The First XI are sitting second on the table, closely behind Columba by one point. The season’s favourite so far was the big game against Otago Girls’ First XI. It was a very tense game, well fought by both teams, which St Hilda’s finally won 2 - 0. At the end of the season the team will be travelling to Taupo for the National Competition, for which they qualified by winning the satellite tournament last season.

The Second XI has done well in Division 2, playing against some schools’ top teams, and are sitting around the middle of the pack in the standings. One of their stand-out games was their 2 - 0 loss to Columba Second XI. The team is looking forward to Round 2 and even more success.

Overall both teams have improved remarkably throughout the season. It is great to see so many girls participating and showing such enthusiasm towards football. The football community at St Hilda’s has grown significantly this past year, and will hopefully continue to grow.

Cross Country - Georgia Mitchell

Olivia Hazlett and Bridget Malcolm in full flight at the Otago Secondary School Cross Country Relay Champ

The St Hilda’s Cross Country team has had a busy season again this year with much success. The cross country season began with the 2.5km Logan Park Road Race where we had four girls entered in the Senior Girls’ Race. Cecilia Crooks was placed 2nd, followed by Georgia Mitchell in 4th. Giana Thomas and Sarah Langsbury came in 10th and 12th respectively. Then the following week at King’s High School was the Caversham Relay, a race consisting of 4 x 2km laps, where we had one junior team and two senior teams competing.

The Senior 1 Team composed of Georgia Mitchell, Giana Thomas, Sarah Langsbury and Cecilia Crooks was placed 2nd in the Senior Girls, while the Senior 2 team of Madeline Bilkey, Olivia Hazlett, Anna Clarke and Brianna Thomson was placed 9th.

Next came the Otago/Southland Relays in Milton, again a race of 4 x 2km laps, on a muddy course where we had one junior girls’ team and two senior teams competing. The Senior 1 team carried over their form to gain another second place finish.

Page 13

The junior team made up of Bronte Crowe, Bridget Malcolm, Amelia Newlands and Annabelle McKnight was placed 4th in the Junior Division. Cecilia Crooks and Georgia Mitchell gained the 2nd and 3rd fastest lap times over the 2km in the senior girls’ race. The season came to a conclusion with the annual Otago Cross Country at Kaikorai Valley High School in crisp, clear conditions with seven girls competing across various age grades. Annabelle McKnight came 19th in the Under 14 girls, Annabel Bilkey came 4th and Sarah Langsbury came 6th in the Under 15 girls, and Giana Thomas came 6th in the Under 16 girls. In the Senior Girls’ race Cecilia Crooks came in 1st and Georgia Mitchell 3rd.

Congratulations to all the girls who competed in cross country this season. It was great to see so many girls out representing the school. A big thanks to Mr Harris for running the twice weekly harriers runs all year round to keep us fit.

Netball - Beryn Abbott

Senior A Netball team after winning the Otago Secondary School Netball Championships

St Hilda’s Netball has started the season strongly with 19 teams entered in the weekly Saturday competition. We also have 14 community coaches, 14 student coaches and 18 parent managers. We have such a strong netball community at St Hilda’s so it is great to see so many people getting involved.

The 9A and 10A teams travelled to Timaru to compete in the Roncalli Junior Netball Tournament on the 27th May. The 9A team went through unbeaten and won their final against Ashburton High School 9As, 19-7. The 10As also played very well at the tournament and were runners up in their final against Timaru Girls’ High School 10As.

The 9 and 10As, as well as the Senior As, then had a big two days at the Otago Secondary School Champs. The Senior As put in a dominant performance with a 33 - 20 win over Columba to take out the Senior Division for the fourth consecutive year. The Year 9A team were pushed by a very good Taieri team all the way in their final, eventually going down 20 - 15 and claiming 2nd place.

The St Hilda’s 10As were involved in a hotly contested Intermediate Division,coming away with a very commendable 3rd place. We are looking forward to the remainder of the season and wish all teams the best for their upcoming games.

