Star Board Term 4 Week 8

Principal's Message

Kia Ora Koutou

I have realised that both Barry Manilow and Shania Twain have had songs with the lyrics “looks like we made it”. Both got it right because the school year is all but over.

Life is life- so we close the year with great memories, a few bruises, jobs that we need to get to next year, but with heaps of hope.

Friends Kitchen Tour 2024

Yes, the big fundraiser is ahead and hopefully a Grand Piano for our hall is at the end of it.

But it dawned on me that some of you may have been hoping “How do I get my kitchen in the Tour?”, or “my neighbour has a great house- everybody needs to see it”. Fear not – drop an email to the school and mark in the subject line ‘Kitchen Tour’ and we will make sure the Friends get to contact the homeowner. The focus is South Wairarapa.

My Final Assembly delivery

I share my final assembly words at this time of year so you know what I have said to our students.

Kia ora rangatahi me ngā kaimahi

Before we begin… we consider all those who are not with us at this time of the year.

We give prayers and thoughts to those who have- and are facing challenges.

We send strength to those of have suffered loss.

And we look with Hope to a joyous break ahead.

This is our final in school assembly.

The class of 2023’s final in-school assembly.

The end of year prizegiving; the leavers carol service -are occasions to honour year 13, our leavers.

To celebrate the year past, and to acknowledge as a school - the achievements of some of our flock.

It has become habit for me to say that I am conscious, that I will speak tomorrow so I want this to have a different vibe.

Let’s go.

Bearing in mind these are thoughts found and with which I agree and believe will be useful for you…

Life is like a wardrobe you always try to organise. You think you will manage to put all your clothes in order, and your wardrobe will stay tidied, … but changes come. As seasons change, you have to organise it once again.

You have to define your priorities: Do I still wear that dress or do I keep it there just because it reminds me of something? Maybe it’s just I am fond of that dress.

You buy a new t-shirt, and you put it there, on the top of all your clothes. So it happens that you arrange your wardrobe more often than you expected. Isn’t it the same with life? People, situations and stuff simply come, is there enough place for everything and every one?

In life there are changes as well. You know neither when they will occur, nor which aspects of your life they will concern. But the good news is that you decide which clothes of your wardrobe you want to keep and which ones you still want to wear.

As young people, we begin to understand and organize the world. If we think of the brain as a filing cabinet, then youth is when we open the files and label them. We often spend the rest of our lives putting new material in these old files.

If our youth is healthy, then we may have a pretty good filing system. If it has been a struggle, then we may see other struggles in life. But like that filing cabinet metaphor some things we can compartmentalise, or file away but if we need it again, we can pull the file for reference.

Life can be a garden, you may feel that relationships with family and friends can be cultivated like flowers or vegetables. Relationships, like flowers, need regular watering. They need sunshine. Sometimes they need to be pruned. Sometimes you need to weed the garden. Some growth in your garden just needs to be eliminated.

The result of careful and regular care, with timely interventions for insect infestations or decay, can lead to plants (or relationships) that are growing, producing oxygen that helps you breathe, and create beauty as they flower.

You may see a life is a battle if everything is a competition or a struggle. In a battle, you are always either winning or losing. If a battle represents your life, you may wish to look at how life isn't always about winning or losing.

Relationships, especially, are not always a competition. Sometimes it is better to be loving than to be right or win.

Viewing your life as a mission can be either positive or negative. You may feel that you have talents and gifts you wish to share. On the other hand, you might feel that you need to convince others that your point of view is the only correct one.

Just as with missions throughout history, your life can be a platform to bring goodness to the world.

Life is a journey. It reminds us that the destination is not our only goal. Like with any form of a journey, there are times when the roads are straight and times when they are winding. There are ups and downs and potholes along the way. And there are often wonderful surprises and fun discoveries that you would never have experienced if it wasn't for the route you chose.

Life is an adventure which is a beautiful metaphor for life. We don't always know where we are going, but the thrill of our travels (day-to-day living) leaves us excited and ready to see new things.

A building is a solid metaphor for life and can be a reminder that a sturdy foundation is needed before building higher. Once you have a firm foundation in place, whatever that means to you, it's easier to confidently add floors and rooms which will stand the test of time and weather.

Life can be a roller coaster can. It can describe the speed bumps we encounter. You don't fully experience the high points of your journey without the contrast of the lows.

A stained-glass window illustrates not just the variety of lights and colours which make up our world, but the beauty in every person and situation. Cultivating an attitude of gratitude, by taking the time to see what isn't obvious at a quick glance.

Climbing a mountain is a great metaphor for many parts of our lives. It can describe our education… or the steps we take in climbing the ladder. Life often consists of hierarchies.

This metaphor also illustrates that it often takes hard work, determination, and sometimes sheer endurance- to get where we wish to go. Most mountains paths are not directly uphill but take us down through valleys to get to the next peak.

Resilience allows you to follow the trail as it descends…. before it turns the corner, and heads back up again. This can improve your ability to cope and protect mental health during times of stress.

A race can be both a positive and negative metaphor for life. In the biblical sense of the metaphor…. we are called to run the race of life… not only for the prize.

Sometimes we may be on a "rat race," describing how sometimes we are so busy going from one place to another that we never really stop to enjoy any moment.

Remember it is not always about finding the fastest route or needing to keep up with the proverbial Joneses.

Stepping stones can be a metaphor for life in many ways. In a negative sense …. stepping stones may describe the phenomena in which we barely get comfortable where we are -before we are looking for something better.

In another sense… stepping stones can be a very positive metaphor of a life lived, with goals in mind- and conscious awareness of the steps needed to get there.

Life is a classroom in so many ways and there are always new lessons to learn…no matter your age. This metaphor is a reminder to keep your mind active and learning throughout your life.

A battery can be a life metaphor of- being drained and recharged through life, such as the daily drain of energy related to work, followed by weekends and evenings- in which to recharge. Often taking small periods of time to recharge at frequent intervals leaves your battery less likely to lose all energy.

We can … you can … look at life in so many ways.

• You decide which clothes of your wardrobe you want to keep and which ones you still want to wear.
• You decide what files to compartmentalise, or file away for reference.
• You decide what plants/ relationships to keep in your garden and which ones need the most watering.
• You decide the mission to take and the course of your journey.

Overall as we leave the 2023 year and Leavers as you enter life post -secondary school

Take the time to recharge those batteries.

See you at the Leavers’ Carols Service and Prizegiving on Saturday morning.

Ngā Mihi

Kiri

Around School

Boarding Note

It was all go last night in boarding with our very special Boarders Christmas Dinner. A massive thank you to our Year 12 boarders for their fabulous decorating of the dining room and for the entertainment provided. While the evening is about celebrating the year we have had, it is a special time to acknowledge our Year 13 boarders. Thank you to Olivia Guscott for coordinating the night, Santa (Honor Simons) and their team of Year 12 boarders for helping. It really was a lovely way to finish 2023.