NPBHS Comradeship Valour and Wisdom

comradeship valour wisdom Issue One - Winter 2013 Biannual publication for the community of New Plymouth BoysÂ’ High School

Contents This biannual publication produced by New Plymouth Boys High School acknowledges the true meaning of its motto -

Comradeship Valour Wisdom CVW aims to highlight the successes of its past and present students to the school community as a replacement publication to the school newsletter and Old Boys Through the Gates magazine.

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Alumni Merita: Albert Wendt

Top Student: Alan Ansell

Tanzania Trip

First Impressions

Albert Wendt was recently welcomed to the alumni group in April.

Alan Ansell is one top student. We look at his incredible success so far at NPBHS and talk to him about his visit to the Beehive in January.

We talk to student Charlie Boon about his recent trip to Tanzania at the beginning of this year.

Yr 9 day boy student Ben answers questions about his first impressions of term one at New Plymouth Boys High School.

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Top Student:

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Tanzania Trip

10 Summer Round Up

Alan Ansell

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First Impressions:

12 Hillary Challenge

Yr 9 Day Boy

14 New Staff

Joel Robertston writes about Albert Wendt s extraordinary career.

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Welcome

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Alumni: Albert Wendt

Editor: Hugh Russell Design: Pip Campbell Proofing: Terry Heaps

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Leader Profile

Advertising rates are available from the editor on enquiry.

General correspondence should be addressed to:

Printing: Graphix Explosion

The Editor, CVW Magazine @ NPBHS Private Bag 2028, New Plymouth 4342

Circulation: 2000

Email: cvw@npbhs.school.nz

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Cover image: Swimming Sports Day, 22 February 2013 Photo by Shane Reid

Welcome to Nga mihi nui ki a koutou te whanau o te kura tuarua mo nga tamatane o Ngamotu.

Greetings to our extended family.

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Welcome to the first issue of CVW. In this day of Facebook, Twitter, websites and email as the primary forms of communication for many, we believe there is still overwhelming merit in producing a quality biannual publication that will celebrate the huge achievements of the New Plymouth Boys High School community and be utilised to showcase the school to a wide national and international audience. We hope this copy will take pride of place on your office and home coffee tables, and that you enjoy the informative articles outlining the amazing range of opportunities this school provides. Not only that, CVW will also provide opportunities for top students to apply some of their journalistic skills by writing articles and providing photographs.

If you have not already guessed, the name CVW comes from our school motto and song: Comradeship, Valour and Wisdom. These three words are as important today as they were in 1882 when the school was first established... and will be recognised by all students - past and present. The meaning of these three words is illustrated on every single page of this publication the comradeship of our national champion Adventure Racing team, as an example; the valour of learning in overseas settings like Tanzania and Malaysia; and the wisdom of our top Year 13 students in encouraging their younger peers to persevere and always question.

Malaysian Football Tour In April of this year a group of seventeen NPBHS footballers embarked on a tour of Malaysia and Singapore.

15 Sports Facility 16 Malaysian Football Tour 18 Upcoming Events

The full meaning of education to me implies teaching the values as stated in our school motto. And perhaps none are as important as the first... comradeship.

Respect for each other and basic manners are imperative in a world where those qualities are diminishing daily, and a student who shows the selfdiscipline to be engaged in his studies and also develop wisdom will no doubt achieve the life pathway he really wants. Developing the values in young men who have the courage to seize the opportunities this school and the 21st century provide is a priority for this school.

However, this publication is not focused just on our existing student community.

Aimed also at the Old Boys of the school, CVW will compliment the Through The Gates electronic newsletter, and we encourage Old Boys to contact the editorial team with information about what they have achieved since leaving.

It is important that present students understand and appreciate the achievements of their predecessors, and therefore a page in each issue will be set aside for Old Boys news. We encourage you to utilise this noticeboard of achievement .

The next edition of CVW will be printed at the end of September (Term 3), so please send your feedback and article ideas to the editorial team at cvw@npbhs.school.nz Lastly, but not least... a special thanks must go to the advertisers. Without their support, this magazine would still be an idea in the minds of those who felt it important to celebrate all that this school represents.

MJ McMenamin Headmaster CVW 3

PHOTO COURTESY OF TARANAKI DAILY NEWS

Alumni: Albert Wendt One of the New Plymouth Boys High School s most distinguished old boys, writer Albert Wendt, is the latest alumni to receive the highest honour bestowed by the school, the Alumni Merita award.

