Dear Parents and Caregivers,

A Note from The Principal

I was fortunate to spend a day at the Tautuku Lodge this week, with the Year 10 cohort on their camp. It is a wonderful facility and our girls are so lucky to be able to enjoy the experience of the Catlins bush, the beach, the mud and the challenges. I remember going on camp there when I was at secondary school – so the Lodge has been part of students’ outdoor education for a very long time! My memories are still vivid – the fun of the mud run, the fear and then the exhilaration of completing the abseil, and the beauty of the beach. None of this has changed. What a wonderfully timeless landscape, that has provided valuable learning opportunities for generations, and it was very special to see the girls having as much fun as I did all those years ago.

We will enjoy having all our juniors back on the campus next week, as we build towards the Christmas Carol Service on Sunday 25th November at 5.00pm. We look forward to having all our students and their families come together for this truly festive celebration.

Jackie Barron

Key Dates for Term 4 – Monday 15th October – 5th December 2018

Sunday 25 November – Carol Service – Chapel, 5 pm
Tuesday 4 December – Leavers Dinner – Museum
Wednesday 5 December – Prize Giving – Edgar Centre, students to be seated at 4.45pm for 5.00 pm start. Please email admin@shcs.school.nz if you are unable to attend.

Marae Trip

Next Tuesday and Wednesday the Year 9s will be travelling out to the Ōtākou Marae for an overnight visit.  Parents are reminded that if you haven’t already returned your daughter’s permission slip, please do so by Monday.

This week, Years 7-9  investigated and considered a new passion. The aim was to get them to think and construct a product linked to something new that has piqued their interest, but they’d like to know more or try it out.

Below are just a few examples.

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Tolcarne News

Guidance

NCEA exam session is now upon us and it is important to support your daughter to maintain healthy study and life habits during this time. Click here for ‘Seven steps to stop NCEA study stress’

Chapel Matters

While the seniors are on study leave, and the Year 10 students are at Camp, the rest of the Juniors have been working away on Passion Projects. Rather than simply meaning something we enjoy, the word “passion” comes from the Latin word “passio” which means to suffer, to endure pain, or to submit to pain, and to experience something so deeply you can be emotionally overwhelmed by it.

In the church, the main association with the word “passion” is to do with Jesus.

The intense emotional and physical suffering he went through at Easter is called the Passion of Christ. From his betrayal by a friend Judas, his desperate prayer asking God to prevent what was coming, his arrest and beating by the soldiers, the denial by Peter, another friend, his carrying of the cross through the streets,  and the humiliation and agony of crucifixion, Jesus went through the whole range of emotional and physical suffering.

Our passion projects this week might not have been quite at the level that they involved physical and emotional suffering, but plenty of students were emotionally and physically invested in what they did which was great to see!

Past and Present Student Achievement

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

A Note from The Principal

There are times in an educators life when you see engaging, interactive, collaborative meaningful and relevant learning, all come together and your heart just sings.

While I know this can happen any day, in any classroom, and frequently does, it is not often that it happens across the whole school, all at once, but that is exactly what it has looked like at St Hilda’s for the last three days. We have not had a timetable, we have not had any bells, we have not had any set classes, but we have had our girls all working in different programmes, to their own structures and patterns, and the learning has been incredible.

The Year 7 & 8s have been working on rotations of modular subjects, and many of their parents will have already sampled some of the products of their creativity! The Year 9’s have been engaging with The Travellers Journey – a wellbeing and health programme designed to enhance resilience, empathy and mental wellbeing. The Rich Task for the year 10s has been a cross curricular physiology programme combining Digital Technology, Maths, Science and Physical Education. Watching different groups, interacting with students, chatting to them as they reflect on their learning, you cannot help but be warmed by their sense of excitement, purpose and curiosity as they grappled with problems, issues, and ideas. How lucky are we to have such dedicated and innovative staff who have planned, developed and implemented these very exciting programmes? How lucky are our girls to have these amazing opportunities? It takes a lot of time, thought and planning for flexible learning programmes to be so successful, and the outcomes so positive, and I for one, am so grateful to be part of a community that makes learning like that happen.

Jackie Barron

Key Dates for Term 4 – Monday 15th October – 5th December 2018

Monday 12-16 November – Year 10 Camp
Sunday 25 November – Carol Service – Chapel, 5 pm

Tuesday 4 December – Leavers Dinner – Museum
Wednesday 5 December – Prize Giving – Edgar Centre, students to be seated at 4.45pm for 5 pm start.

