Otago Girls High School mid year report 2014

Transcription

1 Otago Girls High School mid year report 2014

2 Principal s report Looking back over the first six months of the year, it is gratifying to see how much has been achieved. We started the year with excellent NCEA results and an almost record Year 9 intake. Through analysis of results, anecdotal evidence and educational research literature we decided on three focus areas for the year; excellence, wellbeing and future focus and these areas have been embedded in departmental and professional development work throughout the school. Week one saw our prefects announced with Lucy Adams and Maddy Scoles confirmed as Head Prefect and Deputy Head respectively. Their desire to leave a legacy in the school resulted in Spirit Week being celebrated in Term Two; a series of events that were well supported by the students. Three new prefect roles were included this year; two Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L) prefects and a House prefect, reflecting two of the initiatives planned for Information on the PB4L initiative is included in this report and our launch occurred in the first week of Term One. At the launch students were introduced to the three core values that underpin our behavioural expectations at Otago Girls High School; Respect, Positivity and Integrity and became acquainted with the concept of becoming a Bucket-filler. A whole school event was held that provided opportunities for students to develop their understanding of what these values look like and the reward system, the Shelly Card, was introduced. Although behavioural incidents have been relatively low in the past the introduction of the PB4L programme has seen discipline referrals drop by over 80% between February and May this year; an outstanding result. Maddy Dixon, in Year 11, has just become our first student to be awarded a PB4L blazer badge for receiving 10 Shelly cards and we look forward to rewarding many more girls in this way over the remainder of the year. When I began at Otago Girls in 2012 I was very surprised to learn that there was no House System in place. Research shows that a house system can increase interaction between students and teachers, and between students at different year levels, increase the sense of belonging students feel for their school and foster healthy competition. In Term One Lily Purdon, our House Prefect, conducted a survey of staff, students and alumni members to determine the shape of our house system. Four houses, named after famous ex-girls were decided on, with House Captains and Deputies appointed as leaders. Information about each house is provided in this report. At the end of Term Two the Otago Girls High School House System was launched and the fun and rivalry has begun. If the passion and enthusiasm of the girls is any indication I believe that the House System will be an enduring aspect of the culture of Otago Girls. Academic excellence continues to be the primary focus of work both inside and outside the classroom with many, many groups and individuals achieving outstanding results and enjoying experiences, both ordinary and extraordinary. These students are acknowledged in the achievements section of this report with the breadth of achievements indicative of the range of opportunities available to them. Preparations for Scholarship examinations are well underway with the Big Sister Programme, an initiative of the Alumni Association, supporting students. In line with the Ministry of Education s focus on raising the achievement of students of Pacific Island descent, Otago Girls is part of the Pasifika Success Talanoa Project. As a school we have decided to focus on more detailed tracking and mentoring of our Pasifika students to better engage with them and their families and to support them in their studies and transition to further education and training. The first half of 2014 has gone by incredibly quickly. As a school we continue to encourage our students to become confident, resilient, independent and responsible young women who achieve success. Their success is the result of the hard work of our entire school community. In particular I would like to thank the Board of Trustees, Parent, Teacher and Student Association, staff and families who are dedicated to ensuring our girls become the best they can be and who support the school in so many different ways. I look forward to the second half of the year and the many accomplishments we will achieve by year s end. Linda Miller Principal Ms Miller with Tamara Te Ata (left) and Emily Finnie at the Year 9 Victorian Garden Party held in Week 1 this year.

3 Board of Trustees On behalf of the Board of Trustees it is my pleasure to present the Otago Girls High School Mid-Year Report for This provides an opportunity to reflect on the first half of 2014 and review the school achievements against our targets set in the school charter has seen an extremely exciting and positive start to the year. We have seen the launch of the Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L) initiative reflecting our core values of Respect (Kia Whakaute), Positivity (Kia Hihiri) and Integrity (Kia Pono) and the introduction of Shelly cards to reward these behaviours. In addition this year the school has decided on three focus areas: excellence, wellbeing and future focus with particular emphasis on improved rates of NCEA endorsements and Scholarships. The board would also like to acknowledge Lucy Adams as Head Prefect for 2014 and Madeleine Scoles as Deputy Head and know they will represent the school with pride and integrity. We commenced the year with a warm welcome to the students of Otago Girls High School and in particular our large cohort of 194 Year 9 students. I am sure they have settled into their new surroundings with outstanding assistance from our Year 9 form teachers, Deans and Year 13 Peer Support leaders has also seen the introduction of new staff to our school, all of whom provide expertise across the curriculum. We extend a warm welcome and trust they will have a long, rewarding and enjoyable tenure at Otago Girls High School. It is important to begin 2014 by celebrating the academic results achieved by our senior students of 2013 with Otago Girls continuing to excel in NCEA results across all levels. The overall NCEA results for 2013 were very pleasing and historically OGHS has consistently compared and exceeded the national average results across similar schools within New Zealand. Our students compete and enjoy success at local, regional, national and international levels across numerous academic, cultural and sporting fields. Education Outside the Classroom (EOTC) shows the diversity of activities in which our students are involved, plays a key part in student development and compliments our Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L) initiative. This first half of this year has been busy and typical EOTC activities have included Year 9 camps and Toitu Museum visits, Year 10 Marae trips, Year 11 Geography trip to Aoraki/Mt Cook, Borland Lodge and Sidey Lodge camps, Athletics, Cross Country and Swimming champs, Rowing Champs, International student exchange, Manu Korero speech competition, World Challenge, Art Portfolio Exhibition, Back to the 80 s musical production (joint OGHS and OBHS) and the Big Sing to name a few. The Board and PTSA continue to invest in providing the best modern learning environment and resources for our students across the curriculum. The Music Suite design brief has now been extended to incorporate an entrance tower and lift which will provide much improved access to the Siedeberg Block and Performing Arts area. Design is advancing with construction due to commence in late Also, the $23,000 in proceeds from the biennial PTSA fair held in March 2013 was dedicated to an upgrade of the school canteen which was undertaken during the end of term one school holidays. With the canteen re-opening in time for the start of Term Two many thanks must go to the PTSA and school community for their hard work and contribution. We had over forty international students enrolled in 2013 from numerous countries including China, Japan and Germany and earlier this year our Principal Ms Linda Miller was overseas marketing our school to these countries. Their contribution to all aspects of school life is highly regarded by staff and students. In closing I want to acknowledge our Principal Ms Linda Miller and staff for their professional management and inspiration, the Board of Trustee members and the PTSA for their continued support and our school community for their endearing spirit of co-operation and assistance so far throughout the year. It takes a huge team effort to continue the great traditions of Otago Girls High School and provide the modern learning environment of which we are all so proud. Peter Hogan Chairperson 2014 Board of Trustees Standing L-R: Moira Young (Staff Rep), Nicki Paterson, Rangi Clark-Grant, Rowena Monson, Jade Johnston (Student Rep), Lyn Hurring Front: Linda Miller (Principal), Peter Hogan (Chairperson)

