Wednesday 18 March 2026
Our Community Service Programme has been well into the ‘swing of things’ with our much-loved Ōtāhuhu Fun-Day being held on Saturday 7 March. This flagship occasion has provided the main focus for our students who have been preparing for it over the last few weeks. With the dedicated efforts of our Senior Sacristans, led by Betty Yao (Year 13, Taylor), this year has been a major undertaking with around ninety of our students involved in everything from baking cupcakes, making candy-floss and popcorn, face-painting, monitoring the bouncy castle, attending to waste management and setting up and resourcing many of the stalls.
It is wonderful to see the enthusiasm and commitment of our students as they engage with members of our local community - flying the banner for King’s College as part of the heritage of the Mangere-Ōtāhuhu ward. Students were given the opportunity to ‘rub shoulders’ with many wider community organisations and see the diversity and impact they provide in the wider area. Organisations such as Anglican Trust for Women and Children, The Citizens Advice Bureau, The Fatimah Foundation, Auckland Council, The Mangere-Otahuhu Local Board and others, provide important local services and were all represented at the well-attended event.
Additionally, it was a highlight to see our students working so well together with Ōtāhuhu College and McAuley High School during the day. King’s has now been invited to take even more of an organisational role in the planning and execution of this important event in 2027.
By way of update on other Community Service matters, this year we are pleased to be offering four afternoons a week for official Community Service activities, which means we can provide more opportunities for students to take part after school from 3pm-4:45pm. This also means extra afternoons with the same organisations we have previously supported or getting involved in, and with new collaborations like volunteering to assist with after-school care at Panama Road School. We appreciate the efforts our students have made to get involved with Community Service during Term 1 - especially when there are so many demands on their time. As the year progresses, we will keep you updated on these events - both regular and one-off - as they are such an important part of College life.
In closing, I want to also acknowledge all those students that contribute to the Community Service programme, via their own initiatives outside of the school, many in their own local communities. If students wish to accrue hours, outside of the official channels offered between 3pm and 4.45pm (Mon-Thurs), they are most welcome to approach me, to see as to whether a prospective community service initiative fits within the scope of what we offer and to check if it is eligible for Community Service hours.
Ngā mihi,
Mr Antony Horacek-Glading