Wendt, who boarded at the school s Niger house from 1953 to 1957, received the award at a full school formal assembly in April this year, at which he shared his life story and contributions to the field off literature... which include more than a dozen short stories and novels.

Two of his books have been made into films, and his novel Leaves of the Banyan Tree won the 1980 New Zealand Book Awards. But it is in his revolution of the study of English literature that he is acclaimed for scholars have gone from studying Shakespeare alone to being immersed in the rich literary history of the Pacific. Wendt is often referred to as the grandfather of Pacific literature.

The five years I spent at Boys High were some of the happiest years of my life, Wendt says. They shaped me and the direction my life would take.

Born in 1939, Wendt moved from Apia in Samoa to New Plymouth in 1953 after receiving a scholarship to live and study in New Zealand. It was at the school that he discovered his passion for writing and telling stories, and his first attempts at poetry and fiction began.

More than 50 years later, he still has fond memories of his

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time at the school, smiling as he talks about teachers who inspired him and friends he made memories with.

Being away from his family in Samoa had a profound effect on Wendt, giving him a sense of the true value of relationships and alofa (love) that he has carried with him throughout his career of teaching and lecturing.

While I was here, my family was so far away... I learned to value the alofa of my parents, family and friends. Their love for me, and my love for them, is the most important thing in my life, he says.

Wendt studied history at Victoria University, and quickly noted the lack of Pacific and native literature studied by New Zealand students, as well as the strict conditions under which English studies were completed.

It was so colonial. There was no mention of our own literature, he says. It was just Europeans and dead people.

Even creative writing was completely absent from schools.

I personally felt, and still feel, that the most important studies are those of your own culture.

I am passionate about studying Pacific literature it is our culture. Just like Americans love to study American writing, we should love to study New Zealand s writing. No one can say that it is not important.

Wendt was a professor at the University of Auckland for almost two decades, and was Citizen s Chairholder at the

University of Hawaii from 2004 to 2008. He is now an Emeritus Professor at the University of Auckland, and continues to write full time and paint.

One of his great honours was being made Companion of the Order of New Zealand for his services to literature in 2001 and in this year s Queen's Birthday Honours was elevated to the Order of New Zealand, the country's highest award.

Membership of the ONZ is limited to 20 living people and awarded for outstanding service to New Zealand. Mr Wendt's addition comes after the deaths of Margaret Mahy and Ralph Hotere.

The most important part of English studies, Wendt says, is the heart with which it is done. The closeness between teachers and students should reflect a common love for literary study.

That s what makes a great teacher great - when they are passionate about their students being passionate. I see my old students, and even if I am slightly sad they aren t writing, I see they are passionate about what they do and I love that.

Wendt s story proved to be captivating and motivating for all of the boys who heard it, and the school is extremely grateful for his efforts and dedication to the important art of education, his works and the principles that he will be remembered for.

words Joel Robertson

Other recipients of the Alumni Merita award include: Sir John Graham In 2011 the former All Black captain and headmaster of Auckland Grammar School joined the prestigious alumni merita group after receiving a knighthood for his services to education and sports earlier that year.

Sir John was a boarder from 1948 until 1952.

Sir Graeme Douglas Sir Graeme, received the insignia of a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit ffor his services to philanthropy and athletics in 2010. A boarder from 1942 until 1946, Sir Graeme was welcomed to the alumni merita group in 2012.

Sir David Levene In 2010, Sir David received the insignia of a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for f his services to business and the community. Sir David was welcomed to the alumni merita group along with Sir Graeme Douglas in 2012 and was a boarder from 1942 until 1946.

Reuben Thorne Ex-All Black Captain, Reuben Thorne was inducted into the alumni merita group in August 2012. Reuben was a boarder from 1988 until 1992.

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YEAR 13 STUDENT ALAN ANSELL WITH GOVERNOR-GENERAL SIR JERRY MATEPARAE. PHOTO COURTESY OF MARK COOTE

Top Student: Alan Ansell Alan Ansell is not your average run-of-the-mill student.

The Year 13 student at New Plymouth Boys' High School might be one of the school s top academics, but his name is definitely one to remember when he eventually becomes a world famous Kiwi from the Naki .

In his five years at Boys High, Alan has achieved a great deal... mainly thanks to his hardworking ethic, personality and talent for education. His schedule is jam-packed with study and practice of all kinds, and Alan says his success is a testament to his willingness to learn more. I always wanted to learn a new fact, or the next piece of information, he explains. That drove me to work hard in school.

The story began when Alan was eight, and would regularly visit Boys High School Latin teacher Mrs Atkinson for lessons.

