On a beautiful autumn evening at the end of Term 1 the School held the New Parents’ Dinner. This is the second year for this special occasion and it was a pleasure for Dr Sandra Hastie and the senior management team to welcome over 100 guests to the dinner.

The assembled guests were wowed by the students who had been invited to entertain. Kristen Hansen from Year 8 presented an excerpt from The Importance of Being Earnest. This particular humorous extract delighted the audience as it highlighted the plight of the character Cecily and her longing for the love of Earnest. This was followed by two of our new Year 7 students playing Canon in D by Pachelbel. Chelsea Hong and Lisa Sandbrook displayed their huge talent as they wove the themes of this well known piece together with flair and sensitivity. The audience loved it and many commented on how they felt goose bumps as the girls worked together in harmony.

In her address to the parents Dr Hastie spoke of her early years in teaching and education describing the passion that she felt for her chosen career. She reminded the families that education embodies a life time of learning and as educators schools have a duty to ensure that the young people who spend these important years with us are the best that they can be, that they are resilient, passionate, believe in themselves, that they strive for quality and excellence, understand where their learning will lead them as well as show respect for themselves and others.

Mr Ian Robertshaw, who has two daughters at the Girls’ School, was invited to speak about his experiences as a Saint Kentigern parent.  He began by talking about passionately about an address that was given by the principal of Northland College, the essence of which implored young people to understand that the world does not owe anyone a living, rather that you owe it your time, energy and talent to ensure that the world is a safe place for all. Further to that it was suggested that young people need to grow up and develop a back bone not a wishbone. His decision to send his daughters to the Girls’ School was based on the ideal that they would not only be educated academically but also learn to work with others, care about others and be prepared for life in the future whatever that future may be.

It was a pleasure to welcome Georgia McLeish back to the Girls’ School. Georgia was an outstanding head girl in 2011 and is currently in Year 12 at the College. She spoke movingly of her time at the Girls’ School paying tribute to all her had shaped her learning journey. In particular she articulated her goals which included the search for knowledge, confidence and the skills to successfully navigate the road ahead, and also preparation for the next level of her education. She knew that she had been taught to never lose sight of who she was, and by simply believing in herself she could be whoever she wanted to be.

Dr Hastie concluded the evening giving thanks to Mrs Karyl Kidd and Mrs Sue Mosen for their organisation of the evening and to the sponsors for their generous support the: Auckland Apartments Ltd, Keith Hay Homes, PB Technologies Ltd, Stanfield Family, Horton Family, illumina soy candles, Consumer Credit Management Ltd, Saint Kentigern Old Collegians Association and Beautiful House.

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