From The Rector
Dear Parents
Compare yourself to who you were yesterday, not to who someone else is today.
Jordan Peterson
Throughout the very busy first term many of the young men of Palmerston North Boys’ High School have achieved at a consistently high level, which bodes well for the rest of the school year. They have worked hard and have begun the year in the manner they intend to continue.
Some haven’t, however. Some have failed to meet our expectations, and as a result they have had to face the consequences of their actions. Some have fronted up and accepted those consequences. Others have endeavoured to lay the blame anywhere but at their own feet. Their own poor behaviour is clearly not their fault.
One of the major areas of concern has been the number of young men who have been dealt with because of poor behaviour online. Young men who have behaved poorly and compounded the issue by posting their poor behaviour online and, as we all know – although apparently not some of our young men it appears – once it is online it is there for all to see.
I have remarked before to the boys that the mind of a certain generation cannot fathom this obsession with ‘posting’. That everything needs to be recorded then posted – particularly when the posted material is insulting, humiliating, or even downright dangerous. Making obscene or degrading comments about others, often comments people would never have the guts to say to another person’s face, abound on social media. While social media, when properly used, can be a valuable and important communication tool, it can also be incredibly divisive and dangerous when used inappropriately.
The constant highlights reel of social media posts has led to all sorts of issues. Impressionable young people, for example, find themselves comparing the apparent drudgery of their own lives to the apparent excitement of others’ lives online means jealousy and envy is everywhere. In Desiderata, Max Ehrmann’s prose-poem, the poet tells us:
If you compare yourself to others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
This comes as a shock to entitled young people who have been told they are the best and who feel they deserve to have everything given to them because they feel they deserve it.
Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt recently claimed that the evidence is now conclusive: the smartphone and social media have ruined young people’s lives. Haidt, a professor at New York University, has noted the surge in demand for youth mental health services in recent years. His latest book, The Anxious Generation, deals with what he believes is one of the most serious issues society has had to face in decades.
Research shows that 95% of American teenagers own a smartphone, and that 45% of them say they are online “almost constantly”. These are figures that repeat themselves across the globe, in many countries. I have noted in assembly before that the great irony is we now live in the most connected society the world has ever seen, but it is also the most isolated.
Harmful online behaviour has increased, and it needs to stop. We have involved the police in some instances, because a message needs to be sent to our young men that harmful behaviour, online or not, needs to be dealt with.
And the preoccupation with comparing ourselves to others is not useful. The lines from Desiderata support our aim of being the best we can be as individuals and as a school, but not concerning ourselves with whether we think we are better than someone else or another school. In that regard, we will continue to do what we believe in. We will work hard, practise hard, play hard, while at the same time maintaining our core standards. In turn, our plans have a greater chance of becoming reality and an achievement worthy of celebration.
We can apply these very basic concepts to class work, homework, assessments, and home life as well as to competition on the sports field, and the performing arts. Many young men did exactly that during this first term and have reaped the rewards. Maintaining that approach for the rest of the year is the key.
It is always the same – the few who cause the issues take up the most time, and it is easy to forget that the overwhelming majority of our young men are positive contributors to our school; young men who are great representatives of their families, of their peers, and of our school. Young men who are proud to carry the reputation of Palmy Boys’ with them and who, in turn, make us all proud of them.
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 need to make comments 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:
- Always remember the boys are involved in sport for their enjoyment, not yours.
- Set an example – applaud good play and good effort.
- Do not criticise team members or opponents for making a mistake.
- 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.
- Support all efforts to remove verbal and physical abuse from sporting activities.
- Do not come on to the field of play; do not enter changing rooms. No parents in halftime huddles.
- 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 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.
Well done to our Year 9 students who are about to complete their first term as students at PNBHS. You are now part of the long and proud history of the school. To those students involved in fixtures and events in the coming weeks - safe travel, strong competition.
All the best for the holiday break and we look forward to a positive term two.
D M Bovey
Rector