I recently spoke at an 'in service' day for some local primary school teachers. My topic was boys education and I shared the vision that teaching boys is about relationships and connection. 

The most important thing that we can do as teachers is strive to ensure that our students think that we care about them and their results. I shared this photo of senior staff greeting new students to School at the start of the year. I love this photo and especially the warmth of the expressions on Senior Master Jarred Williams face and the student, Nova Toia-Rusten, that he is welcoming. This is the school I want to be part of.

I am delighted that we have been able to promote two staff recently, Dave Bone, will take on a fixed term role as Assistant Senior Master Pastoral and Mark Lane as Year 11 Dean. We also welcome three new staff, Nigel Vernon as HOD Geography, Patrick Coady as the Year 11 Home Room Teacher, and Jarred Mitchell to teach Physical Education. We do look forward to the contributions that this group will make to School.

It was a pleasure to be part of a ceremony at St Bede’s College to mark the start of Eddie Murphy’s tenure as Director of Boarding. Eddie’s promotion will enable increased collaboration between our two schools and we look forward to this.

I do wish to pass on a very special thanks to all of those involved in the ANZAC Service. Mr Fraser, with assistance from the Old Boys Executive, organised a moving service that was very well attended. The speaker, readers and musicians were superb in their roles and we are looking forward to the 2017 service which will have a focus on New Zealand’s losses at Passchendaele and Messines.

Recent success featured on the website include our most successful ever Maadi Cup along with Jack Lopas and Angus Foster’s selection for the New Zealand Juniors. Quinn Clinton’s elevation to the Canterbury Rams basketball side, our victory in the World Schools Golf Challenge, Laurence Pithie’s continued cycling success and our Jazz musicians success at the National Festival. 

Over the school holidays the foundations of the former School Hall were removed and the design team is now very focused on delivering what will be an outstanding school hall in the first half of next year. There will be more demolition on site soon as the 1961 South Eastern addition to the Main Block comes down (Commerce) and then the Caddick Block (Maths) will follow. This demolition will allow for the construction of a new teaching and learning block which will also include the library. Temporary classrooms will be established on the school site by July. Plans are also well advanced for the repair of the Deans Buildings and the concept plans can be viewed on the school website.

I am excited about the beginning of Term Two and look forward to more success and building of relationships. It is essential that senior students are keeping track of their credits and that with everything going on around them that they do have a focus on their NCEA achievement.

Altiora Peto

Nic Hill