Headmaster’s Message

The challenges of Covid continue as we start the last term of 2021. Our anxiety levels have just been raised a little with the announcement of two Covid cases in Christchurch. While the Government has kept us at Alert Level 2, we know with the Delta variant that things could change quickly and we must be prepared for that.

My hope is that we will remain at the lower alert level but I am also confident that we will respond well to any further challenges that are thrown at us, and at the moment there are a number of challenges. The COVID-19 Public Health Response Order for Mandatory Vaccinations for Education came into effect this week and I am now working to ensure that all of our staff are vaccinated. While I respect personal choice, I am also pleased that the Government has taken a strong step to keep our staff and students in schools safe.

We are also dealing with a number of events that we have had to modify or cancel as we come to the end of the year. Our Senior Formal has been cancelled, sports tournaments have been cancelled and we will not be able to hold our Senior Prizegiving as we done in the past. We will still hold a prizegiving but it will be during the day and parents and whānau will not be able to attend. We will provide a video link so that people can share the success of their sons.

I want to acknowledge our Year 13 cohort. It has been a very challenging final two years of school and they have missed out on a lot. This has really tested them but they have consistently demonstrated our school value of Character or Tuakiri. They have also demonstrated this with me recently in their determination to hold Movember. We are promoting men’s health in a number of ways, and while I was initially not keen, the Year 13 leaders convinced me that it is worthwhile that they grow a moustache. I have been very clear though, that this responsibility for the school values is broad and I expect the behaviour and conduct of Year 13 boys over the last few weeks of school to reflect the school values.

We have held a successful vaccination clinic this week with the support of the CDHB. It has been good to get a number of boys vaccinated as well as the community. If people haven’t been vaccinated yet, I urge you to get it done. For all of us to live our values of Belonging and Whānau we need to look after each other and all be safe. Being vaccinated is important to create this safe environment.

Ngā mihi nui

Tim Grocott