Southside recently celebrated 25 years of supporting young women who have previously faced barriers to education.
It was a joyous occasion for all the guests, current and past students who attended the event at the school’s Sunnybank campus on 15 September.
Guests enjoyed poetry, singing, fast and slow beat Cook Island traditional dancing, and a fashion parade of all the past student uniforms. We were blessed to have Uncle Raymond Walker and the Ginibi dancers perform a smoking ceremony and tell traditional stories through dance.
We heard from past students who attributed much of their success in life to the support that Southside afforded them when they were students at the school.
A 25-year celebratory plaque was later unveiled by Uncle Raymond and long-standing staff member Aunty Adelaide Saylor, who have both made a huge contribution to the school since it began in 1997.
The current students then lead the guests on a school tour, so they could enjoy the art display and much of the school memorabilia on display in the classrooms.
We then enjoyed a delicious feast together and reminisced about old times with all the past students.
Here are some of the highlights from the day