By D Thorp | Posted: Wednesday December 18, 2024
Kia ora koutou. The school year is done and dusted. Term 4 was very busy, with various prizegivings, NCEA External Examinations, some great summer sport and some stimulating activities for our juniors.
We celebrated student success in both the Senior and Junior Prizegivings. Our core business is academic learning and our Dux for 2024, Jodan Liang, was a worthy winner. He was the outstanding academic in a very academic year group. I’m really looking forward to seeing what Jodan and Reuben Brown, our Proxime Accessit, will achieve in the coming years. The Junior Learning Area Awards were won by a wide range of boys and this indicates academic strength right across Year 9 & Year 10.
Summer Sports got underway. Our Cricket 1st XI did really well this term and will compete in the top flight during Term 1 next year. Overall, the club is in a healthy state - it is extremely well run and has some talented juniors coming through. I went up to Opuha Dam early on two Sunday Mornings this term. I got a glimpse of the background work that goes into creating the amazingly successful Rowing squads that we have got used to over the last few years. Brian Smith is clearly one of the best coaches in the country and he is ably supported by a group of parents and other volunteers. Thanks guys for giving up so much of your spare time. While I’m at it, thanks to all the parents and helpers of sports and cultural activities at TBHS - we couldn’t do it without you!!
The feedback from the NCEA exams was really positive. The turnout was strong and I’m very hopeful that we will have another successful year in NCEA. The all important literacy and numeracy tests that have been added to NCEA have been worrying us. However, we have seen a real improvement this year, with 80% of Year 11 getting through and much better results for our Year 10 boys. Our results in these tests are well above the national average for boys and we have plans to continue improving in this area.
Our Junior end of year activities were super fun. Some great Year 9 house battles, Year 10 beach day, golf, surf casting, Escape Room, Mana Tanagata excursion to Raincliff, White Shirt Induction, etc. It’s not all academic learning but it’s important to celebrate the year’s end and to build on our sense of brotherhood.
Bring on 2025! We will have another 200 boys coming into Year 9. We are really looking forward to helping these young lads to begin their Secondary School journey.
Have a great Christmas everyone!!
Scientia Potestas est - Mā te Mātauranga te Mana - Knowledge is Power
