By Dave Thorp | Posted: Sunday June 7, 2020
Kia Ora everyone,
We are back up and running and gaining speed every week! The staff and the students were very happy to return to 211 North Street on 18 May. At first it was a bit strange because we had to observe strict hygiene and contact rules, but we soon got used to it. I thought that the teachers and students (and parents!) all embraced online learning with energy and purpose; we achieved a lot. However, we all know that most boys learn best when they can work collaboratively in a positive classroom environment. Besides all of that, it’s just so good to have the boys back on site again - it didn’t seem right without them there!
One of our goals for the first week was to make students feel safe and comfortable at school. Due to the destabilising effect of the lockdown, we knew it would take a few days to reestablish class expectations of engagement and behaviour. Surprisingly, on the whole, the boys settled quickly and we were able to direct our efforts to ascertaining who needed catching up and who was ready to jump to the next stage of learning.
It seems we have come to the end of Level 2 this week. This is great news because we can once again come together in assemblies. We love to celebrate success in all its forms at assemblies and this is a very important component of our school culture. A summer sports assembly will happen soon to ensure that we celebrate all of our summer codes appropriately. Speaking of sport, it is wonderful to see that our winter codes are now able to train and prepare for the oncoming season. Yes - it may be a somewhat truncated season and some tournaments have been cancelled, but we are all so heartily pleased that games will soon be underway.
Our Physics and Science teacher, Zac Reimer, left for Christchurch Boys’ High School at the start of Term 2. Mr Reimer made a real impact in the classroom, in Thomas House and in Cross Country. We wish Zac and his young family all the very best in Christchurch. We are extremely pleased to have secured an excellent replacement, Mr Owen Martin, who arrives here from Buller High School at the end of Term 2.
Fun Razor, a wonderfully heart warming event took place last Thursday at Timaru Boys’. Thirteen Year 13 boys, supported by many other students, raised over $15,000 for the Child Cancer Foundation. You can read more about it later in this newsletter, but I would just like to say how proud I felt of these young men, whose notion of service to the community is a lesson to all of us adults. On top of that, it was great fun - there was an excellent auctioneer, some furious bidding, some rather amateurish haircutting, 13 alarmingly bald young heads and lots and lots of laughter. It was true Boys’ High spirit in action. Ka Pai boys!!
I look forward to seeing and meeting many of you on the sidelines in the coming Saturdays.
Nga mihi
Dave Thorp
Rector TBHS
