Kia ora koutou,
No, not that frost, the other one. I'm sure you've had enough chats about morning frost and the one-in-twenty-year flu spike already today, so I want to talk about the other Frost.
Many of you will recall a quote - "Two roads diverged in a wood and I - I took the one less travelled by, and that has made all the difference." It's from a 1916 poem by American poet laureate, Robert Frost, and is used to motivate independence, self-confidence, and a spirit of discovery. To make those decisions however, you need to be equipped with strong and engrained values, and the ability to distinguish right from wrong, or at least better from worse.
This ability, inherent in what we - you at home and us at school - try to teach, is often tested in subtle ways. Whether to go out with friends when you're not quite sure what they'll get up to; the decision to not prepare for exams until just before they happen; testing the teacher to see just what you can get away with; the list goes on.
But why raise this now? Two of the better Frost quotes come not from his poetry, but from his other musings and are relevant to this key time in the middle of a term, when for many students exams are around three weeks away. Also, so many have had time off in recent weeks due to illness that learning will certainly have been disrupted.
"Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence." This message applies to students, parents, and staff alike. Learning alongside other people isn't always easy, but that's often where growth happens.
"Education is hanging around until you've caught on." For those about to sit exams - don't act like you have time, because you don't, especially if you are heading off to Tournament Week. Work hard to understand now and keep working with those alongside you who want you to succeed, because it's a choice to do the work before the pressure arrives.
The road ahead over the next few weeks may not always be the easiest one, but it will almost certainly be the one worth taking, and we appreciate your support and partnership in this learning journey.
There have been many successes across the school in recent weeks - Dance, WaiMaths, numerous victorious sports teams and representative selections, and others. It's a great place to be a part of! To see more, please keep eyes on our socials for tournament week updates from 31 August - 5 September.
A final note to thank all who contributed to our consultation on the potential installation of vape sensors and cameras in our toilet blocks - I'll be in touch soon with some detailed feedback and what that means.
Ngaa Mihi,
PL McAvoy
Acting Principal / Tumuaki
Cambridge High School
