Dear Parents / Caregivers and Students

Today across the Pacific Ocean, the United States is celebrating Thanksgiving. The history behind this celebration is long and like any national celebration it has changed over time, however, the essence or meaning of Thankgiving Day has remained the same. The essence of this celebration is highlighted in the name “Thanksgiving or giving thanks”.

This is going to be the theme of this letter.

Thank you for sending your sons and daughters to Rangiora High School. Without them RHS would not be a great school, in short, we would not exist. They have gifts and talents and what we have to do as a staff is to draw out these out of them, enable them to grow into fine young women and men.

Thank you to you, parents and caregivers. If there was ever a most difficult time to raise a family, it is in our time. There are so many pressures on families and these pressures manifest themselves in so many areas of family life - some good and some not so good. And let's face it teenagers can be difficult at times. Even amongst the challenges and difficulties, you hold the family together and it might just as simple as having a meal around the dinner table.

Thanks to the teachers and support staff, the complexity of this world of ours is reflected in our schools. Teachers and support staff, deal with this complexity every day. The staff are passionate people who give of their best and are committed to seeing students progress and achieve.

Thank you, students, for your dedication and passion to learn and being part of the rich tradition of Rangiora High School. There is much to be proud of because you make it so.

To the students leaving Rangiora High, especially Year 13 students, this chapter of your life has come to an end and an exciting future awaits with all the challenges and successes. Do not stand on the sideline of life, just dive into it.

Often we take things for granted because they are there and it is not until a person leaves or thing is used up or disappear that we realise that they enriched our lives. So, treasure each day and those people friends and strangers that enrich your life.

In our youth, we can be critical of others and in our criticism we can fall into the trap of not thinking about the words we say. I love this passage from the animated film "Ratatouille" (if you haven't seen this film, watch it over the holidays.

Anton Ego speech:

"Being a critic is easy we risk very little yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgment we thrive on negative criticism which is fun to write and read but the bitter truth we critics must face is that in a grand scheme of things the average piece of junk is probably more meaningful than our criticism designating itself but there are times when a critic truly risks something and that is in the discovery and defence of the new, the world is often unkind to new talent new creations the new needs friends."

As the end of the term draws near, to all our families, have a happy and peaceful Christmas.

To the students be kind, help around the house.

If you are travelling take care and drive carefully.

Merry Christmas

Paul Donnelly