End of Term message from our Principal
As I write this newsletter article, I look out my window at the sunshine and blossom which signals spring and the start of a new season. It is always the highlight of my day to watch our students during lunch and break times interact with each other. I am amazed at the hundreds of interactions and conversations that a teenage boy can have during a 30 min break; I often reflect that this is where so much of the learning at school occurs.
Relationships are the key, or the petrol that drive our Kura forward. At the moment, outside of the economy, education is front and center in the media and at parliament. It seems everyone has an opinion on what is best for our students. The reality is – everyone is right. This might seem an odd thing to say, but the one reality that we can’t argue with, is that no two students are the same. In most cases, all schools are different as most communities are different and unique. What I hear often is parents, principals, students, teachers all speaking from their perspective of the schools or communities they are representing. In principle, I will always understand why they feel so much emotion towards those they care about the most.
While 90% of education news is based on curriculum and assessment at the moment, I tend to focus on relationships and character development in our setting. Yes, we will need to make adjustments -as we have in the past, and are likely to again in the future due to curriculum and assessment change. The constant however, is ensuring we have strong and meaningful relationships across our community and are always focused on growing the character of our young men through a holistic education.
It is my experience that when we focus on developing the person in relationship with parents, students and teachers, the curriculum, to certain degree, becomes irrelevant. When we focus on care for all, a determination for everyone to succeed without having to change their identity, young people learn and develop.
Attendance plans and data are currently at the forefront of the media at the moment. I don’t think there would be a single person who would argue students shouldn’t attend school! The key is to create a place that students want to go to, that supports all in its community and a school that is accessible to all.
One of the joys of belonging to a school community for a long time is that you often connect with old boys. It is always my experience that the part of education that has the biggest influence on teenagers always comes from a teacher/student relationship. In my many interactions with old boys they always talk of that “one” teacher/coach who believed in them, that didn’t give up on them and helped them develop as a person.
I am pleased to see education spoken of so much in the media and in politics. It shows it is important. Our biggest challenge in the education sector is not losing sight of where the “real” victory lies.
I would like to congratulate our staff and students on a very productive term. I never take for granted what our young men are able to achieve under the guidance of our hard-working staff. I hope our students are able to refresh over the holidays and come back enthused for our final term of 2024.