Rugby Sevens - Stacey Sanders

Senior A Sevens team after coming 2nd in the Senior A grade

St Hilda’s has had an awesome sevens season this term. We have had many girls participating in the weekly games at Logan Park. There were three teams entered in the Secondary School Girls’ Sevens Competition this year, a Junior team, a Senior A and Senior B team. All the girls improved greatly in a very competitive competition, especially the Junior As that consisted of mostly new players. The Senior A team had a good season, but unfortunately lost to Columba in the final. The Senior B team had a similar outcome losing their final game to Kavanagh. Sevens has been a great way to prepare the girls for 15s Rugby which starts at the end of Term 2 and they are all looking forward to the upcoming South Island Secondary Schools’ Festival in Oamaru which will be over the first three days of the holidays.

Basketball - Megan Borst St Hilda’s basketball teams have had a good start to the term. The Senior A team has a perfect record and remain unbeaten for the season, and the Senior B team has also been doing very well in the Senior B girls’ grade. The Junior A team has been doing well and is holding its own against tough competition, and is improving each week. The Year 7 and 8 team has also had a great term after going up a grade from last year. In addition many social teams compete in the senior and junior grades. We are, therefore, well represented across the board in the weekly competition with teamwork and enjoyment being huge factors among the 13 St Hilda’s teams.

Hockey - Olivia Hall The season has begun well, with a massive turn out at the trials last term and as a result an exceptional number of five St Hilda’s teams have been entered in the competition, four in the secondary school grade teams and one Year 7 and 8 team.

There have been seven rounds of the competition so far, with all the teams sitting nicely on the points table. Our very first Junior XI team, consisting of all Year 9s , has been introduced into the Third XI grade and are doing well there. The development of the teams is impressive for so early in the season and they all work very hard, no matter the weather.

We have five girls named in the U18 Southern Representative side: Taylor Duffy, Lucy Girvan, Teea Francis and Olivia Hall in the Premier Squad, while Ana Rathbone was named in the Development Team.

Page 14

prefectS aND

iNterNatioNal StuDeNt leaDer

Lillian Gibbs Arts Prefect

I was born in the lovely city of Dunedin and have lived here for most of my life, apart from the years 2010-2013 where I lived in the UK with my family. Music has always been a big part of my life. I started my musical journey at the age of one when I joined a musical munchkins group. Once I had grown too old for that I moved on to Saturday morning music classes, where I tried playing a variety of instruments, including a recorder and a violin as well as attending a theory class, yet my favourite class was always singing. From here, I started doing musical grades, which were extremely terrifying, but a good experience. I went to Kaikorai Primary School (which is the best primary school ever), but left at the end of Year 4 to go to the UK.

In 2010, my family moved to the UK to be around some of our close relatives and for work purposes (my parents are both from England). Here, my gran took me to a chorister open day at Salisbury Cathedral, where I fell in love with the choral music and chorister lifestyle. However, I was too old to join the school, so I decided to go to E.C.S. (Exeter Cathedral School), where I gained a scholarship to join the Cathedral Choir. I found this so different from my life in New Zealand, but I’m so glad to have done it and taken that opportunity because I feel it grew my love for singing and the Arts. After this I came back to Dunedin in 2014 where I started St. Hilda’s as a Year 9 student.

I had always wanted to come to St. Hilda’s ever since I saw the school’s ‘Bugsy Malone’ musical in 2012. I loved the idea of wearing a light-blue blazer, not being distracted by boys and a school that could support my academic work and provide me with opportunities in things that I was interested in, such as the Arts. I was able to try so many things I hadn’t tried before, for example joining an orchestra or joining a school choir. This year was the first year I took part in the St Hilda’s school production, which was ‘Bring It On’. It was such a great experience and I hope to be involved in more things like it outside of school in the coming years.

Taking the role of Arts Prefect, alongside Lydia, has shown me how much of the Arts there is to appreciate. I have learnt new leadership skills, time management skills and communication skills. This has helped me with my role, interacting with people and things just in everyday life such as being more confident. There is so much to join within the Arts at St Hilda’s and I think it is so important to try new things and involve yourself in things you are passionate about.

