PrinciPal’s Message

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path”. Psalm 119:105

Dear Parents, Caregivers and Friends of St Hilda’s

Last year the school commissioned a review of our Special Character. This initiative was undertaken as a way of establishing a base line for planning and developing our Special Character for the future. We understand that the school has evolved and we wish to consider ways staff, students and parents can engage with, and value, the Special Character of the school both now and in the future.

Recommendations from the Review include: finding ways to link more closely to our Anglican diocese and community, the development of mindfulness and prayer programmes, ensuring our policies and procedures reflect our special character, supporting our students to understand Anglican practices, exploring our curriculum and current programmes.

Looking to the future we know there are opportunities for us all to further grow and enhance the relevance of the underlying religious teachings, special events, pastoral care and commitment to excellence that are all facets of the special character of St Hilda’s Collegiate and how they can be more effectively integrated into whole school life.

The review identified our strengths to include school-wide respect for chapel led effectively by the Chaplain, strong pastoral networks, opportunities for student leadership and service, and the way the special character is woven into all aspects of school life and this was also identified and affirmed by the recent ERO report. The pastoral care programme especially, along with the partnership between school and hostel, highlights the importance of our Special Character and how it is central to providing a positive and enriching environment for learning.

As part of the process the Board of Proprietors will be considering the recommendations of the Special Character report. This will be a long term project where the special character, the needs and expectations of our community, and the resourcing for the school are all considered.

We are all committed to preserving and enhancing our special character as outlined in our Integration Agreement and I look forward to sharing and walking this journey with you.

Mrs Jackie BarronPrincipal

newsletter

St Hilda’sCollegiate School

No. 5 | 21 August 2015

In this issue ... Page PagePrincipal’sMessage 1 SpecialCharacter 2Academic 2-3 Cultural 4-6Sport 6-7 Departments 8-9Staff 10 FromtheArchives 10-11Community 11-12 BoardofTrustees 12TermDatesandComingEvents 12

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sPecial character

Chaplain’s Chat

During the season of Ordinary Time it is good to ponder the extraordinary. This includes thinking about God. We can easily stick with the predictable and ordinary ideas about God, what God is like, and who God is. One of the most famous images of God is “The Creation of Adam” painted on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel by Michelangelo. This depicts God as an aged European man, with white hair and a beard. This is a very common way that people have thought of God. Our language about God seems to confirm this; we usually talk about God as He and Him and we use words to describe God like Lord and King and Father, all which make us consciously and unconsciously imagine that God is not just like a man, but actually is a man, or at least is solely masculine.

But the story of Moses meeting God in the burning bush reminds us that God is actually way more than any of our attempts at describing God could ever imagine. When Moses asked God, whom shall I tell the people you are, he imagined that God would reply with a name, because most gods had names (Zeus, Thor, Amun, Tane), and were god of something – like god of the sea, god of the forests etc. But God answered Moses with an amazing statement: “I am who I am.” God wasn’t going to be limited by a single name or even by a noun in general. God says, “I am” which is the verb “to be.” In other words, “I exist, I live, I AM! You can’t put me in a box, you can’t nail me down to one thing!”

All the words we have to describe God are just that – attempts to describe something that is impossible to describe. Yes, God is sometimes like a father, God is sometimes like a warrior, God is sometimes like a shepherd. But do you know what else we find in the Bible? God is also like a mother, God is like a midwife, God is like a seamstress and a baker woman, a mother bear, and a mother eagle. Even though the books of the Bible were written in cultures that were male-dominated and patriarchal, the Bible is full of feminine descriptions of God. This surprises lots of people!

We are so used to saying He and Him and Lord and Father that we forget that the Bible itself also describes God in these other ways. Sometimes we are not helped by the translations. There is a verse in the book of Deuteronomy which says in most English versions: “You have deserted the Rock who fathered you, you have forgotten your God the mighty saviour” (32.18). But in the original Hebrew, this actually says: “You have deserted the Rock who bore you, you have forgotten the God who gave you birth.”The Hebrew is all about God as a mother – the one who gave birth – not about God as one who fathered you.

The translators have deliberately changed the feminine image of God into a masculine one.

