Kia ora Parents and Whānau

Haere Mai, warm Pacific greetings and welcome to the first newsletter of the 2024 school year. We have had a very good start to the year which has been pleasing. The Year 9 students have started well, and the leadership and role modelling shown by our student leaders has been excellent. They have taken it upon themselves to remember what life was like for them when they started school, reflect on that and then provide the appropriate support to help the new boys transition into school. I am really proud of the way that they are talking to the Year 9s, making them feel special and being a positive influence.

We have a number of new staff joining us in 2024 which is good to see as they bring new energy and ideas, and very keen to make a positive contribution to the school. I wish them all the best for their time at Shirley Boys’ High School. 

New Teachers

Jack Mockford - Science

Daniel Craik - Physics

William Meates - Commerce

Rutene Rickard - Music

Caroline Aindow - Visual Art

Paul Sullivan - Food Technology

Chez Waihi - Te Reo Māori

Vaughan England - Mathematics

Allister Emerson - Drama

Gill Mandley - Food Technology

Lee Hart - Health and Physical Education

Darren Symons - Health and Physical Education

Ethan Evans - Social Science and English

Marcella Herrera - English

New Support Staff

Trent Sherlock - Sports Assistant

Ben Calder-Lee - Weights Room Assistant

Catherine Shaw - Teacher Aide

Courtney Manuel - Creative Shirley Coordinator

Ben Sinclair - Shared Theatre Technician

Anna Lawrence - Alumni & Community Engagement / Magazine Editor

The NCEA results for 2023 were very positive. Our Level 1 and 3 results were pleasing and are at or above national results and schools similar to us which is consistent with previous years. Our Year 12 results were not as good as we have had in past years, but there was an improvement for this cohort from their Year 11 results, so there is certainly an improvement.

Once again it is obvious that regular attendance is crucial to doing well. Looking at Year 11 achievement shows that for boys who attend school more than 90% of the time, 90% of them gain Level 1. It is really clear that if attend school the majority of the time, then they have a really good chance of succeeding.

Congratulations to all the boys who have done well. They worked well last year, managed their time well, coped with challenges and gave everything a go. They should be very proud of their success.

Ngā mihi nui

Tim Grocott