Dear Parents, Caregivers and Friends of the College

I write in regard to the recent article in the NZ Herald and the Bay of Plenty Times.  It is not my usual practice to comment on articles in the media, nor specific incidents of misbehaviour that happen at the college, however I feel compelled to do so to assure our wider community that bullying is totally unacceptable at Tauranga Boys’ College and that the college works hard to create a culture of respect and support for all students.   My comments are not intended to excuse the behaviour of the two 13 year old boys involved in the incident, nor minimise the impact on the victim, but provide balance to the issue to you, our parents.

The media portrayed a picture of our culture and playground that is totally contrary to reality, and misleading to readers.  This was a plastic toy, readily available in local toy shops, not a firearm that the boy who fired it had harmlessly shot both himself and his friend with prior.  However, we took the impact on the victim seriously.  I applied the most significant disciplinary action available to me, suspending the two 13 year olds to meet the Board of Trustees Disciplinary Committee, a group of three elected parent representatives, to decide if the boys should remain at Tauranga Boys’ College -  two 13 year olds for whom this behaviour was out of character.  The Board of Trustees decided the two boys could return to the college under strict conditions, confident they had gained a significant lesson and clearly understood the impact of their actions on the victim and assurance that behaviour such as this would not be repeated.

As a college we could not have done any more within the measures available to us, to give a clear message about the unacceptability of any form of bullying to our students, whilst also supporting the victim and his family.  I quote Simon Collins, the author of the article, in a response to my communication to him: ... “you have obviously done everything you could as a school to respond appropriately to the bullying”.

As a college we treated the situation with the utmost seriousness.  Once notified of the incident we undertook a full  disciplinary investigation while also working closely with the Police who had been notified by the family.  We communicated with the victim’s family and did all we could to support him throughout.  We put serious disciplinary measures in place for the students involved and worked with them and their families to support them.  We have continued to support all those involved to ensure they remain safe and supported in our college environment.

It is very disappointing that the family of the victim do not feel supported by the college, and we understand how upsetting it is for families when loved ones are involved.  We will continue to do our utmost to support all the boys in our care.

Sadly, the reality is that bullying exists in our society and society is reflected in all of our schools, no more the domain of primary, intermediate or secondary, single-sex or co-educational schools.

All schools work hard to address societal issues, not helped by social media or the pressure of the media to promote sales through sensational headlines.  I write on behalf of all my principal colleagues, when I say  that we will continue to do all we can to give a clear message to the children in our care that bullying will not be tolerated.   It is essential that your son, or you, notify us immediately of any incidents of bullying to enable us to fulfill our responsibility to provide a safe, supportive and orderly environment. I assure you we will investigate fully, take strong action to support your son and ensure the behaviour is dealt with in the appropriate manner.

In closing I quote from our most recent Education Review Office (ERO) Report:  “Students benefit from a positive and caring school culture”.  “School leaders and teachers set high expectations for learning and behaviour”.

You have my assurance and that of the Board of Trustees that the education and personal safety of every boy is of the utmost importance to us.  We are committed to providing an environment where your son can feel safe and be supported through his time at college to be the best he can, proud to attend Tauranga Boys’ College.

Robert Mangan
Principal

With NCEA external exams approaching quickly, and only 8 days left before Seniors are released on Study Leave, the College is a busy place.  We are working to maximise the last remaining school days to ensure our boys are well prepared for the upcoming external exams.  I would encourage parents to ensure their sons are focused on revision and preparation for the culmination of the academic year.

Reports for senior students were posted online on Friday last.  These are accessed through the parent portal on our website (http://www.tbc.school.nz/student).  Log in using your user name and password, then select "reports' from the menu on the right-hand side.  If you have any problems accessing the report please contact the college or email s.sowman@tbc.school.nz   For those who do not have email addresses, reports will be posted out to you this week.  

Should you require a hard copy of the report please contact the College Office.  Please see link for useful information for your son to guide his study.  I would encourage you to review the materials available through the link to support your son with his programme of revision.

Link for study guide

The boys also have a number of commitments to meet with their year at the College ending, and I would ask you to ensure they attend to these.  A number  have outstanding Subject Fees or Sports/Cultural fees that need to be paid prior to the end of the year.  These outstanding fees will be brought to their attention by Class and Form Teachers. As well as fees they will need to be ensuring textbooks, sports uniforms and other resources are returned to the College.

I look forward to acknowledging and sharing in the achievement of our boys in Academic, Cultural and Sporting endeavours over the next few weeks.       

Year 12 Prefects 2017  

Congratulations to our new Year 12 Prefects.  

