Canterbury Academic and Leadership Pasifika awards. 

I congratulate Taualai Taualai and Palaieni Sikaleti for receiving academic awards, and Josh Vaifale for his leadership contribution. While it is great to accept awards, often the hard work that sits behind these results can be overlooked. I commend all three of our students on their hard work that led to their reward.

Here at St Thomas', we believe deeply in a holistic education. I see the boys on a daily basis with incredibly high expectations towards their sporting and cultural aspirations. It is a key focus area this year that we foster that same high level of expectation in our academic pursuits. 

Staff are working very hard to foster high expectations and a hard work ethic culture in our class rooms. I spoke to our senior students at assembly about the need to be at the centre of their learning, knowing exactly where their progress is at, and planning well in advance for upcoming assessments. I also challenged the boys to be question askers, not accepting anything less than the highest of standards when it comes to their academic learning. 

I am challenging our Yr 13 students to consider taking part in our scholarship programme this year. Gaining scholarship is not about the financial reward, but, more importantly, the challenge and the test of our boys in the most rigorous academic sphere they can achieve during their secondary school years.