Co-ordinator Matt Meek gives us a rundown on some of the fantastic projects he and the team have been providing for our boys this year.

Mentoring Year 10’s

One of our key projects that we have been involved in this year has been mentoring a collection of Year 10 boys. These 20 boys have been identified by Richard Webster as boys who are at risk of struggling when they come to NCEA level. Matt and Perry catch up with each of these boys fortnightly to talk through what is going on in school and in wider life that is affecting them, and offer appropriate tailored support to their needs. Each of the boys has unique challenges to contend with so this sometimes involves passing on information to guidance or form teachers, and engaging other appropriate supports around them. Earlier in the year we used the Gallup Strengths Finder tool with the boys to help identify some of their key areas of strength that they might be able to use to face some of their challenges both academically and personally. This has proved particularly effective in helping us get to know the boys but also helping them to see that they have particular skills and attributes that might mean their way of doing their best is different from others.

Howzat Primary School Coaching

Over the second half of term three we involved six Year 10 and 11 boys in the Howzat Indoor Sports Tournament. This was a tournament for Riccarton Primary and Intermediate Schools, a number of which feed into CBHS. Our boys coached some of these teams to allow teachers/ parents who were there to supervise, but didn't feel as confident with the sports side of things to do what they do best. Over the 6 weeks that the tournament ran, I witnessed our boys grow in confidence and in their leadership abilities and I received positive feedback from other adults involved about the quality of our fine young men. I was particularly proud of the way our boys committed to these teams and gave up their own time after school to support some young kids who wouldn’t have had the same opportunities to participate without our boys involvement.

Supporting Pacific Island Students - Perry Vakameilola

Over term 3, through talking with students and coordinating with Jared Williams, it has become apparent that there are a number of Pasifika students who are struggling with study.

Perry has been working on finding out why this is the case for so many of them, and what we might be able to do to effectively support them. Some students said they lack in interest when it comes to some of the subjects do, which ultimately leads to apathy. Other students think that not turning up to an exam is a better mark than receiving a Not Achieved. Through spending time with the Pasifika students both in and out of school, Perry has been trying to encourage a culture of studying, doing your best and asking for help when they need it. Using positive reinforcement when any of the students pass their tests or do well in their assignments and help them find their own ideas for motivation have been starting to help some of these boys.

This term we'll be running studying support sessions specifically for Pasifika students right up until the exams.

Dodgeball Tournament

Perry took a team of Pasifika students to a youth dodgeball tournament. They faced other kids from communities all over Christchurch. The team was put together reasonably last minute so we didn't get to practice a whole lot. In the great tradition of CBHS sport, the boys drew one round and remained undefeated until the finals. The final ended within the first 20 seconds after our boys rushed in and knocked out the whole opposing team.

Lunchtime support

Another way we have offered support this year has been as a presence during lunch hours. This is quite varied and can include playing basketball at the courts, supporting house captains to run activities, chatting with boys who are by themselves or kicking a ball around on the field. Each of these activities gives us a chance to build relationships with boys and helps them see us as someone they could come and have a chat with if they were struggling with anything. It still seems impossible for us to be able to know, and even more to support every boy within school but we try to make ourselves known to as many possible while focussing on those who seem to need or appreciate the support we offer. For Perry this has meant particularly connecting with the Pacifika students here, while I have focussed more on junior students and those who I have additional connections with through mentoring, sports coaching etc.

Term 3 Overview

I can’t believe we have entered term four already, the year seems to have flown by. This year we have focussed again on our 4 key outcomes within school.

1. Building Relationships that support students
2. Cultivating positive school spirit
3. Developing leadership
4. Integrating young people into community activities

Some of our key projects this year have included mentoring Richard’s twenty at-risk year 10 students, supporting boys coaching primary school sports teams at the Howzat tournament, supporting Pacific Island students and encouraging them in their study habits, and being a presence during lunch hours and break times. You can read more about each of these projects throughout this report. We have also supported the Cactus programme, Year 9 ski trips and an U17 football team. I feel like we are able to pack quite a lot into our 10 hours each per week and hope we are really adding value to the education and experience of our fine young men at Christchurch Boys' High.