It is a genuine pleasure and a privilege for me to recognise our prize winners at our special prize givings, and to take this opportunity to reflect upon the 2021 year which we have shared, as our Year 13 students graduate from the school today. Today is a very special day. It is the time when we celebrate our year together, as the family of the school, when we take time to recognise and congratulate our prize winners, and as we farewell a group of uniquely special people – our 2021 Year 13 graduates. 

As we wish them well in their future lives, we also, today, take this opportunity to thank them, for the very real and lasting contribution which they have made to our world. For it is you, the young men of the senior school, and your parents, and families, who have led us all this year, in ensuring that the challenges of 2021 have not prevented us being able to look back, in celebrating another successful, positive year. 

There are so many people to thank for their part in our realisation of this dream, and I take this opportunity to express my personal gratitude to you all. I thank you, the young men of the school, for your enthusiasm, your commitment and your service to our world. I thank you all for your kindness and care, to me, to the staff, and to each other. A special thank you must also be given to our Senior Prefects, so well led by our dedicated Head Boy. Sean has been very genuine in his leadership role. I have appreciated very much his warmth of spirit, his passion for supporting us all in our goal of making our world a better place, and the example of excellence he has provided to the family of the school. It has been a very real privilege and pleasure to share 2021 with such a wonderful young man. Sean embodies the spirit of the school, and I thank him for his care and support for me, and for his love for the community we have shared. I also offer my thanks to all of the Prefects, Lions, HEART group, Leo Club, and everyone who has contributed this year, in all of our many leadership and service roles. 

I offer my personal thanks to the very special Senior Executive Team, of Mr Hotham, Mr Kirkham, Mr Power, Mr Gibbs, Dr Williams and Mr Baker, who all support me so ably, and with such care and love. And finally, I thank each member of our staff. Everyone has worked so hard this year, to minimise the impact of changing COVID Alert Levels, maintaining the momentum of the year. The staff has shared in the disappointment of lost opportunities in sport and culture, and have worked to ensure that we are, today, able to celebrate the achievements of our prize winners in such a unique but equally special way. A special thank you, too, to those staff who have ensured that we have been able to recognise your achievements through our ceremonies this week. I offer my best wishes, and sincere thanks, to all staff leaving our world at the end of the year. Some have shared their lives with us for many years, and others for just a few. But their combined contribution has been immense, and we will miss them very much. They can feel proud that they leave HBHS a stronger and happier place because of their presence and support. Today, we offer our thanks to them all. In particular, I wish to thank, on your behalf, Mr Andrew Tucker, and Mr John Steel, for their many years of service to our world. We wish you both every happiness as you both begin your retirement in 2022. 

And today we must take a moment to pay tribute to those who have passed away; we remember their place in our family with gratitude. Many of our trophies and prizes are named in memory of very special people who are no longer with us. As we presented these prizes this morning, we took a moment to remember those we have loved, those we have lost, those who also made such a difference to the school we cherish today. 

So, today we take the opportunity to reflect both upon the year, 2021, and also on the lessons we must take from the challenges we have encountered together. The year we have shared has indeed been unique in the history of our school; we began with our usual hopes and goals, with excitement about the many events and experiences we would share, and with the same commitment to excellence with which we approach every new beginning. And this morning, as we reflect upon our time together through 2021, we can feel proud of how many of those hopes we have realised, how many goals we have achieved, and how many positive events we have shared. 

However, we have also seen our world change; we have faced uncertainty, and disappointment. We have recognised the very real tragedy of the sobering reality of over 5 million deaths in the world, as a result of the impact of the pandemic which we continue to face. Our perspective on life has altered, and as our graduates of today leave school and begin adult life, their future will differ from the one we all expected at the start of the year. 

I speak often of the verities, the truths upon which we must reflect as we travel through our lives. And today, our reflections must centre on the lessons we must learn, from the year which is so rapidly coming to an end. So what are the truths we must take from the year we have shared? 2021 has been a year in which it has never been more important to stand together, to be united as a family, as we have faced change, disappointment, and as we have experienced the joy of the times we have been able to share. It is thus symbolic that we finish the year on the 11th of November, Armistice Day, the day when World War 1 ended at 11am on the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918. The word armistice comes from the Latin word solstice, to stop, or stand still; in the context of war, to put down one’s arms and to pause. And today, on Armistice Day, we must also stop, we must pause for a moment, as we finish the academic year with you, the Senior school, and we must in this moment of stillness, reflect on what we must learn from the lesson of 2021, of the importance of standing together in the face of change and uncertainty. This is the truth we must take from this year, as we say goodbye today. Each of us is a part of our school community for a short time, and in those years, which pass so quickly, we must always recognise that each of us is never an island, that each is part of the mainland of our world. 