I am certainly passionate about one being one’s true self and creating things whether that’s academically, in the sports, everyday life or in the Arts. Being creative is important because it shows individuality but also how you can link and interact with other people and their creative spark. For example, performers are there to entertain other people and tap into people’s emotions. Next year I hope to carry on with activities in the Arts, hopefully doing at least a minor in Music at the University of Otago and other Social Science subjects, while carrying on with productions and artsy things outside of study.

Lillian Gibbs Arts Prefect

Lydia HolmesArts Prefect

Walking into St Hilda’s as a very teeny tiny 10 year old I would have never guessed that the next seven years would take me on such an incredible journey! I am so glad that I have been able to be a part of this caring and supportive community and am very grateful for all of the opportunities that I have been offered, especially within the Arts.

Throughout my time at St Hilda’s I have become involved in many different areas of the school and this led me to become involved in activities that I was not aware of and had never thought of doing before. One of these is aerobics. This is something that I have developed a great passion for. I started in Year 8 and have been coaching since Year 11, so it has definitely become a big part of my life. I love being able to work with girls from different age groups and pass on my own knowledge to the younger students and it is always so exciting going to the competitions!

I also feel very privileged that St Hilda’s accommodates dance and drama within the school curriculum as well as outside of the classroom. I have studied NCEA Dance since Level 1 and I have particularly enjoyed learning about other dance styles, and how dance can influence a person’s career. I was also very fortunate to be able to dance with the Royal New Zealand Ballet as a part of this class and this is a memory that I will treasure for a very long time.

I’ve been involved with dance and drama ever since I can remember, so being picked to be one of the 2018 Arts Prefects was certainly an honour! Taking on the role as one of the Arts Prefects is quite significant to me because my sister, Maddy, also had this same role back in 2015. I have loved getting to work with Lillian, who is very talented and passionate, and I feel very lucky to be a part of an amazing prefect team this year. All of the girls are genuinely so caring and look out for each other and I really appreciate them.

Page 15

I have formed many amazing friendships over my seven years here and saying goodbye to some of my friends at the end of this year is definitely going to be difficult! As Winne the Pooh, one of my favourite characters said, “How lucky I am to have something that makes it so hard to say goodbye.”

Lydia HolmesArts Prefect

Hannah Alcock Maori and Pacifica Prefect

It is hard to believe that seven years have passed since I arrived in my vest for my first day of Year 7 at St Hilda’s. In those seven years, I have overcome challenges, grown as a person, pushed myself out of my comfort zone and developed friendships that I know I will maintain for the rest of my life. At that time I didn’t know what to expect but I can honestly say that, while my journey through St Hilda’s has come with challenges, I wouldn’t change a thing. The community here at school is inclusive and caring, and has really helped me to become the person I am today.

Becoming the Maori and Pacifica Prefect is something that I am still very excited about. I am grateful for the opportunity to further enhance Maori culture within the school community and excited for its impact. St Hilda’s has taught me so much, so it is a great feeling to be able to give something back. The role has also inspired me to look deeper into my own Maori background which has given me a greater awareness of Maori culture.

During my time at St Hilda’s I have been involved in the Kapa Haka group. It has been great to watch us grow, learn and embrace Maori culture. I’ve also competed at aerobics and Hip Hop nationals since Year 9 placing every year, and have been awarded dance scholarships. The ‘Bring It On’ production was another awesome thing I have been a part of. On top of this, my education has also been very important to me and the St Hilda’s learning environment has really helped me over the years. I am really going to miss the caring environment and all the people who have made St Hilda’s so enjoyable, but I’m excited for what the future brings.

Hannah Alcock Maori and Pacifica Prefect

Olivia O’Neill Sports Prefect

Ever since I started at St Hilda’s as an over-enthusiastic Year 7, I have loved every single opportunity of which I have been a part. Starting was a scary thought, leaving St Brigid’s where I knew everybody and starting at a school where I knew only one other girl in my year group. As soon as I arrived however, I knew that I would love my seven years to come. Being such a small and connected school, I felt comfortable straight away with the friendly and supportive environment.

The biggest influence on my time at St Hilda’s would definitely have to be the sports teams I have been lucky enough to be involved in. Being a part of these teams has allowed me to make so many new friends right from the start, and led to more and more opportunities to grow as a player and also as a young woman. Building relationships with girls in older year groups really amplified the family feel that the school creates, and it made me want to try even more new things.