There are lots of other places where God is described as a woman in labour, a woman giving birth, or as a mother in general. In Isaiah the prophet God says, “From the beginning I was silent but now I cry out and groan like a woman in labour” (42.14), or “Does a woman forget the baby at her breast? Or fail to cherish the child of her womb? Yet even if these forget, I will never forget you!” (49.15). Sometimes God is described even more imaginatively as a fierce Mother bear, protective of her cubs, such as in the prophet Hosea, where God says about those who have become complacent and proud, “Therefore I will be like a bear robbed of her cubs, and I will pounce on them and tear them to pieces” (13.8). Not a very nice image perhaps, but still a feminine one. Sometimes God is a mother eagle who lifts her young and helps them fly, sheltering them under her wings: “As an eagle stirs up her nest and hovers over her young, as it spreads out her wings and takes them up and bears them aloft, so the Lord guides the people” (Deuteronomy 32.11).

All of these feminine images of God remind us that we shouldn’t put God in a box. There is a time to describe God as a Father, or as a warrior or Lord, but there is also a time when we need to hear that God is a mother, a midwife, a mother bear or a mother eagle. Our ideas of God shouldn’t just stick to the ordinary and the usual, but should be creative and break out of the mould, and even – radically enough – be totally biblical.

Dr Gillian TownsleyChaplain

acadeMic

2015 Otago Regional Science and Technology Fair

A number of students completed projects for the 2015 Otago Regional Science and Technology Fair. This was an opportunity to showcase their scientific thinking and an understanding of the accepted scientific investigative process, as well as their creative and communication skills.The following girls did particularly well, gaining one or more prizes.

Tessa McConachie Department of Conservation Award Forest and Bird Society Award

Madeline Bilkey NIWA Award

Grace Brenssell Otago Museum Award

Harriet Cottle Cancer Society Award

Amelia Hall NZ Institute of Food Science and Technology Award

Cancer Society Award

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Polly McEwan Aurora Award

Emma Wilson Otago Medical Research Foundation Award

Aurora Award

Ruby Grave Otago Medical Research Foundation Award

Cancer Society Award

Double Prize WinnersTessa McConachie, Emma Wilson, Ruby Grave, Amelia Hall

Single prize winnersPolly McEwan, Grace Brenssell, Madeline Bilkey

(Harriet Cottle was absent)

The projects that were selected to go to the Science and Technology Fair are on display in the library this week.

Mr John JanssenHOD Science

TeenAg

TeenAg Clubs are set up in secondary schools throughout the country. They aim to show the interesting and fun side of agriculture to students from all walks of life. After a year in recession, the St Hilda’s TeenAg Club is back up and running with twenty five members from Year 9 to Year 13. The club meets during the lunch break twice a term and endeavours to have an inter-club activity or field trip once a term. Membership is free and open to all students from all year levels.

Over the past two terms the club has enjoyed a networking afternoon with other Dunedin clubs, career pathway presentation from Blake Holgate, Rural Manager-Sustainable Farm Systems at RaboBank; guest speaker Leanne Oosthuizen,

Otago Southland Field Officer for NZ Young Farmers; guest speaker Olivia Ross, Extension Manager, Beef + Lamb NZ and first woman to compete in the Otago-Southland 2015 regional finals in more than 10 years.

Club members were also fortunate to have an opportunity to visit Invermay. See an abridged version of the club’s field trip report below for details.

Mrs Sharon RitchieCareers Advisor

TeenAg Invermay Field Trip Report

Invermay Farm Manager, Kevin Knowler, gives instructions to Lucy Girvan and Annabelle Sullivan, on the Honda

side-by-side, towing a C-Dax machine that uses lasers to measure grass cover in a paddock.

In late June a group of 14 girls bussed out to Invermay in Mosgiel. Invermay is part of AgResearch, one of New Zealand’s top agricultural research organisations. Unfortunately the weather was not looking the greatest, but in spite of that we all seemed to have an enjoyable and insightful afternoon.

We listened to a talk and were shown how field tests are conducted for nitrous oxide. Another presentation was on the use of pasture meters that use lasers to measure grass cover in a paddock. We were fortunate to have turns taking a spin around the paddock on a Honda side by side towing the C-Dax machine. It was a challenge to follow the pre-set path laid out in the on board computer.

Just as the rain really started to come down we hopped back onto the bus to travel up to the top barn and hear an impromptu chat under cover about water quality. With the planned riparian planting activity having to be abandoned due to the heavy rain the visit ended a lot earlier than expected.

Overall the girls really enjoyed the experience and gained a lot of new knowledge into what AgResearch is contributing to the country’s agricultural industry. The staff at Invermay were very informative and welcoming, making the trip interactive and enjoyable despite the weather.

Hannah McLarenChairperson

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cultural

Arts Corner

Fundraising Concert for Sings Hilda visit to the National Finals

Sings Hilda

One of the cultural highlights of the year was the Fundraising Concert on August 5 in the Maurice Joel Theatre at OBHS to raise money to help Sings Hilda travel to Wellington for the National Finals of the Big Sing Competition.

