“Hectic”, “meeting after meeting”, and “emails galore” – trials of head student life, but a newly-founded knack for to do lists has their desires standing firm.
Twelve Garin College students have got themselves comfy in the opening weeks of the 2025 school year in their pivotal roles, managing students’ capabilities in academics, sport, culture, arts and Christian service.
All were shocked to make it to this point after a nerve-wracking process, but the head students, who aspire to tertiary study, the Royal New Zealand Air Force and performing in the circus upon graduation, have feasible plans up their blazer navy blue sleeves.
They commended their predecessors for unveiling their head student secrets as they handed over the mantle.
Ben Adlam and Flora Jackson have the learning portfolio, and they hope to revolutionise the peer tutoring sessions timetable with sessions during homeroom time.
“In previous years, we’ve run peer tutoring programmes where it’s just a single tutee and tutor, and often kids don’t come because they’re either nervous to be on their own or they just don’t have the time because they usually run at lunch times or after school,” Flora says.
“Not everyone, especially when they have struggles with subjects, wants to spend their free time doing hard stuff, they just don’t enjoy it.
“But if they can maybe get out of class in the mornings and spend time with a group of people, they can have friends to encourage them.”
Naima Selg and Abbie Parker have arts, and wish to adorn the college grounds with students’ art boards which they undertake for NCEA assessment.
“I would really love to do an art gallery near the end of the year, and that would give them incentives to get some of their board done, because I know people procrastinate a lot,” Abbie says.
Ayla Turner and Caitlin Gorn are the college’s Ngā Amorangi (Māori leaders) and will push the use of our indigenous language wherever possible.
Sadie Wills’ area of expertise is the Pasifika culture which she says has “come really far” at Garin over the past year, and she hopes to emulate a day to celebrate the culture and cram student’s brains with Pasifika knowledge.
Gus Western, Franchezka Diza and Hector McNeilly are captaining sport and want to ensure the area is inviting, especially to the junior students, to bolster participation.
Kate Rankin and Sophie Pahl spearhead the college’s charism and want to rein in more students to assist at masses and liturgies, so they are more involved in one of the college’s main facets.
