Dear Old Boys, your school is alive and busy despite being Omicron frustrated and affected at present we still have plenty happening...

The school year started with a roll of around 1840 young men with our year 9 roll around 420, the biggest we have had through our gates.

It was a little unfortunate that they could not be herded into the school hall on their arrival that first morning and be given the traditional PNBHS Rector's greeting along with a welcoming Haka. Mr Bovey did gather them up in the School Quad and still managed to enliven them with a few significant messages about being a PNBHS student.

Last Friday we had 453 boys and a handful of teachers away either with Covid or isolation because of Covid home contacts. On Monday we started rostering off a year level at school each day with all year groups except Year 9 being required to study at home for one day a week, this simply allows us to manage our classes making sure all classes at school have a teacher in front of them. It is certainly interesting times but we are innovative and coping, getting on with it and making sure our boys are getting on with as much as they can.

The Water Polo Team, Volleyball Team and Golf Teams have all been away competing at Super 8 tournaments, Canoe Polo have competed in a regional competition over the weekend and the 1st XI Cricket Team have recently played Auckland Grammar playing a three-day match, this was a nail-biting finish, a draw enabled us to keep hold of The Oram Cup but how about these for figures Jacob Duker 0 runs off 79 balls.... Fred McVerry 5* from 92 balls..... Great discipline.

I'm sure there are more I have missed...

Peter Finch (Director of Sport) sent the following email out to Staff last Friday titled "How Good is this" which sums it up:

"In the current climate it has been incredible to see so much happening in school sports. From catch up Cricket matches and nets sessions, early morning gym trainings, Volleyball, Swimming, Tennis and Rugby to after school Touch, Junior Sevens, 1st XV, Premier  Squad Basketball, Canoe Polo and Interschool cricket matches in Feilding and Whanganui. I am sure I have missed a few but "How good is this?"

I also just love walking around school seeing our Musicians innovatively taking over the space beneath the awnings of the School Hall or all sorts of singing practices ringing out of the Grandstand or the undercover space in front of the tuck shop. We are not letting this virus stop us maybe just slow us down a little. 

Here  in the Old Boys Office we too have had to shuffle around our events once again and we are currently busy rescheduling things, organising reunions and touching base with our Good Buggers Club, White Jersey Club and Football Supporters Club - all in preparation to help out another generation of our current PNBHS Supporters. Stu still enjoys catching up on Linkedin and various other platforms with what our Old Boys are achieving, if you have anything to share we would love to hear about it.