Trophy finds friends at school

by JEFF DILLON
Friday afternoon assembly took on an extra meaning for the children at Sacred Heart Primary School in North East Valley, Dunedin, when they had the chance to familiarise themselves with a trophy that most of Dunedin is very thankful for.

Sacred Heart pupils show their delight in learning about their rugby franchise’s trophy. Unobscured adults, from left to right, principal Paul Richardson, teacher Kath Rutherford, grandparent Michael Botting, teacher Bronwyn Bradshaw, parent Emmeline Kendrick and (kneeling) DRS Pesamino- Solomona Tili.

During the inside section of the assembly, one of the themes touched on was about being thankful — and prayers and songs touched on that.
When the children and adults were invited outside, a special treat awaited them. There on a table decorated
with the Highlanders Super 15 franchise flags stood the winner’s trophy, the Super 15 Cup.
The children greeted the Highlander’s team manager, Paul McLaughlan, whose children had attended the school until this year, with a mihi whakatau led by Director of Religious Studies Pesamino-Solomona Tili.
Mr McLaughlan was then tested with a range of searching questions from the children about the cup, and they learned vital bits of detail such as that it weighs 25kg and had its own seat on the plane beside Mr McLaughlan on the way back from Wellington after the Highlanders won the final.
They were also pleased to learn that the cup would remain in Dunedin for ever now, as the 2015 Super 15 competition was the last of that format and would be replaced by the enlarged Super 18 competition for 2016, and therefore by a new trophy.
The pupils were grateful that Mr McLaughlan’s visit had been arranged by one of the parents of the school’s Parents and Friends group.
Principal Paul Richardson discovered the cup also contained some treats in the form of lollies, reinforcing the delight of pupils and making them super thankful for having the trophy visit their school.