Next week, Years 7-9 will be taking a week to investigate and consider a new passion. The aim is to get them to think and construct a product linked to something new that has piqued their interest, but they’d like to know more or try it out. They need to join the google classroom, Projects of Passion Week; code: 46g0wk8 where there is an inquiry workbook for them to use as a guide and a record of their thinking and learning.

On Monday, they will have the opportunity to find out about some teacher’s passions and experience some new avenues hopefully outside their comfort zones. We hope they will have lots to talk to you about.

Friday will be an Expo of their inquiry outcomes in the Chapel to which you are more than welcome. This will take place from 2.00 pm – 4.30 pm.

For the week, students can wear St Hilda’s school PE gear school PE top, shorts or track pants, warm up top or jacket. NOT MUFTI please. They are at school.

Sustained silent reading.
This is continuing through Passion Project week. Please bring your reading book each day for SSR at the start of period 4.

Reports

This year we have made changes to how we report on your daughter’s learning to ensure that reports are appropriate, useful and timely. We were very aware that the paragraph comment based report was slow to produce, often out of date by the time you received it and did not easily allow for specific next steps. Because of this, comments were often generalised statements, with limited relevance.

The final report for the year will be a record of your daughters learning for the year. This will include a comment from her Whanaungatanga teacher which will give you an overview of her year’s learning.

Throughout the year we have communicated through Learning Conversations which allow a three-way conversation with the teacher, student and parent, Interim Reports which focussed on learning behaviours and Progress Reports which gave specific next steps for your daughters learning.

These reports when combined give an accurate and timely overview of your daughter’s learning dispositions, next steps and progress.

Guidance

NCEA exam session is now upon us and it is important to support your daughter to maintain healthy study and life habits during this time. Click here for ‘Seven steps to stop NCEA study stress’

Chapel Matters

Last week I talked about Halloween (“Hallows Evening”), so this week I thought I would talk about the day which follows: All Saints Day (“All Hallows Day”). I wonder what kind of person you think of when you think of a saint? A saint is a holy (or “hallowed”) person, someone whose whole life is committed to serving God and to serving others. We might think of someone like St Hilda, St Francis, or St Patrick, or Mother Theresa who was recognised as a saint by the Catholic church in 2016. Or perhaps we think of St Mary Mackillop who is the only saint from Australia; the Catholic church hasn’t recognised any saints from NZ – yet!

These saints are pretty special and we can call them saints with a capital “S.” But in reality, we are surrounded by lots of saints – people all around us in our lives who are really kind, who go out of their way to help us, who show by their actions their love for us, their love for others, and their love for God. They might not be saints with a capital “S” but they are definitely saints! Our school is named after a wonderful saint, St Hilda with a capital “S” who lived a long time ago, but our school is full right now with lots of saints, saints with a small “s” for really, we are All Saints!

Student Achievement

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

A Note from The Principal

We farewelled our Year 13 students yesterday, and there is always a sense of nostalgia and loss as these stunning young women race out into the Quad, having been acknowledged by the rest of the school. Where have those years gone? They have been a great year group and their strength has been their differences – a multitude of skills, abilities and talents.

They presented a very funny and clever assembly for us yesterday and shared some delightful videos they had made in Year 7 and Year 9, and it really brought home how much they had grown, and changed, and how special the years are, that they spend with us. I think it struck the girls too that the time when their path is structured, expectations clear, and support evident will now morph into something a little less clear, and even more exciting. They go on to sit their externals, and then we formally farewell them at the Leavers dinner in December, which is always a wonderful event.

I wish our Year 11 and Year 12 students all the best for their external examinations. This is a great opportunity to test themselves, measure where they are at with their learning, and establish the foundation for the following year. We look forward to seeing them again at Prizegiving.

Jackie Barron

Paid Union Meeting – Friday 9 November

School will finish at 11:50 am on Friday 9 November 2018.   Staff who are PPTA and NZEI members will be attending a paid union meeting, an entitlement which is part of their Collective Agreement.

Although school will officially remain open until 3:00 pm that afternoon, there will be no formal classes operating.  However, there will be supervision in the Library for students who need to stay at school until the end of the school day.

Please note:         Confirmation of bus times will come shortly.

Please notify the school office if your daughter will need to remain at school on this afternoon. (Contact Karen Mowat on 477 0989 or email  admin@shcs.school.nz)

The times for the school day will be as follows:

Period 1       8:40   – 9:35 am
Period 2       9:40   – 10:35 am
Break            10:35 – 10:55 am
Period 3      10:55 – 11.50 am

Thank you for your understanding of this disruption to scheduled classes.