Pictured Back Row from left:  Cody Tanner, Liam Moffatt, Fletcher Oxford, Anaru Palmer, Russell Green:  Second Row from left: Ethan Hahunga, Hunter Eagle, Zac Hobbis, Kale Adair, Ethan Larsen:  Front Row from left: Damien Torwick, Wiremu Leef, Lewis Reid, George Hiku.

Peer Mentors

Cameron Black, Reef Cooper, Luke Cowman, George Creighton-Syme, Jackson Currie, Caleb Dell, Oliver Donald, Conner Farrant, Benjamin Faulkner, Jackson Filipo, Anthony Fraser-Leitch, Jack Fisk, Reece Gander, Louis Grindrod, George Hiku, Jack Hodge, Jimi Kameta, Wiremu Leef, Reuben Magee, Kearn McLaren, Keesey Newcombe, Anaru Palmer, James Pettitt, Kes Pohutu, Jordan Proctor, Jesse Quedley, Matthew Rea, Jarod Reynolds, Ben Robbins, David Rout, Amardeep Singh Sandhu, Wiremu Whare, ShiJie Yong
 

Peer Tutors

Josh Bell, Tobias Cate, Savroop Chahal, Max Chamberlain, Isaac Coggan, Ryan Collier, Luke Cowman, Mark Dallas, Oakley Dench, Luca Dromgool, Nathan Hayden, Sam Head, Renz Hermoso, Te Huatahi Johnson, Jordan Ralph, Jayden Singh, Jaskeep Singh Bains, Hasan Soynik, Hayden Webber 
 

Comment from a current Peer Mentor: ....  Peer Tutoring is a great way to serve our school. It is service within the school, for students, and by students.  As Peer Tutors, we work one on one with Year Nine students, under teacher supervision. Mostly we help them with their Reading skills, but we help with other subjects, too, such as Maths and Social Studies. This may sound a bit scary, but it’s not! Training is given, and the teacher is always around. The only qualification needed, in order to be a good Peer Tutor, is a desire to make a difference by giving a little back to our school. When we spend time with junior students, helping them to improve their skills, we really can make this place “Better than Before!”         

Juniors

1st    Jeremy Andre

2nd    Scott Shipton

Seniors

1st    Daniel Harrison

2nd    Zac Hobbis

3rd    Syed Islam

Pictured Back Row Jeremy Andre and Scott Shipton:  Front Row from left: Zac Hobbis, Daniel Harrison, Syed Islam.

I remind our Year 12 boys of the requirements necessary in order to wear Senior Uniform (the white polo shirt) in Year 13, and enjoy the related privileges of permission to leave the school grounds at interval and lunchtime, and use of a motor- vehicle to and from school. This is a privilege gained through either achieving NCEA Level 2 or by application. This means a minimum of 60 Credits at Level 2 or above and 20 Credits at any other level. The 20 Credits can be carried through from Level 1. Those students who do not achieve NCEA Level 2 will need to apply for permission to wear the Senior Uniform. The criteria for permission to be granted will be based on effort, attendance and behaviour. Not achieving NCEA Level will not prevent a student from being granted permission to wear the Senior Uniform, provided the other three criteria have been met. 

Where boys have worked at a satisfactory level to achieve their academic potential, attended school regularly and met expectations of behaviour, they will be given permission to wear the Senior Uniform. Those who have made minimum effort, have irregular attendance and/ or not met expectations of behaviour, will not be given this privilege. This policy has been introduced to further motivate our senior boys to achieve their academic potential and not to penalise those who struggle to reach this level of achievement. A large number of our boys are not motivated sufficiently by academic achievement alone and hence fail to make the necessary effort to achieve their academic potential while at secondary school. A number of our Year 13 boys this year say this requirement was a motivating factor to work harder to achieve Level 2 NCEA. Those who find achievement at this level more difficult will not be disadvantaged provided they are making the required effort to achieve. Year 13 students who have not gained permission to wear Senior Uniform will have the opportunity to apply for permission at set intervals throughout the year. The first opportunity to do this will be after the first set of senior reports are issued. Those who meet the criteria will then be entitled to wear the uniform and receive the related This policy is also recognition of NCEA Level 2 as a minimum educational requirement for entry into tertiary institutions. 

These boys were recognised for gaining all the NCEA Level 3 Credits they have attempted.  Those with over 50 Credits achieved and 100% achievement are called Level 3 Centurions.

Campbell Smith, Oliver Donald, Jack Wade, David Rout, Michael Fitzpatrick, James Hitchiner, Flynn Alexander, Ziyang Zeng , Cameron Black, Korban Eades, Dylan Weir, Ryan Forlong, Guy Roberts, Igor Cvjetkovic, Renz Hermoso, Liam Brown, Jason Jacobson, Max Chamberlain, Jordan Gilmore, Samuel Gordon

Clay Target  NZ Champions

Water Polo - Silver!

