Educating young minds for the future is to prepare them for an ever-changing world, and to help them develop the skills to cope with challenge and change, complexity and uncertainty. We are delighted to share our Junior School journey this year, which has focused on “mind, body and spirit”, and involved the boys gaining an understanding of world religions in context. It was a special occasion for our juniors to welcome Principal Brendan Pitman and his family to Wellesley with a pōwhiri on behalf of the school. This is the karakia we welcomed them with. "Give us hearts full of aroha and right spirit, wairua pai. Strengthen us to share this aroha and wairua with those we are called to share
this journey with. Support us onwards from here until the shadows lengthen and the evening comes. Until the busy world is hushed, and the fever of life is over for the day and our work is done. May we continue to be greeted by the smile of the rising sun each tomorrow. Amen." Families from our Junior School shared their values, traditions and beliefs. We heard about Christianity, Buddhism and Hinduism. We also experienced the rituals of a shared Indian meal with a visit to a local restaurant. The boys showed themselves to be creative, open-minded and respectful learners, with a natural curiosity for what people in our community had to share.
have gained an appreciation of the common values we share. Our boys are always encouraged to be mindful of the way they can make a difference. As global thinkers we learn to see the world through other people’s perspectives. The empathy that comes from this is an important tool in becoming a “change-maker”. Our Junior School market day was a time when we thought about others by recycling those things we no longer want or need. Our focus was on raising money for those who need it, while also developing greater community and global awareness.
These experiences, centred on respecting other people’s beliefs, have given us time to reflect on who we are, both as part of our school and the wider community. By learning about the differences in our world, the boys 9