Even though he was at least four years younger than his fellow students, they still accepted him and were friendly... something he says made them some of his favourite memories.

Since that time, Latin has been his favourite subject, and when he s not immersing himself in Roman love poetry, satire or learning useful pick-up lines from Catullus, he is improving his Latin skills under Mrs Atkinson s very (some might say impossibly) high standards. Mrs Atkinson describes Alan as a very hardworking student who completes every bit of work she sets for him.

Thanks to that early learning and hard work, Alan achieved what he believes is his most prestigious award so far top scholar for Latin in the whole of New Zealand. Alan says his immense effort to achieve this accolade was the reason he beat all other top students in the country, plus the many hours of study he put in.

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It was that feat that saw him accompanied by Mrs Atkinson and Mr McMenamin visit the Beehive recently to meet Prime Minister John Key and Governor-General Sir Jerry Mateparae. I couldn t help feeling proud about gaining this achievement, Alan says. The fact that it was acknowledged by the higher tier of New Zealand Government was very gratifying.

Even though Alan might not be your typical high-level sportsman, his life is not completely all work and no play.

In his spare time he enjoys playing table tennis, and has played two instruments... the clarinet and piano... for two and nine years respectively. In fact, he plays the clarinet in both the Concert Band and the Taranaki Youth Orchestra.

One of his other passions is the strategic game of chess, and he has won many tournaments and competitions in his earlier years at school. In 2009, he won the New Zealand Youth Chess Championship, making him the best youth player in the country.

What, you might wonder, would someone like Alan want to do in the future? He plans to study at the University of Auckland, working towards a degree in engineering. Once that s done, he plans to work in the field of artificial intelligence, creating robots that can think for themselves and other useful machines.

There s no doubt we will be reading and seeing Alan Ansell all over the news when he creates the first robot that can think for itself. He will becomes a world famous Kiwi from the Naki, and an old boy of New Plymouth Boys' High School.

words Daniel Ralphs

Leader Profile: Head Boy In his last year of school, Josh is studying Chemistry, Calculus, Physics, Geography and Physical Education. Of these subjects Physical Education is his favourite. A very accomplished athlete, Josh has been a loose forward for the 1st XV rugby team for the last two years as well as a member of the senior athletics team and dabbled a little at hockey while in the hostel in year 11.

Josh was selected to attend the Global Young Leaders Conference in July 2012. This experience broadened his focus on the range of cultures in the world and gave him the urge to see the world in the future.

Josh Dowsing Josh spent his first three years at New Plymouth Boys High School as a boarder in Carrington House having come from Ardmore in Auckland. When his parents moved to Taranaki at the beginning of 2012, he became a dayboy. He sees this as a major advantage as Head Boy because it allows him to understand both the boarding and dayboy environments. Josh is the eldest of five children, with a sister at New Plymouth Girls High School, a brother at Highlands Intermediate and two sisters at Fitzroy Primary.

Very proud of his Samoan heritage, Josh is honoured to represent the school as the first Head Boy of Samoan descent. He initially found this role scary, but also exciting.

He is keen to organise the show piece of the school s social calendar, the school ball, into a night that all the Year 13 students will see as a highlight of their time at Boys High.

At present he intends to go to university in the South Island next year but is unsure of what course he will do yet.

As Head Boy his advice to younger students, is to have no regrets while at NPBHS make the most of all the opportunities provided.

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CHARLIE BOON AND SCOTT HUGO TEACH ENGLISH TO THE LOCAL CHILDREN

World Challenge Tanzania Trip After 18 hard months of fundraising and planning, eight NPBHS students hopped on a plane in December and flew 20 hours across the world to Tanzania where they took part in a life-changing project... the World Challenge Expedition.

the Udzungwa Mountains, then a week at Ikuvilo Primary School. Charlie says that the boys played soccer with the local children and taught them English, painted classrooms and did small jobs around the school.

The students - Hayden Lee, Charlie Boon, Scott Hugo, Alex Trowbridge, Sam Morgan, Stuart Gradwell, Connor Price and Ethan Peattie, together with teacher Larry Wilson and expedition leader Tegyn Angel hiked up mountains, helped a school with building projects, taught English to local children and enjoyed a safari during their month based in the East African country.

This was the favourite part of the expedition for many of us, as we experienced an entirely new culture which was nothing short of an extremely humbling experience.

After getting used to the heat more than 40 degrees celsius and well over 80% humidity the boys first few days were spent undertaking basic preparation for the trip, including taking responsibility for booking future accommodation, transport and activities.

