WelcomeFrom the Associate Rector
Kia ora whānau, and welcome to a year that is filled with potential and possibilities.
It is truly lovely to be sitting here and writing about the future. These past few years have been difficult for many reasons, but chief amongst them is the simple fact that we were unable to look into the future as we were all so busy just managing the day. I think this sense of hope has permeated itself into the fabric of our school. | |  |
The boys have come back with the benefit of a wonderful hot summer behind them and the emotional stability that only long hot summer days can bring. The result is engaged, energetic students working together to ensure that Southland Boys' High School is a foundational institution for growth, happiness and discovery. We may only be at the start of the year, but already it feels great. Classes are humming and the grounds are full, and fun smiles are ever present.
To all of our new enrolments, welcome to Southland Boys’ High! It was great to see so many parents at the pōwhiri this year, and I was exceptionally proud of the effort the boys put into their waiata and haka. That was your first truly Southland Boys’ High experience.
However, today is the day that sells out paint shops throughout Southland. It is preceded by repeated viewings of Braveheart at the hostel, then starts with the mighty roar of chants (with backing bands consisting of chainsaws engines). Throughout, it is covered in paint, smiles, competition, celebration, joy, disbelief and the desperation of four houses trying to overthrow one.
 | | The Southland Boys' High School Athletics Day is our most unique experience. Honestly, no one does it like we do. The only question now is, can anyone beat Coldstream? It is a question that will keep the Coldstream Prefects awake at night because now they hold the pressure of victory. Will they feel the relief of lifting the shield at the end of the day, or have to watch the shield turn Red, or Green, or Blue, or Silver?
Only time will tell.
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As soon as we have maneuvered our way through Athletics Day and the boys have showered multiple times in a desperate attempt to remove the paint from their face and hair (small faintly orange children are often seen wearing the Southland Boys' High School uniform in the days after Athletics) we will hold summer Interschools against our traditional brother schools, Shirley Boys’ High School, Kings High School and Otago Boys’ High School. Best of luck to our teams, I know you will represent the Royal Blue with pride.
While acknowledging how great it is to have a sense of normality in our year, we must take a moment to acknowledge that not all Kiwi’s were as lucky as we were. On Wednesday our school gave up its uniform to raise funds for Cyclone Gabrielle relief - resulting in a total of $4331.32. Like many of us, I have family in the North Island and many of them lived through the Auckland floods and then the Cyclone itself. I would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to our community for digging deep so that we could send our koha to those that have lost everything. Our thoughts are with all of the communities and people that lost so much so fast.
All of this and we have only been up and running for a couple of weeks. So, let’s all do each other a favour. Let’s spend 2023 looking into the future and focusing on hope and possibility, we earned that right over the last few years.
Kai Kaha Southland Boys’ High School.
Ray Laurenson
Associate Rector
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