Organised by Barbara Power, our new Arts Coordinator (who was also the compere for the evening), and a team of helpers, it was a night of great entertainment by an eclectic mix of talented performers.

‘Like a Kid’Tessa Forde, Mackenzie Hollebon and Jamie

MacKenzie (Mia Knott away)

‘The LMGs’ Larissa Reddiex, Molly Johnson and Georgia Hay

Madeleine Guthrie accompanied by Mrs Barbara Hendry

The first half was made up of items from successful St Hilda’s rock groups such as ‘Like a Kid’ and ‘The LMGs’; solo singers, Madeleine Guthrie and Lillian Gibbs, both members of ‘Sings Hilda’; Hip Hop groups (‘Cryptic’ and ‘Classified’); a piano solo from Ihlara McIndoe; and an excerpt from ‘An Idiots’ Guide to Broadway’, the live show about to be performed at the Mayfair Theatre by a composite cast of John McGlashan, St Hilda’s and Columba students.

‘Cryptic’ Hip Hop Crew

Sophie Morris and Ben Madden

The second half was equally entertaining. There were items from Rusty Pilot, a rock quartet of local musicians including our own, Michael Grant on keyboard, and vocal performances from Sophie Morris, a recent old girl and outstanding young soprano, and Ben Madden, a local tenor who is also the vocal coach for Sings Hilda. Sophie and Ben gave a short recital of solo items and then combined in a duet.

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The evening ended with Sings Hilda giving spirited performances of their repertoire for the Wellington visit.

It was not only a fun evening, but also a very successful one. 143 seating tickets were sold along with 200 raffle tickets, the evening making just on $2000 for the travelling choir.

The success of the evening was due to the hard work of Barbara Power and her trusty team of helpers. Thanks must be given to all the sponsors who donated raffle prizes and also to OBHS for providing the excellent venue free-of-charge as well as providing students who helped with the technical aspects of lighting, sound etc. Finally, a special thanks to all the performers who contributed to the success of the evening.

Lillian Gibbs was accompanied by Ihlara McIndoe (below) who also performed an individual number

during the evening

Sings Hilda’s visit to the Big Sing Finals in Wellington

Sings Hilda, our auditioned choir, recently spent four days in Wellington at the Big Sing Finale. This is the prestigious national secondary schools’ choral festival, made up of the top 24 school choirs in New Zealand selected from regional competitions held in July. Sings Hilda was the only choir from the Otago-Southland area to be selected.

Sixteen eager students and three stoic staff left for Wellington late on Wednesday, August 12. After months of early morning rehearsals, the competition began the following morning in the Michael Fowler Centre with a powhiri and welcome. This was followed by the most spectacular singing of the national anthem by 700 of the best secondary school singers in the country. It was glorious, precise and incredibly loud.

Sings Hilda performing at the Big Sing Finale

The girls were able to watch some very impressive performances by the other choirs, some with over 60 members, both female and male. They heard songs from the 1700s to the 1980s sung in Finnish, Hungarian, Maori, English and several other languages.The girls performed two recitals. In the first they sang, along with two other pieces, ‘Prayer for the Children’ which left a considerable number of the audience in tears. In their second recital, they changed the pace with a performance of ‘I see Red’ by Split Enz, which was arranged especially for the choir by Mr Grant. We can very proudly say that our girls did a very impressive job and represented St Hilda’s exceptionally well, as many of you witnessed on the live stream.

Sings Hilda was presented with a ‘Bronze’ award for their performance over the week. The top award, Platinum, went to Burnside High Schools ‘Chorale’.Along with watching and listening to the eye opening and inspiring choirs, one of the highlights of the trip was the chance to visit the ‘Scale of War: Gallipoli’ exhibition at Te Papa. This was a truly sobering experience. The girls quietly, thoughtfully and purposefully progressed their way through it, humbled by the contributions of others. As they departed the exhibition, they decided they needed to ‘do something’, so moved were they by the soldiers they had been learning about. As a way of giving something back, they entertained the waiting crowd of approximately 200 people with an eerie rendition of ‘Prayer for the Children’. It was incredibly moving and a pleasure to witness. The roaring applause they received was testament to what they had given.

On behalf of the girls, I would like to extend a big thank you to Michael Grant and Ben Madden for all their hard work. It is a time consuming and precise task to tune voices so perfectly and I know that the girls have taken a huge amount out of this experience and the chance to work with them.

The next Big Sing Finale will be held in Dunedin in August 2016. I thoroughly encourage you to attend the Gala Concert to hear the very talented voices of the young people of New Zealand - it really is quite an experience!

