Kia ora koutou katoa,

I hope your son has enjoyed the holiday break and had an opportunity to relax ahead of term two.  The coming week sees one of the most important days in our school calendar, our annual Anzac Service.  This is an opportunity for us to show our Tū Whakaaute |Respect in remembering the sacrifices made by 203 Old Boys of Palmerston North Boys' High School who lost their lives in World War One, World War Two and the Falklands conflict.  

From time to time such services are criticised as 'glorifying' war and on rare occasions we have had parents withdraw their sons from our school service for this reason.  However, this is certainly not the purpose of this solemn occasion.  It provides all of us, our young men in particular, with an opportunity to learn about and reflect upon the traumatic impact of war on our Old Boys and our community.  In the words of former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, "Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it."

With Anzac services curtailed in 2020 due to Covid restrictions, this year's service will be the first experience of one of our most important traditions for young men in both Year 9 and Year 10.  As it is a formal occasion we ask that all students are wearing shoes and socks for the Anzac service.

Next week will also see the annual school Cross Country take place, another key event in the Shand Shield competition.  After the fantastic endeavour that was seen at the recent school Road Race we look forward to another positive event.  While the Cross Country is not compulsory, we encourage all young men to get involved - having Tū Whakahī |Pride in their effort is something that all young men can aim for, regardless of their level of athletic ability and something we saw very vividly in the school Road race towards the end of term one.

Return to School - Standards and Expectations

Can I please ask you to check that your son is organised for the beginning of the new school term.  This includes having his uniform and grooming sorted in line with school expectations.  Young men generally do not appreciate the negative attention that being asked to resolve a grooming issue brings.  However, this is completely within their control.  During terms two and three students in Years 12 and 13 have the option to wear the school long trousers should they wish to do so.  A reminder please that the expectation for young men choosing this option is that they wear black dress socks with their trousers.

Winter Sport Season

The winter sport season will be fully underway very soon.  Included in this Weekly Update is the Supporter's Code of Conduct and Player's Code of Conduct.  It is important that all young men involved in sporting activities, and their whānau, are aware of how co-curricular involvement links to our school vision To Develop Educated Men of Outstanding Character |Hai Whakapakari i Ngā Tamatāne Kia Purapura Tuawhiti and the expectations associated with co-curricular involvement.  This information is spelled out in these articles.

A reminder that young men must have correct playing uniform in order to compete in any activity and that they must have satisfactory school attendance in order to be considered for selection.  In particular, students must be present at school the day prior to their sporting competition i.e. at school on Friday in order to compete on Saturday.  This is further explained in the code of conduct.

Ngā mihi,

G M Atkin

ACTING RECTOR