I find it enjoyable looking back on who I was when I first arrived at St Hilda’s, and the person I have become as a result of the positive encouragement and constant support I have received. I know that all of the lessons I have learnt and the obstacles along the way have helped shape me into who I am today, and have also contributed greatly to how I contribute to my Sports Prefect role. While busy with the sports I play already, being Sports Prefect has both challenged and improved my time management and communication skills, and my understanding of responsibility. I find it extremely rewarding being able to give back to the school community that has helped me thrive in the field that I love (excuse the pun), and working with my amazing partner, Taylor Duffy.

I can’t wait for what the second half of the year has to offer and the surprises it will bring. Moving on from St Hilda’s will be extremely difficult after having spent a whole seven years of my life there, but I know that I will be well on my way to achieving my wildest dreams.

Olivia O’Neill Sports Prefect

Page 16

Taylor DuffySports Prefect

Coming from the small town of Ranfurly, St Hilda’s was a huge step up for me as an eager, nervous and very short Year 9 student. Leaving my family and friends to become a boarder at St Hilda’s was a huge challenge, but one that has been an experience I will cherish for the rest of my life. I will never forget the first few weeks of school getting used to my oversized blazer, finding my way around and sharing my home with more sisters than I could ever imagine.

Sport has always been a massive part of my life. Being outdoors, up for an adventure and playing sport has been a passion of mine since I can remember. I have loved being at St Hilda’s and getting involved with the range of sports they offer. Hockey and cricket are the sports I am most passionate about and that I have enjoyed playing since I was little. One thing I have loved about sport at St Hilda’s is the opportunity to play sport purely for fun. I played many social sports throughout Year 9 and 10 that I had never tried before. This was a great way to make new friends and keep busy. Sport at St Hilda’s also provides an opportunity for girls to form relationships with students in other year groups.The highlight from sport at St Hilda’s that I will cherish the most is making the 1st XI hockey team in Year 9 and placing 2nd in New Zealand. It was an amazing experience.

Becoming Sports Prefect at St Hilda’s has meant so much to me and it was a role I always looked up to. It was a privilege to be awarded this position and it is a role I take very seriously.The leadership qualities and skills I am developing through my prefect role will help me throughout my life. Although it can be challenging at times, I have been privileged enough to share this role with a close friend, Olivia O’Neill and the prefect team we work with are so amazing and supportive. I look forward to the rest of the year giving back to the St Hilda’s community that has given me so much.

Taylor Duffy Sports Prefect

Sinry YuInternational Student Leader

Smiling is something that I do all the time, every day in New Zealand. Why? That’s because people keep smiling at me too! The people who live in New Zealand are extremely friendly.

It’s very common to see people you don’t know say “Hi” to you when you walk along the street. This is the first thing I appreciated and was surprised by in my first year here.

A good environment will change your whole life. Most of my Kiwi friends always say that I am a funny person. Guess what? I used to be quite serious when I was studying in China, as we have plenty of homework every day, three tests every week, and a final test every term. The stress of study made me serious and hard-working. Obviously there was no spare time to be funny.

Studying abroad in New Zealand was a completely new environment for me. I was worried about communicating with other people in a different language with different cultural backgrounds. However, when I arrived in Dunedin and started school at St Hilda’s, my worries disappeared because of the friendly environment and my new friends’ enthusiasm.

St Hilda’s is an all girls high school. It is not as big as my high school in China and we treat each other like a big family here. The classes here are smaller compared to in China, which means this gave us more opportunities to ask questions in class. I can tell St Hilda’s teachers are very patient; whatever questions you have, they will answer them.

In St Hilda’s, there are more opportunities to expand my hobbies such as sport, and singing. During these activities, I always hear “Sinry, you can do it! ”, which encourages me keep moving forward. The students who are studying at St Hilda’s are very positive, this isn’t only shown in studying, it is the same for our sports teams. I joined the St Hilda’s basketball and netball teams; the teamwork is very impressive to me, no matter if we lose or win, there is always someone saying “Yes, you can do it.” This is what St Hilda’s girls are like. This spirit has changed my life and my personality. I also think this will be a very positive attitude for the international students, as it will give more courage to every international student to challenge themselves.

