From the Rector
Dear Parents,
Welcome to the first newsletter of the 2023 school year. I would like to extend a warm welcome to all ‘new’ PNBHS parents and to Old Boys who are now re-joining their old school as parents. For a number of our young men, and their parents, this first newsletter for the year will serve as not only an introduction to the year but also as an affirmation of our expectations and the opportunities we are able to offer our young men.
Our expectations have been made clear to the young men of the school, Year 9 pupils in particular. For many in Year 9 our school will be quite different to their previous school. That matters little – they are, to a man, expected to get on with life at PNBHS in the manner we expect them to. Most have started well; some are taking just a little bit of time to get to grips with what is expected of them.
Thank you to parents who have supported our intention to maintain high standards of academia, grooming and behaviour from the first day of the 2023 school year. It is clear that there is a direct correlation between basic standards being set and adhered to and the extensive list of successes that our young men and Old Boys achieve.
The late, great, Celia Lashlie spent many years working with young men, first in the prison service, and subsequently in schools, boys’ schools in particular. In her book, He’ll Be OK – Growing Gorgeous Boys into Good Men, Ms Lashlie wrote about the importance of clearly defined boundaries for boys. She also talked about adolescence, especially Years 9-13 in secondary school, being the bridge from boyhood to manhood. The bridge crosses over some turbulent waters throughout the teenage years, and the strength of the bridge’s foundations, along with the direction in which it heads, is of utmost importance – foundations that are built by family, friends, school and a young man’s own resilience. It is through this combination that a young man’s character is built.
Ms Lashlie created a stir when she suggested she had written the book to “tell mothers to step back”, to “get off the bridge. It’s not about mothers abandoning their sons. It’s about them accepting that for a time they will walk beside the bridge of adolescence rather than on it, or if they can’t quite manage to stay off the bridge, that they at least commit to walking on one side”. Not to follow him around, but be around, so that he knows, “with unerring certainty that, should he have a rough patch, he has only to turn and she’s there”.
Fathers, too, play a vital role. Where possible, they have to be present in a young man’s life. Time with, and connection between, fathers and sons is crucial. Polarising Canadian psychologist Jordan Peterson believes “fatherlessness” is a massive problem in Western society: so many young men find themselves adrift in adolescence at an age where they, more than ever, need a guiding hand.
Ms Lashlie also talks about the simplicity of life for a Year 9 boy, and how that will become more complex as he crosses the bridge. “The main thing a boy needs as he makes his way to adulthood is time: time to come to terms with who he is and who he wants to be; time to find his place in the world that awaits him”. The bright-eyed, bushy-tailed Year 9 boy who enters an all boys’ high school sees a banner hanging above the door that says, “Welcome to the World of Men” and as his body, and his brain, begin to undergo cataclysmic change it is the clear boundaries that help protect him, much as he might rail against them from time to time, both at home and at school.
We look forward to seeing our young men develop over the year and look forward to sharing their successes throughout 2023.
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Our thoughts as a school community are with those in the Hawke’s Bay and Poverty Bay areas after the devastation caused by Cyclone Gabrielle. The harrowing images and stories coming from those areas have been incredibly sobering. In some instances, the damage will be irreparable. Thank you to those in our community who have supported in some way the families and schools on the East Coast. While some ne’er-do-wells have taken advantage of the suffering of others in the aftermath, it has been heartening to see the level of support and kindness shown to those who need it.
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At the first Board of Trustees meeting of the year, Board Chair Mr. Michael Lawrence stood down from his role after 13 years’ service to the school, 12 of those years as Chair. Mr Lawrence provided outstanding leadership, especially during the turbulent Covid period, when the school faced a number of significant challenges. For his loyalty, wisdom, expertise and insight I thank Mr Lawrence for all he has done for our school and our young men. Mr Grant Watts, a PNBHS Board member for some 17 years, has been elected as Mr Lawrence’s replacement, and we wish him all the best in the role.
D M Bovey
Rector
Attendance
If your son is absent for a genuine reason, please phone the school and leave a message on the absence extension. Please ensure that your son attends school unless there is a genuine reason such as sickness or bereavement. The school does not support casual breaks during term time as such absences impact on the standard of education we can provide. Please communicate with me directly if you have any queries about pending or planned absences. We are obliged to record any absences according to the Ministry of Education absence classification system and as such ‘unjustified’ absences will be recorded accordingly.
Cycle Safety
Cycle Safety is a primary concern for the school as a large number of students travel to and from school on bicycles. We expect all students to adhere to school rules and the road rules on their way to and from school. It has been stressed to students in assembly this year a number of times that they need to follow the road rules and be responsible for their own safety while riding to and from school. I would ask that you support us by talking to your son about his safety while getting to and from school.