Mrs Donna SmithThe Arts Council

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Hip Hop

‘Classified’ Hip Hop Crew Performing at the Sings Hilda Fundraising Concert

The Regional Hip Hop Competition held at the Kings/Queens Performing Arts Centre on Friday 14th August was a real blast! St Hilda’s Collegiate had six teams competing and two students (Lili Sabonadiere and Claudia Maker) in the Rasa crews, so we were extremely well represented. The parent/caregiver and peer support was huge so the cheering reflected the amazing energy shining from the stage.

A sensational Queen’s High School crew took out first place followed by ‘Cryptic’ from St Hilda’s made up of Maddy Holmes, Claire Lau, Casey Brown, Lola Garden, Amy Kornyei, Tessa Forde and Georgia O’Malley. The group was coached by Dallas Wade. Third place was secured by another St Hilda’s group, ‘Illusion’, made up of Zara Anthony-Whigham, Samara Ali, Cameron Taylor, Eva Meeuws, Kaitlin Jaeger, Lili Clouston-Cain and Bella Rennie, also coached by Dallas Wade. “Mayhem” were announced to be of ‘national standard’ so Emma Burnside, Katie Forde, Clem George, Izzy Gold, Abbie Laughton and Amy Park (coach Dallas Wade) also have the opportunity to go to Wellington in September to compete at the Nationals.

The following teams also represented our school with credit; ‘Classified’: Mhairi Rowbottom, Libby Ward, Jess Powell, Grace Stewart, Mikayla Hill and Lucy Hazlett (coached by Isabelle Bennett), ‘Beats’: Temple Flaws, Sian Hanlin, Lydia Holmes, Kate Johnson, Lily Mole, Hayley Wright, Abbey Cochrane and Isabella Aldrich (coached by Erin Maw), and ‘Atmosphere’: Lily Hornal, Libby Holdridge, Emma Edwards, Grace Cotter, Charlotte Coutts, Trinity Maydon, Millie Dickson and Phoebe Holdridge (coached by an ‘old girl’ from SHCS - Hannah van Plateringen).

Congratulations to all these talented dancers for their tenacity and team work. Thank you so much to their fantastic coaches for their creativity and patience. I look forward to seeing what the future of Hip Hop brings with huge anticipation.

Keep shining.

Mrs Rachel McMillanPerforming Arts

Drama

The Dunedin Theatre Sports Competition is wrapping up shortly. There have been about 10 girls, ranging from Year 9-13, involved this year. The junior students who participate in the Marzipan Drama classes are preparing for a performance for their parents and friends, which will be performed at the end of this term.

Kapa Haka

Last year, 14 students were in the school’s Kapa Haka group, and this year the numbers have grown to over 20, which is exciting. The group is busy preparing for Polyfest, which will be held from 15 September - 18 September.

Stars on Stage

The Year 10 Performing Arts class and the Year 7 and 8 students are preparing for Stars on Stage, which will be held later this term.

Madi Heyward and Maddy HolmesArts’ Prefects

sPortRugby

St Hilda’s 1st XV Rugby team Otago Secondary Schools’ Rugby Champions

Congratulations to the St Hilda’s 1st XV on winning their final against South Otago High School and retaining the Otago Secondary Schools’ Rugby competition after a very competitive season.

On Monday 6 July the 1st XV Rugby team travelled to Oamaru to take part in the South Island Secondary School Girls’ Rugby Festival, a challenging three day tournament.

Monday and Tuesday were spent playing three games against teams from the Southland and Marlborough regions with especially tough opposition from Southland Girl’s High School and Motueka.

Our two coaches, John Hedges and Bob Perriam, got the girls excited and fizzed up before every game and also improved our skills, both

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Winter Quad

On the 2nd August our Senior A Netball team, Hockey XI, Senior A Badminton and Debating teams travelled to Timaru to compete in the 2015 Winter Quadrangular Tournament hosted by Craighead Diocesan. The schools involved were St Hilda’s Collegiate, Craighead Diocesan, St Margaret’s and Columba College.

It was a good couple of days of tough competition for all teams involved and quality preparation for the up coming Winter Sports Tournament Week. It was also great to have staff and parents make the trip up to watch and show their support.

The final placings for St Hilda’s teams were: 2nd Netball, 3rd Hockey, 3rd Badminton and 3rd Debating. This resulted in a 3rd place overall behind St Margaret’s in 1st place, Columba in 2nd and Craighead 4th.

