“I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo. “So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”

My Mum bought our first album, "Solid Gold Hits volume one. My favourite song was ‘Eagle Rock’ by a band called Daddy Cool (I'm hoping that someone reading this knows the song). We weren't allowed to play the album as we might scratch the record, so Mum was the only one that could put it on. We used to spend hours listening, laughing and dancing to that album. It's where we learned to dance as kids and just be together, but, better still, we got to hear our Mum laugh and have fun.

As siblings, we still ask each other, "What are you dancing to?" which means, “What are you enjoying doing?"

I think it's so important for our boys to unplug from their devices and plug into their families. We all lead busy lives and I know that the vast majority of you already do this. I know you plan and schedule family time and make sure that you commit to it and don't break it. I wish someone had given me this advice when my kids were teenagers. My daughter still says, "Dad, you were always at other kids' prize-givings and games, when you should have been at ours!" I could say that I was a Principal and that I was busy but she is right. I should have made time. I closed my eyes for a moment and when I opened them my three children had grown up, gone to University, got jobs, got married and had babies. When my first child was born I held her in my arms and my Mum said, “Son, she will do great things and she will also frustrate you sometimes. Don’t wish those days away. She will be off doing her own thing in no time and your arms will be empty. Enjoy and love it all!"

Our boys are doing tremendous things at WC and I am very proud of them. I have been having some great conversations with our Year 13 students. Our time with our Year 13s is coming to an end and I am very sad that I only got to spend a couple of terms with them. They are an outstanding group who have led us well. They might be one of the very few Year 13 cohorts in New Zealand to have had four Tumuaki: Mr Moses for one term, Mr Fountain, Mr Ashby for one term, and now me. The constant has been the environs of WC, many of the staff and our core values. They have showed remarkable agility and flexibility when faced with change, something that we can all learn from.

The Year 13s have been sharing with me what they will be doing next year. Lots of excitement and nervousness about heading off to universities, here and overseas, and a number of them going into full time employment. I have been talking to them about being in this moment, their last days with us. One of our boys said to me, "Sir, I'm counting down the days"

When you are waiting for something to end, those moments become throw away moments. There’s nothing to enjoy, learn or appreciate in these moments because we’ve already made up our minds that they’re not as important as what’s on the horizon. Don’t let these moments go in anticipation of something better. We don't want the ‘in between’ of the now and the future to be filled with second rate moments.

I say to all of our Year 13 boys to not, ‘wish these days away’. To embrace and enjoy the last moments with us at WC. We will miss them all very much.

Recieve the light and pass it on

Glen Denham
Headmaster