4 Positive Behaviour for Learning: School Wide (PB4L:SW) In 2012 Otago Girls became involved in Positive Behaviour for Learning: School Wide (PB4L:SW) which is a framework used by schools to develop initiatives that support students to improve their behaviour, resilience and wellbeing. The initiatives help to create more positive home and school environments and deter bullying. It was felt that although expectations were high and behaviour generally very good at Otago Girls, we would benefit from a united approach and from having a focus on teaching and rewarding desired behaviour rather than on punishing unwanted behaviour. During 2013 a PB4L team was established and work began. One of the key tasks for the team was to establish a vision for the initiative and decide on the core values that would underpin all other work. This was achieved by consulting with parents, staff, students and board. The vision adopted was: To contribute to developing confident, resilient, independent and responsible young women who achieve success. The core values adopted were Respect, Positivity and Integrity. The team also developed a matrix of behaviours that we expect students to demonstrate wherever they are learning; classrooms, playground, sports fields, field trips. A reward system was developed to acknowledge students who demonstrate these values and consequences were established for those who don t. For the first time two students have been named PB4L Prefects, Bianca Tio and Martine Matapo. Their role is to promote the initiative among students and to provide the PB4L team with student perspectives. At the beginning of 2014 we launched PB4L to the students with a full school assembly and a subsequent afternoon spent carrying out activities designed to help students understand the three core values. Staff have been rewarding positive behaviour with Shelly cards. Once a student receives five rewards she deposits the card into Mr Pickard s fabulous machine, named Michelle, from which a prize draw is made each week. Blazer badges will be awarded for receiving 10, 30 and 100 Shelly cards. Our first badge for obtaining 10 Shelly cards was presented to Maddison Dixon in Year 11 in June this year. At each PB4L meeting referral data is analysed to identify areas in which specific teaching of positive behaviour needs to occur.

5 Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) The PTSA began 2014 with our AGM where a new secretary (Annette Lee) and treasurer (Linda Marsh) were elected to the committee. We were very happy to meet our new student representatives (April O Leary and Katie Borich), and welcome some Year 9 parents to the committee, and we also heard an interesting talk by Dr David Murray on Dunedin s historic buildings. The school canteen was successfully refurbished by the PTSA this was a significant project that was funded with the proceeds of last year s fair, and grants from the Bendigo Valley Sports and Charity Foundation and Alexander McMillan Trust. Thanks goes to Colin Williamson, the project manager, who did a great job of getting everything completed in time for the beginning of the second term. He was ably assisted by a great team of volunteers and the canteen sub-committee. The PTSA endeavours to hold only one large fundraising project per year, and this year we are holding an art and craft auction on Friday 19 September. We welcome any donations of work and offers of help. Tickets went on sale in mid-july and are available from the school office and several outlets around town. The committee enjoyed dessert and coffee at a social meeting at Luna Restaurant in April. The PTSA has assisted the school by providing helpers with the Year 9 meet the teachers evening, and the Year 12 formal. The PTSA would like to thank all parents for their PTSA donations. These funds are used to provide grants to both individual students and student groups in a variety of sporting, academic and cultural endeavours. Almost $4000 has been distributed in the first five months of The PTSA has also given $1500 to the school library on Library Day. PTSA meetings are held once a month and are open to all parents and caregivers. Please see the school website for dates. They are a great way to meet other parents, and chat informally with staff representatives, and be involved with school activities. Katherine Milburn President PTSA Executive L-R: Annette Lee (Secretary), Katherine Milburn (President) and Linda Marsh (Treasurer). The interior of the canteen recently renovated by the PTSA. School Council Council has been off to an awesome start for We have run a few creative initiatives around the school and there are more to come which are sure to add some fun and colour to the school year! We are focusing on developing the school grounds and bringing the OGHS community together. Our annual Entertainment Book and Hot Cross Bun Freya Duvall Smith fundraisers were very successful thanks to the students. With those funds we are able to set a lot of projects in motion. Soap dispensers will be installed in the K Block bathrooms during the Term 2 holidays, and plans are in motion for the VPA and S Block. Along with redesigning the mural outside our freshly renovated canteen, we plan on completely remodelling the area outside the textiles room into a fun, colourful seating space for the students. As well as fundraising for school projects, we will be holding a mufti day in September to fundraise for the KidsCan Charitable Trust. Council has also organised a Blood Drive donation day, with a full turn out from the registrants. Continuing the Unsung Heroes award from last year, we aim to celebrate students whose contributions to our school and community go unrecognised. We look forward to an exciting rest of the year. Freya Duval-Smith, Head of School Council

