The Beautiful Risk of Education

A few years ago I had the good fortune of talking to a Professor of Architecture, who had taught at a number of universities around the world. He was lamenting his perspective that recent graduates were becoming more homogeneous in their style and presentation of work. While he did not doubt their intellectual capacity and unrelenting work ethic, he felt an increasing number of students were afraid to be bold, innovative and challenging in their concepts, due to the risk of failure. Rather, they searched for tried and true theoretical perfection.

One of our aims, as educators, is to promote creativity and cultivate an environment in which students can think outside the square and formulate conclusions which demonstrate a critical thought process.

Cashmere High School is a place of learning, and consequently, it is a place for students to challenge assumptions and develop independent, creative, and critical thinking. It is a time to learn to take calculated risks and enjoy the product of thinking for oneself. Pushing intellectual boundaries is all part of learning and it will only hold the student in good stead when challenged to perform something extraordinary on a project or a mission later in their careers. Teachers teaching to the test or students rote memorising answers is dysfunctional teaching and learning. It may serve a short-term goal but it does little to embed deep learning.

When I taught History the most satisfaction I felt was when my students were challenging ethical and moral assumptions, as well as challenging perspectives, including mine. There is nothing more satisfying than reading an articulate essay that demonstrates perceptive insights which make me question my own ideas and thoughts.

However, if students are to be bold in this area, they will, at times, experience failure and disappointment. Failure is something to be embraced if it is understood and used as a tool to improve. History is littered with numerous success stories built on the resilience of people and organisations bouncing back from failure. It is through failure that we can seek ways in which to improve. But it can take a paradigm shift in perspective to think of failure in this manner, particularly if you have never put your ideas on the line. A student who breezes through school without taking intellectual risks and without learning to deal with failure, will miss out on one of the most important learning experiences that a school can provide.

E kore te patiki e hoki ki tona puehu

Production Camp

Recently I visited our students preparing for our upcoming Production, Oliver!, at Living Springs. I am always amazed at how much work, time and effort goes into the preparation for each scene and musical piece. The staff and students have been working incredibly hard and I am looking forward to opening night on the 27th June.

Year 12 and Year 13 Assemblies

Over the last two weeks we have celebrated more student achievement in our assemblies than ever before. Our students continue to achieve extraordinary results across academic, sporting, cultural and service areas. We were delighted to acknowledge the wonderful service of both Tom Freedman and Alice Vetcher with COVE Awards.

Character, Leadership and Service

During the most recent holidays our Head Students organised and hosted a leadership day for around 60 students from Year 10-12. The focus of this day was ‘excellence in leadership’ and it included guest speakers (Okirano Tilaia, James O'Connell, Daisy Lavea Timo and Leeann Watson) and workshops. This was a great example of our Head Students demonstrating initiative and role modelling service centred leadership.

Rowing Achievements

The incredible success of our Rowers continued at the Canterbury Rowing Association Awards. Congratulation to the following:

• Jimmy Middleditch who won two awards
  Art Pickering Academy of Physical Training Award
  Haberfield Trophy
• Joe Young (Alumni - 2017-20)
  Coach of the Year
• Adrian Riepen (teacher)
  Administrator of the Year

Year 9 Students involved in SADD

Great to see our Year 9 students supporting local police in the community last week as part of SADD (Students Against Dangerous Driving)

Pink Shirt Day 2024

Athletics Success

Congratulations to our competitors at the recent Canterbury Secondary Schools Road Race Championships. Brynne Gordon won the Senior Girls race and Elspeth McGuinness placed 2nd. Together with Zania Roberts and Millie Junge, they won the Senior Girls' Team title. In the 3km run Leo de Monchy won the U16 Boys race, while in the seniors Jacob Ridder placed 3rd and Thomas Newsom 4th. Paris Edlin placed 5th in the Year 9 Girls race.

Jazz Night - This Thursday

Oliver!

Tickets on sale now!https://www.eventfinda.co.nz/2024/oliver/christchurch

From the Archives

Dean Stewart - NZ Ski Representative 1980 & 1981

Who’s Who at Cashmere High School - Kendra Burgess-Naude

Ko wai au?

Ko Aoraki te maunga tāwharau
Ko Ōtakaro te awa whaipainga
No Ōtautahi ahau.
Ko Angelo tōku matua
Nō Kēpa Tāone ia
Ko Tracey tōku whaea
Ko Kendra tōku ingoa

Kia ora koutou. My name is Kendra Burgess-Naude, and I have been an English teacher at Te iringa o Kahukura since 2020. At present, I am the Head of Service and the teacher in charge of Junior Debating.

Education has always been a focus in my life. I am the child of two primary school teachers who encouraged me to read and explore the history of our country. When I was in Year 11, this interest bloomed, with English and History being my favourite subjects, and I decided to start the journey to become a teacher.

I feel very fortunate to have found my place as an educator at Te iringa o Kahukura and the main reason is the people I am surrounded by each day. We are a community school, and I have seen the growth of fantastic student leaders who want to make change for generations to come. The staff are collaborative and focused on nurturing our students academic abilities alongside their engagement with sport, service, and culture. The opportunities for student voice and engagement with the wider community keeps growing. I look forward to seeing what the future holds for our kura. 

He mahi kai takata, he mahi kai hōaka. Anything worthwhile requires considerable effort.

The Fortnight Ahead