Paige Cotton Year 13

Swimming Sports

Congratulations to the following girls for their outstanding swimming results at the St Hilda’s Swimming Sports

Year 7/8 Champion Olivia AndrewRunner Up Emma Andrew

Junior Champion Izzy GoldRunner Up equal Nicole Heaton and Phoebe Aburn

Intermediate Champion Cecilia CrooksRunner Up Clem George

Senior Champion Aleisha RuskeRunner Up Olivia Gold

House Points:1st Havelock 2nd Lawrence3rd Nelson 4th Wellington

Cheerleading:

Nelson Cheerleading Squad

1st Nelson 2nd Lawrence3rd Havelock 4th Wellington

Trish ConradSports Coordinator

individually and as a team, and our great camp Mums, Lou Wright and Tania Coker, kept our energy levels up with their marvellous cooking.

We fought well together especially when our numbers dropped significantly to 13 on the last day. Playing games with fewer players put a lot of pressure on the team, which everyone handled really well. All the girls remained positive and motivated throughout these three intensive days by not giving in when the score wasn’t as we hoped.

The team came 5th overall which was great considering the difficulties we faced. There was also a Sevens Tournament on the Wednesday, we came 2nd.

Congratulations to Olivia George on being selected in the Tournament Team.

Thanks for all the support and encouragement we received from coaches and parents over this tournament. You helped make it a fun experience for every girl who participated.

Elle Perriam Rugby Sports Liaison

Sports Congratulations

BadmintonCongratulations to Adithi Alexander and Emily Perry who have been selected for the Mainland (South Island) New Zealand June Bevan Under 17 Badminton Team for 2016. The girls will travel to Perth next year and compete in the Australasian event.

Congratulations to the following girls who have been selected in Otago Representative teams.

Football12 Grade Extended SquadAnna McIntyre, Grace Cotter, Emma Andrew

14th Grade GirlsEmma Black, Lili Clouston-Cain

HockeyUnder 13 Collier - Anna McIntyre

Under 15 Premier TeamEden Carson, Taylor Duffy, Jess Faulks, Teea Francis, Olivia Hall, Sophie Paul

Under 15 Development TeamMaddy Ainsley, Ella Coggan, Darcie Crowle, Eva Meeuws, Bridget Smith

Return of all 2014 Sporting and Prize Giving Cups and Trophies

In preparation for the 2015 Sports Awards and Prize Giving evenings please ensure all cups and trophies presented in 2014 are returned to school by Friday 28 August. Thank you for your prompt attention to this.

Mrs Trish Conrad and Mr Neil Rosenberg

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Telford Taster Week – holiday break opportunity for a residential experience at Telford, gaining knowledge of courses and opportunities offered.QRC Tourism Taster Experience - holiday break opportunity for a residential experience at the Queenstown Resort College in Queenstown, gaining knowledge of courses and opportunities offered.

Calendar of Career Events

As a new intitiative, information on careers events and courses are made available to the wider school community through the Calendar of Events on the Careers page, linked at the bottom of the student and parents' homepage.

STAR

Short courses have continued to be advertised to students via the STAR site, giving senior students opportunities to gain skills in Barista, Food Safety and Defensive Driving. While mostly run in school holiday breaks, some term time opportunities have been offered to boarding students.

GATEWAY

Our Gateway students are enjoying their industry placements while completing a theory component during their study classes, relevant to their chosen industry. We are fortunate to be supported with placements at Headquarters Hairdressing, Dive Otago, Brooker Travel and AB Solute Fitness and appreciate the high level of support they give our students on this programme.

Ms Geraldine Corkery Mrs Sharon Ritchie Deputy Principal Careers Advisor HOD Careers

Technology Department

Junior Technology Year 7 students with their cushions

Technology Report to the Board of Trustees

We had the opportunity to report to the Board of Trustees at their July meeting.

NCEA results for 2014 were very good, with most students achieving to their potential and above the National standard.

Teacher reflections indicated some changes to the academic programme in 2015.

dePartMents

Careers

Our senior students are turning their thoughts to life beyond secondary school education. While Year 10 to 12 have been contemplating subject choices for the future, Year 13 are focussing on tertiary choices and the application processes required for course enrolment, accommodation and scholarships. Teaching staff and the Careers team have been busy meeting with students to assist with these processes, through 1:1 appointments, lunchtime group sessions and visits from tertiary institutions for specific course planning.

The last two terms have been busy with events aimed to help students prepare to make informed decisions on their future pathways. These have included:

Dunedin Tertiary Information Day - Year 13 students spent the day on campus exploring the uniqueness of the Otago campuses, attending special presentations and tours, and visiting Residential Colleges.

