Matariki Assembly

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Kura-mātakitaki Stevens

Mānawa maiea te putanga o Matariki

Mānawa maiea te ariki o te rangi

Mānawa maiea te Mātahi o te Tau.

Whano, whano

Haramai te toki ata huakirangi

Haumi e

Hui e

Tāiki e!

I know for some of us, Matariki might just seem like a day off or a sleep in. But it’s actually way more meaningful than that. Matariki is a cluster of stars that marks the Māori New Year. It’s a time for three big things: Acknowledging the people we’ve lost over the past 12 months. Celebrating what we’ve got. And looking ahead to who we want to be. It’s not just about the stars, it’s about connection. With your whānau, with your mates, and with ourselves. So take the chance. Say thanks. Set a goal. Or at the very least, enjoy a feed and don’t take it for granted.

Kā mihi o matariki ma puaka, happy Māori New Year.

Mr Hunter

Assembly Address – Matariki and Academic Reflection

Tēnā koutou katoa,

Thank you, Kura, for speaking to us today and sharing the significance of Matariki.

As you’ve just heard, Matariki is a time to pause, reflect, and reset. Traditionally, it marked the end of one cycle and the preparation for the next. It was about looking to the skies and planning for a good harvest. Today, I want you to think about your own harvest — your academic success, your growth, your future.

At the end of this week, you’ll receive your end-of-term report. This is an important moment to take stock — to reflect on your learning, your habits, and your progress so far this year.

For our senior students, there are just 14 weeks left in the school year. That’s not a lot of time. Every week from here counts. Whether you're aiming for endorsement, to finish internal assessments, or make some real progress on your art portfolio, this is the time to put your energy where it matters.

Remember the phrase: we reap what we sow. If you want a strong harvest — the results you’re proud of — it starts now. Put in the hard work, plan your time, ask for help when you need it, and challenge yourself to reach your level of personal excellence. That might mean pushing beyond what’s easy or comfortable. That might mean aiming for an NCEA Merit or Excellence endorsement. Reap as you sow is consistent with the message you have heard from me before when I say everyone gets the grade they deserve.

Yesterday, we were lucky enough to be visited by Richie McCaw. He spoke about leadership, discipline, and mindset. After his talk, I asked him about his time at school. I had heard a rumour that Richie was a strong academic — particularly in calculus. While he couldn’t remember his exact mark — it was many years ago after all — he told me it was just under 90%. A bit of digging confirmed that in his final year he was named proxime accessit, the runner-up to Dux. He was not only a high-performing athlete, but a high-performing student.

Richie talked to us about the importance of reset moments — points in time where we can step back, take stock, and choose how to move forward. I think that’s a powerful message for all of us at this time of year.

So, as you receive your report and head into the break, I encourage you to follow his advice:

• Step back – reflect on where you're at. Read your report carefully. What’s working? What’s not?
  
  

• Step up – set a goal. Write it down. Decide what needs to change and what you need to commit to.
  
  

• Step in – take action. Come back next term ready. Ready to work hard, ready to do better, ready to push yourself.
  
  

Enjoy the rest of the week, and keep working hard right until the end. Use the break to reset. Reflect. Refocus. Step Back, Step up and Step in.

Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.

Angus Burns - Last Word

Good morning boys.

As the last week of the term is coming quickly to an end, Matariki is a time to reflect, recharge your batteries and focus on the second half of 2025. 

As Mr Brown discussed on Monday - Matariki is a time to both acknowledge our achievements and reconnect with whānau and friends, and to especially honour those who have passed before us. 

I believe that spending time doing the activities you enjoy with friends and whanau is a great way to relax and begin to prepare for the second half of the year.  Whether you're out on the farm or in town with mates, these holidays are the perfect time to catch your breath.

But most importantly, Matariki is a time to look ahead. 

Imagine Matariki is the half time break during a tough sports game or your favourite activity. 

It offers all of us a chance to reflect on our successes, and our work-ons from the first half of the year, and to learn from these, and carry the positives with us into the second half.

Boys, we all have goals for this year so now is the time to reconfirm what your goals are, and not take your foot off the gas.  

Also, take a moment to remember those boys who have gone before you, who have sat right where you are now. I know they all had goals of their own, just as you do. Make the most of every opportunity whether in the classroom with assignments and exams, on the sports fields or whatever you’re into. Make every moment count.

I wish you a fun and safe holiday, and to finish I leave you with a quote from John Dewey an American philosopher..

 

“We do not learn from experience... we learn from reflecting on experience”

Cheers boys.