6 Five minutes with Head Girl Lucy Adams What are five words to describe you? I guess you could say I m a dedicated, honest, motivated, enthusiastic and organised sort of person. And I know organised can be backed up by my peers! What is it like to be Head Girl? Being Head Girl has put a lot of pressure on me and it is stressful at times, however it has been an incredibly rewarding experience so far. I ve been able to do things I wouldn t normally do such as going to the Anzac dawn service and participating in the relay for life in the Prefects team back in March. I also helped organise a school-wide spirit week which was a great success. Being Head Girl has allowed me to hold my head a little higher with a new sense of confidence I never used to have, something I never could have gained otherwise. What are your best memories of Otago Girls so far? The school trips have definitely been a highlight of my time at Otago Girls ; geography trips to Mt Cook and Borland, the Year 10 tramp and last year s ski trip. I m looking forward to the ski trip this year too and regret not going all five years I have been at OGHS. This is definitely a trip I can recommend to all year levels! Many of my best memories are also with my friends, at sports days and even speaking at the end of year celebration service at Knox Church! I look forward to making more memories with the Year 13s as we finish our last year of high school. What are you planning on doing next year? Next year I plan to study Engineering at Canterbury University. I ve had a pretty clear picture on what I want to do since I was quite young. I was always building things from lego, knocking them down and building something else. I have taken subjects this year to ensure I ll be somewhat ready for Engineering next year and I m looking forward to moving somewhere different where I don t know anyone and there are plenty of job prospects for engineers. What is your message to younger students? I don t really want to repeat what the teachers are always saying, but I can t stress enough how important it is to get involved with activities around the school. Sometimes that can be the key to finding what you re good at and what you want to do when you leave school. I know that I ve found through the subjects I ve taken and through the sports and cultural activities I ve participated in, what I want to do next year. Taking every opportunity as it comes is so important, as these are to be the best years of your life, so take and do what you can! Prefects and Dorothy (Principal Ms Miller) on Library Day

7 Ann Babbage celebrates 40 years at OGHS On 1 July this year we marked Ann Babbage s 40 years teaching service at Otago Girls High School. Ann arrived in Dunedin in 1974 after three years teaching PE in the United Kingdom. On 1 July that same year, she was appointed as assistant PE teacher at Otago Girls and when Mary McConnell, the PE teacher left, Ann became PE Head of Department. Her first job was to get rid of the PE rompers, closely followed by introducing the dress ups for sports day. Ann soon became the 4th Form Dean and in the late 1970s and early 1980s she also taught Human Biology. She was also a School Certificate marker for 13 years. Ann had a period as Year 11 Dean and since 2003 she has been the Year 12 Dean. Ann also went on to teach typing which became word processing and is now Office Management. She retrained to teach Accounting first by doing 6th form certificate Accounting and then a Diploma in Business through Massey, over four years, finishing by getting a PPTA scholarship enabling her to teach part-time while she completed her diploma. Ann also obtained a BOT scholarhip to go to a business conference in Tasmania and she has had three stints as acting HOD commerce. Under Ann s direction Young Enterprise moved from being a co-curricular subject to being on the school timetable as Business Studies. She has guided two Young Enterprise teams to National finals and one National top award (2008). Ann has also been involved in numerous cocurricular activities over her 40 years of service, including tennis, badminton, gymnastics, athletics, and hockey. She was involved in school netball for around 15 years, including coaching the senior A team which won the Otago Secondary Schools tournament. Ann has been on numerous camps to Tautuku and Mount Cook and she also travelled to Hawaii with the choir as their manageress, where they won gold. Ann has served on the Staff Social Committee and was the staff representative on the Board of Trustees for nine years. She has been the Branch PPTA secretary and treasurer for the last five years and had a period as Branch Chair in the 1990s. In 2012 Ann was recognised by the PPTA for her over thirty years of teaching and in 2013 she received the Sir James Fletcher award for excellence in teaching Enterprise. Ann is a valued and respected teacher and colleague who brings much wisdom and particularly wit to the lives of those around her. Congratulations Ann - what a great achievement! Sports Council The Otago Girls High School Sports Council is made up of staff, parents and students. The decision was made earlier in the year that the Sports Council would establish a financial arm supported by funds from fundraising and students sports fees. In turn scholarships have been established to assist students that are struggling to pay for tournaments, sports gear, sports fees and anything else that may hinder them playing sport. Earlier in the year a contract was signed with NZ Uniforms. This saw the new physical education uniform being introduced at Year 9, and after a long consultation period with designers, uniforms for hockey, netball, rugby and football will be available in Term 3. Along with the contract with NZ Uniforms a $15, product and scholarship arrangement was made with them ($10,000 on product and $5,000 on student scholarships). A finances subcommittee has been formed to oversee the scholarship applications. On Saturday 12 April the Sports Council ran a Coaching Seminar. Key speakers were invited to attend the morning session which included Brent Ward, Tony Gilbert, Jodi Brown and Suzie Bates. The afternoon session included sessions on technology, warm-up techniques, taking a training session and nutrition. The seminar was well attended by students, staff and volunteer coaches and managers. As part of the Sports Council s fundraising ventures they are holding a golf tournament on Friday 17 October and organisation by the sub-committee is well underway for this. Colleen Hokianga Sports Co-ordinator and Sports Council Member

8 2013 NCEA and UE results (OGHS/National comparison) 2013 NCEA pass rates - % Achieved, Merit & Excellence (OGHS/National comparison) 2013 Scholarships were attained in: Rebecca Anderson Lydia Bowers Awhina Clark Tahana Beth Chapman Freya Griffith Eleanor Hay - History - Painting - History - English - English - Biology

