From the Old Girls' Association

Hello Old Girls! It’s been delightful to start and continue 2023 without the significant impact of COVID-19 that we’ve experienced over the past three years. Looking back, time has absolutely flown by, and here we are again!

The Old Girls’ Association (OGA) committee, along with the Alumnae Office, has been working on the planning of events for the rest of the year. So far, this year, we have hosted two lovely reunion events:

▶ Class of 1953 – Celebrating 70 Years of QMC Friendship

▶ Class of 2013 – 10 Years On

Moving forward, these will become annual Old Girls’ Association events for these Class of Year 9/Form 3 groups, along with a 25-year reunion and a 50-year celebration.

However, we are always happy to organise events for any year group or groups of friends, on site. Just contact us via email at oldgirls@qmc.school.nz.

Another annual event reinstated this year was the celebration of Daughters of Old Girls. New students who are direct descendants of Old Girls are recognised and celebrated at a morning tea for family, followed by their badge presentation at assembly. This year, we were able to recognise the 2022 students as well as our new Daughters for 2023. It was lovely to see mothers, grandmothers, fathers and grandfathers attending in support of the students.

As a committee, we are continually working hard to be visible and present in the everyday life of QMC and our current students. We aim to create a sense of belonging for the students. Having the Alumnae Office on site has made this much easier. Even though our Alumnae Director, Jane Ball, has her own work programme, between her and the committee we strive to bring together the Old Girls’ community. It’s wonderful to have that connection and place where any Old Girl can directly contact the College. As I keep saying, if we engage with the students as they go through their school journey, they get to see what the OGA is all about. I like to think that this will create great Old Girls who will one day be able to 'give back' in some capacity to our wonderful College.

We warmly welcome new Old Girl volunteers

We understand that being involved in a charitable endeavour like the QMCOGA may be a growing challenge for busy Old Girls. If you’d like to make a meaningful difference and contribute your talent or time, we would love to hear from you. Email oldgirls@qmc.school.nz. As a small and dedicated committee, our work programme needs your help, so we thank you in advance for your support.

You may also consider supporting our Wellbeing Fund

Through donations from our community, we are continuing to grow this fund to help support the College, students and our Old Girls in mental and physical wellness. Following our successful renovation of wellbeing spaces in 2021 and 2022, we have been able to upgrade our Chaplain’s office to support pastoral care at QMC in 2023. If you would like to contribute, please get in touch with us at oldgirls@qmc.school.nz for more details.

Best wishes on behalf of the association!

Lynne Speight President | Old Girls’ Association