Dunedin Careers Expo – As part of the Careers Festival, Year 11 students had an opportunity to attend the Dunedin Careers Expo. This was a valuable opportuity to clarify study and career goals and get information directly from providers. There were more than 40 representatives from universities, polytechnics, private and industry training providers present as well as local employers.

Careers Evening - Year 10 to 13 students and their families heard from a wide range of pre-selected speakers on career pathways. Presentations included information on transitioning from secondary school, study undertaken, daily life of their chosen profession along with future plans.Options Evening – Year 10 to 12 students and their families had an opportunity to meet with subject teachers to gain an understanding of subject content and choices for next year's courses and beyond. Liaison staff from Otago Polytechnic and University of Otago were also in attendance. Students in Industry – Year 12 and 13 students were given opportunities for industry visits learning about careers in engineering, IT, building and construction, professional services, art and culture as well as the activities of some of Dunedin’s leading businesses and companies. Tertiary Presentations – Year 12 and 13 received presentations from tertiary institutions on the courses and opportunities they offer. These are currently being followed up with 1:1 course planning visits.

Otago Law Career Function – an opportunity for Year 12 and 13 students to meet faculty staff and hear about studying law at Otago.Defence Careers Experience – a residential week long activity with NZ Defence for senior students to gain training and information on careers within NZ Defence, either Airforce, Navy or Army.

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Developments over the past year have been the Technology Department website with links to DVC, Foods, ICT and Textiles sites. Teacher and student resources are shared, an opportunity to promote student work, a register of recipes students have enjoyed making in their foods class, exemplars of student work.

We have dedicated Room 214 as a DVC and Textiles space much to the delight of Mr Baydon Harris and his students. New purpose built tables for the sewing machines and ironing boards attached to the wall make the management of resources so much easier. Students also have their own ‘tool kit’ of resources and shelving provides storage space for these.

Mr Harris was a deserving recipient of the staff scholarship in 2014 and he travelled to New York where he spent time at the ‘High School of Fashion Design’, The New School (Parsons School of Design) and The Fashion Institute of Technology. This enabled him to speak to staff and students, participate in classes and develop global networks for St Hilda’s.

He was extremely grateful of this opportunity and was inspired to implement changes in his teaching programmes, but in particular ideas to modify the layout of the classroom.

Senior ICT classes enjoyed a ‘field trip’ to MixBit (software company) – a great opportunity for the girls to experience what it is like working in this environment. Although the Head Office is in California, the software designers and developers are here in Dunedin. A screen showing ‘real time’ working between the offices breaks down the barrier of distance. George, IOS Engineer, told the girls there is a real need out in the community for coders – ‘learn code, go to University, come back to us and we will employ you’!

The Board is very keen to formalise the introduction of Coding – although still at the discussion stage we anticipate a Coding Club will be offered in the latter part of Term 3 and in Term 4 which will provide an opportunity for girls who have an interest to be introduced to Lego Robotics and Coding to create Games. Our intention is that this will create interest in choosing a course at Year 10 level in 2016.

The girls also enjoyed hearing from a Future Intech ambassador about what it is like to follow technological practice in website design. Taking the girls from the ‘issue’ given to them by clients through brief writing, conceptual design and outcome development.

DVC students have formed a partnership with the Otago Museum submitting design ideas to remodel the gift shop area.

They have had onsite meetings with personnel and then stakeholder meetings with them back here at school to share their initial concepts and gain valuable feedback to inform their developments.

Textiles classes enjoyed visits to Otago Polytechnic Design School earlier in the year. They also entered and travelled to the Hokonui Fashion Design Awards in the month of July, which was a highlight of the year.

The Junior Technology programmes are stimulating and in very good heart, the Ice Cream Unit being very popular and on ‘market day’ the girls sell pottles of their product with the funds raised given to charity eg CanTeen, Childrens’ Hospital.

The Year 7 class have just completed their cushions, with great success. The level of skills and knowledge gained is very high.

At the end of week 7 we farewell Mrs Hanning on maternity leave – we look forward to the arrival of her baby.

Mrs Hazel DeyHOD Technology

Hokonui Fashion Design Awards

The Hokonui Fashion Design Awards in Gore is a long-standing event that allows designers from all over New Zealand, including student designers, to enter and show their expertise across a range of design areas. This year the Design Awards took place over two nights in July; the Strictly Fashion show on the 24th and the Gala Evening on the 25th, where the main prizes were awarded. Both of these events were very well supported by designers from all over the country.