This was a huge eye-opener for us, year 12 student Charlie Boon says. It was important that we did all the planning, booked all the accommodation and transport, sorted out meals and basically ran our own ship while over there.

It benefitted us significantly, developing skills we can use for the rest of our lives. Before I went to Tanzania, I didn t know how to plan so specifically and pay such close notice to the minor details. I now feel more confident making decisions, and am more flexible to adjusting them when something goes wrong.

The first phase of the expedition was a three-day walk up

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Another extremely wet four-day trek in the Livingston Mountains finished on the shores of Lake Nyasa, Africa s third largest lake, and the rest and relaxation phase of the trip started, with Christmas and Boxing Day spent on a safari looking at lions, elephants, hippos, giraffes, zebra and many other animals.

The group then caught a ferry over to Zanzibar Island, famous for its unique stone town, beaches, snorkelling, spices and shopping.

As we found early in the trip, life doesn't just run smoothly in Africa, Charlie says. We often found ourselves saying TIA (this is Africa)! However, it was these difficult challenges that Africa imposes that really benefited us the most.

The trip was a huge success, and each and every boy did a great job, coming home with great stories and accomplishments to tell their family and friends. It was something truly special to experience a country so different from New Zealand, and take such a huge leap outside of each of our comfort zones.

What did you think NPB BH HS S was s goi o ng ng to b be e like? ?

I thought that the school would be so big big that th hat at I would ou u get lost. I probably would of if it were en n t fo for th for t e map.

How did you feel after th he firrst st day of s sc chooll? Did anything stand out for or you ou? u?

I felt excited to go bac ack ck th the ne the next day to learn mo more re. I was allso a lsso o hap appy py th ha at th ther ere we ere were e people in my classs th that I knew new. ne w.

Wh hatt were ere th the most noticeabl ble changes forr y yo ou in n movi movi mo vin ng from ng ro om in intermed edia iate te to hi h gh school?

T e sc Th cho hoo ol is a lot bigger and the ol ere r are twice as ma any ny peop pe ople ple e there e tha h n my y intermediate. e Mov e. ovin ing ng to differe rent re clas cl assr ssr sroo oo o oms eac ach h pe peri riod od is an anot anot othe herr bi he big ch big chan han ange ge. e.

D you Do o like ik ke ha havi ving vi ving g mor ore th than an n one e tea each cher err now ow? ? Wh hy? y I th thin ink in k ha h ving g mor o e th than an n one tea each ch cher her is gr grea eatt be ea beca caus use us e th hey ey each specialise in a certain sub bje j ctt area. They also each have a different style of teaching which makes it more interesting.

How have you found the workload? Is it similar or different to intermediate?

There is quite a lot more work than intermediate and there is definitely a big difference in the amount of homework.

What subjects s ar a e yo you u fin inding the most inte te ere r st s ing so far?

Art because I ju ust st enjjoy oy doing ng it. I have found d Maths h very ry interesting becausse we have e be been en n doi o ng real life problems that involve space and th nd sci cien ence ce. e.

Have ve you fou ve und nd it easy to ge et to kno ow ne n w pe people?

What s Wh at s helpe at ellp pe ed? d?

As wel ell ass my frrie iends frrom om my ol old d in nte term rmed rm edia ed iate, I ve I ve v made new fr new ne frie ie end ds wh ho ha ave e com o e fr from m oth her schoo choolss. Th hro roug ugh h th hes e e ne new fr frie iend ndss I ve nd ve als lso o me et an a d go got to got o kno now w otth he er sttude ud den ents ts..

Whatt are W e some of the opp ppor orrtu tuni n ti ties es tha h t yo ou may take ta ake up, th that at NPB BHS off ffer ers? s s?

Socc So occ ccer e , tennis is and mus usic ic.

What are your as aspi pirrati tions fo forr yo your ur tim ime at NPBHS? I would like to get an excellence for my junior diploma this year, and in the future get a Tiger Jacket.

Thanks to Ben, Year 9 for being interviewed for this questionnaire.

words George Mohi

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It was a busy summer season for sport and the students celebrated many successes, both as teams and personally. The level and diversity of achievement in term one has been memorable and of a particularly high standard.

1st XI Cricket Team The premier cricket season ended in disappointment in both the one-day and two-day competition, finishing 7th in both competitions. The one-day competition was heavily rain affected, and while they won more games than teams that made the top four, NPBHS made the call to play on all but one weekend, while other teams seemed happy to call games off early and take rain out points. In the two-day comp, NPBHS had a chance of making the top four heading into the last round, but a poor showing saw them slip out of contention.