Choosing to live in the St Hilda’s boarding house (Tolcarne) in my final year is the best decision that I’ve ever made. I’m very excited to tell you that if you live in Tolcarne, you don’t need to worry about the food here. You know what?! We have got six meals every day, breakfast, morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner and night snacks. I’m pretty sure that I’ve gained weight since I lived in Tolcarne. For Year 13 boarders, we have our own bedroom and Tolcarne has three special flats for us. There are 25 girls who can live in the flats each term. I am one of the girls living in the flats in Term 2. There are five bedrooms, two bathrooms and one living room with a kitchen in each flat. We also have a big couch, TV, and our own washing machine. I’m really enjoying living with my friends and sometimes we do some baking together which is very very cool. I think I fell in love with this fabulous place. Everyone that lives in the boarding house has become more independent than before, which is a good opportunity to train our life skills for the future, especially for university.

1

Page 17

Moreover, I highly recommend that future international students experience ‘Tolcarne-life’ during their study abroad. I believe Tolcarne will be an excellent environment for international students to get to know more about New Zealand’s lifestyle, and also it is a great opportunity to get involved with Kiwi girls in order to make more New Zealand friends.

Sinry YuInternational Student Leader

BoarD of truSteeS

The Board continues to meet monthly on the first Thursday of every month although now that we are well into winter we have moved our meeting time to 4:00 pm to allow our out of town trustees to get home at a reasonable hour! After some changes to the composition of the Board we now have a full complement with Roseanne Price joining us as the new parent representative and Jos Kinney and Richard Hutchens being appointed as the new Board of Proprietors representatives. We are very grateful for the contribution that all Board members make and look forward to working together with our new trustees for the good of the school.

As always, our meetings this term have covered a wide range of issues involving the life of the school. Matters that have particularly taken our attention include the proposed changes to NCEA and the continued development of the St Hilda’s graduate programme, an innovative approach to determining and articulating the skills and attributes we want our students to embody when they leave school to face the world. We are serious about equipping our girls for life and the St Hilda’s graduate work has involved some deep and considered thinking about exactly what that looks like. Look out for more information on this in the coming months. With that in mind, the Board has also been considering the discussion document regarding possible changes to NCEA. The high assessment requirements of the current system are something our senior leadership team had already been working on prior to the review being announced and that work will now inform any response the school might make to the discussion document.

We also had the privilege of witnessing first hand the passion for education evident throughout our school with presentations this term from both the English and the International departments. HOD of English Helen Almey provided us with an excellent overview of the department and its triumphs and challenges. Notably three students gained scholarships in English in 2017 – a fantastic testament to the dedication of the teaching staff and students. Helen also took the opportunity to remind the Board of the very special place libraries hold within a school – something that can be overlooked in a world awash with digital devices and screens. The introduction of sustained silent reading each day (using “real” books!) has reawakened a passion for reading for pleasure in many of our students which is great to see.

We were also treated to a presentation from Ange Spears, our departing Director of International Studies. Ange’s enthusiasm and commitment to the international programme was clear for all to see as she spoke about the vibrancy and diversity our international students bring to the school. With students from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Germany and Thailand, the international programme brings a slice of the world to our New Zealand students in a way they might otherwise never experience. In return, our international students are given much more than simply an opportunity to learn English.

The programme encourages students to gain a well-rounded appreciation of New Zealand life with a full extra curricula and pastoral programme supporting their academic studies.

Our next Board meeting will be held on 9 August at 4:00 pm in the Hanff Room. Members of the school community are very welcome to attend Board meetings and/or to contact Board members regarding the work of the Board.

Ms Lauren SempleChair, Board of Trustees

commuNitY

Old Girls’ Association

The Old Girls’ Association is continuing to grow its network. In June the Association’s president, Amanda Burke, hosted an Old Girls’ lunch in Auckland which was well-attended. The Old Girls at the lunch were very interested in the development of the Arts Building and keen to hear about current achievements and plans at the school. For some, it was a reunion of sorts as several of the Old Girls had not seen each other since school days, and were very pleased to be re-connected with classmates and friends. There were even two Old Girls who had previously worked together 20 years earlier and enjoyed catching up on each other’s news. It was nice to see that connections made at St Hilda’s are lasting and it was also great to have a variety of age groups represented at the event - we are trying to dispel the myth that you have to be particularly ‘old’ to join in the Old Girls’ events! There are other Old Girls’ events in the planning for Dunedin and further afield throughout the remainder of the year.