This year we had ten girls from Years 11-13 prepare garments for entry into the show. All were accepted. The Strictly Fashion show started off with the student sections, which were divided into Streetwear, Nightlife and Recycled. The streetwear section was the strongest I had seen in recent years with 42 entries. The St Hilda’s entries were of high quality and looked totally in place on the catwalk.

I was extremely proud of all the entries that the girls put forward this year. The commitment shown to the design process, time management, innovation and quality control have been demonstrated in the high standard of garment construction. It’s great to see that an opportunity like this can fit into the assessment schedule of the school year.

Overall, St Hilda’s was very well represented at the Hokonui Awards, with current students modelling throughout the event. We were pleased to see old girls, Lucy Maw and Georgia Ferguson, who started their journey at St Hilda’s in Design and Textiles, entered in the open sections. It was very exciting to learn that Lucy won the Collection prize and the Young Designer award, and Georgia won the Wool section. Congratulations, Lucy and Georgia.

Mr Baydon HarrisTIC Technology

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Sports Department

Penny Farrell

Another valuable addition to our staff, Penny Farrell, has been appointed as Administrative Assistant primarily to support our Sports Co-ordinators. Penny has an interest in encouraging young people to participate in activities to maintain balance in their lives. We are thoroughly enjoying her presence on the staff and appreciate the support she provides in a very busy Sports Department. Penny has taken a special interest in Year 7 and 8 sports activities.

Mrs Hazel Dey Assistant Principal

FroM the archivesRecently the school had a visit from an old girl, Mrs Diana Steele, who as Diana Reeves attended St Hilda’s as a student from 1950 to 1962. She presented the school with a letter, written in 1913 by Sister Etheleen to Hilda Macdonald who attended St Hilda’s between 1907 and 1911. Hilda, a boarder from Edendale, was a prefect, excellent musician and a member of the tennis committee while at St Hilda’s.

The letter congratulates Hilda on her recent engagement, and being hand written by Sister Etheleen is a very valuable addition to the school’s archives.

Mrs Steele handing over the letter to Yvie Finn-House, one of our student

archival helpers

staFF

International Department

Nele Meers

Welcome to our new Homestay Coordinator, Ms Nele Meers.

Nele comes to St Hilda’s with a wealth of experience in education, and specifically in international education. She has experienced living and studying in New Zealand as an international student and knows first-hand how difficult it is to move to the other side of the world. Through all these experiences Nele has mastered a number of languages and has experienced a number of cultures very well.

Nele has a Masters degree in Pedagogy, and most recently worked as the Head of Department for Local Economy and Employment for the city of Bilzen in Belgium.

We are very pleased to welcome Nele to St Hilda’s and specifically to the International team.

Ms Kirstyn MawdsleyDirector of International Students

PE Department

Josie Randall

We welcome Josie Randall into the PE and Health department. She has made an immediate impression in the Senior Health and Junior PE realms with her enthusiasm and ability to relate well to the students and already she had made significant contributions to the wider school. Josie is a Waikouaiti local with experience in a range of physical pursuits.

Mr Alan WestHOD PE & Health

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Class of 1995 Reunion

Class of ‘95

The Class of '95 gathered for a 20-year reunion in July. Some had travelled from as far afield as Hong Kong, Australia and Chile to be there. The reunion began with a tour of the school, and a presentation in the Chapel about 21st Century learning by Jackie Barron. It was interesting to see how much the school, and education, has changed in 20 years. Geraldine Corkery, Judy Maw and Hazel Dey led groups on a tour of the school, and then the group visited Tolcarne, where Amanda Haggie showed them around the hostel. Again, the boarders were very interested to see how much had changed, and were particularly impressed by the Year 13 flats. It was a very positive event, with 31 Old Girls attending. Thanks to the Senior Leadership team and Amanda Haggie for their involvement on the day.

Mrs Amanda BurkeBranch President

Parents and Friends Association

Firstly, the PFA would like to thank all the parents and staff who supported our recent Quiz Night Fundraiser held at the Kensington Tavern. Your support by way of attending and/or donating raffle prizes was very much appreciated. The night was a success with lots of laughter and “discussion” being heard. We raised just over $1,600 towards our Arts and Cultural Fund, which has been busy of late with many of our girls having success in their sport/cultural areas and attending tournaments/competitions around New Zealand. This fund helps with some of the travel associated with these events.

The Parents and Friends Association is planning a school fair as its major fundraising activity for 2016. We have scheduled a tentative date in early March next year. As part of the planning process we are forming a sub-committee dedicated to managing all aspects of the fair organisation. We would welcome parents and friends of the school who would be keen to be part of this organising committee. Please either email Lisa at lisaandscott@xtra.co.nz or ring Nick on 027 363 3724 if you are keen to be involved!