In traditional matches, AGS proved a close contest. taking a first innings lead. NPBHS was set 243 off 60 overs and had AGS 121 for 6. A solid partnership ensued and saw them chase down the total with a couple of overs to spare without the loss of any more wickets. In the match against Hamilton, NPBHS was in complete control of the match from the outset and convincingly won outright by 160 runs with the best part of a session to spare. WCS came down to the wire as both teams made positive declarations to progress the match. NPBHS set themselves to bowl out WCS in the final session and had them 9 down at the close of play. Super 8 and Gillette Cup were disappointing, with NPBHS finishing 5th at Super 8 and losing the Taranaki final to FDMC in the Gillette Cup.

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Individual highlights include captain Rupert Young scoring centuries against Napier, Hamilton and Wanganui Collegiate, as well as centuries to Mason Farrant, Ben Mitchell and Liam Muggeridge. Billy Sanger took two hatricks this year in premier club matches.

In other grades, the 2nd XI made the North Taranaki final before losing to Woodleigh, while the Junior XI cricket made the National Tournament for the second year in a row, and are ranked 7th in New Zealand.

Tennis Team The tennis season started early in February with the school championships and the annual inter school fixture against Hamilton BHS which we won 9/3.

The annual Super 8 tournament this year was held in Gisborne where we finished 3rd equal as rain caused the cancellation of the final day.

The top 4 players defeated Francis Douglas 6/0 to win the Taranaki secondary schools fixture and qualify for the nationals.

Unfortunately we lost to Palmerston North BHS in a countback of games after having tied the matches 3/3 and the sets. Therefore we just missed out in taking part in the national finals in April.

We also defeated Wanganui Collegiate School 8/2 in another inter school fixture.

Congratulations to the following students for being selected to play representative tennis for Taranaki: Jaime Simpson,

Brady Simpson, Cory Sutherland, Calum Sutherland and Ajeet Rai. Ajeet Rai also gained selection in the NZ Under 14 squad which is travelling to Europe in June/July for practice and tournaments. Ajeet is the first player at NPBHS to gain this honour.

We watch his future development in tennis with a lot of interest.

1st VI Touch Team The New Plymouth Boys High 1st VI Touch team once again proved its skill, taking out the Taranaki regional championships in Hawera, late last term. Ably led from the front by co-captains Josh Parker and Sam Betteridge, NPBHS outclassed a spirited Stratford side in the final to win by a rather large margin. The future looks promising as many of the players are returning next year.

PRIVATE TUITION IN ALL SCHOOL SUBJECTS Secondary and Intermediate Students Senior Volleyball Team Volleyball had a short sharp season that was all over by week 7 of term 1. This year s team was made up of some talented players and they achieved some pleasing results, winning the regional Taranaki competition against Spotswood, then going on to play in Division 3 at nationals. The results were as follows: Ellesmere College WIN 3-1 Long Bay College LOSS 1-3 Mana College WIN 3-0 Whakatane LOSS 0-3 Manurewa LOSS 0-3 Te Puke WIN 3-2

These results put us into the lower half of Division 3 meaning the best we could get was 9th. The last three games were: PNBHS B WIN 3-0 Marlborough Boys WIN 3-1 Long Bay College WIN 3-2

So final result was 9th place in Division 3 which was an improvement on last year s 15th place.

Along with this we also had some success in the TSSSA Beach Volleyball tournament with Nick Jager and Sean Hone placing 1st in the senior pairs and our senior four placing 2nd.

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NZ Challenge Adventure Racers May 13 to 17, 2013 saw the 13th annual Genesis Energy Hillary Challenge take place at the Sir Edmund Hillary Outdoor Pursuits Centre of NZ in Tongariro National Park.

Our combined NPGHS/NPBHS team of Lyneche Simkin, Ellie Tvrdeich, Ruby Tinson, Erika Barr, Tom Spencer, Matt Furze, Hamish Sturmer, and William Adlam arrived with the accumulated expectations of 7 past wins and 4 second places on their shoulders, but also knowing they had trained hard, and there was a huge community of supporters watching their progress. The weather forecast was great, the Sunday night presentation inspirational, so it was going to be an awesome week.

Days 1 and 2 involved the 12 teams (selected from over 60 who attended the qualifying round) rotating around 12 one hour initiative challenges, 6 on each day. These were multi -dimensional problem solving exercises that tested both mind and body, but in particular, teamwork. Examples included a search and rescue exercise, a high ropes activity involving downpipes and trying to transfer tennis balls, communication activities, frisbee golf with a problem to solve at each hole, firelighting with bivvy building and pizza cooking to name a few. Teams were scored on the outcome but also the process, how well they worked as a team.

