By Rector, Dave Thorp | Posted: Wednesday April 8, 2026
Kia ora Parents and Whānau,
Kia ora TBHS community. We have had a really enjoyable Term 1. With 830 students, we are currently the largest we have ever been. However, as our Year 9 group is smaller than those of the last three years, we expect the roll to settle and slightly drop over the rest of the decade. Rest assured, we have room for everyone.
It has been an incredibly busy term. Our boys have had a fantastic time across a range of summer sports, with real success in Athletics, Rowing, Cricket, Fistball, and virtually every other activity. The winter codes are now fired up and ready to go. A huge thank you to all the coaches, parents, and teachers who make these opportunities possible.
Coming up in Week 9 is our joint production with Timaru Girls’ High School—the musical We Will Rock You. We are incredibly excited about this; Mrs. Chris Cheesman always brings out the very best in our students. Keep an eye out for ticket sales closer to the date.
Also this term, we have the first NCEA co-requisite Literacy and Numeracy tests (CAAs) of the year. Students must pass these to attain any NCEA level. While our students perform well compared to the national average, the Writing test can be a significant challenge for boys across the country. To support them, we use a simple but effective writing strategy called CAP?:
C – Capitals
A – Accuracy in Punctuation and Spelling
P – Paragraphs
? – Does this writing make sense?
We want all our boys, especially those in Years 9 to 11, to get into the habit of reviewing their written work. We would love your help with this. When they are working on a written piece for homework, please ask them if they have applied their CAP? checklist. It is a true team effort, with parents and staff working toward the same goal.
Our "Phones Away for the Day" programme continues to work well, though we noticed an increase in confiscations toward the end of the term. There is no excuse for using a phone during the day, and we are required by regulations to confiscate them if seen. Thank you for your continued support in keeping our environment focused on learning.
We are looking forward to the next term. See you at Conferencing in Week 2!
Scientia Potestas Est — Mā te Mātauranga te Mana
