Progress, not Perfection

I have spoken to the boys about staying with our 3 Ts - Tidy, on Time and we are a Telling school. Our seniors have 11 weeks left at school and we need to make the most of every opportunity in the classroom and in our co-curricular activities. Our staff are going above and beyond to ensure our boys’ futures. I thank them all from the bottom of my heart.

I know we are working with Covid-19 and we are taking advice and guidance from the MoH and MoE. The boys have been superb in wearing their masks as have staff. As you all know the best teaching is always face to face and we want to maximise our time with our boys. Attendance levels across New Zealand secondary schools are at an all-time low. On average, only 46% of students are coming to school. At WC we are bucking the trend with an 86% attendance rate but this is not where we need to be. We thrive above 95% attendance. Any help or support that you can give in making sure our boys are here every day is absolute gold. Thank you so much for your support on this.

Tu Tangata Festival
We were honoured to host the Tu Tangata Festival this year. A magnificent event, a celebration of the Pasifika cultures and a coming together of secondary schools across Wellington. Our boys were amazing, they performed with skill, passion and aroha. Again, another moment where I felt incredibly blessed to be a teacher.

I want to thank our staff for their hard work in preparing the boys. Our wonderful staff; Brooklyn Leota, Rachelle Hautapu and Debbie Tiatia. Special thanks also to Liz Pa’u, our school chaplain.

In the ‘Olden Days’
I went to see my mokopuna, Theo and Evvy, in the holidays. We had a day when we just looked for insects and a day where we cooked dinner and made a hut. We also had a day where we went to the movies, ate popcorn, chocolate and chips, and lost a shoe of both grandchildren (they roamed). I had to buy new shoes so my daughter wouldn’t growl me. I’m not sure if I’m the best Grandad but we made lots of messes, laughed a lot and, best of all, had lots of cuddles. I put them to sleep one night and thought about how bright their futures are and wondered what sort of world they will grow up in.

A student said to me on the first day back from holidays, “How were your holidays?” I said, “Great. I spent three days looking after my mokopuna.” He later sent me an email that said “Sir, do you think kids are better today than they were when you were a kid? And would you rather be a kid in the ‘old days’ or today?

Wow, what great questions. I told him I would have to think about it. Here’s my answer.

Dear Sam,
I think kids today know a lot more then they did when I was a kid. Or maybe they know more about more things. Why? There’s just more to learn and we have discovered lots of new and exciting things. We have the internet and we have lots of different sources of information. I know that exams are much harder now than when I was young. However, I know that we had to use our brains in a really hands-on way just to fix things. I don’t think that our brains are wired differently today, it’s just that we have so much more to absorb. My Nan said that every generation gets smarter but weaker. I guess that she was referring to technology and kids not having to exercise as much.

When I was your age we had no mobile phones, to speak of, no photocopiers and only two channels on TV. We listened to the rugby on the radio or, as my Dad would say, ‘the wireless,’ and we had record players. You get the picture. My mind boggles at what is available now.

We talked a lot more when we were kids and adults talked a lot more to us. We got outside more and made things. People walked down the street with their heads up when I was a kid and not with their heads down sending text messages or reading their emails on their phones. I think people smiled more back then. They made conversation with strangers. Now if we want to avoid it, we just look down at our phones.

We practiced being polite, especially to people that were older than us. Kids today are still polite but there are more of them that need reminding about politeness and manners. Old fashioned values never grow old.

My mates and I would get on our bikes and travel miles without our Mums and Dads worrying about where we were. There were no mobile phones to contact us. In some places in the world, kids couldn’t leave the road that they live on and some couldn’t even go beyond the front gate.

You asked me what era I would like to live in. Some adults would tell you they wish they were born now, to be young and immersed in all the technology and ‘new’ knowledge. I would have to say that I was happy growing up in Hillhead Road, Corstorphine, Dunedin, in the 60s, 70s and 80s (that sounded old when I thought it but now that I’ve typed it, it also looks old.)

Schools have changed. We used to get the strap or the cane if we were naughty. I’d like to tell you that I was never naughty and didn’t get the strap but I did. I can tell you it hurt. I’m really happy we don’t do this anymore. Teachers used chalk, which I kind of miss. We also did a lot of rote learning, which is just copying things off the board, which I don’t miss. Things in teaching have really advanced. I’m glad that we co-construct lessons with students. I do wish that all kids get to build huts.

Mum’s and Dads didn’t work on the weekends, there wasn’t any malls and the only shop that was open was the local dairy, This meant that lots of parents came to watch us play sport. I wish today’s parents got a chance to see their kids play sport and perform and take part on the weekend. Today, many parents don’t because they have to work.

I wish that housing wasn’t so expensive.

I liked standing up at the movies when they played the national anthem and I liked it when they played cartoons first, before the movie began, and we had an intermission. I miss the fact that our All Blacks were amateur and that some of them used to work with our Mums and Dads.

I marvel at your generation and I marvel at the dexterity of thinking and the ways you apply knowledge. Its awe inspiring!

Sam, I probably haven’t answered your question because I don’t think, for me at least, there is no right or wrong answer. I think both eras have their own pros and cons. If I had advice for our boys at WC it would be to this; be brave and be positive. Cast your net wide, in everything you do. Be bold about meeting new people, about having a go at something you haven’t done before. Have big dreams and ambitions. School should prepare you to be resilient and equip you with the grit and determination to succeed and overcome the inevitable knock-backs along the way. Everyone gets frustrated and feels defeated at times but see this as a challenge. Stay positive. There is no doubt in my mind that positive people attract positive people! Don’t forget to be good to yourself. Give yourself a break. Be patient with yourself. Forgive your own mistakes, it’s how we learn. Mistakes are good. Look for progress not perfection. When you leave WC I want you to make a difference, to be part of something that is bigger than yourself, to be enthusiastic about learning, and to bring your best to everything you do.

Thanks for your email, Sam, I am looking forward to seeing your progress and to walking alongside you on your journey at WC. We will all be cheering you on!

Receive the light and pass it on

Mr Denham
Headmaster