Key Dates for Term 4 – Monday 15th October – 5th December 2018

Monday 12-16 November – Year 10 Camp
Sunday 25 November – Carol Service – Chapel, 5 pm

Tuesday 4 December – Leavers Dinner – Museum
Wednesday 5 December – Prize Giving – Edgar Centre, students to be seated at 4.45pm for 5 pm start.

Reports

This year we have made changes to how we report on your daughter’s learning to ensure that reports are appropriate, useful and timely. We were very aware that the paragraph comment based report was slow to produce, often out of date by the time you received it and did not easily allow for specific next steps. Because of this, comments were often generalised statements, with limited relevance.

The final report for the year will be a record of your daughters learning for the year. This will include a comment from her Whanaungatanga teacher which will give you an overview of her year’s learning.

Throughout the year we have communicated through Learning Conversations which allow a three-way conversation with the teacher, student and parent, Interim Reports which focussed on learning behaviours and Progress Reports which gave specific next steps for your daughters learning.

These reports when combined give an accurate and timely overview of your daughter’s learning dispositions, next steps and progress.

Guidance

Social media is frequently in the news as experts increasingly question the impact it is having on the wellbeing of today’s youth. Click here to read Sherri Gordon’s thought on ‘5 Ways Social Media Affects Teen Mental Health’.

Wellbeing

Download (PDF, 224KB)

Chapel Matters

This week, just after St Hilda’s Day, we have had Halloween on October 31^st followed by All Saints Day on November 1^st. These days are the opposite of each other in many ways – All Hallows Evening, the evening before All Saints Day; the night and the day; the scary things and the saintly things.

Festivals like this which come in pairs remind me that who I am as a person is a complex mix of both of these things. There is St Hilda’s Day (and All Saints Day), for example, with its beautiful choir singing, communion, prayer, tradition and heritage. And there is Halloween, with its crazy costumes, sugary sweets, and antics; its darker mischievousness, its cackling wildness and connection with nature.

These things are ALL a part of who we are, and everything in between as well. Who we are is human, and in the incarnation, God became human, and knows all our joyous days as well as our dark nights of the soul; our kindnesses as well as our mean-spiritednesses; our triumphs and successes, as well as our anguishes and defeats. As human beings, we are complex mixes of these things. And God loves us.

Halloween is a good reminder that the Christian story is not all about Cathedrals and bowing at the right time or holding your hands properly for communion; the Christian story is mostly about God’s love conquering death and darkness, and celebrating that together as loved, forgiven, whole people, be that with our friends and family at St Hilda’s Day in the Cathedral or on the streets in our costumes for Halloween.

Ichikawa visit March 2019 – request for Homestay families

Passion Project

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

A Note from The Principal

It was my pleasure to support Helen Knott and Inez Meuws at the recent Pasifica Awards at the  Otago Polytechnic. Both girls are wonderful ambassadors for the school and their culture. Helen helped us all to learn a Tongan prayer response in chapel on Tuesday and we are fortunate to have our young women so ready to share and celebrate their cultures with us.

Tonight we have the Manu Pounamu Awards where our Maori students are acknowledged for their excellence. This is a very special ceremony and one where the importance of whanau, connectedness and belonging are so evident. I look forward to watching Kiriana Hunter and Sarah Langsbury receive their awards.

We look forward to sharing the celebrations of our Blues evening tonight as well (it is a busy week!!) – and are delighted that Old Girl Sophie Morris has accepted our invitation to be the guest speaker.

St HIlda’s Day will be a welcome chance to come together as a community; reflect, sit, listen and be grateful for the time to worship together. The cathedral always exudes a sense of majesty, calm and safety, a timely reminder of the importance of having all those attributes in our lives. I look forward to seeing you there.

Jackie Barron

Paid Union Meeting – Friday 9 November

School will finish at 11:50 am on Friday 9 November 2018.   Staff who are PPTA and NZEI members will be attending a paid union meeting, an entitlement which is part of their Collective Agreement.

Although school will officially remain open until 3:00 pm that afternoon, there will be no formal classes operating.  However, there will be supervision in the Library for students who need to stay at school until the end of the school day.

Please note:         Confirmation of bus times will come shortly.

