Board Chairperson, John Bradfield's senior prizegiving speech is published below:

Kia ora, welcome on behalf of the Board of Logan Park High School. My name is John Bradfield and it is my honour to be the board chair. So welcome to this celebration tonight which is also a send-off for the Year 13 group of 2020.

Firstly, I would like to thank the staff. It has been an interesting year at best and one that has brought challenges. We have all learnt a lot of new skills as teachers.

Thanks also to my fellow Board members. We too have learned to meet by zoom. I did have a bit to learn and at least once I clicked the wrong little tab and Richard got cut off from entry. We have had a changeover of student reps and said goodbye to my daughter Sophie and welcomed on board Nico in her place.

Board news continues to offer up little humour or levity but the year has had some significant happenings. We do now have an enrolment scheme. Getting this in place was an education in itself. The scheme is needed as we are outgrowing our facilities but it is an uncomfortable fit. The reality is now that, some students who want to come will not be able to.

Thanks also to you, our community for the time taken to respond to our recent survey. We will be spending time as a Board looking at this material.

Now to the Year 13s

I was walking along the beach at Tautuku this week and as the students stretched out ahead of me I was reminded clearly that the young are the future and my time is on the wane.

So, as you leave be careful what you value from your time at LPHS. We often put value on things like; grades, sport, the social side of school or scholarships. All of these things are important. However, do not make the call on what you value too soon.

We often get this wrong and judge value by the wrong thing.

What really matters is not so much what you have achieved at Logan Park, rather it is

“Who will you become?”

So, you must make wise choices. As a teacher I say to my Year 13 students on a Friday “make wise choices”. Now I am realistic and know that when it comes to the 'make choices' part of the weekend they do not pause and think “What would Mr Bradfield do now?”.

The principle is important for all of that. You will as you move on have to make choices. Some of these will be on a family level for some of you it may be that you are in a position of making decisions on a policy level that impact us all. Regardless you will have two choices and often the choice will be between your own personal interests and that of others without a voice or not in the position to be able to make choices.

It is not always comfortable to make the right choice and it may cost you. Society though needs people who are prepared to make choices that benefit those less well off.

So, as you go on from here Year 13 of 2020 do go well.

I challenge you to make good choices.