“I am particularly proud that I have been able to be a role model for the boys at College, having shown that there is no difference in leadership and women are equally capable in every way.”
the road? Character, development, and learning disposition – all those ideas that we have tried to embed in our curriculum were first percolated there. “The vision of the Christ’s College Diploma replacing NCEA Level 1 came when I first started as Assistant Principal. At that time, more teachers became involved in our approach to change, and we shared a range of scenarios with the wider staff. “We are now in the third year of the Diploma for Years 10–11 and the main ideas and purposes are absolutely on track, with the boys making the most of the benefits. When the Year 12 students arrived this year, they were engaged, and more invested in all of their learning than had been seen for a long time. Boys soon work out that under NCEA they do not have to do everything. Whereas, what we have tried to teach the boys through the Diploma is that everything matters. And the best way to get a good result at the end of your assessment is to invest in your learning every step of the way and not just towards the end. “Based on our feedback from teachers and boys, that is now just how you learn and how you function, which is the goal – contributing to each boy at his best. Boys feel a sense of accomplishment that they have not otherwise had, particularly investing more in their academic work in the sense of having an achievement all round. In
aiming for Silver and Gold in their Diploma, they have to have a Silver or Gold in Academic Engagement. By recognising that there are other things that they have to be, they have to buy into their academics, too, and do the mahi in class.” As Nicole highlights, “our boys are now being recognised for their whole person”. Among those all-round achievements is the success of those boys facing challenges or learning gaps when they start at College. “Through the collective effort of the learning support team and the teachers and the Housemasters, we have given those boys the skills to achieve and a sense of self,” she says. “The moment that I get emotional regarding the boys is when I see that they have grown to see themselves in a way that they probably didn’t think they could be. They have achieved something or stepped into a space they have never expected.” As she reflects on the changes during her time at College, Nicole says she is “particularly proud of how far we have come with our bicultural journey and honouring of Te Tiriti o Waitangi”.
“It is about understanding there is a uniqueness and wonderfulness about Tikanga Māori that we should celebrate and within that we have our Round Square and Global Citizenship, celebrating all those other wonderful differences that we bring as well,” she says. “That awareness is integral to setting our boys up for life outside College, having an appreciation and understanding of what the future of New Zealand looks like. Whether Māori or Pakeha, our boys are the future leaders of this country and we all have a moral obligation to do our best in tackling inequity.”
COLLEGE 2024
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