Dear Paolo and friends

We said goodbye to your lovely boys in Assembly this morning. I had to speak about the trip up north and all our adventures, which you see pictures of attached. Jim made the boys DVD's of the whole trip and Samuele has a copy to give you too. Then the boys spoke to the whole Assembly of HPC boys and told them how they felt about our Maori Culture and the amazing things they saw. They really spoke from the heart and we all felt very emotional to think we were going to lose them. In fact Sherra-Lee Tamaki told me later that they had asked her if it was possible to change their plane tickets!!

Fancy that. They did really love being with us and seeing things that were beautiful. Stefano spoke really well, even though, of the three, he finds English the hardest to express himself in. I will be so interested to know what they tell you when they at back in Italy. They wanted to buy a Hato Paora shirt for themselves before they left, so Sherra-Lee took them into Feilding to the uniform shop. They all hugged and kissed me and spoke so nicely to me, thanking me for everything as we parted. Was really sad.

They said "See you in September" which made me feel better about it all!! The newspaper came to interview and photograph them yesterday. Samuele told the reporter that they had travelled so far and had seen things that were so new and so different to Italy, that they could be on "a different planet"! I told them that YOU, Paolo, have to come to New Zealand next time. I really mean that. You would love to do what those boys did. They actually did more than any Hato Paora Boys has ever done!! Ian and I just managed to make an exciting trip on a shoe string, so to speak because many people contributed free.

Do tell me what parents and the boys are saying when you see them. They are so well, and happy and confident. Lots of Staff hugged them and kissed them goodbye. The Headmaster hongied on the nose and they kissed Headmaster on both cheeks, which is NOT a usual custom!

I would say the whole trip was fantastically successful, just as our trip was fantastically successful to you and your families. Long may all this continue.