9 Shirley Zhang Winner of the Trust Power Youth Community Award Earlier this year Shirley Zhang was announced as the Trust Power Youth Community Award winner. This award recognised a Year 13 students service to school and community in the Dunedin district. Shirley is a young woman who is going places, and who has a real heart for service at local, national and Global level. She has enormous potential for future public service and is already demonstrating her awareness of social justice and women s issues. Shirley is a talented academic having achieved Levels 1 and 2 with Excellence. Last year she was a member of the Otago winning year 12 O Mathlon team. In 2013 she also won the Otaru (Sister City) Japanese speech competition and won a trip to Japan. She has competed with distinction in the Australasian Maths and English competitions. She was also selected for a place at the Rotary Science and Technology Forum in Auckland. Shirley takes a full part in the school community. She is the Academic Prefect and here she is an amazing role model. She has assisted other students with peer tutoring and has made a valuable contribution to the Staff Professional Learning Group with her insight on Excellence in school activities. Shirley is a Trained Peer Support Leader working with Year 9 students and she holds a current first aid certificate. She is a valuable member of the OGHS Student Council. She has completed her Bronze and Silver Duke of Edinburgh Hillary Awards and will complete her Gold Award this year. Kiriana Wong Winner of Scholarship to Kun-ei Girls High School in Osaka, Japan For the past few months I have been attending a private girls school in Osaka, Japan. My first month here was pretty crazy. It has taken a little while to settle into this new culture and lifestyle but a routine begins to form around school (which is six days a week!) There are two of us scholar girls at Kun-ei Girls High this year. It is really nice to have another girl from New Zealand here with me as we are both going through the same experience and so we can relate to each other a lot. The majority of our time is spent at school where we study Japanese language, Calligraphy, Economics, Music, Japanese culture, and participate in homeroom classes such as English, Biology and History. All of the girls here at Kun-ei are incredibly kind and supportive. Outside of school I have had some really great opportunities to travel around Osaka and neighbouring cities such as Kyoto and Nara with my host family. In my opinion living with a host family is one of the best aspects about being on an exchange. You really get to live like a local and have an insider s view on the culture, which is such a great and special experience. This exchange has further fuelled my curiosity and passion to learn about other cultures. Also being immersed in such a different culture, such as the one found in Japan has really helped me understand my own culture. I have met so many new people since I have been here. I feel as though going overseas really helps you become a more open-minded person, and you do learn so much about yourself. Being away from all of your friends and family makes you really appreciate what you have, but also having a completely fresh start is truly an amazing experience. I strongly encourage anyone who has the opportunity to study abroad or go on an overseas exchange. You will learn so much, not only about the culture, but also things you never knew about yourself. Her leadership skills also extend well out into the wider community and in addition to winning the Trust Power Youth Community Award she also won the Otago Zonta Young Woman in Public Affairs Award. Shirley is on the Save the Children Child and Youth Council and is also the High Schools Ambassador for United Nations Youth. Last year she attended the Model United Nations Assembly and the New Zealand Youth Declaration Conference, both held in Auckland. Shirley was also was a member of the P3 Foundation Social Enterprise Competition National Finalist team in Kiriana Wong (right) at Kun-ei Girls School

10 Student achievements 2014 (Jan-July) Academic Moira Thomson gained a Bronze Award in the entrance examination for the NZ Chemistry Olympiad team. Bokyong Mun was one of 60 students (and two New Zealanders) worldwide selected to attend a week long Millenium Youth Camp in Finland in June, hosted by the Technology Academy Finland. Our top two Level 2 NCEA Pasifika students, Martine Matapo and Alexandra Lesa, were acknowledged at the first Pasifika Education Family Church Service. Claudia Muldrew received a Certificate of Merit for her essay in the Rodney Walshe Irish Essay competition. Emily McConnachie won first prize in the Dunedin- Otaru Japanese Speech Competition. Year 11 students Eddie Benny, Amelia Meredith Vaughan and Anna Brookes won the 2014 Otago Regional Maatangi Whenua: Year 11 Inter-school Geography Competition. Fourteen students obtained gold awards in the Language Perfect World Challenge. Two students obtained gold awards in the Social Sciences Education Perfect World Challenge. Sport Ilana Goosens was selected for the Otago Tennis Squad. Eliza Booth, Amelia King and Brooke Miller were selected as members of the Otago age group tennis teams. Karley Wilden-Palms gained a gold medal in the Women s club single and a silver medal in the Under 17 girls' singles at the South Island Rowing Championships. She also achieved a fifth place in the girls under 17 coxed quad sculls A final along with Georgia de Raad, Juliett Alm-Lequeux, Ellie Murphy and cox, Daniela Lemow. Shayla Rowley was selected for the International softball academy Under 15 girls development team to compete in Australia in April. Tayla MacDonald was selected for the Otago Secondary Schools' Cricket team. Kiana Pelasio was selected for the New Zealand Under 17 girls touch team for the second year running. Lucy Matehaere (St Clair Surf Lifesaving Club) competed at the National Lifesaving Championships and was 8th in the Under 14 Flags. The Senior A Touch Team qualified for the South Island Touch Tournament held in Christchurch. The Senior Girls' Multisport team of Melanie Paddon, Juliette McMullan and Juliette Lequeux won their section of the Otago/Southland Multisport/Triathlon Championships. Natasha Whyte won the Senior Girls' Multisports Individual Section. In Equestrian events Erin Milner won the South Island Foxhunter Championship and was also the Southland Stakes 1.5m Champion. The Equestrian team of Tyla Clearwater, Erin Milner, Samara McKay, Tamsyn Lawrence and Chanelle Huggins were second in the Southland Pony Club one day event in Tapanui. Mikayla Garforth was 9th out of 101 in the ski race at the National surf lifesaving chapionships at Ohope Beach. The Onyx marching team including OGHS students Georgia Berry-Dodd, Jasmine Simonsen-Hogg, Olivia Churchman, Hannah Blagdon, Charmaine Simonsen- Hogg and Safire Stenersen, won first place in the technical drill section (and first overall) at the New Zealand Marching Championships in Wellington held in March. Juliette Lequeux and Anika Fraser each came first in their age group singles at the Head of Harbour rowing regatta. The following girls gained places at the Otago Southland Athletics Championships held in Invercargill in March: Leah Billyard, 4th U15 Discus, Sydney Evans Tobata, 2nd U16 200m, 3rd U16 400m, Esmae Knox, 3rd Senior Hammer, Hannah King, 2nd U14 100m 3rd U14 200m, Storm Maole, 3rd U14 Shot Put, 4th U14 Discus, Lucy Matehaere, 4th U14 80m Hurdles, Gemma Millar, 1st U14 Hammer, Larissa Peyroux, 4th 800m Senior, Jenna Thorne, 4th U14 High Jump, 4th U m, Taylor Thorne, 1st U14 High Jump, 5th U m, Emma Ward, 5th U16 200m, Taylor East, 2nd AWD 100m, AWD 200m and AWD long jump, Senior relay 3rd. Natasha Whyte was third in the senior girls race at the New Zealand Schools multisport championship at Cromwell Holly Johnstone, Jade Middleditch, Sophie Dijkstra, Tabitha Seaton and Jessie Clark Grant were members of the Dunedin Technical Football Club Under 17 football team that travelled to Auckland where they won the Auckland City Under 17 club tournament. Jade Middleditch, Sophie Dijkstra and Morgan Whitson were chosen for the National Talent Centre for Football. Sydney Evans-Tobata was part of the Otago team which won the Under 18 Women's 4x100 Metre Relay at the National Track and Field Championships. Grace Moreton in Year 9 was first in SWID 50m Open Backstroke at the Otago Secondary School Swimming Champs. The Equestrian team were second overall in a competition at Outram. McKenzie Clearwater was 2nd in 65cm, Jaylah Kennedy 6th in 65cm, Erin Milner 1st in 75cm, Chrisanna Hancock 3rd in 75cm, Tyla Clearwater 4th in 95cm, Lily Dorking 5th in 75cm At South Island Athletics in Timaru, Gemma Millar - 2nd U14 hammer throw, Esmae Knox - 5th U19 girls