Mrs Amanda BurkePresident - Old Girls’ Association

Parents and Friends Association

Our AGM will be taking place on Tuesday, 31 July at 7:00 pm in the library. We have a strong and enthusiastic group of members in our PFA, but we are always looking for more keen people.

The PFA recently fundraised over $70,000 from both the school fair and the raffle and we will be discussing how this can best be used for the school. With the start of the new Arts Centre we are hoping we can help with some of the fit out.

If you would like more information on what we do as a committee, please feel free to contact Lisa at lisaandscott@xtra.co.nz.

Mrs Ali Copeman and Mrs Lisa Mason Chairperson Secretary

from the archiveS

A popular feature in the school calender in the early years was the Annual Drill Display and Parade held in the Drill Hall (gymnasium) for parents, old girls and friends of the school. Most girls were involved and it was highly competitive with much sought after badges for the individual winners, form prizes and House points. In addition to the drill/gymnastic events there was also a display of work which covered a wide range of activities.

Here is a report, written by two students, of the 1934 event.

Drill Display and Parade 1934

J. Throp and P Stephens.

The annual form and individual drill competitions, Mannequin parade, and display of work took place on the afternoon of Wednesday, December 12. The judge of both drill competitions was Miss Garrett, and Margaret Lusk judged the uniforms. The individual drill took place prior to the form drill, and the winners were as follows:- Junior badge, Gwen Davies; Intermediate badge, Huia Parata; Senior (Elsinore Cup), Margot MacLean.

In each form the drill was of an exceedingly high standard, and the outstanding feature of the programme was the rhythm with which the exercises were performed. Besides a table of Swedish drill exercises, each form presented, to music, either rhythmic exercises or a dance. At the conclusion the judge complimented the competitors on the exceedingly high standard of their physical work, and announced that the winners were Forms V and VI. The small children of the Kindergarten commenced their performance with marching and clapping. Their appropriate exercises were performed with much enthusiasm, and a dance in which each child rocked his or her teddy bear to sleep completed the table.

Standards I and II ended their drill with a dainty fairy dance, accompanied by a song. A gay little Welsh dance was represented by Standards III and IV, and the main feature of Forms I and II’s display was a spirited Dutch dance.

In groups, the Third Form efficiently performed exercises for deportment. Form IV enacted Greek friezes in a dignified manner, and both these Forms gave a display of rhythmical dancing. Grecian offerings, rhythmic arm movements, and athletic poses by Forms V and VI were ably performed to music.

After tea had been served a Mannequin parade was held in the Drill Hall. Girls in the sewing classes from Form III upwards paraded in garments made by them during the year, and displayed a bright and varied assortment of frocks for nearly every occasion, as well as skirts, blouses and shorts. The visitors then adjourned to inspect the display of work. The needlework exhibit included Karitane garments, and the excellent sewing was greatly admired. The Kindergarten display of work carried out by children from three years of age was delightful, as was that of Standards I and II, while an exhibition of very attractive and much more advanced work was given by the Arts and Crafts Class. In the same room, physiology note books, maps, and drawings were neatly arranged for inspection.

John HuggettSchool Archivist

Staff

Mrs Jenny McArthurPrincipal’s Executive Assistant

We are delighted to welcome Jenny McArthur to the Support Staff team as the Executive Assistant. Jenny is an experienced administrator, who has a background in communications. Jenny was most recently responsible for the Administration and Communications for the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Research Unit at the University of Otago. We welcome Jenny into our school community knowing she brings real expertise and experience to our Support Staff team.

Louise Jamieson Finance Administrator

Louise has joined the Administration team as Finance Administrator. Louise comes to us from administration and finance roles that has given her the skills and experience we were looking for in our team. We are delighted to have her working with us.

