Deputy Rector's junior prizegiving speech
By Andrew King | Posted: Thursday December 7, 2023
Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tatou katoa
Good morning invited guests, staff, parents, whānau and most importantly boys. Welcome to the junior prizegiving for 2023. I am filling in today for our Rector Mr Hall, as he is away with the Year 10 cricket team in Hamilton. Now, if you are wondering if all the time out of the office and in the fresh air is changing Mr Hall, boys don’t worry. After losing to Wellington College in a shortened T20 game on day one, Mr Hall, true to form introduced a new rule. Lose again and I will take your phone off you 1 hour earlier each day. The motivation clearly worked as they have gone on to beat Mount Albert Grammar School and St Paul's Collegiate. We wish them and all the teams competing around the country today all the best.
Firstly, I must acknowledge the special guests on stage: Dr. Margaret Finney from the PTA, Mr. John Blaikie from the Foundation, Mr. Gerard Finnie from the Old Boys Association, Mr. Malcolm Couling and Mr. Mark Kirkland from the Board of Trustees. Thank you for taking the time out of your day to be here, and thank you, and your groups, for all the hard work and effort that you put in to supporting the school.
It is our pleasure to gather here today to celebrate the remarkable achievements of our junior boys.
Boys, your hard work, dedication and perseverance have brought you to this moment of recognition. This event is a testament to your passion for learning and your determination to excel in what you do.
It is time to celebrate not just academic achievements but the embodiment of our schools’ core values: respect, courage, perseverance, honour and excellence.
Otago Boys’ High School stands firm on these pillars. These values are not mere words on a wall or slogans on a banner but the guiding principles that shape the character and conduct of the individuals within this school. Today for the first time, 42 Year 10 students will receive the very first 'Above of the Hoops' badge.
This means they have demonstrated the school values to the highest of standards and gained a values badge in every term through their junior school journey.
Well done to all those winners.
As I stand before you today, I am filled with pride and optimism for the future. You boys embody the spirit of excellence that we strive for in our institution.
Throughout the year in assemblies, we have focused on respect and challenged you to value the diversity of opinions, backgrounds, and talents that each one of us brings to the school.
Boys, as you know, it's about treating each other with kindness, empathy, understanding and creating an environment at Otago Boys’ where everyone feels safe, heard and appreciated. As we know, we don’t always get this right. But seeing you own your mistakes, apologising when required and working hard not to repeat behaviours gives me hope we are moving in the right direction.
Boys, your achievements not only reflect your individual talents, but also the support and guidance provided by our exceptional staff and the unwavering encouragement from your whānau. I extend my deepest gratitude to the dedicated and supportive parents and caregivers, who I deal with daily, and whose guidance and encouragement have played an integral role in nurturing the remarkable young men we have the privilege to work with every day. Can we give a round of applause in recognition of all the support from your whānau please.
To our amazing staff, my friends. Every year I'm amazed by the number of opportunities that you provide for the students here at the school. I know that teaching is a vocation, and we all enjoy what we do, but the amount of extra time that you dedicate at weekends, after school, before school and during the holidays, to allow our students to follow their passions is truly inspirational. I thank you all for the hard work that you do and the way in which you do it. I also want to acknowledge your partners, children, grandchildren and wider whānau for the sacrifices they make when you are at camps, tournaments, trips or just marking those internals to all hours of the night. All these opportunities that you help provide have led to a strong intake for next year not only in Year 9 where 186 students have chosen to join us, but we have over 30 new students starting at the school at different year levels. This has led to the need to create 4 new form classes next year, the first time since we introduced the house system. We are projecting our largest role for the last decade. This is a great problem to have.
Boys can we have a round of applause for our hard working staff.
However, as always at the end of the school year there is a tinge of sadness as we say goodbye to some hard working and long serving members of staff. First of all, we say goodbye to 2 old boys Anton Schroder and Eric Peita who have worked as teacher aides in the last few years. We wish you all the very best in the future. Other staff leaving the school this year are: Dr. Shane Capon, Dr. Paul Fisher, Ms. Anderton-White, Mr. Matthew Dadley, Mr. Nick Sharp and Mr. Nathan King. I personally thank you for your contribution to the school, both in the classroom and beyond, and we wish you well in the future. However, a special mention must go to Mr. Mike South. Mr. South has been a tremendous servant to the school for 44 years. I will personally miss your help and support in the maths department, and I know I have large shoes to fill by taking over badminton at the school. I think you might have the highest interschool winning percentage of any coach. To all the staff who are leaving us, I will personally miss your enthusiasm and support, and wish you the very best in the future for you and your families. Can we have a round of applause for all the staff that are leaving us this year please.
So, boys I did promise to keep this brief but to all the remarkable students receiving awards today whether for academic achievements, sporting triumphs, artistic endeavours or acts of kindness, your dedication and hard work are the embodiment of the school values which are truly commendable. You are the torch bearers of our school’s legacy.
Congratulations to all the award winners and thank you to everyone who contributed to making Otago Boys' High School a place where our students thrive. I hope you all have a safe and enjoyable holiday.
Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tatou katoa