Please notify the school office if your daughter will need to remain at school on this afternoon. (Contact Karen Mowat on 477 0989 or email  admin@shcs.school.nz)

The times for the school day will be as follows:

Period 1       8:40   – 9:35 am
Period 2       9:40   – 10:35 am
Break            10:35 – 10:55 am
Period 3      10:55 – 11.50 am

Thank you for your understanding of this disruption to scheduled classes.

Key Dates for Term 4 – Monday 15th October – 5th December 2018

Friday 26 October – Blues Evening – Chapel, 7 pm
Sunday 28 October – St Hilda’s Cathedral Service – St Paul’s Cathedral, 10 am.

Thursday 1 November – Last day for Seniors
Monday 12-16 November – Year 10 Camp
Sunday 25 November – Carol Service – Chapel, 5 pm

Tuesday 4 December – Leavers Dinner – Museum
Wednesday 5 December – Prize Giving – Edgar Centre, students to be seated at 4.45pm for 5 pm start.

Reports

This year we have made changes to how we report on your daughter’s learning to ensure that reports are appropriate, useful and timely. We were very aware that the paragraph comment based report was slow to produce, often out of date by the time you received it and did not easily allow for specific next steps. Because of this, comments were often generalised statements, with limited relevance.

The final report for the year will be a record of your daughters learning for the year. This will include a comment from her Whanaungatanga teacher which will give you an overview of her year’s learning.

Throughout the year we have communicated through Learning Conversations which allow a three-way conversation with the teacher, student and parent, Interim Reports which focussed on learning behaviours and Progress Reports which gave specific next steps for your daughters learning.

These reports when combined give an accurate and timely overview of your daughter’s learning dispositions, next steps and progress.

RSVP’s

St Hilda’s Day – Sunday 28 October, 10:00 am

It is an important time for our School Community and it is expected that all students will attend the Service on this morning. Any absences for St Hilda’s Day must be emailed to Geraldine Corkery, with a reason, care of admin@shcs.school.nz.

Guidance

As exams approach it is important for us to consider how we can support students with any exam stress they are feeling. Click here for advice from ReachOut about how you can best assist your daughter during this time.

Chapel Matters

St Hilda lived a long time ago – in the 7th Century – and was in charge of one of the most
important Abbies in England at the time. As the Abbess of Whitby, she had many
responsibilities and this included giving advice to kings and other rulers. We only have one
piece of writing from her, and with St Hilda’s Day at the Cathedral this weekend, I thought you might like to ponder on what she had to say. While the words and phrases can take some effort to read, the advice she gives is still pertinent today.

Trade with the gifts God has given you.

Bend your minds to holy learning, that you may escape the fretting moth of littleness of mind that would wear out your souls.

Brace your wills to action that they may not be the spoils of weak desires.

Train your hearts and lips to song which gives courage to the soul.

Being buffeted by trials, learn to laugh.

Being reproved, give thanks.

Having failed, determine to succeed.

– St Hilda of Whitby, 7th C

Ichikawa visit March 2019 – request for Homestay families

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Passion Project

University Scholarships

 Massey University and Otago Polytech have not yet released their scholarship outcomes . Here is a list of those who have gained an Undergraduate  Scholarship at this stage.

University of Otago Academic Excellence Entrance Scholarship (worth $35,000)

Issie Robertson

Kate Higham

University of Otago Vice Chancellor’s Scholarship (worth $18,000)

Jillian Heng

University of Otago Performance Entrance Scholarship (varying amounts)

Zara Anthony-Whigham (Dance, Musical theatre and Ice Skating) ($16,000)

Cecelia Crooks (Triathlon) ($16,000)

Olivia O’Neill (Basketball and Touch Rugby) ($16,000)

Sophie Armstrong (Netball umpiring) ($18,000)

University of Otago Māori Entrance Scholarship (worth $10,000)

Hannah Alcock

University of Otago Leaders of Tomorrow Entrance Scholarship (varying amounts)

Kiriana Hunter ($8,000)

Helen Knott ($6,000)

University of Otago New Frontiers Excellence Entrance Scholarship (currently worth $2,500 but increases to $5,000 if they get Level 3 with excellence)

Sophie Turner

Taylor Duffy

Hannah Hedges

The University of Waikato Sir Edmund Hillary Scholarship (worth $10,000 for each year of study)

Cecelia Crooks (Triathlon)

Victoria University of Wellington Tangiwai Scholarship (worth $5,000)

Suzie Olssen

Kiriana Hunter

Lincoln University Future Leaders Scholarship (worth $6,000)

Melissa Gray

Lincoln University Netball Scholarship ($6,000)

