From the Rector

The annual cross-country held yesterday typified this. In what would have to be one of the most gruelling school cross country courses the many boys who competed gave of their best. Their attitude and behaviour was the best that I have seen in my time here. Thanks to the parents and staff led by Mr Boswell who organised the event. The individual results can be seen in this newsletter.

Some great work has been done by many of our junior students with regards to speech competitions recently. As Oliver Sacks (University of New York neurologist) said “We speak not only to tell other people what we think, but to tell ourselves what we think. Speech is a part of thought.” It takes courage to write what you think and then stand up in front of your class mates and tell people what you think. We all have a great amount of respect for the many students who showed this type of courage. Congratulations boys. (results can be found in this newsletter.)

Year 12 student Jacob Bates has been selected as the student representative on the Board of Trustees. Board Chair Andrea Ludemann said “the Board was looking forward to welcoming Jacob and having a student voice and perspective around the table.”

From a staffing perspective we are pleased to announce that Andrew Kaufana has accepted an offer to be Acting Director of Boarding until the start of next year and Ian Cathcart will be joining the hostel staff as a team leader.

Over the past week we have been conducting interviews for the 2020 prefects. Twenty eight Year 12 students have put their names forward for selection. This is over one third of the year group. It is fantastic to see so many want to be the student leaders of our school and it is reassuring that the school is in great hands going forward. It has been a privilege to interview all the young men to date.

This is a reminder that the Senior school prize giving is on Wednesday 9th November.

Thanks to the many parents/whanau who attended Parent - Teacher interviews last evening. It is encouraging to see so many of you invested in your son’s education. It may sound scary but NCEA exams begin in four weeks of school contact time! Junior exams will be held in Week 6.

Congratulations to Year 13 student Stuart Beattie who will represent New Zealand in a trans-tasman equestrian event these holidays. Stuart has been selected in the American Quarter Horse Association New Zealand youth team to take on Australia in Taupo. If it goes well Stuart is in line to make the World Cup youth team. Well done, Stuart.

Good luck also to our trapshooting team competing in the Nationals in Hamilton this weekend and also to our mountain bikers doing likewise in Dunedin the following weekend. All the best boys.

I would like to leave you with one of my favourite poems I shared with the school at our Monday assembly. Personally, it speaks powerfully of not only our school values of respect, resilience and motivation but also focuses on the values of humility and integrity.

It is called “IF” by Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you,

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, but make allowance for their doubting too

If you can wait and not be tired of waiting, or being lied about, don’t deal in lies, or being hated, don’t give way to hating, and yet don’t look too good, nor talk to wise:

If you can dream – and not make dreams your master; If you can think – and not make thoughts your aim;

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster and treat those two imposters just the same;

If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,

Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken, and stoop and build ‘em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings and risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,

And lose, and start again at your beginnings and never breathe a word about your loss;

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew to serve long after they are gone, and so to hold on when there is nothing in you except the will which says to them ‘hold on!’

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, or walk with Kings – nor lose the common touch,

If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you, If all men count with you, but none too much;

If you can fill the unforgiving minute with sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,

Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it, and which is more – you’ll be a man my son!

Hope you all have a fantastic holiday and thank you for your continued support of our great school.

Ma whero ma ponga ka oti

Floreat Waitakia

Darryl Paterson

Rector

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