Kia Ora, Talofa, Kumusta, Salaam Alaikum, Ni Hao, Konnichi Wa, Guten Tag, Malo e Lelei and Warm Greetings to you all. 

As I reflect on my first year as Tumuaki/Principal, I am filled with gratitude for the warm welcome and support I have received from everyone. Community, staff and students.

As an old girl of our esteemed kura, I want to express how truly humbling it is to return and serve our community. It is with immense gratitude that I step into this role, committed to upholding the legacy of the remarkable principles established by those who have come before me. I firmly believe that a sustained effort over a period of time, will allow us to implement meaningful changes and achieve significant success together.

This long-term dedication not only enables us to build strong relationships within the community but also fosters an environment where innovative ideas can flourish. I am excited about the potential we have to create a lasting impact on our students and the wider community.

Together, we have had the opportunity to elevate our community and achieve the goals we all aspire to. I am excited to collaborate with our parents/community, as we work hand in hand to ensure that our kura continues to thrive and that every member feels valued and empowered.  Reconnecting with our kura community has been a rewarding experience, and I am excited to continue this journey together for years to come.

I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the incredible journey we have embarked on together this year. It has been truly heartwarming to witness our ākonga grow in confidence as they transition from Intermediate Year 7 and Year 8 into secondary kura. Their development is a testament to the hard work and dedication of everyone involved.

I am particularly proud of the collaboration between our contributing kuras, which has been instrumental in fostering connections with our next generation. It is encouraging to see the recent statistics reflecting an increase in ākonga choosing our kura as their preferred option. This achievement not only brings me immense joy but also reinforces my confidence in our community's ability to work together harmoniously.

The spirit of collaboration and mutual support among our kuras is commendable and plays a vital role in fostering a positive educational environment. Together, we are creating a thriving Eastside community that prioritises the success and well-being of our ākonga.

The utilisation of our senior prefects has not only enhanced our ākonga's experiences but has also strengthened the bonds between our kuras. It is inspiring to see how these partnerships have flourished, creating a supportive network for our ākonga. Moreover, I want to commend the Te Aratai staff members for their commitment to serving Te Aratai. This initiative not only enriches our community but also equips our educators with valuable insights and knowledge. By working together, we are ensuring that we are well-prepared to welcome and encourage our future ākonga.

I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to Mr Paul Osbourne, our Deputy Principal, for stepping in during the recent senior prizegiving ceremony while I celebrated my wedding. It was a joyous occasion, and I appreciate the understanding and support from everyone involved.

This year has been remarkable, and I have thoroughly enjoyed building connections with our ākonga, staff, whānau and the community. The dedication and commitment I see in our staff inspire me daily, and I am proud to be part of a kura that values excellence and community spirit. Our ākonga have shown outstanding potential, and I am eager to work collaboratively with our community and continue to lead to help them achieve their goals.

I am particularly grateful to our parents/caregivers  for their unwavering support of our young people. Together, we can create an environment that fosters aspiration and achievement. I look forward to engaging with our community, caregivers/ parents, staff, and most importantly, our ākonga, to ensure that we continue to strive for excellence.

Ka nui te mihi/thank you for making my first year so memorable. I am excited about what lies ahead and am committed to championing our Kura values of hope, achievement, success, collaboration and continuous improvement.

Mrs Maria Lemalie-Herbert

Tumuaki/Principal 

Te Aratai College

Kia ora koutou

As the school year comes to a close, we are working with the Ministry of Education to provide room for our roll growth. Not only do we have strong enrollments for next year, we still have students enrolling for the rest of this term. At the start of the year Tāhuhu moved into the eight new offsite manufactured classrooms behind Te Puna, which freed up space in Te Whare Ako. This has worked out well for our Year 7 and 8s as they have their own spaces and it has worked out well for the senior students as the Year 7 and 8s now have their own spaces.

Over the holidays we are expecting four classrooms from what was Linwood College at Otākaro to rejoin us on this site. We propose to shift the Art Department there.

Site works will start soon on a sixteen class block to be completed and ready for the start of 2026. We will be shifting the Science Department into this new block.

It will be good to get all the building matters sorted out, signed off and underway. The time and resources the school is spending on buildings could be better spent on educating our students.

We have had another successful year of culture, sport and performance at Te Aratai. One thing that is apparent is the amount of time and effort our staff put in outside the classroom. Without staff participation in these activities many would not happen. We are fortunate to have staff who are so committed to our community and the Board would like to thank them all for the individual contributions they each make to the school.