Megan Borst

Meyer Cruden Engineering LTD, Engineering Tertiary Education Scholarship (worth $3,000)

Alice Murphy

Dunedin School of Art Secondary Schools Overall Award (one semester tuition at the Dunedin School of art valued at $3,362)

Victoria Tong

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

A Note from The Principal

It is a very warm welcome back to Term 4, which is one of my favourite times of the year. There are a lot of functions where we come together to reflect on the year, and have the opportunity to celebrate together. St Hilda’s Day is a key event on the calendar this term, we count it as an official school half day, so it is important that all students attend. Parents, grandparents and families are also very welcome as we celebrate this significant day in the school’s history.

I wanted to formally announce that Mrs Nicki Holtz has been appointed to the  HOD Languages position and Mrs Alison Bromley to the  Spanish specialist position. I am delighted that both these staff have committed to permanent positions with us.

I also have great pleasure in announcing that Amanda Burke has been appointed to the position of Director of Development. This is a new position reporting to the Boards which will spearhead our capital development programme to support our buildings plan. Amanda has a long association with St Hilda’s as an old girl, staff member, board member and parent and is passionate about assisting the school to be future focused.

We have also advertised for a HOD Visual and Performing Arts.

Jackie Barron

Key Dates for Term 4 – Monday 15th October – 5th December 2018

Monday 22 October – Labour Day – School and Hostel closed
Friday 26 October – Blues Evening – Chapel, 7 pm
Sunday 28 October – St Hilda’s Cathedral Service – St Paul’s Cathedral, 10 am.

Thursday 1 November – Last day for Seniors
Monday 12-16 November – Year 10 Camp
Sunday 25 November – Carol Service – Chapel, 5 pm

Tuesday 4 December – Leavers Dinner – Museum
Wednesday 5 December – Prize Giving – Edgar Centre, students to be seated at 4.45pm for 5pm start.

RSVP’s

Blues Evening – Friday 26 October, 6.50 pm for 7 pm

Please RSVP to admin@shcs.school.nz

St Hilda’s Day – Sunday 28 October, 10:00 am

It is an important time for our School Community and it is expected that all students will attend the Service on this morning. Any absences for St Hilda’s Day must be emailed to Geraldine Corkery, with a reason, care of admin@shcs.school.nz.

Guidance

As exams approach it is important for us to consider how we can support students with any exam stress they are feeling. Click here for advice from ReachOut about how you can best assist your daughter during this time.

Passion Project

Support needed for vulnerable teens fundraiser.

Annually a number of St Hilda’s students attend these very worthwhile courses.

Congratulations to Eliabel Legrand and Evie Rose Grace who have been accepted to the Prestigious Junior Academy of the New York Academy of Sciences.

As members of The Junior Academy, Eliabel and Evie will have the opportunity to collaborate with 2,000 students from 85 countries on virtual challenges sponsored by industry leading companies. These challenges are designed by the Academy’s education experts to help students develop 21st Century skills as they prepare for the jobs of the future.

This year, the GSA received more than 6,500 applications of which 586 students from 57 countries were selected for the programme. To be accepted into the program students must fill out an application, write an essay and have a teacher recommendation.

The annual ReDraft competition publishes the best young New Zealanders’ writing. Sophie Armstrong features in this year’s publication along with Megan Foster. Sophie’s writing is entitled “The Second Time”, a short story of a girl’s heartbreak experiences with a great twist and Megan’s “Our Generation” is a poem that you have to read twice – once from top to bottom and then from bottom to top. Catherine Davidson and Emma De Lange were also highly commended.

Speech Contest ‘ A life less ordinary’

Lucie Holtz had great success over the holidays at the New Zealand National Figure Skating Championships in Auckland. Congratulations Lucie!

She placed 2nd in the Intermediate Novice grade, has been selected to represent NZ at Australian Nationals in Sydney December, selected for the International B Team, and the NZIFSA Development Squad. She also competed in Juvenile Ice Dance where she and her partner Tim Bradfield from John McGlashan placed second.

                 

 

Congratulations to Ella Morshuis and her horse, World Famous who won their first South Island title over the break,

Ella & World Famous
South Island  FEI 3 Day Event
CNC95  Under 21’s Champions

Congratulations to Olivia Andrew, Izzy Gold, Nicole Heaton and Natalie Hutchens who qualified for the New Zealand Open Short Course Swimming Champs and competed in Auckland 2-6 October. Highlights were:

• Olivia achieving 11th national ranking in her age group in 50, 100 & 200m backstroke;
• Izzy achieving 12th in 50m Breaststroke;
• Nicole achieving 9th in 50m Backstroke;
• Natalie achieving 6th in 50m Freestyle.

