Headmaster's Message
Sporting Results and Opportunity to see our New School.
Dear Parents and Caregivers.,
Greetings, tena koutou katoa, talofa lava.I began writing this newsletter while sitting on land first occupied by Charles Gallagher, his small band of teachers and his Third Form lads in February 1957. I finished it on land first called Orua Paeroa by Ngai Tahu settlers hundreds of years before that.
Truthfully, this newsletter has been difficult to formulate as it represents in many ways the end of one era and the start of another.
On the 10th April, the final action at 77 North Parade occurred. A final Haka of the boys of 2019 brought closure to the troubled times that began for us at 12.51 pm on 22nd February 2011.
The end of an era is not in itself the end! The new era was marked with a Powhiri at Travis Road on the morning of Monday 29th April. At that Powhiri, we were welcomed as manuhiri to Orua Paeroa and when the ceremony was completed, we become the occupiers of our new home, the Tangata Whenua of Shirley Boys’ High School at Orua Paeroa.
Here is part of what I said when I addressed our community and honoured guests from our mana whenua, Ngāi Tūāhuriri which, as well as playing a vital role in Ngāi Tahu history, are also our kaitiaki, guides for the future here at Orua Paeroa:
Kua whawhai mātou ki te nuku ki te mata o te whenua neiKua patere te toto kua maringi ngā roimata
Engari ka tute tonu mātou kia noho tātou ki te whenua
Koinei te take matua
Mei kore te whenua mei kore te tangata
Nā mātou te honore nui
Kua tau nei koutou
Ki te manaaki i a mātou
Ko te tumanako mā te whakatō i te kakano mātauranga
Ki te hinengaro o te rangatahi ō Orua Paeroa
Tō koutou wairua manaaki
E ora mō ake tonu atu
Along the way we have shed blood and sweat and tears
But we have persevered, without land there can be no people
We are honoured that you have graced us with your kindness
We will now sow the seeds of learning in the minds of the youth of Orua Paeroa and your generosity will live on forever as a result.
Shirley Boys’ High School now has as its prime aim to get back to a state of normality as soon as is possible. Teaching and Learning is our focus and getting back to that with teachers teaching and students learning is priority Number One. In keeping with that observation, it brings me great pleasure to tell you about the results from the Term 1 Summer Tournament week.
Sporting Results from Tournament Week
Tennis: Shirley did well in National Tournament week with the highlight being the victory of the Tennis Team of Reece Falck, Jordan Edwards and Luca Landells over Fielding High School in the National Secondary School Tennis Final for 2019.
Softball: 3rd in the South Island
Mountain Biking at Mt Hutt: with three races in three days in the South Island Competition, Jordan Sutherland came 4th in Cross Country and Indy Hawthorne came 3rd in the Enduro.
Volleyball came 22nd in the New Zealand Secondary School Championships, with lots of experience gained for Y10 and Y11 players.
Futsal: The Seniors finished 7th and the Juniors 16th in The National Secondary School competition.
Waterpolo: The team came 9th in the South Island competition with the highlight being South Championships. A highlight in this competition was Tahlor Cahill scoring 27 goals (from 54 shots) over the seven games.
Rowing: We had nine boats in the top 16, of that six were in the top 10, our best places were 5th in U17 single – Max Smith and 5th in under 15 quad.
Touch Rugby: Achieved 7th place in the South Island competition.
Canterbury Secondary Schools Athletics Championships
- James Ilhan U14B: Discus 24.29m 7th
- Kieran Sinclair-Lomax, U14B: 80mH 13.52s 4th
- Cairo Rangihuna-Ruri, U14B: High Jump 200m 26.76s 10th
- Jake Hale, U14B: 400m 1:01.04m:s 7th; 800m 2:23.46m:s 8th
- Liam Collins, U15B: Long Jump 5.01m 6th
- Iveni Nasio, U14B: High Jump 1.61m 2nd; Shot Put 11.38m 1st
- Connor Troon, U14B: Long Jump 5.14m 5th; 200m 25.85s 3rd; 400m 54,97s 1st
- Jordan Soli U15B: 100m 11.93s h; 11.86s 3rd
- Dylan Weaich U15B: Long Jump 5.07m 9th; 100m 13.10s 21st; 26.75s 17th
- Ben Norton, U16B: High Jump 1.65m 9th; 100m 11.95s h, 12.03s f 6th; 200m 24.53s 6th
- Quinn Andis, U16B: Long Jump 6.26m 1st; Discus 43.68m 1st; 200m 23.58s 2nd
- Dominic Pulley, U16B: 1500m 4:50.41m:s 6th; 3000m 10:06.34m:s 5th
- Xyron Burns, U16B: 1500m 4:52.29m:s 7th; 3000m 10:08.00m.s 6th
- Reuben Price, U19B: High Jump 1.60m 10th; Long Jump 6.46m 2nd
- William Osai, U19B: Shot Put 12.03m 4th
- Uzair Qamar, U19B: 100m 12.17s 12th
- Jacob Christensen, U19B: High Jump 1.60m 8th; 800m 2:20.00m:s 13th
South Island Secondary School Athletics Championships
- Saxton Fields, Nelson 29 March to 31 March 2019
- Liam Collins, U14B: Long Jump 4.93m 8th
- Iveni Nasio, U14B: High Jump 1.60m 5th; Shot Put 12.30m 3rd
- Connor Troon, U14B: 200m 25.29s h, 25.60s f 6th; 400m 56.09s h, 55.15s f 3rd; Long Jump 4.68m 10th
- Jordan Soli, U15B: 100m 14.72s h, 11.90s f 2nd
- Ben Norton, U16B: 100m 11.89s h, 12.01s f 5th
- Quinn Andis, U16B: 200m 23.59s h, 23.51s f 2nd; Long Jump 5.92m 2nd; Discus 44.68m 2nd
- Reuben Price, U19B: High Jump 1.60m 9th; Long Jump 6.35m 4th
Opportunity to look over our New School
All parents, caregivers and families are warmly invited to take a guided tour of Shirley Boys’ High School on the morning of 19th May, from 10.00 am through to 12.30 pm. Senior Staff will be on site to welcome you and guide you through the school, showing some of the features that make us the envy of schools in Christchurch.
Ka nui te mihiJohn Laurenson