As we farewell our students and whanau who are leaving Te Aratai we wish them well on whatever journey their future takes them. It hasn't been our intention but we have provided them with an ever-changing school environment so hopefully they are well equipped to succeed in an ever-changing world.

We hope the exams go well for those who are sitting and wish all our students a relaxing Christmas break.

Ngā mihi nui.

Kia ora koutou te whānau

It is my pleasure to welcome you all to Te Aratai College's Senior Prizegiving. This year has been a year of growth, learning, and resilience, and it's fitting that we gather here to celebrate the achievements of our senior students.

Firstly, I want to acknowledge the absence of our Principal, Maria Lemalie, who sends her warmest congratulations to our prize winners. Maria is currently connecting with her whānau in Samoa after her recent wedding. This is a significant moment for her, and we wish her all the best as she celebrates this special time with her loved ones. 

This year marked Maria's first year as principal of Te Aratai College, and she has made a significant impact on our school community. Her leadership, dedication, and passion for education have been invaluable. We look forward to seeing her return and continuing to build on the positive momentum she has established.

Sadly, this year also brought us the loss of two beloved members of our school community. Firstly, Samantha Boyce de-Cruz. Sam was a long-standing drama teacher and kaiārahi to many of our students, particularly those in Year 13. Her sudden passing was a shock to us all, and her absence is deeply felt. We remember her with love and gratitude for her contributions to our school.

Additionally, we remember the sudden passing of Samara Mackie-Smith, a valued member of our support staff. Samara was a kind and compassionate individual who made a positive impact on the lives of many students.

Both are sorely missed.

As we celebrate the achievements of our senior students, we also acknowledge the challenges they have faced, both individually and collectively.

The past few years have been unprecedented, and their resilience and determination in the face of adversity are truly commendable.

Tonight, we honour those students who have excelled in their academic pursuits, cultural activities, community service and their contributions to our school community. Your hard work, dedication, and resilience have been truly inspiring. Each of you has contributed to the rich tapestry of Te Aratai College, and your successes are a testament to your individual talents and the support of your teachers, whānau, and peers.

On behalf of the staff, students, and whānau of Te Aratai College, I congratulate you all on your achievements. We wish you all the best in your future endeavours.

Thank you.

Closing remarks:

As we conclude this evening's prizegiving, I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to our dedicated staff. Their tireless efforts, commitment to excellence, and unwavering support for our students have been instrumental in shaping the successes we celebrate tonight.

I would also like to acknowledge the invaluable support of our whānau. Your encouragement, guidance, and sacrifices have played a vital role in our students' journeys. Your partnership with our school is truly appreciated.

As our Year 13 students embark on their next chapter, we wish them all the best. May they continue to dream big, work hard, and pursue their passions. We are incredibly proud of what they have achieved and confident that they will continue to make a positive impact on the world.

Thank you all for joining us tonight.

I’d like to start off by thanking Mr Edmundson for all the work he has put into this school and our growth, especially with the “40 million dollar” rebuild of this school site. I'd also like to thank Ms Lemalie for being the one to see us through to the end of such a big chapter in our lives. 

I remember walking into the first day of Year 9 with such an excitement for my journey here, and boy what a journey it has been. This has been such a memorable part of my life and I'm sure I can say the same for the year 13s here. 

I am so grateful for the staff and teachers who have been a huge encouragement and help over these years and I can safely say that we all have certain people that we will miss dearly, especially those who aren’t here such as Ms Mora and Miss Cruz. Miss Cruz will always be in my heart and I am so saddened that she isn’t here to watch us graduate but I'm sure she is up there somewhere making sure we don’t stumble on our paths. I will always remember her being such a supportive and kind part of my life and I am forever awed by her ability to keep pushing through, even when times get hard. 

The friends I have made at school have also been a massive part of my life, not just school but every aspect of it and even though I definitely won’t miss those frigid mornings spent waiting for the bell to ring before school, I hope and pray that these relationships will continue to flourish past high school and into the rest of our lives. 

To the Year 11s and 12s, you are so close to finishing and we are all so proud of you for making it this far. I wish you luck with the rest of your school journeys. To my fellow graduates, leaving school may seem scary but you have such an incredible opportunity to turn your lives into something beautiful, and I encourage you all to take risks, enjoy the little things and live life to its fullest. 

Mum and Dad, you have raised me to be the person I am today and I cannot see myself in any other situation. For that I am so so grateful. Sophie, you have been, and still are, such a massive inspiration as I am incredibly proud and baffled by the amount of effort you put into your education, your relationships, and your unwavering faith in God. Thank you for being my big sis and being there giving me plenty of boosts to gain opportunities that I wouldn't be able to achieve without you.