On the Monday night each team had to perform a live 5 minute presentation on encouraging young people into the

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outdoors. We were pretty excited when we won this challenge, only the second time we had done this in 12 years competing.

Our team s performance in the challenges was solid, with a couple that we really nailed so it was encouraging to emerge at the end of the first 2 days with a 60 point lead over Opunake with Cambridge in third place. Not much of a lead, but at least we were not chasing the field.

Hillary Challenge is won or lost on the two day rogaine, where teams have to navigate long distances with heavy packs to try and reach as many checkpoints as possible, with a night camping in the mountains as part of the trip.

The rogaine in 2013 spanned the terrain from the Desert Rd to the Chateau, much of it above the bush line. Our navigators did a superb job and the team had a successful expedition, covering over 55km and 2800 vertical metres over the two days. We did not know it then but our lead had been extended. The team came across the finish line shattered, having given everything over the two days.

The last day of Hillary Challenge is a 5 hour adventure race. Teams left in pairs at half hour intervals, and we were paired with Opunake, which was a good thing as strong competition makes both teams go faster. The course consisted of a 4 km paddle on a local lake, followed by a 7 km run. Then there was the transition to the bike for a 36km ride off road, which included a trip through some caves. Then a final 7 km run, which was really a bush bash as the track had not existed the day before and had only

just been cut. We were the second fastest team, 10 minutes behind Waimea College, completing the course in 4 hours 42 minutes, 15 minutes ahead on Opunake. Over 35 hours of intense competition over 5 days incorporating 2 nights camping out was now over.

At the prize giving we managed to take out first place, over 200 points ahead of Cambridge High School, with Opunake not far behind in third.

Sincere thanks must go to all who have supported and sponsored the team: Gold sponsors s Farnsworth Roofing, Bubbles Early Learning Centre, Events Taranaki.

Platinum sponsors s Carefirst Medical Centre, Clelands.

Silver sponsors s Bob and Mary Fox, Plymouth International Hotel, Billings, Spencer Family.

Bronze sponsors s Technip, George Mason Trust, Roughan Design, Transfield Worley, Hutchins and Dick.

Donations s Carolyn Jackson, Janko Computers, Ravensdown, TSE, Shed Boss.

Supporters s Nyall and Joelene Simkin, The Shoe Clinic, Kiwi Outdoors, Hookers, Mitchell Cycles, Bounceback Physiotherapy, Mountain Safety Council.

words Philip Hewlett, Manager

WILLIAM ADLAM IS ALL CONCENTRATION AS HE HELPS COMPLETE ONE OF THE MANY INITIATIVE CHALLENGES ON HILLARY CHALLENGE. PHOTO COURTESY OF PHILIP HEWLETT

FROM LEFT HAMISH STURMER, ELLIE TVRDEICH, RUBY TINSON, MATT FURZE, ERIKA BARR, LYNECHE SIMKIN, WILLIAM ADLAM AND TOM SPENCER.. PHOTO COURTESY OF OPC INSTRUCTOR KIERAN

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PHOTO COURTESY OF SHANE REID

New Staff: Mr Viv Treweek For Viv Treweek, his first day at New Plymouth Boys High School was just like any Year 9 student s: exciting and a bit nerve racking. I guess the trepidation of coming to a new school with a history of success, a school well-known throughout the country, made me a little nervous. Just getting to know all the staff, students, routines, was probably the biggest part for me. But the staff environment has been very good in helping out with my questions, and they ve been awesome in helping me to settle into my new teaching role.

Teaching, for Mr Treweek, is in the blood. His grandfather and mother were both teachers, with his mother being a music teacher, one of the subjects Mr Treweek would himself teach in the future. But choosing the teaching career was not an easy decision to make, as Mr Treweek explained. I spent about ten years in Wellington playing in bands and doing a few odd jobs to keep the bands going, and I discovered that wasn t the life that I really wanted to lead.

After looking at his options, he decided he liked the idea of sharing his knowledge with others, which led him to teaching.

Mr Treweek originally began down in the deep south, where he did his secondary schooling at James Hargest College in Invercargill, with around 1300 other students. Teaching back then was quite different to teaching now, according to him. Schools today encourage you to be a lot more individualistic, and there are a lot more opportunities available today to students with technology such as the internet.

Rather than just teaching, teachers are also helping students to figure it out themselves nowadays; it s a lot different.

