Rangi Ruru Alumnae

This week we farewelled artist and Rangi Ruru Old Girl, Julia Holderness, at the conclusion of her on-campus residency.

Students and guests had the unique opportunity to experience her work up close — and to hear directly from Julia about her creative process and the stories behind each piece.

It’s been a privilege to welcome you back to campus, Julia — thank you for inspiring the next generation of artists. 💙💛

What a night! We were so grateful to have alumnae, Amanda Dorset and Charlotte Glass along with current parent, Aaron Jay join us as guest speakers at Friends at Five Thirty last week. Stories were shared from the heart, with each speaker offering insights into their 'why' and what motivates them everyday to a very appreciative (and large!) audience. A huge thanks to Sotheby's International Realty for helping us deliver this event. 💙💛💙

With our Year 10s recently returning from camp we thought we would venture back in time and revisit some camps from days gone by. It's safe to say that based on these photos, the same adventurous spirit exists today as it did back then. What are your favourite memories from your camp? 🛶🏕🚶‍♀️

It's been a while since the curtains rose on 'Our House' the 2016 joint senior production with Christ's College, when our very own Cassie Henderson shone in the lead role of Sarah.

Since then Cassie's musical career has sky rocketed and we couldn't be prouder of her. Nominated for two awards, Best Pop Artist and Single of the Year, in the 2025 Aotearoa Music Awards, we want to congratulate her for her nominations and wish her all the very best. Your Rangi Ruru whānau will be cheering you on come 29 May!

Cassie Henderson


Rangi Ruru Music

Amanda Dorset | Class of 1984

Meet Amanda Dorset, our third Friends at Five Thirty guest speaker. A Rangi Ruru alumna, Amanda is a lawyer-turned-entrepreneur, and co-founder of Wilson & Dorset, a design -led company transforming New Zealand sheepskin into beautiful, sustainable pieces for modern living. Amanda brings insight, creative thinking and a passion for wool, that's anything but ordinary! 🐑🐑🐑

Join Amanda and our other guest speakers for a night of insight, conversation and connection at Friends at Five Thirty, 29 May. Tickets are on sale now! 🎟

https://events.humanitix.com/friends-at-five-thirty-ytp4s8qs

🙏 A special thanks to our generous sponsor New Zealand | Sotheby's International Realty!

Wilson & Dorset will also be hosting a pop-up shop here at Rangi Ruru, the week of Friends at Five Thirty. You'll find them onsite in the Rossall Building with all their sheepskin goodies on the following days and times:
💛 Wednesday, 27 May: 3:30 – 6:00pm
💛 Thursday, 28 May: 3:30 – 9:00pm
💛 Friday, 29 May: 3:30 – 6:00pm
💛 Saturday, 30 and Sunday, 31 May: 10:00am – 3:00pm

Everyone is welcome!

What do you get when two good sticks team up for a great cause? Well, in the case of the Posh Porridge and Dark Hampton collab, you get one very stylish and feel-good breakfast!

This morning, Dark Hampton co-founder, Kate Brown (Class of 1994) and Posh Porridge owner, Olivia Burtt (Class of 1998) served up a classy Pink Ribbon Breakfast with heart. Principal, Tracy Herft also popped in for her very first-ever bowl of the best porridge in town (which she LOVED 🩷) and to support this worthy cause.

With $2 from every bowl and $20 from every scarf being donated to the Breast Cancer Foundation of New Zealand, it was a heartwarming morning that captured the Rangi Ruru values of aroha and generosity of spirit in action.

There is nothing we love more than welcoming back our Gibson Girls for their annual lunch. The connection, the smiles and the stories shared are truly special. 💙💛

Lest we forget 💛💙

📢 24 hours to go!

Make sure you have your tickets for the reunion weekend! 💛💙

https://events.humanitix.com/2025-rroga-reunion

Alumna, Jane Mahoney (Class of 1977) will join the first Friends at Five Thirty speaker series for 2025 as a guest speaker on 27 February. Be sure to purchase your ticket today so you can hear what Jane has been up to and what motivates her to get out of bed in the morning.

Introducing our first speaker for Friends at Five Thirty...

🎉 Meet Jane Mahoney (Class of 1977) - Producer, Storyteller, and Author!

📽 Jane has always gravitated towards ‘story-telling’ industries. For almost twenty years she was producer and co-owner of the TV commercial production company Bannan Films. Specialising in cinematic, story-based commercials she was fortunate to work alongside some of the most talented advertising and film industry creatives in New Zealand, Australia and Asia.

🪴 For the last 8 years Jane has been building two new businesses – Splendid Casting, which provides casting services for film and advertising productions and Secret Gardens, an online garden-share platform and in 2023 she and her daughter, Sophie Bannan co-authored the book Secret Gardens of Aotearoa.

🎬 Her most recent project is the feature-length documentary Maurice and I, which she co-directed and co-produced with Christchurch filmmaker, Rick Harvie.

🎟 Join us and get ready to be inspired by Jane's story and the 'why' behind it, at Friends at Five Thirty on Thursday, 27 February. Tickets available here: https://events.humanitix.com/friends-at-five-thirty-fhv7jgf5

The Catch Up: Reconnecting with Rangi Ruru Alumnae

42. Sally Vossler (née Davis) 1984-1987

🎙Since leaving school...
"After school, I tried a few office jobs, but after my grandfather passed away, I decided it was time for an adventure. I packed my bags and headed to sunny Southern California. While there, I worked as a nanny and then life took an exciting turn when I met my husband, and we tied the knot in 2001. Two years later, we welcomed our first child of three children. In 2008, we moved back to New Zealand, and I spent some time as a stay-at-home mum before rejoining the workforce. Now, I’m the proud owner (and employee!) at Theme Productions, where I get to bring fabulous events to life for our amazing clients. And I absolutely love it!."

🎯Greatest achievement to date...
"My happy and healthy family."

📚Favourite school memory...
"The friends I made."

💡Advice for today’s students...
"No dream is unachievable."