School Rules
A copy of all school rules has been sent electronically to each family. It is vital that both pupils and parents understand what is expected of our young men within our school environment.
Uniform & Grooming
Please note that at any time your son chooses to wear his uniform, whether it is after school, in town, or after a practice, he is expected to wear it correctly and with pride. He is identified as a PNBHS student and as such all school rules will apply to him while he wears our uniform. I would ask you to ensure that your son does not wear partial uniform in his own time.
We expect your son to be well-groomed at all times. This includes a tidy haircut that meets our standards, and he must be clean-shaven.
Sustained Silent Reading
As part of the school-wide literacy programme our entire school reads for fifteen minutes each day after lunch. The potential impact that this programme has on your son’s development is significant. It is worth remembering that Cicero once said, “A room without books is as a body without a soul”.
The text should be something sustainable such as a novel or non-fiction work, not magazines, road codes or newspapers. I encourage you to talk with your son about the book he is currently reading. The library is well resourced with books for young men. It is open after school as well as during the school day so that your son has ready access to information in a variety of sources. No e-readers are permitted.
Laptop Computer Use
Young men from Year 10 are encouraged to bring laptop computers to school for use in class and with their assessments. These will be used in a number of classes but are not going to drive teaching and learning; rather, they are simply another tool for teaching and learning. Reading and writing are still at the top of the list in terms of importance for education.
School Fees and Donations
In the past schools were able to charge fees in a number of areas to recoup the costs of providing programmes and opportunities for pupils. However, in some areas this is no longer the case and the Ministry of Education have decreed that schools can only ask for donations. While these are donations and therefore by definition optional we appreciate such payments being made as they are a vitally important contribution to the school. Without the income generated by these donations each year the school would struggle to operate. With state funding falling further and further behind what most schools need to operate at a level they would like, the donations are far and away the single most important contributor to the school’s annual operating income. Unfortunately falling donations in recent years has meant that we have had to combine a number of smaller classes and, in some cases, discontinue areas of the curriculum at some levels due to the increased costs.
PNBHS receives a comparatively low level of funding from the government. Only a little over 60% of what we need as a school is covered by state funding which is expected to cover learning resources, support staff salaries, professional development, maintenance of buildings and grounds and all administration costs. However, every year this government funding has to be augmented by locally-raised funds. There is a perception that what were once higher decile schools (the decile system has been replaced by an Equity Index) are able to make up the shortfall in government funding through the donation component from its community. The reality is, however, very different.
We therefore cannot be as effective as we want to be using only operational funds provided by the government. I would ask parents to please support the school by paying the donations and all associated fees when possible. I thank you in advance for your support.
The following list outlines just some of what the school donations go towards:
· Learning Support Programme
· Teacher Aides
· Accelerate Programme, including the university and scholarship classes at the senior level
· Recently added or expanded courses, especially at the senior level – Gateway, Māori Performing Arts, Achievement Support Programme
· Cultural and Performing Arts programmes
· Sports Development programme
· Facilities
· A second Guidance Counsellor, funded by the BOT
· Leadership and Mentoring programmes
In addition to this, the Board of Trustees funds nine teachers above the MOE’s staffing allocation in order to provide greater opportunities for our young men.
Many parents have already started an automatic weekly or fortnightly payment for 2023 school fees and donations, and our finance team will happily discuss this option with you should you be interested. Please call our finance office to make such an arrangement.
Please visit our Facebook page and the school website www.pnbhs.school.nz for latest news and events as they happen. We look forward to working with you throughout the 2018 academic year.
Our thanks are extended to all families who have paid their son’s school fees and donations for 2019. While we are aware that the Ministry of Education believes that schools can run entirely on their government funding, they are wrong: the fees and donations are absolutely vital to the school’s continued ability to offer the opportunities available for our young men. Many of the programmes and opportunities the school offers would not be able to be offered without these contributions. The following list outlines just some of what the school donations go towards:
· The Board of Trustees funds nine teachers over the government allocation
· Learning Support Programme
· Teacher Aides
· Accelerate Programme, including the Massey University and Scholarship classes at the senior level
· Recently added or expanded courses, especially at the senior level – Gateway, Māori Performing Arts, Achievement Support Programme
· Cultural and Performing Arts programmes
· Sports Development programme
· Facilities – new gym extension supervision; swimming pool
· The addition of a second Guidance Counsellor, funded by the BOT
· Leadership and Mentoring programmes