Izzy, Nicole and Natalie also came 8th in the Medley Relay out of the NZ Clubs.

Australian State Short Course Champs

Congratulations to Jessica Scott who was selected as part of the NZ team that competed at the AIS in Canberra 2-6 October. She swam some personal best times, including breaking the Open Otago Short Course 50m Butterfly Record which she already held. A real achievement.

Newsletter – Issue No.3 2018

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

A Note from The Principal

It has been a busy and challenging term, and I hope that all our girls and families have the opportunity to spend time with loved ones, enjoy the world around them, get out in the fresh air and take the time to be grateful for life’s blessings.

I know next term will be busy too, and there are always so many fun and memorable events in the last term, that it does fly past. Term 4 is about new adventures, passion projects, Yr 10 Camp, farewelling our seniors, external examinations and learning that prepares girls for the next year. The staff enjoy the opportunity to move broadly through the curriculum, and challenge girls to think about their next steps. Please check the key dates below and commit them to your diary so you don’t miss out on any of these special events.

It is also a time when we think about our next steps too, and plan for 2019. A key focus of mine is to ensure that we continue to have quality staff teaching all our classes. Ms Claire Laverty has resigned to spend more time with her young family, and we have advertised a position for a Maths specialist. Ms Allott, after travelling overseas for the year, has indicated that she will not be returning to Dunedin, so we have advertised for an HOD Languages and Spanish specialist. We will also have to advertise for an HOD Visual and Performing Arts and we will begin that process shortly.

Below you will find the link to a presentation made by Tracey Martin the Associate Minister of Education and Minister for Children at the parliamentary function yesterday to honour winners of the national NCEA “Make Your Mark’ competition. In her presentation she refers to the research conducted by our Year 11 Digital technology class, that they submitted. What a moment for the girls!! Not only does it acknowledge the work they have done, but it validates all the work our pastoral team have been undertaking in the community around girls’ anxiety and toxic perfectionism. Wow!! We are very proud and delighted that the girls’ work has been recognized.

Watch the video starting from 26 minutes – 29 minutes!! A wonderful moment.

https://www.facebook.com/EducationGovtNZ/videos/1682875915173515/UzpfSTY2MDUwOTcwMToxMDE1NjI2ODA2NTM0NDcwMg/?notif_id=1538071911240399&notif_t=feedback_reaction_generic

Jackie Barron

Duathlon

St Hilda’s had 4 girls competing at the Otago Duathlon Championships on Sunday 23rd of September. In almost perfect conditions on the Taieri the girls did extremely well with Cecilia Crooks winning the senior girls race, Gemma Rowcroft placing second in the junior girls race and a team of Megan Foster and Grace Cotter placing second in the junior girls teams race.

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

A Note from The Principal

The busyness of a school term continues and we know that through all of the work and commitments, activities and responsibilities that we have, the connectedness of our community is very important. We have had the opportunity to celebrate so many recent achievements, at Tournament week, students making national finals in the “Make Your Mark’ NCEA competition, Coding competitions and our Hip hop crews and Aerobic teams who have their nationals this weekend. We are proud of the girls achievements and pleased to be able to support them and cheer them on.

The benchmark exams have been completed and are a great measure for the girls in terms of where they are in their learning and what their next steps need to be. They will have all the information they need to make the most of the coming weeks before External Examinations. Progress reports for senior students will be out shortly, again adding clarity to the key tasks required going forward.

The purpose and focus of the coming weeks is clear, and we look forward to assisting students to achieve their personal goals.

Jackie Barron

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

A Note from The Principal

Thank you to our wonderful community for the love, caring and thoughtfulness you have expressed in so many ways, after our recent loss of Mr Dean. We are so grateful for all your messages, kind gestures and gifts, and we continue to find strength in our connectedness. We are working hard to support our girls and our staff, and step by step feel our way through this difficult landscape. I wanted to share with you Tuesday’s assembly, so you can walk with us.

Today’s assembly is a great opportunity to come together after a really hard time. I want to thank the girls who performed at Mr Deans’ funeral yesterday, you were amazing. You sang and performed beautifully under really difficult circumstances. I know he would have appreciated the number of you who attended.

