From the Rector

Dear Parents,

The first term of the year has come and gone in what seems record time. Given it has been a week shorter than the first terms of recent years that may well be the case, and at least this year the term has been (almost) uninterrupted.

At assembly recently we recognised the achievements of a considerable number of our young men, young men who had worked hard to earn their success. We began by recognising academic excellence as young men who had achieved Excellence Endorsements in subjects and NCEA Level 2 & 3 courses came across the stage, culminating in the presentation of Super Eight Schools academic badges to 25 of our top academics.

We then acknowledged the success of our young men during Summer Tournament Week, those involved in athletics, triathlon, volleyball, basketball, tennis, water polo, and cricket, which was followed by the results of the winter sports 1st teams whose seasons are now underway, and the Rector’s Company results from the regional Sheilah Winn Shakespeare festival.

What struck me was not just the range of activities that were recognised, and how talented our young men are in so many areas; rather, what struck me was how many of these young men are involved in a wide range of activities. All-rounders.

In his book, Range – How Generalists Triumph in a Specialised World, David Epstein examines the benefits of a breadth of interests and the dangers of early specialisation. He talks about developing range – and how so many achieve success not through specialisation, but from “sampling widely, gaining a breadth of experiences, taking detours, experimenting relentlessly, juggling many interests”. While initially this may seem counter-intuitive, Epstein’s argument is that to become too narrowly focused is to deny the opportunity for growth and learning. In other words, don’t put all your eggs in one basket, although I’m sure Miguel Cervantes, to whom this now-proverb has been attributed, wasn’t paying in 1605 what we are paying for eggs now.

The benefits of our young men being involved in a wide range of activities – academic, cultural, sporting – are clear. And with the winter season upon us it is fantastic to see the number of pupils who have signed up for winter sport, for performing arts and for cultural activities. Numbers, in fact, have increased markedly in recent years, which certainly goes against the national trend where young people are deserting co-curricular activities in their droves.

In this regard, Term II will be a busy one for our young men, and while it is imperative that they have balance they also have the opportunity to enjoy the opportunities that come their way. They will need to be organised, and manage their time wisely; a foreign concept, admittedly, for many teenaged boys.

Epstein says that “relying upon experience from a single domain is not only limiting, it can be disastrous”. That so many of our young men are involved in a diverse range of activities can only be good for them, each experience providing them with learning experiences and with enjoyment.

Some pupils, when they get to their senior years, give away sport, or drama, or music. They believe, and in some cases their parents believe, that their sole focus must be academic. We have seen many times how counter-productive that has been, and so I encourage those seniors to stay involved, to keep some balance in their lives; to keep developing range.

However, “the challenge we all face”, says Epstein, “is how to maintain the benefits of breadth, diverse experience, interdisciplinary thinking, and delayed concentration in a world that increasingly incentivises, even demands, hyper specialisation”.

As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “The height of the pinnacle is determined by the breadth of the base”.

All the best for the holiday break, and Happy Easter.

----------------------------------

As I often do at the start of the winter season, when we have so many teams involved in competitions, whether they be local, regional or national, I will make comment about sideline behaviour. I have seen some appalling behaviour from so-called supporters on the sidelines, who think it their right to abuse the match official or opposition players. This is intolerable and embarrassing. At school we discuss our expectations of our teams and our young men, and it is important that these are supported at home and on the sidelines. Thus, a Supporters Code of Conduct has been introduced which outlines the expected behaviour of those choosing to support PNBHS teams, one which has been posted online recently:

1 Always remember the boys are involved in sport for their enjoyment, not yours.

2 Set an example – applaud good play and good effort.

3 Do not criticise team members or opponents for making a mistake.

4 Criticism of referees or umpires is unacceptable – officials give freely of their time and effort and do not deserve to be harassed by people on the side-line.

5 Support all efforts to remove verbal and physical abuse from sporting activities.

6 Do not come on to the field of play; do not enter changing rooms. No parents in halftime huddles.

7 Recognise the value of coaches and managers who give their time to provide opportunities for our young men.

At the heart of the matter is that we want our young men playing because they enjoy playing. They do not want to be embarrassed by the conduct of family members or supporters on the side of the field. Not everyone will be a national representative; it is important to keep that in mind to provide a realistic context. It is important to remember also that not all staff members will be the next national coach and yet some on the sideline think it their right to criticise team selection and offer uninvited advice; not every referee or umpire will be a professional. We want to encourage all those involved to stay involved.

Clubs

A small number of young men have expressed an interest in playing for club teams in some codes. The school’s policy is that young men will be released on a partial-transfer to play for clubs only if they are representing the school also. Some have not been selected for higher teams and believe they should be playing at a certain level. Whether that is the case or not, the school expects its young men to fulfil their commitments to the school before representing an outside club. All discussions in this regard need to be with the Master in Charge of the respective codes.

Uniform

Sports uniform

As young men join various sporting codes to represent PNBHS there will be a set uniform that boys must purchase. While representing the school it is expected that students wear their sports uniform correctly and abide by school rules. It is also expected that associated registration fees are paid on time or a suitable arrangement is made with the Teacher in Charge prior to playing. If fees are not paid or an arrangement is not made students will not be able to play.

All items of sports uniform can be purchased from the school’s uniform outlet.

I thank you in advance for assisting us in maintaining standards of dress and behaviour on and off the fields and courts this winter.

Polypropylene

As the cooler weather approaches a reminder that young men may wear polypropylene under the school uniform as long as it is not visible. We recommend that young men purchase black v neck polypropylene tops to wear under their school shirts. These are available from a wide variety of suppliers.

In Physical Education classes young men may wear their club rugby jersey in cooler weather or they may wear a polypropylene top the same colour as their club, underneath their club singlet.

Jackets

Any raincoat may be worn to school on a wet day but must be removed once inside the school grounds. Should a young wish to wear a jacket within our grounds it must be one of the approved black jackets. These are not permitted in classrooms.