11 Student achievements 2014 (Jan-July) hammer throw, Storm Maole - 6th U14 girls shot put, U14 girls discus, Hannah King - 5th U14 girls 200m, Sydney Evans-Tobata - 4th U16 girls 200m, Jenna Thorne -U14 girls 3000m, Taylor Thorne - U14 girls 3000m. Maddy Dixon and Holly Paterson were selected for the South Island Secondary Schools' Under 17 Volleyball team. The Junior A team Futsal team won the Year 9 and 10 division of the Futsal South High School Tournament The Senior A team came 3rd in the Year grade. In May Nicole Kellet won the Southland U19 mixed doubles badminton title and paired with Maddy Doran to win the doubles. Karmilla Jaafar won the singles plate. The Senior A Soccer team defeated Craighead 9-0 in the Southern region playoff qualifying them for Nationals in Taupo. At the Twizel Rock Climbing Competition:16-17 years 1st: Rosie Craven, 2nd: Mhairi Duncan, 3rd: Juliette McMullan years, 1st: Millie Bray, 3rd: Sian Meffen Under 14 girls were second in the Otago Secondary Schools' Cross Country at Kaikorai Valley. Cultural Brooke Dawson was selected for New Zealand Youth Pipe Band to perform in Canada and Disneyland. Ashlee Young was runner up in the Under 18 New Zealand Song Section at the Nelson Sun City Music Award. Lucy Adams won the Dunedin Rotary Club's Four Way Test speech competition and was second in the Dunedin final. Isabelle Jenkins and Sia Caldwell came first and second respectively in the Race Unity Speech competition. At the Otago Regional SGCNZ Otago University Sheilah Winn Shakespeare festival OGHS got a special recognition award for the best dance assemble (in The Tempest) and Olivia Pattinson and Georgia Ryder received acting commendations for their roles as Dogberry and Stephano respectively. In the Speech New Zealand exams Jenny Kim passed Grade 6 module 1 with credit plus, Charlotte Becconsall Ryan and Rebecca McNaughton passed Grade 7 Module 1 (with Honours), Isabelle Jenkins pass Grade 7 Module 1 (with Merit Plus). Madeline Schwass, Georgia Ryder, and Toni Kennedy, passed Grade 8 Module 1 (with Honours Plus), and Katie Borich passed Grade 8 Module 1 (with Honours). Choirs Southern Hesperides and Barock were both highly commended at the Regional Big Sing and Southern Hesperides was also awarded the John Leslie Trophy for the best performance in Category Three, Other Styles. The Barock choir was selected for the National final of the Big Sing. Anna Takahashi was selected for the Dunedin Youth Orchestra for the third year in a row. Dallas Bowler-Scott won the Junior English section of the Manu Kōrero Speech Competition. Te Anahera Parata was 3rd in the Junior Maori section and Matariki Wehi was 2nd in the impromptu speech and 2nd overall in the Senior Maori category. Other Juliette McMullan was one of three Otago Secondary School Environmental leaders selected to attend the 11th annual Sir Peter Blake Youth Enviroleaders' Forum in Wellington. Kiriana Wong won a scholarship to the value of $26,000 to live and study at Kun-ei Girls' High School in Osaka, Japan. Shirley Zhang won a place in the National final of Zonta Young Women of the Community Affairs Award. Shirley Zhang won the Trust Power Youth Community Award. Alana Donkin and Edie Benny were two of eight students selected Nationwide to participate in the Thai/NZ Language and Cultural Students Exchange Programme. Hannah Dockerty gained third place in the final of the Bernina Shakespeare Globe costume design competition. Rose Fallow was first in the Senior Theatre section of the Dunedin Robocup Competition. Tyla Clearwater was awarded the PTSA Margaret Glue Scholarship of $1000 to assist her to attend her Spirit of New Zealand voyage. Maddison Dixon was the first student to be awarded a shelly badge under the OGHS Positive Behaviour for Learning initiative. Emily McConnachie - winner Dunedin-Otaru Japanese Speech Competition Rose Fallow - winner of Senior Theatre Robocup

12 It was a pleasure for our cast and crew to have such well attended performances this year for our OGHS/OBHS production Back to the 80s. Participation in the annual production is open to all students from Years 9 to 13 and this year 71 girls participated as actors, singers, dancers and musicians. Back to the 80 s told the story of the 1989 graduating class of William Ocean High as seen through the eyes of the narrator, Corey Palmer Sr., who is now living in the year The story is from an era that brought the world The Rubik s Cube, Max Headroom and The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and songs such as Wake me up before you go go, Love Shack and Man in the Mirror. It was a production that appealed to a wide range of ages which resulted in near full houses for the four performances and was able to generate a profit for the school. The performances gave all involved a real opportunity to showcase their talents and skills to the wider Dunedin community. Eugene Shields Production Manager Barock Choir off to Big Sing Nationals In June three of our choirs Cultural Chords, Southern Hesperides and Barock (the combined OGHS/OBHS choir) competed in Otago/South Canterbury Regional Big Sing at the Dunedin Town Hall. All the choirs were a credit to the school. The Barock and Southern Hesperides choirs both received a highly commended award and Southern Hesperides were awarded the John Leslie Trophy for the best performance in Category Three, Other Styles. A week after the event the Barock Choir found out that they were one of 24 choirs nationwide selected to perform at the National Big Sing in Auckland in August.