Before he came to NPBHS, he tutored at Otago Polytechnic in Music, and then moved up to Taranaki to assume the role of HOD of Music at Waitara High School.

Here at NPBHS, Mr Treweek teaches both Music and Geography, but it is Music where he has a firm background.

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As well as his musical history in Wellington, he also has a degree in music, with some study on history and drama as part of a BA at university. At Waitara High School, he had some experience with teaching Social Science, but it is at NPBHS that he has focused primarily on Geography for the first time. It s a bit of a learning curve for me as well, but I find it a great subject to teach and I m learning even more about the subject as well. Mr Treweek also gets involved in the opportunities the school offers, as well as teaching: he coaches the 1st VI Touch team, and is in charge of two of the school s rock bands, as well as also being in charge of the song writing UP option for students. For a teacher who has only been here one term, it s a phenomenal effort, and he doesn t want it to end at that. There s so much going on that I want to be a part of, but I have to be careful with how I use my time otherwise I ll run myself ragged, and won t be able to do justice to the things that I am involved with here at Boys High.

And as for his first impressions of NPBHS? There s a lot of respect here, both for each other and for the staff. What really works is the peer relationship between the Year 13 s and the younger students, and the system with the group classrooms helps build that relationship. As a young student, there s a lot of opportunity to go sideways rather than forwards, but the students here are very good at moving forward. My advice to the Year 9 students would be to make the most of your first year at high school, because you only have it once, and to all students, there is a time in class for fun and there s a time for work, and it s good to learn when each is appropriate. Being a student and being a teacher are very similar; each day is different and brings new challenges, and that s what stimulates me as a teacher.

words George Mohi

NPBHS Sports Facility For over 130 years, New Plymouth Boys High School has been held in high regard throughout New Zealand for the sporting performances of our boys.

In 1916 and again in 1926, the school s gymnasium was destroyed by fire. On both occasions, thanks to the generosity of Old Boys and some government funds a new gymnasium was built. In 1936 the building now affectionately known as The Old Gym was completed.

Our present facility, the Centennial Gymnasium was built in 1982. Once again, this was only possible because of the generosity and significant funds raised by our Old Boys.

The Centennial Gym is now used by 1,250 boys for PE classes and house gatherings and the Old Gym has been converted into a weights room, changing rooms and classrooms.

Basketball, volleyball, badminton and indoor bowls are all practised and played in the Centennial Gymnasium which is now thirty years old and deteriorating. The floor needs major repairs. It has insufficient equipment storage and inadequate office space that cannot support our staff or the skill levels being taught by our teachers and coaches.

Both buildings no longer reflect the stature of NPBHS and do not meet the needs of our boys.

The Board of Trustees has approved a proposal to create a new, purpose-built sports facility for New Plymouth Boys High School. The design will create greater opportunity for current sports to be taught exceptionally, new sports to be integrated into our programme and for all boys to be engaged in physical activity, sport and their well-being at school and well in the future.

Donations and sponsorship for this important project are being accepted. This bold initiative commands a bold response to succeed. It will also inspire future Old Boys to continue with the long tradition of giving something back in thanks to NPBHS for the words, actions and experiences that helped make our boys the men they are today.

To find out how you can help, please contact the NPBHS office - phone 06 758 5399 today.

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I Apr In p il of th this iss ye ea ar a gr g ou oup p off sev even ente teen te en n New w Ply l mo outth Boys' High School footballers embarked on a tour of Malaysia and Singapore. This tour has been two years in the making, with boys and parents chopping firewood, selling raffle tickets, running a casino in Ryder Hall, along with a host of other different fund-raising activities. This was the first overseas football trip since the mid-1990 s and was the furthest a New Plymouth Boys High School football team had travelled. The tour had the team flying into the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur and then travelling down the Malaysian peninsular to Singapore. The twelve day tour, saw a very hectic playing schedule of five games in seven days in heat in excess of 30 degrees and close to 100% humidity.

On arrival in Kuala Lumpur, the first day was spent trying to acclimatise with heat twice what we were used to at home. The main goal of management was to prevent students becoming dehydrated by ensuring increased fluid intake. The first game was on day 2 against a local academy side SMK who are coached by an ex-pat Englishman. The game was played at a local school and the first thing we encountered was the lack of facilities. This is something we encountered throughout the tour where changing rooms and showers were a rarity. To counter the heat, games were played at 8.30am in the morning and played in 25 minute thirds with rolling substitutions. The game against SMK, saw the boys one nil up but the SMK team came back and equalised. As the game progressed the Boys High students faded in the heat, but they managed to score two more goals to win 3-1.

