open and vulnerable – a simple “Hi” could foster a friendship for life – and be brave, a simple “How are you doing?” could make the difference in someone’s day. Nothing rings more true than when filling someone else’s cup, you also fill your own. This year we farewell staff who have embodied these values with a modest and selfless nature. Ben Sheat, Lesley Anderson-McKenna, Robyn Peers and Susan Harding have all been pillars in their respective fields and have truly made a significant difference to the lives of boys at this school, and their legacies are enduring. Remember to thank these staff in person if they have helped you in any way. I’d also like to take a moment to share a vision I have for next year. It stems from the whakatauki, “Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini”. My success is not mine alone, it is the success of a collective. Similarly, to how it takes a village to raise a child, no one gets there alone. College is that village for you, with an army of teachers with wisdom to share, a caring camaraderie of boys, and a loving family to encourage you. As a collective, everyone can feel like they belong; there is no such thing as being normal, thus, there is no judgement or trying to fit in. As a collective, it’s not so much about the outcomes or the accolades, but about the relationships formed on
the journey. However, just because we are as one collective, we still have our differences; hence why it is not what we have in common that brings us together, rather it is what we don’t have in common that makes each in the group valued. This collective, with its love, warmth and acceptance, is what allows us to be “Each boy at his best”. Your best may be different to your classmates’ best, but that is not important. For me, the boy at his best is not the boy with the most ties or badges, but the boy who has the courage to make mistakes, the boy who does the right thing when nobody’s watching, who stays true to himself – the boy who is in the arena participating – just like when we were kids in the sandpit playing with our trucks like nothing else in the world mattered, or at preschool where we had the confidence to give everything a go without fear of judgement. High school is that same playground for you. Pick up an instrument like you used to pick up that Tonka truck, sing for the junior musical like you used to sing in the shower. It was your world then and it’s your world now. I will leave you with one thing I would say to my Year 9 self and I still remind myself of it today – you’re still young with passions and people yet to be found. Search for them, and it is in this search where the fondest of memories will be made.
In closing, I wish you all a relaxing summer holiday spent with your family and friends. I am grateful to all of you for making this past year so awesome and I’m looking forward to an exciting year ahead. Ekoekoe te tu¯i, eketekete te ka¯ka¯, e ku¯ku¯ te kereru¯. The tu¯i squawks, the ka¯ka¯ chatters, the kereru¯ coos. Just like how there are all kinds of birds in the forest, Christ’s College needs all kinds of people. Nga¯ mihi nui ki a¯ koutou katoa ka kite ki a¯ koutou katoa a¯ te¯ra¯ tau No ¯ reira, te¯na¯ koutou, te¯na¯ koutou, te¯na¯ ra¯ ta¯tou katoa. Ed Davidson Head Prefect 2023
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