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 toTipeneoldboys@hotmail.com
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