13 Grounds/buildings Over the last six months we have seen the Performing Arts building repainted and also the South wall of Dalrymple block has been cleaned and windows repainted. The seating area wall by the courts has also been painted. Internally the Year 13 Common Room had its ceiling and windows repainted in the Christmas holidays.the next area to have a facelift is Mary King Block entrance. This area has been sprayed and the stonework will be cleaned in the spring and the windows repainted. The PTSA project of the refurbishment of the canteen was completed in the April holidays. This has been a major project for the PTSA and the school is immensely grateful for the work that has been put in by PTSA members to see this project through. Tigerturf from Auckland have, over the April holidays scraped, swept and sprayed the artificial turf. It has been some time since this has been done, so it was badly in need of professional maintenance. View looking down on to K Block. This photograph was taken during a Fire Department exercise. Trees overlooking the BBQ area by the garage have been removed and this has opened the area up to more sun and making it a nicer lunch spot for the girls. Further afield but still part of Otago Girls High School is the Caretaker s house. Over the past year this has been repainted, a new kitchen installed, wall and fireplace removed and new carpet throughout. Finally our plans are well underway for the music suite extension and redevelopment and the access tower. We should be going out to tender soon for the main Contractor and it is hoped that construction will be underway early in December. Mrs E McDonald Business Manager First sign of developments on the Music Suite with a 10m core sample being taken in June.

14 Alumni Leila Gilchrist (70) (nee Stewart) OGHS Hip Hop Star I started at OGHS in 1957 and I can t say I achieved a great deal compared to other rising stars, like my good friend from High St School, Dame Silvia (Poulter) Cartwright. However, I worked as a medical receptionist and found that very rewarding. If I had lived in another age maybe I would have gone to University and studied to become a Doctor or at least a nurse. Growing up my mother declared very firmly - It is a waste of time girls going to University, they only get married and have babies! I knew better than to go against her, so it was off my agenda! I did meet and marry Roger and went onto having two lovely children. After Roger s death, I moved to Waiheke Island in 2009 to be closer to my daughter Christine and her family. In 2012 I was walking home from the village one day. A car stopped, a lady got out and ran over the road and she put a flyer into my hand. It was about starting up a Flash mob and the requirements were to be 65 and over and have a pulse. Well, I was a candidate. I had recovered from a big heart operation and a mini stroke and I had a pulse and thought I might as well go along for a look along with about 70 other contenders. Billie Jordan is a bright go ahead entrepreneur, and after she explained what was required, I thought, well why not have a go! This was the start of our journey. What fun we had doing flash mobs. Billie is a great PR person and through her efforts the media were there to film us and it went viral on Facebook. However in the new year Billie had another plan. She called a meeting and announced that we would now learn Hip Hop! Hip Hop! I thought! You gotta be kidding- isn t that for young folk and spinning on your head and doing flips? She told us we would be going to the World Hip Hop Championships in Las Vegas in August. May as well fly to the moon I thought. But upon reflection somehow we believed it would happen. Off we started on the new dance routine - all very different to doing a Flash mob. We had to learn a new language - with terms like wacking, locking, popping, funk, electric boogaloo, old school, and new wave. Baggie black oversize board shorts, black T shirts and pink, orange and green florescent leg warmers, helped us look a bit funky and more like a Hip Hop group. A chain and a peace sign necklace finished our make over. If we were to go to Las Vegas we needed to learn a new routine which we enjoyed. It is much more staunch. During this period, we had visits from various TV stations, from NZ, Australia, and Europe (including the BBC). Billie and some of our older members did radio and TV interviews and interest took root and flourished. A photo of mine appeared on the front page of the Wall Street Journal. A film crew was to follow our progress for some months, terminating at Las Vegas. This was to produce a full length documentary type film of 95 mins which will be released in November 2014 worldwide. They interviewed some of our interesting seniors and apparently it will be a film where you will laugh and cry. The New Zealand Film Commission has given it the thumbs up and some footage has been sent to Cannes. In August 2013, 27 of us, calling ourselves Hip- Operation made it to the world stage in Las Vegas performing in the World Hip Hop championships. What an exciting time for us to perform in front of 9,000 people. The crowd went wild and even the judges were standing on their seats cheering. There were standing ovations every time we performed. The film crew had been following our progress and they were there to film our grand finale. What fun we all had there. We felt like movie stars as we walked through to our chill out room as young folk were cheering us and wanted photos taken with us. Despite our ages and concerns of people wondering if someone would not make it back from Las Vegas, we all were totally fit and well there. We all have had a new lease on life! We were on the New Zealand s Got Talent show and in November this year we are off to Taiwan. All performers will be senior citizens in a show called Seniors on Broadway. We will be the only westerners in the show and it will naturally all be in Chinese Mandarin. We have been awarded the Oldest Dance group in the world by the Guinness Book of Records, which is a great accolade for us. The average age is 79. Presently the eldest is 95 and the youngest is 67. What a journey we have been on and I am so thankful that in my latter years I am having so much fun. Getting fitter too! I wonder what my old Headmistress Miss Fitzgerald would think of all this? If interested you can follow us on Facebook: Website: Leila Gilchrist (aged 70)

