Wednesday 27 August 2025
Kia ora koutou,
As I look back on recent months at King's College there is one word which stands out to me: resilience. In true Kiwi fashion, we’ve weathered challenges with courage, compassion, and quiet determination and just as importantly, we've moved forward - with endeavour, optimism, and a relentless commitment to making things better.
Over the past few weeks especially, we have seen students exemplify King’s spirit. We’ve seen highs in every corner of the co-curricular programme; it’s been an exciting time for all. In all respects students have endured challenges and risen above these to impress both themselves and everyone around them. Just this last weekend members of the public have been motivated to write and compliment the actions of our students, acknowledging them for their sometimes small but impactful acts of kindness.
Sir Edmund Hillary once said, “It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves.” The past few terms would exemplify the development and progress of so many individuals and teams which does not always correlate to winning the game or beating the opposition. Those lessons learnt on the sports field, stages and at the courts can also be transferred to the academic programmes, now in full view for all students at the College. I was impressed by the recent articulation of how one student transfers what he had learned in rowing to his approach to his studies and other academic activities, recognising the need for structure, pace, preparations, planning and rising to the final challenge. He applied these dimensions in rowing and translated them to his academics. I was impressed by the transfer of skills.
It's also a time for parents and whānau members to support our young people as they will be seeking your support and guidance. Whether it’s taking the first step, or refusing to give up in the face of uncertainty, our combined strength lies in how we show up - for our communities, our whānau, and young people.
One of the ways we need to engage in supporting our tamariki, is around social media. As a very attractive and compelling tool for procrastination, the allure of social media is a temptation for the teenage brain, with the controls of the prefrontal cortex largely absent at this age. I won’t promise the perfect answer to this dilemma but, in my experience in raising now adult children, the notions of teaching self-control and intrinsic motivation have their place. Call it a life skill.
There’s no doubt that external controls, limiting access and technological boundaries have their place in controlling teenagers’ compulsions. Social media is designed to reward, secure ongoing attention and in essence create an addiction. It’s a tough battle to fight. In light of this, the College is continually reviewing and placing controls on the College provided iPads. Due to their profile, we have absolute control when the iPads are hooked on to our systems. However, the teenager is more than a native to this environment and they can be experts in getting around these parameters.
So, to counter this, we block new VPNs, and secure systems to limit controls but, for example, when students log in to Apple under a different ID, we lose some visibility of their device use. This is an area our Information Services Director Matthew Way and his team are always monitoring and working to close any loopholes and gaps in our systems. We will soon remove an ability to download Apps on the iPads to prevent any students being able to purchase products including gaming apps on or off our systems.
I think it is important to teach our young people about the addictive nature of social media and gaming and help them develop their own moderating behaviours which can assist them in the long term. I can speak with some confidence about this - my children found every way to hide the real phone and they learnt how to get around the home Wi-Fi settings to connect to social media and gaming. There are many ideas that you may have, knowing your child best, and you should try them all. We found using the device as a reward for an hour of study or something accomplished was one way in delaying the gratification growing the ability to self-manage. Again, the College is taking every measure to put in controls and to stay one step ahead of our clever younger generation. The other is to demonstrate adherence to your own rules and guidelines. It’s hard to be looking up from your own phone or device to teach others about the dangers of technology!
On the topic of social media, I was talking to last week’s assembly about this subject in the context of bullying. The College has been dealing with and supporting some families through some quite nasty online bullying in recent weeks. In nearly every case, this arose from outside the College, through other teenagers or events happening beyond the College gates. Again, I think it pays to know what your child is doing and important to continue discussing what’s going on for them online and socially. Keeping device usage in the ‘public’ locations of your house, like the lounge can also assist. That won’t solve every situation, but it might help you being able to offer advice more easily.
I impressed on our students that the police take a harsh view of online bullying. Netsafe has supported us well in situations we have sought advice on - including when we feel we have no way of removing some material that is damaging to a teenager - they have been superb on every occasion. As we navigate through these online issues to get to a solution, we find that every situation is unique and has its own dynamics.
Finally, if you think the College can assist with any proactive measures either online or offline safety for our students, please don’t hesitate to contact the College. I am always available at s.lamb@kingscollege.school.nz if you’re not sure who to contact in the first instance. I know Deputy Head Pastoral Aaron Farr, a.farr@kingscollege.school.nz is also very good in this situation, offering both parents and students sage advice and guidance.
Next week I will be sharing with staff, parents and students the findings of the recent MMG surveys. Results are in and they will form the basis for discussions about future strategy and College values. In the coming weeks and Board and Senior Leadership Teams will be using this information to create a new Strategic Plan. In the meantime, I will be sharing the findings of the surveys, both celebrating the areas of strength and acknowledging areas where there is opportunity for development and improvement.
I wish you well for the coming weeks, just three remain to the end of the current term.
Regards
Simon Lamb - Headmaster