Sister Etheleen’s 1913 letter to Hilda Macdonald

Mr John HuggettArchivist

cultural BluesCriteria and nomination forms are now available at the student and Arts Co-ordinator’s office and on the Parent Portal site: http://parents.shcs.school.nz

Closing date for nominations is 21 September 2015.

Ms Geraldine Corkery Deputy Principal

coMMunity

Old Girls’ Association

The Old Girls’ Association now has a Facebook page. Old Girls are encouraged to join this page as it will be updated with information regarding any events or other news. The Facebook page is ‘St Hilda’s Old Girls’ Association’.

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Mrs Barron also provided the Board with an overview of enhancements to school facilities undertaken by the Proprietors.

Ihlara McIndoe’s report informed the Board of a presentation made to the students of St Hilda’s by the Principal of Caversham School relating to poverty in our community. Personnel from Anglican Family Care have also visited the school. These two occasions have provided students with opportunities to connect with the community and make further contributions to the food bank.

Self-ReviewThe Board adopted the Career Education Policy. The relevant Board committees review policies on a three yearly cycle prior to adoption at Board meetings.

The Board reviewed and also signed the Special Character Attestation to the Proprietors. This process provides the Proprietors with assurance that the St Hilda’s special character is considered in a number of set criteria/circumstances.

The Board also received the report on the Special Character review commissioned by the Proprietors, which was facilitated by external providers. The Proprietor’s Special Character Committee is currently reviewing the recommendations made in the report.

GeneralThe meeting schedule for the remainder of 2015 for the Board of Trustees is:- 16th September- 29th October- 19th November

All meetings will held in the Richards Library commencing at 5:30 pm. Members of the school community are welcome to attend Board meetings.

Ms Nicola WilliamsChair, Board of Trustees

terM dates2015Term 3 - Monday 20 July - Friday 25 SeptemberTerm 4 - Monday 12 October - Thursday 10 December

2016Term 1 - Variety of start dates from Monday 1 February to Friday 15 April - Details on Parent PortalTerm 2 - Monday 2 May - Friday 8 JulyTerm 3 - Monday 25 July - Friday 23 SeptemberTerm 4 - Monday 10 October - Thursday 8 December

coMing eventsTo view events for the next two weeks - please visit the Parent Portal site under Events Calendar / School Events or the link below.

http://parents.shcs.school.nz/events-calendar/school-events/

The calendar for the remainder of the year is available on the Parent Portal site under the KAMAR link.

We are still seeking the services of a Treasurer for our PFA. You might just be the person we need! We can supply assistance/training to help get you started. Please come along to our next monthly meeting (3rd Tuesday in every month at 7pm) if you would like to find out more.

We also extend an open invitation to all parents to attend our monthly meetings. Come along and join a group that will make a positive difference for our girls.

Mr Nick SimpsonPresident

Board oF trusteesThe Board of Trustees met on 16th July 2015.

Departmental PresentationThe Board received a presentation from Mrs Dey– HOD Technology Department as to the 2014 academic year and innovations currently being implemented for 2015. There are a wide range of subjects offered within the Technology Department, such as Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Food, Textiles and Design & Visual Communication (DVC).

Students studying DVC have been involved in a project with the Otago Museum where they plan and present their ideas for redesigning the gift shop area. DVC at Level 2 will be offered in 2016.

As part of the ongoing development of the use of technology within the school, the Technology Department has developed a Google site, which is accessible by students any time, anywhere. The Board was shown a student’s work brief in Technology, which showed the high level of work required of students to achieve credits in Technology. The Board acknowledged this level of work. The Board also discussed various disciplines within the Technology area that are not currently on offer at St Hilda’s and the opportunities this may present in the future.

Appointment to Fill Casual Vacancy on Board of TrusteesA casual vacancy arose though the resignation of Alan Wright. The vacancy was advertised in the Otago Daily Times on 6th June 2015. No requests to hold a by-election were received during the 28 days following the advertisement. The Board had moved at a previous meeting that the casual vacancy be filled by selection to supplement the current trustees’ expertise should a by-election not be required. The Board appointed Scott Mason to fill the vacancy. Mr Mason and his wife, Lisa, have a daughter in Year 9, Tamara.

Reports from the Principal and Student TrusteeMrs Barron informed the Board of a trip to Australia facilitated by the Board of Proprietors that will take place at the end of July. This trip will enable a group of school and board personnel to research flexible learning environments, anticipating the future building requirements of the school as we meet changing curriculum needs.