What foul weather!! I hope that everyone is safe and dry. The school is closed today but hopefully open tomorrow. More information will be coming to you today on email and on our authorised Facebook page.

The first four weeks of Term 2 have rushed by and we are now nearly half way through. The school year is structured into these 10 week bursts and students need to be careful that time doesn’t slip through their fingers. I often bring this up during assemblies but it would be great if this was repeated at home - procrastination is our enemy!

Blair Poulter, our awesome Careers Adviser/HOD, and his hard working team (Lynn Molyneux and Glenn Austin) have been flat out this term. They have been organising the work experience for Gateway students and interviewing those senior boys who need careers advice (that’s practically all of them). Also, they have been seeking out extra ways of exposing students to Careers information and opportunities. Year 13 students have recently been taken to Canterbury and Otago Universities. These trips will help cement plans for some and open the minds of others to new possibilities. The entire Year 11 cohort was taken to the Employment Expo at Aorangi stadium in Week 3. Afterwards, the boys were full of chat about what piqued their interest. These events are important for our students and Blair sees Careers education as vital for all boys from Years 9 to 13. There is a lot more to a school than just providing pathways to meaningful future employment. However, we definitely see it as a critically important function.

Last week we had lots of fun celebrating Pink Shirt Day. The boys really got into the spirit of the event with some outrageous get-ups on parade. We talked about the key message of the day which is “Kōrero Mai, Kōrero Atu, Mauri Tū, Mauri Ora – Speak Up, Stand Together, Stop Bullying”. Bullying happens in all fields of life but I feel that the students at TBHS do share a bond during their time here. If we can build on that existing brotherhood (which is great), we can help increase boys’ sense of awareness and empathy for others. At TBHS, as in all schools, we act on any information about bullying and we welcome parental feedback on their son’s experiences.

Winter Sport is well and truly underway. There have been some amazing results already - the Hockey 1st XI’s 4-0 win over John McGlashan last week (they play them again in the final of the Otago round this week - go guys!) and the 1st XV’s victory over Christ's College at Christ College last Saturday to name only two. The school Cross Country was a fun and competitive event that everyone enjoyed. I’m really looking forward to the winter interschool exchanges coming over the next term and a half. Keep an eye on our Facebook page for details.

This Thursday our Year 8 Information Evening takes place in Hogben Hall at 7pm. It’s an overview of what happens at TBHS in Year 9. Parents and students will hear from me, our Year 9 Deans, some Year 9 Students and our Head Boy, Balkrishna Uniyal. There will be opportunities to ask questions and chat to people one on one. Looking forward to seeing prospective students and parents there.

Keep safe.

Dave Thorp

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