Board of Trustees Chair

Board of Trustees

CHAIRPERSON

Tena koutou katoa.

What a year…… I’m not sure many of you would have started 2020 knowing just how crazy it was going to pan out.

Congratulations, you have made it through what can only be described as an unprecedented year. You have needed huge resilience to get through this year.

This year reminds me of an old lecturer story. A lecturer asked her students to prepare for a surprise test. She handed out the question paper with the text facing down. She asked her students to turn the page and begin. To everyone’s surprise, there were no questions, just a black dot in the centre of the page.

The lecturer told the students to write what you see. The students got started. At the end of the class, the lecturer took all the answers and started reading each one of them aloud in front of the students. All of them, with no exceptions, described the black dot, trying to explain its position in the middle of the sheet, the size of the dot, the shape of the dot. The focus of all answers was the black dot.

After all the answers had been read the lecturer explained. No one wrote about the white part of the paper. Everyone focused on the black dot and the same thing can happen in our lives. We have a white paper to observe and enjoy, but we can often focus just on the dark spots. We always have reasons to celebrate, our friends

Mr Russ Brown, Board of Trustees Chairperson around us, support from our family, ultra fast fibre, free wifi, McDonalds 30 deals in 30 days promotion…

In 2020 it would be easy to focus on Covid. Our time and energy, particularly during lockdown was very focused on what Covid has meant to us, or taken from us.

Your opportunties are huge, what you are heading to do now or next year, and the steps you will take are the white paper. Waiting for you to write it.

I urge you to take your eyes away from the black spot be it Covid or any other challenge. Who knows some of you may be Trump fans…..

So instead map out your space on the white page. Thank you to your parents, they deserve credit for the amazing support they have provided you not just this year but all through your college life.

Thankyou to your teachers, they had to cope with Covid too, and have worked incredibly hard this year to help get you through and to ensure that they can assist you with the best possible learning platform.

As you move forward there is a massive, exciting world in front of you with huge opportunity that is awaiting the catalyst of your energy and drive. Congratulations year 13, we thankyou for being a part of our school community, we wish you every success in the world, and we would love to hear how you go in the future. Farewell and good luck…..Nga mihi koutou.