Week 7 Term 1 - Building a house

"You can't build a great building on a weak foundation. You must have a solid foundation if you are going to have a strong superstructure." Gordon B. Hinckley

2021 already has been a year of transformation and shift. Professionally one of the biggest shifts that I have experienced as a Year level Dean has been the transition into the new House system. The purpose of the House system is to build school spirit and to give the students a sense of belonging. Tamaki College prides itself on being a 'family school' and this new system is an approach that we have taken to support our family ties. I am not going to lie, it has been a bit of a transition for me. I have been a Year Level Dean for 5 years and for the last 3 years I followed through with the Year 11 cohort (from Year 9 in 2018 - to Year 11 in 2020). Initially I was really upset about not following through with them to their final year. I wanted to finish with them and see them right to the end. So when the new House system was introduced I was reluctant to it, I was reluctant to change. I was attached and invested in the journey with my Year 11 cohort. I still am. They were my distraction when I went through the grief of losing my daughter. in 2018 They were and still are, an awesome group of students. Regardless of how I felt, I knew that eventually I had to accept the reality of not moving on with them and embrace this new system. 

7 weeks into a new school year and new House system, it is safe to say that I can see how this new system can have an positive impact on the students and staff. School spirit (a competitive school spirit at that) is well and truly alive! My mental approach to the House system has been 'slow and steady'. What I have wanted to do from the start is to get my foundation - my vision/goal, my mentors and student's vision/goal - set, as this will be our base for 2021. 

The analogy of a house or a home has been something that I have used to help drive the house that I am responsible for, Totara House. Any building of a house requires a solid foundation. In order for a house to stand it needs a foundation that will hold it and keep it grounded. I have used this concept in my messaging to the students of Totara House, as a whole in our House assembly and then continued the conversations in their mentor groups with the student House Leaders leading the discussions. The focus question that was shared was 'Describe in ONE word what you think Totara House should represent'. The feedback has been good and I have enjoyed seeing what the students think. The most common words that came out of the discussions were 'teamwork', 'unity' and 'confidence'. 

Totara House Student Feedback 2021 

My goal and next step is to unpack the feedback, in particular with the top three words, with the student House leaders and talk what we can do to build and encourage 'teamwork', 'unity' and 'confidence' within the House. 

“You can dream, create, design, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it requires people to make the dream a reality.” Walt Disney

Totara House @ Athletics Day 2021

I am really grateful for the team of mentors that I am working for Totara House. I am really proud of the student leadership team for Totara House and how they have settled into their duty as leaders. Having the right people with the right attitude is key in the development of anything. These people are your key stakeholders and it is vital to spend time with them - note key word, WITH. Work WITH them and journey WITH them. I am looking forward to seeing the House system flourish into something that has impact and influence over our school.