Rewarding Success – Girls’ School Prizegiving 2015
Rewarding Success – Girls’ School Prizegiving 2015
December 10, 2015 at 3:14 PM
Excellence, progress, diligence, spirit, and promise – whether it be in academics, the cultural programme, sport or citizenship, these qualities were all recognised at today’s Girls’ School prizegiving. There wasn't a spare seat available in JC Chalmers Hall at the Boys’ School as families gathered to conclude the school with a celebration of the girls’ achievements.
The ceremony was started with Girls’ School graduate and now College pupil Fayth Doherty giving back to her community by piping in the official party of Trust Board members and staff, School leaders and special guests. The Chairman of the Trust Board, Dr Bruce Goodfellow, congratulated the School on another successful year and encouraged the girls to continue to maintain and enhance the standards of excellence they have set. Acting principal Mrs Judith Dobson recapped the many accomplishments the students have achieved this year, both individually and in performance groups and sports teams. ‘The Saint Kentigern way is based on the values by which we live and work; and which we want to encourage in our students by developing confidence, resilience, enthusiasm, positivity, a work ethic, empathy and all the other attributes we hold dear; always urging the girls to reach for the sky to become the people they aspire to be,’ she said.
Academic prizes were awarded from Year 0 to 8, with awards for individual subjects starting in Year 5. The prolific cultural and sports programmes at the School were celebrated with awards for speech and drama, art, and music, and for the winners of our School sports championships and most valuable players of our teams. For the second year running, multi-talented athlete Zara Smith was named sportswoman of the year. The first of the special awards was for citizenship, which went to Selena Agaimalo. Head Girl Moiralisa Aneru is the inaugural recipient of the Dr Sandra K Hastie Cup for School Spirit, for her embodiment of the values of Saint Kentigern.
As well as being a successful sportswoman, Zara Smith is a musician, actor, all-round academic and accomplished public speaker. Zara gained distinction in her oral assessment this year and won the senior speech competition, as well as winning the Remuera Zone speech competition. She was first in social science and Christian education in 2015 and is this year’s proxime accessit.
Kristen Hansen received distinction in her Grade 4 Trinity College speech and drama examination. She was selected as the most promising performer in her age group at the Auckland speech and drama competitions and placed first in the School in Science. She is a well-deserved recipient of the Dux of the School for 2015.
While this was largely a time of celebration, there was a tinge of sadness with it being the final gathering of the Year 8 girls before they embark on their various new challenges next year. In her vote of thanks to the School, Head Girl Moiralisa Aneru paid tribute to this group of girls who will always be daughters of Kentigern. ‘This School has no doubt brought out the best in us and allowed us to explore our full potential.’ She encouraged her ‘little sisters’ that she is leaving behind to follow their dreams as they continue on their path to becoming bold young women.
Congratulations to all the girls who received awards today and farewell to our leaving Year 8 students. We look forward to following your future success!