Thank you and have an amazing rest of your night.

Kia ora

It is an honour to be able to speak on behalf of the year 13s and beyond here today. 

I wanted to start off by thanking the people who have got me here today - my friends, my family and of course my teachers. When I walked into the school gates at the start of Year 7, I didn’t think I would be up here some 6 years later, delivering this speech to you all. I have been through 7 English teachers, met what feels like 10,000 people, been in two musicals, and even been to Vietnam! But I didn’t think it felt right to make this speech all from the perspective of myself. At the end of the day, it was a team effort getting here. So I asked some of the Year 13s how they would describe their journey at Te Aratai College. I got quite a few responses (not all positive), but the top ones and my personal favourites include fulfilling, entertaining, chill and lots of good memories that will live on for the rest of our lives. I do still have some questions though; like what's the point of that random rock climbing wall on the side of the gym? And does Mr Haywood own any clothes other than suits? This school has definitely made an impact on us. 

The staff here are, in my personal opinion, some of the best in the business. Alan Fielding, Matua Sam, Dick Edmundson, Miss PK, Mr Singh (for the real OGS out there), just to name a few. Though sadly, earlier this year, we did lose one of the best, not only teachers, but humans I have ever met. Samantha Boyce-Da Cruz was a shining example of how a teacher can really change students' lives. How a teacher can feel less like a teacher at times and more like a close friend, or second mother. How much a teacher is willing to sacrifice and put on the line to support and help us kids. Miss Boyce Da-Cruz, not a day goes by where we don’t think about you. I would like to leave this on one last quote, a quote that Miss Cruz would write at the end of her emails, which I think perfectly sums up her, and the many students here at Te Aratai college currently, and the students that will come through these halls for years to come from now: “Precious Star, you are the best at what you are.” 

Thank you!

Kia ora ko Raniera toko ingoa he huri noa te tairawhiti. 

Kia ora, I'm Raniera. 

I was privileged to be one of the head students and also one of the Māori prefects. I was beyond grateful to have this opportunity to represent my whānau and myself. Nothing too big from me, but thank yous and I appreciate you, and good luck to our Year 13s with whatever you have planned to do after school, and to the other students to give everything a crack before you leave school. First and foremost I just wanted to thank my whānau. Without you, I wouldn’t be standing here with a head student badge on my chest and have the privilege to speak to you all tonight.

My first acknowledgement - Whaea Manu and Piripi. Thank you both for everything you have done for me during my schooling years. Thank you for trusting me to lead our kaihaka on stage at nationals this year, nga mihi nui korua. Next is Mr Harding - thank you Sir for believing in me, to be able to lead our sports team, for always being there to back me up if I’ve messed up everything you’ve done since I walked through that red door at the old site to now. Nga mihi nui ki a koe. Mr G, thank you for giving me the opportunity to be able to lead the school from the front. Thank you for believing that everyone has second chances. Thank you to all our teachers, for all the help over the years. If I’ve missed people, I do apologise, I’ve only been given a couple minutes. Thank you everyone, you all have an amazing rest of your year, and good luck for the years to come.

Tena koutou.

My name is Dormay Laufiso. I am grateful and blessed to have been given this opportunity to share a few words with you one last time as one of your head students. 

My journey here at Te Aratai started back in 2020 when I was a Year 9 student, and when it was called Linwood College at Otakaro. That 12-year-old certainly wouldn't have thought she would get this far back then, but I want to acknowledge God, because he has been my guiding light. Through every challenge and triumph, I have felt His presence, reminding me that I am never alone. In moments of doubt, I found strength in prayer, in times of joy, I found gratitude in His blessings. 

To my parents, thank you for your unwavering love and support. You have been my biggest cheerleaders, always believing in my potential even when I struggled to see it myself. Dad, you've always reminded me of the importance of hard work. No matter how tired you get from work, you always stay up late for our late night study sessions, and Mum, you've always reminded me that no matter what I do, always remember that it is never about the destination, it's about the journey. I am forever grateful for the values you both have instilled in me and I will never forget the sacrifices you have made. 

To my teachers, thank you for your patience, dedication, and passion. You have inspired me to think critically and push my boundaries. Your belief in me has fueled my desire to learn and grow. 

And to my friends, thank you for being my support system. Through laughter and tears, we have navigated this journey together. You have made the tough days brighter and the good days even better.

In closing, my journey has been a beautiful adventure, marked by growth and discovery. I am immensely grateful to God, my parents, my teachers, and my friends for their unwavering support. I look forward to what lies ahead, carrying the lessons and love from all of you in my heart.