10th May 2010

Wednesday 10 March 2010 will certainly go down in the annals of Collegiate as a special day of celebration as the long awaited new wing was officially unveiled. A dream for many years of our former Headmistress, Miss Pam Cameron Ellis, and an absolute necessity in the academic life of the school, became another goal reached as the girls welcomed Miss Ellis back to cut the ribbon and declare the new Ivy Leaf open for the girls. For the teachers gathered on the side-lines watching, it was a moving occasion as the girls struggled to maintain their excitement yet were so polite to and welcoming of Miss Ellis. It was wonderful to see the Matrics revelling in their privilege of being the ones allowed to stay in the cafeteria during breaks and they certainly looked the part of young ladies seated around the tables. All the girls, however, felt special as every pupil received a celebratory muffin to enjoy and a lengthened first break!

During the evening the celebration continued as the official unveiling of the plaque and the naming of the wing took place. Governors, Staff and invited dignitaries all gathered in the Ivy Leaf, which looked stunning with the pillars bedecked with beautiful roses, and were reminded by Mrs Barbara Kinghorn, the President of the O.C.G.G., of the Phillipians verse so special to Collegiate: “Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honourable, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there by any virtue and if there be any praise, think on these things.” All then proceeded to the verandah where Miss Ellis, resplendent in red, drew back the curtain and the wing became officially the CAMERON-ELLIS WING. There were smiling faces all round as we realised just what a tremendous building this is.

With the entire ground floor being the new Ivy Leaf Cafeteria, and the upstairs housing four new classrooms already much in use, this new building will certainly be an asset to the Collegiate Community both current and future.