The last school day of the year was a bittersweet celebration filled with laughs and tears as students performed songs, skits and the haka in honour of Dr Bamford’s last day as principal.
Dr Bamford has worked in the education sector for 50 years.
She has retired to spend more time with family.
The farewell assembly began with a haka performance by some of the pupils as well as a few speeches from teachers.
Some of the older students performed humorous skits, acting out different memories they had of Dr Bamford as she went to board meetings, visited classrooms and made announcements during class time.
The younger students performed songs, including one class who sang the Sound of Music classic, My Favourite Things, with the lyrics changed to reflect their time with the principal.
The farewell ended with another haka performance, after which Dr Bamford thanked the students and walked out with a tear in hereye.
Rob Rush, the former principal of Clearview Primary in Rolleston (near Christchurch), is the school’s new principal.
