Head of Senior School Report

SENIOR SCHOOL Head's Report

It’s hard to find another adjective to describe 2020. Personally, I like “unprecedented” even though it’s now rather worn. The fact is that the response by our St Cuthbert’s girls has been all the more laudable because they had no more chance to prepare for the year of COVID-19 than anyone else, yet have flown through with qualifications and emotions intact. The creative ways that the girls kept in touch, raising sagging morale and inspiring to keep at their studies were impressive. 'Talking Tartan’ was our own community’s way of keeping in touch. Also, our 2020 Head Girl, Ruby, and her team made an inspirational video, along with the other Auckland prefects, which was played to the participating schools. It made us laugh and made us cry a little too, at the sheer goodness of these positive young people. I have felt most for the girls whose homes are overseas, whether they be International students or New Zealanders whose families live overseas. Many of them have had to stay here without family members all year and will remain here over the summer. Having said that, the caregivers are great, providing tremendous hospitality. Many take the girls around the country, visiting our beautiful scenery and experiencing Kiwi culture at its best. Although many activities could not go ahead as usual, some could. In fact, for those doing the Duke of Edinburgh Scheme, it was a golden year, with ten girls in Years 12 and 13, receiving the prestigious Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award: Harriet Cook (Year 13), Rachel Denny (Year 13), Ella Greenwood (Year 13), Olivia Haskell (Year 13), Charlotte Matthews (Year 13), Hayley Minturn (Year 12), Sophie Monks (Year 13), Noor Randhawa (Year 13) and Chloe Tattersfield (Year 13). The Duke of Edinburgh Award is a global education framework, challenging young people from 14-24 years old to dream big and discover their potential by creating opportunities for students to learn a new skill, get physically active, give service to their communities, and take part in an adventure. The Award challenges students to leave their comfort zones—as that's when the good stuff happens! This in turn helps students build self-confidence, greater resilience, and sets them up for success. Three of our Young Enterprise Teams reached the Central Auckland Regional Awards for Young Enterprise – two competing for the Central Auckland Regional Team of the Year and all three teams winning an Excellence Award. 'Talsh Hoodies' received Excellence in Communication, 'Koa & Co' received Excellence in Promotion and the Paying it Forward Award went to 'You and i'. Overall in the Company of the Year Awards, 'You and i' came first, with second place going to 'Koa & Co'. The winning team ''You and i' are now off to Wellington to pitch to the judges in the National Finals.

The Orienteering team had a wonderful time racing at the North Island Secondary School Orienteering Championships – our first school event since March and you can read more about their success in the Sports section of this Chronicle.

Although the New Zealand tournament for Secondary Schools’ Hockey could not take place, our First Eleven Hockey team played in the Upper North Island Secondary Schools Hockey Tournament. The tournament hosted eight Division 1 teams and we won! During the tournament, the team played and won 1-0 against Whangarei Girls High, beat Rangitoto College 8-0 and drew with St Kentigern’s 2-all. The team qualified top of their pool playing Westlake in the semi final. At full time it was 2-all, so penalty shootouts were taken with St Cuthbert's achieving a 5-4 win. In the final, the team again played Whangarei Girls who had just beaten Dio 1-0 to reach the final. St Cuthbert’s came away with a resounding 3-0 win, winning the title of Upper North Island Hockey Champions, so received a trophy and medals. More than their great ability on hockey, though, was their sporting attitude and I was delighted that many spectators commented on how impressed they were with the team’s inclusiveness, respect, enthusiasm and positivity. St Cuthbert's excelled at this year’s SGCNZ Sheilah Winn Shakespeare Festival, which was held as a virtual event for the first time. Grace Mora (Year 13) has been selected from thousands around the country to go to the London Globe in 2021 (COVID-19 permitting) as part of the SGCNZ 2021 Young Shakespeare Company. Earlier this year Grace was announced as the supreme winner of the SGCNZ/Morrison Music Trust National Shakespeare Music Composition Competition. She was then chosen as one of 44 students for the National Shakespeare school as the composer in September, from which 24 were selected to go to the Globe next year. This is a tremendous achievement and an authentic accolade for her ability as a composer. You can read more about the successes in the Performing Arts section. Of course, at the end of a year, inevitably we say farewell to some of our staff as they retire or move to different positions. Mrs Merelyn Ford has been the Dean of Melrose for many years. Wise, active and compassionate, Mrs Ford was a wonderful support to her girls and will be sorely missed. We wish her many sunny and relaxing times at her beach house and a happy retirement. Mrs Heather Roberts came to us from the IT industry and has delivered expertise in teaching Social Studies and Geography for four years. She now would like to devote more time to her own children and there can be no higher calling, so we wish her well. We wish Ms Jessica Tan all the best she moves to her beautiful lifestyle section. After seven years of quiet and effective leadership as Head of Chinese Language, she is retiring to spend time with family and grow more of the magnificent vegetables she so often shares with the faculty. —Fiona Cottam, Head of Senior School, Deputy Principal