15 Florence Clutha OGHS In the space of six months I will have spent time in Hong Kong, France, Belgium, Germany, Scotland and Spain. Two days after the formal I was saying goodbye to Mum, Dad, Nan and the boyfriend, and heading off to London, on the other side of the world. Being reluctant to part with money as a child paid off, as I had saved a few grand which was enough for a one way plane ticket, and to set up bed at my sisters for two months until I started earning. I am working as an Online Retail Merchandising Assistant for a fancy online department store and I now have the questionably useful knowledge of carafes, decanters, Santoku knives etc. After one month my six month contract was turned permanent and a month later I got my first pay rise. Obviously I had the spirit, determination and was willing to do ANYTHING which was what they were after. I knew nothing about online retail which goes to show if you have the spirit you can fit in anywhere. Travelling has been the best part for sure. I cannot emphasise enough how worthwhile it was welcoming exchange students into my own country because I will tell you first hand that they will be more than happy to do exactly the same for you. In five of the six countries mentioned above I was staying with Dunedin/OGs exchange students. This is the best way to see the true culture of a country and get a rich experience that normal tourists wouldn t. I was the girl that danced. So at work I was going to make the most of this because I wanted to get myself known and show leadership in my workplace. I offered to take part in an office ritual where someone teaches the entire office something they are good at. I called my class Dancing with the Kiwi, and although so many were hoping I d teach them the haka I taught them the cha cha cha. It was a brilliant experience and they all had loads of fun. Chie Shimizu OGHS Chie Shimizu (centre) with current International Students on her recent visit back to Otago Girls High School. Students from L-R: Aya Ehara, Yuka Fukuzaki (rear), Maho Watanabe (rear) Kaede Nasu, Yu Ikegami. Staff and International students were delighted by a recent visit from ex-girl Chie Shimizu who was an international student from Japan from 2005 to In 2007 she was the Otago Girls International Prefect. Chie spoke to our current international students and explained how when she first arrived at Otago Girls her friend was the dictionary. She stresses how international students needed to try hard to make new Kiwi friends and they shouldn t be afraid to talk to the teachers. She recalled how she was very homesick when she first arrived in New Zealand and called home many times. But without a doubt it was a wonderful period of her life and everything about her time at Otago Girls was special. She recalled fondly that her favourite Kiwi food was nachos. Chie returned to Japan after her time at Otago Girls and spent two years at Polytech intending to become a cabin attendent. However she went to Canada and spent three months in Vancouver obtaining a TESOL qualifiction in English as a second language. Chie has spent the last two years working for ANA Airlines as a ground hosteess at Tokyo International Airport. During her time with our current international students Chie stressed how much easier it was to get a job if you spoke good English and how glad she was that she had graduated from Otago Girls. To sum it up, make friends with anyone and everyone and save your pennies so that you too can one day see the world! Florence Clutha Chie Shimizu at Otago Girls in 2006

16 House system introduced at OGHS Allan Benjamin Cruickshank Williams At a special assembly on the last day of Term 2 the House System at Otago Girls High School was launched. Apart from a very short lived house system in operation for part of 1979 this appears to be the first time in the history of the school that houses have been established. After consultation with the students, staff and alumni it was decided that the houses would be named after ex-students. Siedeberg would have been an obvious choice but as we already have a building named after Emily Siedeberg this name was not considered. The final four names selected were: Allan (Orange) after Flora Allan, Dux of Otago Girls High School in 1879 and Principal of the School from Flora attended OGHS from 1876 to Benjamin (Blue) after Ethel Benjamin, New Zealand s first woman law graduate (1897). Ethel started at OGHS in 1883 when she was eight years old and was a pupil at the school until Cruickshank (Red) after Dr Margaret Cruickshank, New Zealand s first woman medical graduate to practise. Margaret was a pupil at the school from 1888 to 1891 and Dux in her final year. Williams (Green) after Yvette Williams (now Corlett), the first New Zealand woman to win a gold Olympic medal. She won gold in the long jump at the Helsinki Olympics in Yvettte attended OGHS from 1942 to The four House Captains for 2014 gave a presentation on their house namesake at the special assembly, where they were presented with House Leader and Prefect Badges. The leaders Melanie Paddon, Alex Lesa, Katie Borich, and Phoebe Morrison are ably supported by their deputy leaders: Sam Trevathan, Alix Fraser and Tabitha Seaton (Allan), Melissa Thomson, Isabel Jenkins, Holly Johnstone (Benjamin), Ruby Heyward, Sydney Evans-Tobata, Ala Ghandour (Cruickshank) and Abby Zonneveld, Losaline Ikahihifo, Karley Wilden-Palms (Williams). All students and staff have been allocated to a house with sisters being placed in the same house, hopefully enabling future generations to continue House links. House Captains 2014 Melanie Paddon Alex Lesa Katie Borich Phoebe Morrison

17 From the archives Earlier this year the photograph below was sent to Otago Girls by a woman in England who wanted to identify if a girl in the photograph was her family member. She asked for help in identifying if the GHS on the panama hat related to Otago Girls. It could be confirmed that the girls were indeed wearing our hat badge and further investigation confirmed that the students were representing the school and taking part in a street collection for the Hospital Saturday Association in December The site of the collection was outside the chemist on corner of the Octagon and George Street. The student on the left of the photograph is Charlotte Alma Nissen who attended Otago Girls in Generous donation from 1954 reunion group In February this year Otago Girls were pleased to host a reunion of students who had started at this school in It was a delight to meet with these ex-students and hear them reminisce about their days here. They were delighted to be joined for part of the celebrations by one of their teachers Eileen Robson (later Wallis). Recently one of their committee members Mary Browne (nee Keedwell) returned to present the school with a number of gifts on their behalf. These included $1407 for the Alumni Association, to go towards two historic display panels and for some items for the recently refurbished canteen. They also gave us a framed print by Mary s sister, well known water colour artist Nancy Tichborne. Other gifts from them included DVD s and books produced by the three Keedwell sisters, Mary, Nancy and Helen (Leach) and a book by their committee chairperson Win Parkes. Mary Browne (at right) with her sister Nancy Tichborne s print which she presented to Alumni Secretary and school Librarian Jane Smallfield. Jane is holding some of the other items presented to the Library.

