Head Students

Head Boy, Zane Paki:

2021 has been a challenging year for us as a school, as part of the wider community and as a country. The global pandemic has impacted all our lives in so many ways, not only at home, but also in how we learn. Our teachers, educators, have had to make sacrifices, we sometimes forget that they themselves have families and lives outside of school, which have been impacted along with the rest of us. We’ve all had to learn as a whanau, new ways to teach and learn and I believe that we should all be proud of ourselves for our commitment to each other and our learning in such trying times.

Glenfield College to me is a big whanau with a vision towards a future of success and striving to be better, not only as students, but as human beings. Over the years we have worked to provide a sense of belonging, support and guidance for all students ensuring we can set ourselves up on a pathway to success out in the real world.

My journey at Glenfield College over the past five years has come with many challenges and obstacles along the way. When I first started at Glenfield College I was very shy, one of the quietest in my class, I was in a form class without my friends from intermediate but it was a great opportunity for me to make new friends and connect with other students. There has always been phenomenal support and guidance from all of the teaching faculty and my peers, for which I will forever be grateful as it is with your help and guidance that I believe has helped shape me into the person I am today. It is this support base that leads me to believe Glenfield College will continue to be a beacon for excellence in our community.

To the teaching faculty, I would like to thank you all for guiding and supporting me on my journey to this point, leading me to success in all aspects of school throughout my time at Glenfield College. All of you have empowered and inspired me which has allowed me to find my voice. I am grateful for each and every one of you for having a huge role in my development. All of you have so much passion and drive in what you do, helping students like myself.

To Mr McKinley, thank you for having faith in me to be the Head Boy of Glenfield College in 2021 and for your unwavering support and guidance. Under your leadership and with the support of the entire teaching faculty, Glenfield College students have a support system in place to empower them to greatness. As Nelson Mandela once said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” I would not have this powerful weapon if it wasn’t for you.

To the rest of the senior leadership team - Mrs Kabalin, Mr Bonneywell and Mrs Cleaver, I thank you all for your immense support and the significant impacts you have made to myself and all of the students at Glenfield College. I want to thank you also for your immense support throughout the year.

To my family, thank you for supporting me throughout all of my life. Thank you for always being by my side and making the amazing experiences I have had possible, thank you for all of the advice you have provided me throughout my life, thank you for the rides to school & school events, the ongoing unconditional love and support that you give me, I am so grateful to have had you.

To the Prefect team, starting out at our Prefect Camp was a great experience to have where we all came together, bonding with one another and learning some valuable life & leadership skills. This was a memorable time that I will never forget with amazing growth together as a team. I want to thank you all for your hard work and commitment to the team and our school throughout the year, keeping your heads held high and providing never-ending support for one another. I want to thank Mr Gardner who has led us throughout the year providing guidance in our planning of events, making sure we stay on the right path and working very hard behind the scenes to provide the Prefect team with many opportunities to show our worth and develop new leadership capabilities. To Eden, Nathan, and Kaelyn, my fellow Head and Deputy-Head Prefects, thank you for your continuous support and commitment to the team, and the guidance you have given me along the way.

My friends, peers, the Year 13 leavers of 2021. Growing up alongside you all has been a highlight of my life, getting to know many of you really well over the years, I am so proud of us all for getting through our years of high-school together. What lies ahead for us is yet to be discovered, however I know that no matter what directions we all go, we will all remember each other and will carry our experiences with us to lead us onto greater things. Good luck to you all, I am so grateful to have you in my life.

To all at Glenfield College in 2022 and beyond, the key message I leave you with is to make the most of the opportunities you are given, utilise all of the knowledge and pathways provided to you by your teachers and peers. Believe in your ability to succeed, it is in all of you. You will be the future leaders of tomorrow with boundless possibilities. Never limit yourself and never let others put limits on you.

Head Girl, Eden Taula

1,738 days - that’s quite a few, right? 1,738 is a huge number, but what’s even bigger is the journey I have been on over those days, weeks, months and years.

I’ve always enjoyed sports. The sport that will forever be my favourite is netball. This sport has been my way to take a break from reality and be able to use my energy on something that I love.

Whether it’s for fun or competitively, this game has always helped me strengthen my physical and mental health. I can see so many similarities between netball and my time here at Glenfield College.

Whenever I stand on the court waiting for that first centre pass to be released, I feel simultaneously nervous, anxious and excited. 1,738 days ago when I first entered Glenfield College as a new Year 9 student, I also felt nervous, anxious and just a little bit excited.

I honestly thought I was too young and little to be here. I remember looking around at the big kids thinking, “Wow, they’re like adults about to move on into the big wide world, and that’s going to be me one day.”