Report from Mr Justin Brewer

During Labour Weekend, Brendan Horan (coach) eleven boys and I headed to Hamilton for the Challenger Cup, a Year 9 and 10 Tournament. We were placed in a tough pool with the two other of the strongest teams in the competition, Hamilton Boys' High School  and St Kentigern's College, with Takapuna College rounding out the numbers.

We came up against an under-strength mixed Takapuna team in our first game and cruised through that with a 20-0 win.   Next was St Kentigern, one of the top sides in Auckland. After a tough game, the boys came out on top 13-9.  It was a credit to the team that they kept their cool and focused on the water polo letting the scoreboard do the talking.

Final "pool" game was against a strong and well coached Hamilton Boys team. This was an excellent game, well fought to the final whistle. The boys battled well but came up short 9-8 after the Hamilton Boys' team managed to push the advantage in the final minute.

This left us in a three-way tie for top spot in the pool play with each team having two wins and a loss. Luckily we went through top on goal count back with St Kentigern going through second.Up against Western Springs College in the semi-final, the boys put in a masterful performance from the first whistle dominating the pool and coming away with an excellent 8-4 win putting us into the final.  St Kentigern went through their semifinal with a win setting up a replay of the pool match for the cup on Monday afternoon. For whatever reason, the first quarter saw the team play nervously, making a few mistakes and letting St Kentigern get out to a two goal lead. 

Even though the boys settled well from then and fought valiantly holding St Kents goalless until the last minute, the damage was already done and we went down 3-6. 

Regardless of the final result, the team is to be congratulated on their conduct and sportsmanship. They did themselves and the school proudly and the team is looking forward to the north island champs later in the year.

TEAM:

Theo Bos (captain), Jack Preston, Joe Cook, Jack Hitchfield, Sam Jones, Ben Paterson, Ashton Painter, Jacob Browne, Liam Davoren, Donghyun Lee (Goalie), Cooper Gibson

Basketball - 

Tyzak Rhind travelled to Las Vegas in August with the New Zealand Basketball Academy Team.   In the U14 boys the team were Runners Up in the "Jam On It Tournament" a National Tournament in America with most States represented.

Tyzak was also selected in the Wai-Coa-Bay U15 Rugby League Team. (Waikato -Coastline - Bay of Plenty). They competed at Nationals in Rotorua placing 4th overall. 

Tyzak was selected in the Merit Team (tournament team).  One of only two selected from Wai-Coa-Bay region.  He now has the opportunity to trial for the New Zealand U16 Residents Team.

Juniors

1st    Theo Lafont

2nd    Mitchell Sigley

3rd    Sean Galdeman

Seniors

1st    Jack McManaway

2nd    Anaru Palmer

3rd    Fletcher Oxford

Pictured back row from left:   Anaru Palmer, Jack McManaway, Fletcher Oxford:  front row from left:  Theo Lafont, Mitchell Sigley, Sean Galdeman

"Hillsdene Year Book"

This year we are again producing the Hillsdene Year Book.  This will be an outstanding publication providing a comprehensive written and visual record of the school year and the various activities our boys have been involved in.   

The 2017 Hillsdene Year Book will be complimentary to all boys who have paid the School Donation of $120 in full.  

Those Year 9 and Year 10 students who have paid the school donation will be issued with the complimentary copy on the last day of the school year, whilst senior students will be able to pick up their copy from the School Office.

The School Donation (which is tax deductible) provides a very important source of funds for the College and I would ask you to consider paying it if you have not yet already done so.   A big thank you to all those who have.  Your donation is really appreciated.

The Tu Rangatira - Maori Awards Evening was held Thursday 26th October in the Graham Young Youth Theatre. This was a very successful evening, with over 350 people in attendance. 

Monty Ohia Trophy - this is awarded to the best Year 13 Maori student, taking into consideration the traits that best define Monte Ohia, academic excellence and a commitment to the wider life of the school.  This year the trophy is awarded to Cole Forbes.  Cole is pictured below with the trophy.

The Pasifika Awards Ceremony was held last Friday evening with a large crowd in attendance.  Jackson Filipo (pictured below with Mrs Nikki Taula) was the recipient of the Taula Trophy.  This trophy was awarded for the first time to the Pacifika student who has excelled academically and also achieved highly in one or a combination of areas of sport / culture / leadership / service.

The trophy was presented by the Taula family in recognition of Elijah Taula, Head Boy 2016, our first Pasifika Head Boy.