Seniors are making their final push to achieve the best NCEA outcomes. The message for them continues to be: ‘Strive to get your rightful results in 2015 and avoid ‘Achieved’ if ‘Merit’ and ‘Excellence’ grades are more reflective of your actual ability’. From here, enough time still remains to do well in the NZQA exams - if used wisely. Juniors are taking their final steps in preparation for entry into 2016’s Years 10 and 11; a smooth and successful transition being the object.

We celebrated the Arts in the first week with its dedicated award ceremony. The important place the Arts occupy in the school was demonstrated by the fact that over 140 boys earned recognition for deeds in this area. The achievement of Ryan Davis (recipient of the Special Award for Contributions to the Performing Arts), Jacob Keenan (for Service to Drama) and Thomas Clarke (for Senior Artist of the Year) was especially pleasing. Boys who have made a home in the Arts, and other new enthusiasts, are well-poised to continue their Arts enrichment into 2016.

We identified and praised our most notable winter sport players and performances at a second Prizegiving in Week 2. Cameron and David Ellis, and Riley Taylor deserve extra mention as top 2015 senior and junior winter sportsmen respectively. Our guest speaker, Mr Bill Begg, was captivating and his insight on achievement, due to an extensive international coaching career, had real gravitas. The highest team accomplishment rests with the India Shield winning First XI Hockey team that beat Auckland Grammar School First XI in the final last term.

Summer sport has restarted (even if inclement weather threatens) and perhaps provides a good diversion from the pressures of final study and assessment, if part of a focused and balanced strategy for all-round success.

We now look forward to Senior Prizegiving (3 November) and Junior Prizegiving (4 December) when boys who reached the top of their subjects or Year levels for academic excellence, will be honoured.

In these first 3 weeks we have also launched our new website. We hope you like it. It will be improved progressively. We welcome your website feedback through the Contact Us section, and expect to add more content and functions in 2016, to assist parents, students and supporters further. This invitation for constructive feedback is, of course, not limited to input on the new website. We encourage you to comment on other items of interest in the school through this online means. We commit to responding swiftly to your approaches to the best of our ability, and seek to incorporate parent perspective across the full breadth of our activities, for the benefit of the boys and school.

Lastly, The Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L) programme Grand Prize Draw was made during Assembly on Wednesday 28 October. It has been gratifying for staff and students to extend our PB4L in 2015 to foster even greater readiness for positive learning and growth, from application of our POWER values; the boys have impressed with their added uptake. It was nice to reward them in this Assembly with the help of our key business contributors, and to bring our embedded POWER values to the fore once again.

Nick McIvor

Scientia Potestas Est

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