The next few weeks and months are going to be hard as we get used to a new ‘normal’, and start to move forward. My job is to create a framework where everyone can grieve and move forward at their own pace. We need to be tolerant and patient, caring and understanding, because we will all cope differently.

We have lost a much admired teacher and colleague and out of respect for him, and respect for those left behind, we need to get on with our lives. Some of you will be ready to do that, some of you will not, and that is OK. You will feel fine some days and other days not so good. That is OK too.

As a school when we look forward and plan ahead, it is not because we have forgotten Mr Dean, or don’t care anymore, but because we have to look after all of you , and do what is best for everyone, and as you can imagine  – that is quite tricky when we are all in different places and spaces.

Student achievements/BOT nominees/Speaker

There is no last word today – but maybe I can do it.

Schools are places of living, learning and laughter. Mr Dean invested so much into the school and into all of you, and we want to continue that, and not lose anything, and so that is why we all must get on with our learning, our teaching, our commitments and responsibilities, as best we can. We want to honour all he has created and built up in the Arts, by looking after what is there and continuing his legacy. We want to protect the heart of our school. As I say, we will all do this in our own way, and in our own time, and we will try to give all of you the time you need. I guess that is life. Know too, never doubt, that we are here to help you.

I wanted to end today with this quote.

“I asked for strength – and God gave me difficulties to make me strong. I asked for wisdom – and God gave me problems to learn to solve. I asked for courage – and God gave me dangers to overcome. I asked for love – and God gave me people to help. I asked for favours – and God gave me opportunities. I asked for riches – and God gave me brain and muscle to work. I received nothing I wanted – I received everything I needed. My prayers have been answered.”

Jackie Barron

Benchmark Examinations have started

Our 2018 Benchmark examinations for Years 11 – 13 will be held in Week 8 and 9 (13^th September – 19^th September). Your daughter will need to attend examinations at the day and time given on the timetable they have. When she does not have an examination this time is for study, which can be done at home/hostel. The girls are welcome to come into school to study but will need to be aware the normal junior school programme will continue.

Girls are not required to wear uniform during Examination Week.

These examinations will be run under the same conditions as the NZQA external examinations. I have emailed the details of these conditions to the girls and their parents/caregivers.

Blues Application Process 2018 – Deadline Extended

Applications for Cultural, Service and Sports Blues and Awards were announced at our full school assembly 31 August 2018.

These application links are located on the student homepage under the heading “Blues Application” and will now close on 21 September at 5:00 pm.  

All successful applicants will be notified of their attendance at the invitation only Blues Awards evening by the end of September.

The Blues Award evening, an invitation only event, will be held on 26 October commencing at 7:00 pm in the School Chapel.

Learning Conversations – Interview site now open for bookings.

Learning conversations will be held for all girls at the end of the Term 3 and into Term 4 on the following dates:

Junior

Week 9 Thursday 20th September  6:00 pm-8:00 pm (Day Girls)
Week 10 Tuesday 25th September 6:00 pm-8:00 pm (Day Girls)
Week 10 Friday 28th September 1:00 pm – 3:30 pm (Boarders)

Senior

Week 10 Friday 28th September  1:00 pm – 3:30 pm(Boarders)
Week 1 (Term 4) Tuesday 16th October  6:00 pm – 8:00 pm (Day Girls)

We have specified junior, senior, day girl and boarder to maximise the interview time.

The Interview site will be opened for bookings on Thursday 13th September at 9:00 am.

It will close on the morning of each Learning Conversation.

To book go to:  https://www.schoolinterviews.co.nz

Click on “Make a Booking” and enter the following code

dmntb

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Space School Opportunity

We are pleased to announce St Hilda’s Collegiate School will be involved in the 2019 CASE (California Association for STEAM Education) Space School International Study Programme. Through our partnerships, students have the unique opportunity to join this once in a lifetime, STEAM-based experience at NASA in the USA.

Recognising the challenges facing young students today, where the change of pace in society over the next 30 years will outpace the change we have experienced in the past five thousand years. 75% of the fastest growing occupations in Australia and New Zealand will require STEAM related skills and an expected 50% of current jobs will disappear.

By empowering students through this unique STEAM programme, they will master the STEAM related skill set to prepare them for their future. Students become more focused, inquisitive to pursue the subject they are interested in through the unique access to NASA facilities, inspiring guest speakers and training programs, while learning a foundation of personal and leadership skills to apply through their school years and beyond.

This programme is designed to develop leaders for the next generation, aims to inspire and ongoing interest in STEAM; empowering and preparing our students for the fastest growing and most sought-after occupations of the 21^st century.

