A message from the Rector

By Andrew King | Posted: Thursday June 30, 2022

I would like to start my message this week by thanking the staff here at Otago Boys'.

I am constantly amazed by the time and commitment they put into working with our young men to give them opportunities both in and out of the classroom. Their enthusiasm for the Wānanga days at the end of a very busy term has been commendable. Arranging a full day of learning for our senior students is not without its challenges but walking around the school I have been delighted to see the variety of engaging learning tasks that the boys have been completing.

Our staff makes me very proud to be at Otago Boys' High School. I admire their energy. This week they have had the fourth of four student, parent and teacher conferences this term, as well as a large sports exchange to Timaru Boys' on Tuesday.  

One student making the most of his opportunities is George Grant in Year 13. He is currently in Spain with the NZ U17 Basketball team preparing to take on Canada on Saturday. We wish George and the team all the best and will follow his results online. George has balanced the demands on his time exceptionally well and he is performing well on the court and in the classroom.

I would also like to congratulate the racket sports teams this week. Last weekend the Badminton team of Aaryan Alexander, Daniel Jeong, Jayden Lu and Joseph Chen came third in the South Island. With Joseph in Year 10 and Jayden in Year 9 this young team did incredibly well.

However, our Squash team were also in action and went one better by finishing second in the South Island behind Marlborough Boys'. The team consists of Vinnie Gable, Ben Turnbull and Aston Hansen. Well done to all the boys and staff involved.

I also really enjoyed catching up with some old boys this week. I would like to thank Daniel Lastovicka for his presentation on behalf of the NZ Defence Force. His experiences in crisis response were truly remarkable and I thank you for sharing your story with the boys. It was also great to see Ryan Martin who came in to talk to the Year 13 Sports class. His insight as an old boy, ex-staff member and now professional rugby coach was well-received by all.

Catching up with old boys is one of the best parts of my role. Seeing these successful and respectful men, who are proud to have attended this school really keeps everything in focus about our work here.

I will leave you with a quote from the speech that Daniel gave to our senior boys. "At Otago Boys', you should never settle for mediocrity."  I could not agree more. Have a great weekend.