18 International Students This year we have ELLs (English Language Learners) from several countries: Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong, China, India, Tonga, Samoa, Papua New Guinea, Taiwan, Korea, Germany and Syria. They all make valuable contributions to our school community. These students display our school s values of Positivity, Integrity and Respect as they work incredibly hard to succeed at school here, facing extra hurdles such as a new country, new environment and studying in another language. We are immensely proud of how well they do academically. In 2013, the following students received NCEA endorsements: Level 3: Excellence: Sap Srisomnuk, Merit: Ye Ji Hwang, Ye Jin Park, Lusa Liang and Yifan Yin Level 2: Merit: Earn Patrathiranond and Anna Takahashi Level 1: Merit: Michelle Bong and Amy Patrathiranond The students who completed Year 13 last year are studying at universities in New Zealand and overseas. Their studies range from fashion design to commerce to engineering. Having a wide range of subjects available at OGHS has allowed the students to discover areas of interest and talent then pursue their dreams. Our 2014 students have taken on new challenges offered at school and been rewarded with fantastic experiences and accomplishments. They have joined the Year 12 Borland and Sidey camps, the Year 11 Mount Cook camp, the International and Year 10 marae trips, the chamber music group, the choir and several played in the orchestra that performed in the senior production. The valuable skills and rewards gained from these opportunities provide our ELL students with the confidence and ability to build their own futures. Katherine Boomer, International Dean Yuka Akitomo, Bow Benjakul and Fly Cheung at Mt Cook Mãori Achievement Strategic Goal 2 : To maximise the retention and achievement of Māori students. Achievement rates for NCEA continue to indicate good progress towards our aspirational goal of all students achieving success as Māori. Our results are considerably higher than the national Māori statistics. 87% Māori students (21) achieved Level 1 (70.8% nationally), 100% Māori students (16) achieved Level 2 (68.2% nationally), 81% Māori students (19) achieved Level 3 (80% nationally) and 75% of Māori students achieved University Entrance (54% nationally) Another whānau NCEA night and a student lunch inviting them to be part of a focus group have been held this year. Māori students have been encouraged to join our kapa haka group, which had a noho wānanga early in Term One. We have also stayed at Puketeraki Marae and at Te Rau Aroha marae in Bluff. Students have had the opportunity to attend the Science Wananga based on marine research, visited Māori art exhibitions, worked with Māori students from Te Tumu (Māori Department) of the University of Otago and have taken part in a noho marae along with associated events to celebrate Puaka Matariki. Senior students have supported our Social Studies classes visits to Puketeraki. A large group attended the Otago Southland regional speech competitions for Ngā Manu Kōrero, where we fielded four competitiors, three of whom were placed. Dallas Bowler- Scott achieved a top placing for her section and so we will be attending the national competition in Napier later this year. We were particularly pleased when a New Zealand Qualifications Authority panel reviewed a performance at Hautonga, the regional Otago/ Southland Kapa Haka competitions, and judged our students as meeting attributes of a number of performing arts standards at Level Three. In 2015 we propose to continue to increase the ourse options which reflect Māori concepts and understanding. Joe Hunter, Dean of Māori Students

19 Pasifika achievements 2013 NCEA Achievement Data: 87.5% of our Level 1 Pasifika students gained Level 1 NCEA. 100% of Level 2 students gained Level 2 NCEA, while 66.7% of our Level 3 students attained Level 3 NCEA. 83.3% of our Pasifika students gained University Entrance. All percentages are above the national average with the exception of Level 3 NCEA where the national average was 79.6%. Pasifika Success Talanoa Project: This year OGHS has joined a cluster of Dunedin schools through the Pasifika Success Talanoa Project (PSTP). PSTP provides teachers and leaders with the opportunity to build confidence and to become more competent in the development and implementation of culturally responsive practices to raise achievement. Pasifika Proud Fono: In May the Otago Girls Pasifika Cultural Group performed for the Ministry of Social Development through the Pasifika Proud Fono. The organisation kindly donated $300 to the group to assist with the cost of this year s regional Polyfest. Senior students had the opportunity to meet with Minister Tariana Turia. Dare to Succeed Camp and Homework Groups: The Pacific Islands Centre, of University of Otago, has provided our Pasifika students with University Tutors to assist with school homework. Currently we meet on Wednesdays at Otago Boys High School. The plan for Term Three is to establish our own after school programme with the Pacific Island Centre on Tuesdays. Cultural Chords: Our Pasifika Choir has a new director, Metitilani Alo. He is currently studying a Bachelor of Music at the University of Otago. Metitilani is also one of our homework tutors provided by Pacific Island Centre. Dunedin Polyfest: Students are working hard on performances for the Pasifika Festival in September. Auckland Polyfest: Senior Pasifika students are in the process of drafting a proposal to Ms Linda Miller and the Board of Trustees to attend next year s Polynesian Festival in Auckland. Eugene Shields Pasifika Dean, HOD Visual and Performing Arts, Alexzandria Matagi Stevenson Cultural Chords performing at Big Sing.

20 Cadyne Geary in Mamma Mia Photo by: Chris Sullivan - Seen in Dunedin. In October 2013, I found the courage to take a big step in my life. I auditioned for Mamma Mia (the Taieri Musical Society s 2014 production) and to my absolute surprise I was given the opportunity to perform. Being in a musical suddenly became a wonderful reality (from a dream I had had since I was a young girl). I was thrown into the thespian world of singing rehearsals, choreographic setting, promotional acts and even early morning boot camps. All of these things, so incredibly new and challenging were exactly what I needed in my final year of schooling. Not only did I get to sing and dance on the stage of the Regent Theatre (alongside a cast of extremely talented people) I received an experience in maturity that I would never have gained if I didn t take the chance to audition. I was introduced to some exceptionally amazing people (who I know I will be dear friends with forever) and had to take some extreme responsibilities in organising my time and prioritising things. I had gained the knowledge of how to deal with these responsibilities through Otago Girls and for that I am truly thankful. I now know what parts of the world I want to explore in my future and that is because I took that chance to audition almost a year ago. Mamma Mia was the most beautiful experience I could have ever asked for and I can t wait to be in more musicals for years to come. Cadyne Geary Year 13 Students meetjane Goodall In June four of our students Phoebe Morrison, Kelsey Mee, Nadya Keniya and Bokyong Mun were super lucky to have the opportunity to meet Jane Goodall, world renowned biologist and environmental activist. She made significant discoveries regarding chimpanzees and the way they are related to humans. She is also a big promoter of environmental sustainability and animal rights. Meeting Jane Goodall was a surreal experience. It was a once in a life time opportunity. While we were with her, we planted trees at Orokanui ecosanctuary, braving the cold and then shared with her what environmental projects we have achieved so far, and hope to do in the future. She then spoke to us about her work in Africa, and the work Roots and Shoots does, an environmental youth group she founded. Listening to her speak was truly inspirational and further encouraged us to take action to protect our natural environment. Jane is a strong believer in everybody being environmentally conscious and the fact that every little action counts. With Jane s visit, she officially started the Otago group of Roots and Shoots, and we are all excited and rearing to get going, and make a difference environmentally and socially in our community. Bokyong Mun and Phoebe Morrison Year 13 Otago Girls High School, 41 Tennyson Street, Dunedin admin@otagogirls.school.nz