St Stephens Old Boys’ National Hui: Potential Re-Opening

St Stephens Old Boys’ National Hui To Discuss Potential Re-Opening Of

St Stephen’s School


What: National hui for St Stephens School Old Boys and Supporters

When: 9am – 4pm Saturday April 6th 2013

Where: Holy Sepulchre Church, Corner of Khyber Pass Burleigh Street, Grafton, Auckland

Purpose: Present to the Feasibility Working Group a guided view on what the boys want a new school to look like, and form a national St Stephens old boys’ committee.

How? Canvas old boys’ and supporters on how a new school may look. Elect candidates to a national committee and to provide an opportunity for all old boys to be updated on matters of the school.

Cost: $30 pp inc morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea

Contact: Phone 0800TIPENE (0800847363) to register in advance

Background

The call is going out for St Stephen’s old boys to take ownership of their school’s future.

After a decade of keeping the dream alive, St Stephens old boy Joe Harawira says the hui will give old boys and supporters a rare opportunity to influence decisions around the school’s future.

A feasibility study into the possible reopening of St Stephens and its sister school Queen Victoria is currently underway, commissioned by the schools’ trust board.

Mr Harawira has confirmed that the feasibility working group will be attending and a presentation will be made to it on behalf of old boys.

“This hui is about empowering the old boys with ownership of the kaupapa about the new school and putting up a framework and presenting that to the feasibility working group.”

“We’re in a new world quite different to the one we were brought through at Tipene, and what I would dearly love is for us to be thinking about the future rather than having the past guide us, in terms of the school as it was.”

An online survey asking old boys their thoughts on ideal models for the future should the school reopen will feed into the April 6 presentation says Mr Harawira.

“My sense is that we need to be thinking about the future and to provide an education that will prepare our tamariki-mokopuna to become global citizens.”

More than 200 people are expected to attend the April 6 hui.

And with a positive partnership emerging between the old boys and the St Stephens and Queen Victoria Schools’ Trust Board, Mr Harawira says electing a national committee "will formalise and strengthen the cause for reopening the school".

“We’re just happy to be involved and working with the Church, and the trust board will be crucial to the advancement of our aspirations and dreams to once again offer St Stephens School as a school of choice for future Maori leaders.”

Committee candidates email profile to Tipeneoldboys@hotmail.com

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