Page 18

Page 19

Ange Spears Director of International Students

At the end of this term the International Department will not only be saying goodbye to 4 international girls but also to their International Director, Ange Spears.

In the short time Ange has been with us we have sincerely appreciated her enthusiasm, can do attitude and excellent care for the international students.

We will miss Ange and wish her all the best in her future endeavours.

eND of term rouND-up

Save the Date

We are holding an Arts Gala Fundraising Concert on Thursday, 16 August at the Otago Boys’ High School Auditorium from 6:30 pm. The proceeds of this event will go towards the travel costs for Sings Hilda to compete in the Big Sing Finale in Wellington, and the Hip Hop Crews who qualify for the National Competitions also to travel to Wellington in Term 3.

More details of the Gala will follow in Term 3.

International Farewell Function

On Tuesday, 3 July the International Department held their Host Family afternoon tea to say farewell to those International Students leaving us this term.

Arts Assembly

Mya Tsakmakis

St Hilda’s Orchestra

Dunedin Chinese Presbyterian Church Music Group Ben Pu, Wallace Pu, Boen Deng, Luke Nie with Sarah Lee singing

Year 12/13 Drama Assessment PerformanceRevenge of the Amazons by Jean Betts

Puck apologises to the audience “If we shadows have offended.”

Titania and Puck create mischef with a spell

Page 20

Page 14

Look out for Lilliput Libraries around the school in Term 3

Tia Mawhinney and Emily Wright (Year 7) with the first of our Lilliput Libraries

Founders’ Day Eucharist

Mrs Jackie Barron, Reverend Barbara Dineen and Dr Gillian Townsley after the Founders’ Day

Eucharist Service.

This week we were privileged to have Reverend Barbara Dineen take our Founders’ Day Eucharist Service. Earlier this term, on May 13th, Barbara was ordained at the Cathedral by Bishop Steven Benford. Our Sacristan Prefect, Milan Jeon along with Brianna Thompson, were involved in the service, as one way of indicating the strong connection Barbara has with St Hilda’s. Barbara was both a student and also a staff member here, including being Head of Languages. She is only the second St Hilda’s old girl to have been ordained, so it was a wonderful honour to have her preside over our Eucharist, especially on Founders’ Day, a day when we remember those who have paved the way before us, and enabled St Hilda’s to be the special place it has been for almost 125 years.

Dr Gillian TownsleyChaplain

Whanaungatanga Warm Winter Woollies for Babies

Lucy Summers receiving gifts from students on behalf of Anglican Family Care

At the end of every term we have a Eucharist Service. The word “eucharist” comes from the Greek word “eu” (meaning “good” or “well,” as in the word “eulogy” where someone speaks well of a person) and “charis” (meaning “grace” or “gift”). So “eucharist” means the “good gifts” or “good grace” of God – the gifts of bread and wine which we are thankful for (literally and/or symbolically!). It is also appropriate then that we share or pass on the goodness and grace we have received with others as a sign of our gratitude. As a Christian school in the Anglican tradition, one of the ways we do this is to support Anglican Family Care in some practical way leading up to our end-of-term Eucharist Service. This term AFC asked if we could provide some clothing items for their social workers to support families with new babies who will struggle to keep warm (and healthy) over winter. Each whanaungatanga group was asked to provide one item of warm, woolly, winter clothing for a baby. The response to this has been wonderful! Some groups have knitted items and some have been busy sewing, while others have sourced items from home or shops. AFC are very grateful, as will be many Dunedin families and babies!

2018 Term DatesTerm 3 Monday 23 July to Friday 28 September 2018Monday 3 September - Teacher Only Day

Tolcarne closed weekend Friday 31 August from 5:00 pm until Monday 3 September, reopening at 3:00 pm

Term 4Monday 15 October to Wednesday 5 December 2018Labour Day - Monday 22 OctoberSchool and Hostel closed

2019 Term Dates

Term 1Monday 28 January - To be confirmed - Friday 12 April

Term 2Monday 29 April - Friday 5 July

Term 3Monday 22 July - Friday 27 September

Term 4Monday 14 October - Last day yet to be confirmed

Page 20