A fantastic opportunity to learn beyond the classroom in the most inspiring environment.

There is a one-hour information session about this international study programme to be held on Monday 24^th September at Otago Girls’ High School hall.

CASE Space School Expedition

CLICK HERE TO RSVP

This is a once in a lifetime experience. We encourage you to attend this evening information session and we look forward to your attendance.

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Return of Cups and Trophies presented in 2017

It is that time of year again where we ask for the return of all cups and trophies presented in 2017. This assists us in the preparation of this year’s awards evening and Prize Giving.

These may be left at the main office. Thank you.

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Careers News and Events

 To view visit the Career Events calendar.

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A reminder to check the Sports Draws page of the website to keep up to date with match times. The netball draws are posted each week in readiness for the weekend’s matches.

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Student Achievement

NOWW Classical Vocal Scholarship

Nicole Horrell along with a number of other students from St Hilda’s competed in the 2018 Junior Vocal Competition held by the Dunedin Performing Arts Competitions Society over the weekend (7th to 9th September).
Her placings were as follows:

• 2nd in the 20th Century Popular Song section
• 1st in the Contemporary Pop/Rock section, winner of the Bridget Telfer Contemporary Vocal Award
• By having the highest mark over four sections Nicole also won the Taieri Musical Prize and the Bridget Telfer Musical Theatre Award

Lillian Gibbs also competed and achieved some outstanding results.

• Winner of the NOWW Classical Vocal Scholarship (16 under 18 years) most points over 4 songs.
• Winner of the Dunedin Civic Choir Cup.
• Winner of the Opera Otago Aria.
• Winner of the Joy Mary Gibbs Memorial Cup.
• Winner of National Song gaining the Madelene Barker Cup.
• Stephen Chambers Award Test Song. Placed 2nd.
• Vocal Solo placed 3rd.

Bridget Sinclair (Year 9) competed at NZSS National Aerobics Championships in Auckland on 8 September.

Bridget placed 4th overall in the ADP 3 Individual category.

Bridget will compete at Gymnastics New Zealand Aerobics National Championships in Tauranga on 3-6 October.

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

A Note from The Principal

Jackie Barron

Benchmark Examinations begin next week

Our 2018 Benchmark examinations for Years 11 – 13 will be held in Week 8 and 9 (13^th September – 19^th September). Your daughter will need to attend examinations at the day and time given on the timetable they have. When she does not have an examination this time is for study, which can be done at home/hostel. The girls are welcome to come into school to study but will need to be aware the normal junior school programme will continue.

Girls are not required to wear uniform during Examination Week.

These examinations will be run under the same conditions as the NZQA external examinations. I have emailed the details of these conditions to the girls and their parents/caregivers.

Blues Application Process 2018

Applications for Cultural, Service and Sports Blues and Awards were announced at our full school assembly 31 August 2018.

These application links are located on the student homepage under the heading “Blues Application” and close on 14 September at 5:00 pm.  

All successful applicants will be notified of their attendance at the invitation only Blues Awards evening by the end of September.

The Blues Award evening, an invitation only event, will be held on 26 October commencing at 7:00 pm in the School Chapel.

Don’t forget to have your say – NCEA Review process

Please RSVP the school office by Monday 10th September if you plan to attend.

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. This will be held in the school library beginning at 6:30 pm.

Lilliput Libraries

The lilliput libraries have been a great success since their introduction at the beginning of this term. Currently,  however, our stock of books is running low. More books are being borrowed that are being returned! Just a reminder that if you take a book, could you please return it or replace it with another.

Also, if you have books at home that you no longer want that you wish to donate, please drop them in the collection box in the student office or pop them directly into one of the liliput libraries around the school.

Reminder about Learning Conversations

Learning conversations will be held for all girls at the end of the term three and into term four on the following dates:

Junior

Wk 9 Thursday 20th September  6:00 pm-8:00 pm (Day Girls)
Wk 10 Tuesday 25th September 6:00 pm-8:00 pm (Day Girls)
Wk 10 Friday 28th September 1:00 pm – 3:30 pm (Boarders)

Senior

Wk 10 Friday 28th September  1:00 pm – 3:30 pm(Boarders)
Wk 1 (Term 4) Tuesday 16th October  6:00 pm – 8:00 pm (Day Girls)

We have specified junior, senior, day girl and boarder to maximise the interview time.

We will have details on how to book the learning conversations next week.