by TBHS

Rector's message - August 2018

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We enter the new term with new staff, new students, and a new inter-school. Term 3 also brings opportunities to find new success as work in and out of the classroom culminates. It’s the Term when effort invested in the previous two really makes its presence felt.

Mr Kurt Rooney has joined us to teach Physical Education and Science; just returned from the UK, after travelling back through Central and South America. Mrs Helen Baird is taking Mrs Paul’s Food classes for Term 3 - already well known in the district and formerly of Opihi College. Mr Tony Blackstock is teaching Mathematics following longer term service at Roncalli College. Mr Michael Prentice is an Australian Science teacher, who like Mr Blackstock, is helping us out for the rest of the year. Also just arrived are our two new Gap students: Luke Baker from England and E-Jee Crous from South Africa. Both are here to start their contributions to the school and hostel life. Mrs Diane Clarke is our new Thomas House Overnight Supervisor.

In the last Assembly of Term 2 we bid farewell to Mr Greg O’Neill who has transferred to teach Physics at the Discovery School in Christchurch, and Mr David Mills who has moved up to the Wairarapa for a new teaching post. Our two German Gap students: Jaro Plettenberg and Moritz Waldvogel also departed and we wish them all the best for their future. All four will be missed and no doubt, will take aspects of TBHS with them.

Among the boys to join us from overseas are: Hamish Napier and Tom Richardson in Thomas House from Kinross School in New South Wales. Our second two rugby players from The Judd School in Kent, Theo Daviron and Callum Stables visited us to play rugby in a World Champion nation, and experience the numerous advantages of living in the Central South Island! In First XI Hockey we have Max Schippers from The Netherlands, who will no doubt enhance this team’s strong performances in 2018. For all newly arrived boys we sincerely hope that our school soon becomes their school, in the weeks and months to follow.

On 30-31 July a new chapter in our school’s education and connection to other Boys’ Schools came with the first Timaru Boys’ – John McGlashan exchange in Dunedin. This was a sizeable interschool involving 184 of our boys in 13 teams. Each match was contested in healthy competitive spirit and we won the day on the right side of the ledger with eight wins and one draw, compared to the six wins secured by John McGlashan.

Going into Term 3, the boys have been encouraged to work with purpose and initiative; to find new learning - not wait for new learning, to take increasing control of their progress; to work to add to what they already know and can do (climbing the ‘learning ladders’ from Term 2); to finish all that they start to the best of their ability, with no ‘loose ends’ - like all ‘good jobs done well’; and to carry themselves with pride and integrity as someone whose reputation is positive and held in high regard by those whose judgement and estimation truly matters. Overall, they’ve been encouraged to follow our POWER values to grow in character and personal excellence in Term 3. On we go.

Nick McIvor
Knowledge is Power.  Mā te Mātauranga te Mana.  Scientia Potestas Est.