Today our leavers begin the next stage of their journeys in life. They begin the next stage of the “short visit”, and, as they receive their leaver’s folder, they must, Janus like, both look back and look forward. Back to the experiences and to the truths which their time with us has taught them, and they must look forward towards the paths each will tread on the years ahead, to the person they will become. Recognising the importance of carrying with them the gift of understanding, that we are all a part of something greater than ourselves, that we gain strength from our togetherness, and that we are privileged in our time together, to make our world better for those with whom we share it. 

And in this moment of stillness today, as we stop and pause in our own moment of “Armistice” this morning, we must all reflect on that truth which I speak of so often. Of the imperative to live a life filled with hope, filled with joy, and filled with love. And of the need to have faith, faith in a future which will bring those qualities of love, and hope, and joy to our lives. In 2021, that faith has been shaken. Our sense of the future has become more uncertain. But the past two years have taught us that this critical sense of hope, and of joy, must be grounded in an understanding of the world as it is, not of how we imagine it can or should be. For we have had so much joy this year. Our significant wins in areas like water polo, sevens and drama in the Sheilah Winn, gaining National titles, reflect the shared joy we have felt. Returning to school following lockdown has brought its own sense of hope and happiness. But the opposite is true as well. We have experienced disappointment. The loss of the opportunities to compete at a National level for teams like Basketball, 1st XI Hockey, not being able to finish the season for our 1st XV, and not having the Rockquest finals, just to name a very few, brings sadness for us all. And moving to lockdown twice this year has been hurtful and disruptive. It has not always been easy for anyone.

 But recognising the truth of the lessons of 2020 and 2021, that the life we know, the life we expect to carry on the same, can change at any time, gives a far greater awareness of the beauty and joy of the world we do have. Because it is through both the positive experiences and the disappointments of this year, that we understand the critical importance of understanding that “the bell tolls, not for one, but for us all". With this understanding of our connectedness, comes a genuine sense that all will be well. And with that sense comes the space for love, love for others and for ourselves. Love even for the vulnerabilities and the challenges and limitations of our life this year. And with this love which we feel for this fractured world, for life as it really is, will come the sense of gratitude that we need to feel true hope, and to be truly happy. 

At HBHS, we are open in our declaration that love is a central part of happiness as a man, and that we must be prepared both to love, or to experience the gift of love, and to be loved. And we understand that we must be prepared to recognise the imperfection and impermanence of life if we are to cherish it fully. The reason each graduate today can leave with real pride, lies in part that he has developed the knowledge, skills and understanding which are an integral part of a good education. But he also leaves recognising the moral values, the principles which guide us, the importance of living with faith, hope, and love, and with the strength of the understanding gained through our years together. 

Today, we farewell our Year 13 graduates. Each of you must leave with a sense of confidence and assurance that, whatever happens in the years ahead, you remain a part of our family; you are loved. As your time as a student ends, recognise the legacy you leave for the future, and for all who follow you. Recognise that 2021 has been unusual, but that you have stood together with courage and conviction, to ensure the year has been a truly happy and rewarding one. 

We can say, with both great pride and with the respect of genuine humility, that HBHS is a very special school, and that we end this unique and at times very challenging year even better, stronger and happier than before. It is with sadness on our part that we say goodbye to our leavers today, but we also share your excitement, your hopes and your dreams. It is our wish that your life will always be filled with friends who mean as much to you as those with whom you have shared the past five years – friends who have been there for you through the good times and the difficult ones, your band of brothers. 

Congratulations, Godspeed, and remember that our love goes with you, as it does with all of the staff members who depart at the end of the year. I wish you all a most peaceful and joy-filled Christmas season and holiday break, and a happy and fulfilling year in 2022. 

Take care, gentlemen, and thank you for everything. 

Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa. 

Mrs Susan Hassall 

Headmaster