Yr 13 Leadership Camp
I have already been impressed with the outstanding cohort of Year 13 students we have this year, and they proved this with their efforts, enthusiasm and co-operation during our start of year camp at Staveley. Teenagers can be on the receiving end of a lot of criticism and often fall victim to stereotypes, but we are incredibly lucky to have such amazing youth in our community. The Year 13 camp is always a highlight of the year, and it is a chance for our students to bond as a team, and consider how their influence can really impact school culture.
The camp started with a team building exercise, where blindfolded students had to trust their leader to navigate them as a group around a set course. This was followed by a series of team building activities run by our Head Students, designed to increase communication, critical thinking, and team work. Students had to consider the different personalities in their group, and work together to solve problems and complete challenges.
We are grateful yet again to Mrs Roderick who came and delivered a thought provoking presentation to students. She pointed out that “luck” is the intersection of hard work and opportunity, and encouraged students to think about how living above the line, and learning to take ownership, accountability and responsibility can make a difference in their lives. Mr Saxon’s workshop on our PRIDE values gave students an opportunity to consider what these look like at MHC and how they as Year 13s could further enhance our school values.
Karaoke, a game of spotlight, card games (where the teachers even managed to beat the students a fair few times) and sports also made an appearance.
It was a pleasure to take this group away for a couple of days, and I am excited to work with such a fantastic bunch for 2026.
A massive thank you goes to our Year 13 kaiāwhina, Ms Paterson and Mrs Smith, and to Mr Saxon and Mrs Roderick for their efforts.
Jenna Chenery
Year 13 Dean