Every year at the end of year assembly a Year 13 would tell us how fast time goes by. Now here I am, five years after walking through those gates for the first time, actually talking in front of my school at the end of this part of my journey.

Every time I get ready to proudly wear my Glenfield College netball uniform, I feel uncertain about what is to happen next. I have also always been nervous about where my school life will take me, who I will be at the end of it and, most importantly, who I will have and who will have me.

Just as a netball team often starts out as a bunch of strangers being forced to get along and work together, the same happened to me as a little Year 9, with many of my intermediate and primary school friends heading off in different directions.

As it turns out, I had no reason to be fearful of this. I feel so privileged to have had the chance to create friendships with new people, some that I hope to have by my side for the rest of my life, no matter what.

Despite what people who don’t really understand the game think, netball is absolutely not a predictable and even-keeled game. That same tumult has been felt by me in every facet of my life.

The past five years haven't been the easiest time for me, but they have made me understand what resilience really and truly is. The hard times we go through that make us feel the weakest or most vulnerable slowly turn us into the strongest and bravest versions of ourselves.

It’s taken me a few hard times to realise this, but I’m glad I’ve made it here in the end. It’s just like netball: we learn far more from the losses than the wins, no matter how much the losses sting.

I always find that when I start to overthink my shot, my position on court or I focus too much on what the other team is doing, the quality of my game deteriorates.

I’ve learnt that in netball, there’s no point in worrying so much about the opposition: if I do my job, if I do what I know is best for me and my team, we will get the result we want.

Unfortunately, I haven’t always followed my own advice when it comes to other areas of my life. A lot of the time in my school journey I’ve stressed myself out over small issues.

Trying to micromanage everything became difficult when facing things I couldn’t, and shouldn’t, control. Being indecisive and nervous is how we try to protect ourselves, but really, what are we trying to protect ourselves from?

We are all so worried about what other people think of us but what is really important is actually what we think of ourselves.

“I don’t see anyone as my competition, we don’t have the same dreams, goals, ambitions and for sure not the same brains.” This mantra best represents the idea that there’s no point in comparing yourself to others because we’re not the same at all.

Two people may experience the same thing, but our thoughts and how we react differently are what make us individuals.

There is no clearer time that this can be seen than today, with all of us having completely different views, thoughts and feelings about our shared experience of living with COVID-19 in our community.

Just as an unexpectedly tough opposition can throw you off your game plan, so too has Covid-19 forced us into tackling 2021 in a manner far from the original plan.

Despite the obstacles we’ve had thrown our way, I’m so grateful and appreciative to be able to humbly share that I was the Head Girl of Glenfield College for 2021. Although this year hasn’t been easy at all, I wouldn’t trade this opportunity for anything.

Everyones’ support and encouragement has really helped me to gain confidence in my position. I acknowledge all the hard efforts we’ve put in over these years and I’m so thankful to say that we’ve made it.

No matter how many times we wanted to take the easy routes and quit, we never gave up on ourselves and that shows.

This last year of school has been a journey, and after 13 years I’m finally nearing the end of my school life.

It’s surreal to think that for 13 years, five days a week, for six hours a day, I was busy. I had my days prepared and activities ready for me. Just like this year, Covid might interrupt our adventures next year and our resilience will be tested again.

At the time it might feel like a struggle but this is when you’ll find yourself growing into that bravest and strongest version of yourself.

1,738 days ago, I was so kindly welcomed by the prefects of Glenfield College. Seeing us advance from being those scared little Year 9s, unsure of what was to come, to preparing for our final NCEA exams and our final time walking out those gates, has really put it into perspective how fast time goes by.

I have sincerely enjoyed my time at Glenfield College. Growing and learning, forming friendships and trying new things, has taught me who Eden is and what she can accomplish when she has the right mindset and the right people close to her.

I appreciate the work my teachers have done to push all of us closer to our potential. Without your constant motivation it would’ve been easy to give up on ourselves.

Thank you for giving me this opportunity, I would never have thought I’d have the privilege of becoming a prefect, let alone being Head Girl Being able to lead and work with teachers and other students over these past years has given me more knowledge and gratitude that I will take with me through the next steps of my life.

Mr McKinley, thank you for believing in me. You helped me get where I am today and I hope to see you again in my Navy uniform, where I’ll be able to represent my country as proudly as this school.

As the final whistle blows to signal the end of a netball game, so too will that school bell ring for us one last time, telling us it is the end of this part of our journey. Although we may walk out of that gate as officially enrolled students for the last time, there will forever be the mark of Glenfield College inside us.