At the conclusion of each game the team would perform the school haka to the opposition team and their supporters.

In the first game Kai Nakumura, an international student 16 CVW

liivi vn ng g in th the e sc s ho h ol o hos o te tell fo f r on o ly 1 10 0 mon nth ths, s, led the hak ka with passion and determination in front of his family who had flown in from Osaka to watch him play.

As part of the tour, the team were able to experience some of the sights that KL had to offer which included an Elephant Sanctuary, the Batu Caves, as well as exploring the city and its markets. Many of the players became expert shoppers in the Chinatown markets.

The second game was played against the KL Football Club s international academy. This game was expected to be one of the tougher games of the itinerary. We had concerns as the game had been brought forward to the hottest part of the day at 3.00pm instead of the scheduled 5.00pm. We soon discovered why, as thunderstorms and torrential downpours occurred at around that time. The KL Football Academy was a very well drilled and skilled side and in spite of the extreme heat Boys High won the game 3-nil. This particular game was delayed at half time because of thunderstorms and in the end it was called off ten minutes early as a lightning storm struck overhead - within minutes the field was a lake. As the club had limited showering facilities the boys took the opportunity the tropical downpour provided to shower out in the open. The warmth of the rain was better than some of the shower temperatures they experience in Taranaki.

The next game was against an Australian International School in a gated community within KL. In the morning before the game, the team travelled to a Christian boys home for disadvantaged boys aged from five to seventeen.

Being a Christian home in a Muslim country, they receive very little in the way of government funding and survive on donations. This was a truly moving experience for the boys.

The Australian International School had very good facilities and one of the boys we played against had been a Taranaki boy the previous year as a student at FDMC. The game was played in drizzle with conditions more like home. The game was a bit of a mismatch which we won 9-nil.

The tour was a success, with the team winning all their games and playing quality football in conditions and an environment they had never experienced before and may never again. As well as the football, players saw and tasted a different culture.

It was time to leave KL and travel down to the old sea port of Melaka. In Melaka the team played the second oldest high school in Malaysia - Melaka High School. This state school was established in 1826 by the early settlers of the port. Once again the game was played in stifling heat with the Melaka side the most skilful side we played. In the set pieces we were able to take advantage of our height winning the game 3-nil. Melaka, with its narrow carless streets, where tricycles are used, was a welcome alternative to the hustle and bustle of KL.

words and photos Hugh Russell, Tour Co-ordinator

The last stop of the tour saw us travel to Singapore. The controls and cleanliness of Singapore were a stark contrast to Malaysia. At the border checkpoint we were asked to empty the bus, scan our bags and dump any chewing gum.

The expense of Singapore was a little closer to what we expected at home.

Our last game of the tour was a hastily rearranged game as our original opposition had qualified for a prestigious national tournament. Unfortunately it was a disappointing way to finish as we scored plenty of goals in a one sided affair.

WILL MURRAY AGAINST MELAKKA HIGH SCHOOL

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Agenda: Upcoming Events TERM 2

TERM 3

JUN

Sport v Hamilton Boys High School Hamilton

JUL

Super 8 Basketball, Hockey and Football Hastings and Napier 29th - 31st July

JUN

Taranaki Jazz Chamber Music Festival NPBHS Super 8 Badminton Tauranga

AUG

Sport v Wellington College NPBHS

JUN

New Zealand Secondary Schools Cross Country Christchurch 14th - 15th June

AUG

Rugby v Rotorua Boys High School Rotorua

JUN

Sport v Palmerston North Boys High School Palmerston North

AUG

New Zealand Secondary Schools Squash Hamilton 16th - 17th August

JUL

PTA Meeting NPBHS Staffroom 7pm

AUG

New Zealand School of Music Jazz Festival Wellington 18th - 19th August

JUL

Rugby v Hastings Boys High School New Plymouth

AUG

Spring Arts Festival NPBHS 19th - 23rd August

JUL

NPBHS School Ball Ryder Hall

SEP

02

Winter Tournament Week Various sporting codes and venues 2nd - 6th September

JUL

Smokefree Rockquest Regional Final

SEP

NISS Snowboarding Championship

06 07 14 19 02 05 06 06 18 CVW

TSB Showplace 7pm

29 05 10 16

18 19

23

Ohakune 23rd - 25th September

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New Plymouth BoysÂ’ High School Coronation Avenue, New Plymouth, New Zealand www.npbhs.school.nz