There was a change of venue for this year’s sell-out Father and Daughter Breakfast. To take the pressure off the Parents and Friends, so that they could fully enjoy the occasion with their daughters, the event was moved to the Novotel Hotel in Greenlane and was fully catered by the hotel. No more getting up at 4am to cook bacon and eggs!

Nevertheless, it was still an early start for those setting up the room with decorations reflecting a musical theme in readiness for 220 breakfast guests to take their seats by 7am. The parents did a fantastic job transforming the room into a Saint Kentigern space with many blue touches and an emphasis on musical notes. The girls were excited to share this special time-out with their Dads.

Chairman of the Parents and Friends, Mr Paul Fletcher opened the occasion by offering his thanks to Mr Andrew Morgan, President of the Old Collegians Association for their generous donation towards the morning. Head Girl, Anna Lowther then came forward to say Grace and invite the guests to enjoy their breakfast.

In lieu of a speaker, this year the College Premier Choir, Kentoris, were invited to perform. Kentoris has recently returned from Dunedin after being selected from 250 choirs nationwide to take part in the Big Sing National Finale. The adjudicators chose the choir’s performance of Tippet’s ‘Steal Away’ for the Gala Concert; a piece that featured a stunning solo by Manase Latu and gained the choir a standing ovation from the packed Dunedin Town Hall crowd. The breakfast guests were equally impressed by their performance. The Girls’ School Performance Choir had also performed really well, earning a Silver Award at Kids Sing. Listening to Kentoris was an inspiration for the girls, giving them an understanding of where their choral work could take them.

In her closing, Principal Dr Hastie joked with a number of the Kentoris students who have gone onto the College from both the Boys’ and the Girls’ School. She remembered them well from those days, but now, the boys in particular, tower over her!

Our thanks go to the parents and staff who worked hard to make sure the morning ran smoothly, in particular Paul Fletcher, Julia Clancy, Kim Gear, Nicola Shearer, Danielle Lewis and Deborah Higgins. Thank you, great work!

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