Tena koutou katoa, Kia orana, Noa’ia, Talofa lava, Mauri, Mālō e lelei, Tālofa, Ni Sa Bula Vinaka, Fakaalofa lahi atu, Mālō ni and warm Pacific greetings to one and all.

Term 4 is a busy and exciting time. It’s filled with the promise of new beginnings; it’s peppered with celebrations of young people’s achievements, including Sports Prizegiving, Senior and Junior Prizegiving, Te Whare Ako Prizegiving and the Service Academy graduation.

Term 4 is also a time to acknowledge our Year 13 leavers who move on to the next phase of their lives and the end of compulsory schooling. They ‘hand the baton’ on to the next generation. The sporting analogy is an important one, as our aspiration and strategy to develop student leadership is timely in term 4. The process for announcing head students is one part but so is the everyday conversations and opportunities with all students, some of whom do not necessarily see themselves as leaders.

I would like to acknowledge Jack Chapman. I attended the Porirua Youth Awards on Wednesday with his mother and father, Renee and Jeff. Jack received an award for Youth leadership.

I think back to him as a Year 9 in 2018. The photo below shows Jack Chapman, meeting with the Minister of Education, Hon Chris Hipkins As you can see, Jack is assertively and respectfully discussing with the Minister his plans for supporting the school. The two former head students for 2018, Kohi Waru and Alex Johnson, look on, watching and admiring the passion and potential of their teina. How this young man has grown (physically and as a great human being). We are so grateful for his gifts over the last five years, particularly in his leadership for the environment.

It’s important to acknowledge our leaders' work, in formal and informal settings and roles, for the work they have done this year. We look forward to celebrating their contribution at Senior prizegiving on the 1st November.

3 Head students - Melerita Malaulau, Jack Chapman & Rosa Stratford

Head of Culture & Language - Helava Vilsoni & Va’a Taulapapa

Head of Sport - Azaria Iti & Sione Baker

Head of Hauora - Eloise Bason

Head of Whānau - Simotu Judkins & Augustino Afele

Head of Arts - Corin Carradice-Rua

Head of Academia - Jack Chapman