Year 7 Welcomes Grandparents to the College

On 6 November, Year 7 welcomed their grandparents to the College. Taking hosting in their stride, our students entertained and shared learnings with their guests, before putting them in the hot seat.

Over 200 grandparents attended our College Grandparents Day, and each one was a personal invitation and a cherished connection. Associate Principal Duncan McQueen welcomed the group and, following tradition, asked the room who had travelled furthest. The answers usually come from all over New Zealand, but this year’s winner came from South Africa.

After our guests had enjoyed their morning tea, the students lined up outside to wait for them. The moment a grandparent and grandchild spotted each other, a big wave, a hurried walk and a warm hug followed.

The grandparents were handed into the care of their grandchildren, who took them to class. There, our students led presentations and activities, each class showing off the year’s projects, giving speeches and musical items, and demonstrating how they use technology to learn.

The grandparent interviews were a highlight of the visit. Students asked their grands about their own school days, and they did not stop at the easy questions. One student was overheard asking her grandfather what he got in trouble for at school. The stories from decades earlier sounded nothing like a day in the life of a Year 7 today.

After a campus tour, everyone gathered in the College Chapel for a Year 7 assembly, MC’d by students Madison Clarke and Archie Tomlinson. Principal Damon Emtage spoke about the strong bonds across generations that define the Saint Kentigern community. Year 7 Service Awards were presented and the junior choir sang ‘Seeds’.

The College 2nd Pipe Band played the grandparents out, and a number of them stayed on to have lunch with their grandchildren at Saints Café.