Page 4 - Southwell School Year Book 2019

PRIZE GIVING ADDRESS - HEADMASTER
Est. 1911
It is great to celebrate 2019 at Southwell. As people in 2019 we have all felt success, had our challenging moments and disappointments, all helping us build and develop our character.
Thank you to our Fellows and Trust Board. Southwell is fortunate to have such good leadership and governance. Thank you to the Fellows for their support and passion for Southwell created over time. Thank you to the Trust Board for their considered navigation, judgements and support. To Board Chairman, Mr Jeff de Leeuw, thank you for your astute and considered influence. Your positive thinking and pragmatic approach is greatly valued.
Thank you to the Senior Leadership Team: Mr Mills, Mrs Bindon, Mr Walch, Mrs Walters and Mrs Reddish. I enjoy your company daily and admire your all-round abilities to lead, guide and support the Southwell children, staff and parents.
Mrs Speedy, thank you for your poise and everything you do for Southwell and myself.
Thank you Chaplain for your spiritual leadership and shepherding of our community.
Thank you to our staff for your great deeds through 2019. Every one of you leads. Thank you to our talented teaching staff for your dedication and ability to personalise learning situations. Thank you to our support and administration staff who allow the Southwell students and teachers to perform at their best, day in and day out.
In August we celebrated with Mrs Julia McIntyre, Director of Music, who received an Independent Schools of New Zealand Honours Award at the annual I.S.N.Z. Conference in Wellington for Service to Music and Performing Arts.
Thank you to the following staff for their dedication and service, who share their final day today with us:
• Mrs King (Year 0-2 Dean) thank you
for three great years and all the best on your return to Auckland.
• Ms Hart (Year 8 Teacher, Enviro leader and Ist X1 Hockey coach.) All the best with your
university studies next year and it would be
nice to have you return in the future. • Miss Southall, all the best on your
maternity leave.
• Mr Streicher and Miss Ngcobo (Gap Tutors.)
Thank you for all you have done in the Boarding House and around school and best wishes on your return to South Africa.
• Mrs Ussher, thank you for teaching a Year 8 class for Terms 3 & 4.
• Mrs Carter, thank you for teaching Art in Terms 2, 3 and 4.
• Mrs McKay and Miss Hirst, thank you for being very supportive Teacher Aides.
Thank you to our parents who offer so much time and expertise to the wide range of activities we offer. You make a positive difference to our students and staff.
Boarders, boarding staff and boarding families, thank you for 2019. The all-round learning in boarding sets you up for life. You learn to navigate the social world of humanity around you and this allows you to cherish so many positive moments that occur naturally every day, in so many ways.
Thank you Year 8s for leading yourselves and leading others, through your attitudes and actions. You have been great role models to our younger students. All the best in 2020 and beyond.
Every day at Southwell, collectively as staff and students, and increasingly with parents, we are shaping a culture of gratitude and positive thinking. We need this to become naturalised within ourselves. This ability is so needed in a world of anxiety. It starts with being consistently kind to ourselves. Through specific strategies we can teach our children and staff to be kind to themselves. There are so many ways.
We are all creatures of habit. In your mind, did you wake and identify what you were grateful for this morning? Did you then identify three things that you were really looking forward to doing today? As individuals we can shape habit. I trust you are with me on the road of positive psychology.
Mrs Kansal, please join me.
In January 2017 I was alerted to a tragic situation. Mrs Kansal’s husband, and father of Sam, Aashima and Saniya, had sadly died. Aashima and Saniya had completed their Southwell education and Sam was about to start Year 6. From that moment myself and
fellow staff have had a keen eye on Sam as he has developed over the last three years. Since 2017 it has been a pleasure to celebrate Sam’s birthday in my office with a few friends each year.
Recently Mrs Kansal approached me to thank Southwell for its care of Sam over the years and has generously created an annual scholarship to be awarded to a student who has a passion for music and the performing arts. The scholarship will start next year. Mrs Kansal is a humble, caring, wonderful person from whom I have learnt alot. We thank you.
Founder’sDay,our108thbirthday,wasagreat day where we celebrated the Southwell spirit on the Oval. Having fun, sharing relationship and activities across the age groups and celebrating our history and who we are today makes this day one of the favourites on the Southwell calendar.
Some notable Southwell student achievements this year includes:
• 93 Achievement Ties awarded
• 36 Achievement Bars awarded. Awarded after the accumulation of 25 points across the categories of academic,
service, cultural and sport.
• 27 Achievement Badges awarded.
Available to all Year 4-6 students. Students must collect a minimum of ten points across three of the categories of academic, cultural, service and sport.
• Four students achieving over 50 points.
Shortly we will see specific students awarded prizes related to the academic, cultural, sport, spiritual, social and service moments in Southwell. Beyond these, however, are so many more moments of success that occur on a daily basis. Success is giving your best.
2019 has been a great all round year of learning at Southwell.
Per aspera ad Astrum
Jason Speedy
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Southwell School Yearbook 2019
Senior Leadership Team
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We can teach our children and staff to be kind to themselves.