Kia ora school, e noho please be seated. 

I’d like to invite Service Prefect Will Telford forward to deliver today’s reading. 

Today’s reading comes from James Chapter 1 Verses 2-4 

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. 

This is the word of the Lord, Thanks be to God 

Rector Comments: 

Thank you, Will.  

I’ve been reflecting this week on the theme of gratitude, and what I’m grateful for and what I’m going to miss about Lindisfarne College when I depart at the end of the year. I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about this because life is still really busy and we’ve got so much more to get done in these next 8 weeks for seniors and next 13 weeks for juniors. 

And it got me thinking that of course I will miss things like the amazing grounds and facilities of Lindisfarne – the lovely hot lunches and I will have to buy a lunch box for my next job, the luxury of a beautiful office in the historic Homestead building, but these things are the bells and whistles, not the fabric of the place that really matters. 

No, all those things are wonderful, but I was actually thinking about the people who I’m grateful for. Because when parents ask me about my decision to move on I automatically go on to talk about how much I’ll miss the boys and staff. Five years may not be a long time in the context of a life, and yet at the same time it is a decent period of time, as the Year 13s in the room would attest to who are coming to the end of five or perhaps seven years at Lindisfarne too.  

I was thinking that maybe it’s not the length of time, but how much you pack into that time that makes it feel like you’ve been in a place for a lot longer. Perhaps that’s why those old boys who get together twice a year to have lunch and a chat about their memories of Lindisfarne, make it seem like they were here for 20 years, not five years, because they crammed so much into those five years. 

One of the first things I’ll miss is simply talking with you the boys. You boys are so engaging, you’re curious, and you’ve always got something to say. The conversations in the school grounds, in the lunch queue, on the sidelines — they’re genuine, they’re two-way. You don’t just listen politely, you engage and you share your own thoughts and you’ve got great senses of humour and quality banter. That’s rare, and it makes being here every day such a privilege.  

I’ll also miss seeing the way older students look out for the juniors and it’s something we must continue to cherish. Seniors, you probably don’t realise how powerful it is when you take a moment to stop and give your time to a junior boy. It might feel small to you — a chat at lunch, a quick word of encouragement, including them in a game — but to that younger boy it can mean the world. Time is one of the greatest gifts you can give in your time here. 

Then there’s the support you give each other. Sometimes it’s loud and proud, like the chants and cheers that echo across the sports fields. Other times it’s quieter — a word in the ear, a pat on the back, just being there when someone’s struggling. They both matter. Both say, “I’ve got your back.” And that’s what brotherhood looks like at Lindisfarne. 

I’ll miss watching you step outside your comfort zones. That moment when a boy tries something new — whether it’s performing, leading, speaking, or giving a sport a go for the first time. It takes courage. It’s scary. But here, you know you’ve got the respect of your mates and your teachers for giving it a go, even if it doesn’t go perfectly. That culture of encouraging risk-taking is something really special about this place. We need to continue to make this a safe place to take risks and be different.  

And finally, the secret sauce of Lindisfarne — the connection you have with your teachers and coaches and tutors. It’s not just “teacher/student” or “coach/player.” It’s deeper. It’s built on trust, on mutual respect, on shared goals. When that foundation is there, amazing things happen — in the classroom, on the field, on the stage. I’ll miss seeing those relationships in action every day. 

So yes, when I say I’ll miss Lindisfarne, it’s not the buildings or even the lunches. It’s you — the conversations, the brotherhood I see in action, the courage, the traditions, and above all the connections. That’s what makes this place so special. 

And here’s my challenge to you: don’t wait until you’re leaving to notice these things. Be grateful for them now. I’ve known old boys who have said to me, “I wish I’d thanked my teachers while I was still at school. I only realised later how much they gave me.” That’s the thing about gratitude — if you leave it too long, sometimes the chance is gone. 

So take the chance while you’ve got it. Thank the mate who backs you up. Thank the senior who gives you his time. Thank the teacher who goes the extra mile for you. Gratitude turns ordinary moments into something lasting, and it reminds us just how lucky we are to be part of a community like Lindisfarne. 

As you go through the rest of this term, remember this: gratitude is the difference between taking things for granted and treasuring them. 

Being grateful for every day and for everyone in your day, is an awesome way to live your life.  

I’m grateful for the chance to hear you guys sing at the top of your voices at assemblies and chapels and I know I will miss that too. Todays’ hymn is definitely in our top five and so…. 

Please join me in singing the Hymn Shine Jesus Shine.  

HYMN 

I’ll now invite Cultural prefect, Josef Oosthuizen, forward to update us on the latest arts and cultural news. 

Cultural Report 

Lindisfarne school's cabana night On Wednesday, five bands featuring Lindisfarne college students performed at the Cabana bar in Napier. It was a great night, filled with laughter, applause, and good fun. All of the students involved thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to share their music with the wider community. The bands featured were the Lindisfarne college jazz band, Kind regards, Karizma, Miscelania, and the Jazzstronomers. Huge thanks to Mr. Selfe for organizing this event. 

Trio of talents. Last night was the annual Woodford, Lindisfarne, and Iona trio of talents competition. Lindisfarne college put forward 3 items, which were the Jazzstronomers, the Ludwigsfarne chamber music trio, and Miscellania. The jazzstronomers won the award for the best instrumental group, and Lindisfarne won the overall competition. Huge congratulations to everyone involved. 

Could Oliver Watson, drummer of the Jazzstronomers, please come forward to accept the Trio of Talents trophy for 2025. 

Big orchestra play in day On Thursday morning, the Lindisfarne college training band attended the big orchestra play in day at HNI. This event brings together junior musicians from all across the bay to play music together in one combined orchestra for a day. All students that attended learned valuable skills that will help them when playing in groups in the future. Congratulations to all these boys. 

Rector Comments:  

Thank you, Josef. Beck Allen was fortunate enough to attend a Spirit of Adventure experience recently and I know that these trips often have a hugely positive impact for lots of reasons, so I’ve asked Beck if he wouldn’t mind telling you a bit about the experience to encourage you to look into it the opportunity. 

Rector Comments:  

Thank you, Beck. I will now invite Sports Prefect, Matt McKendry, forward to update us on the latest Sports news. 

Sports Report  

Good afternoon school, it is my pleasure to read this week's sports report this week. 

In Motocross Ethan Lys had his motocross prize giving today & he came second in the junior 125cc 12–16-year-olds for the 2025 magics series. 

In Shooting In the most recent Central Lower North Island Secondary Schools shoot in Woodville, Charlie Bothamley came first in the Single Barrel event, Josh Snijders came second in the Single Rise event. Oscar Hunter received his 25 Long Run badge for CLNISS shooting. 

With a team score of 410/500 the Lindisfarne College A squad took out the team’s event ahead of Napier on 403 and the Lindisfarne College B squad on 382. 

In Football The 1st XI beat HBHS 4-0 before securing an 8-0 win over HNHS 1st XI on Friday evening to ensure an unbeaten season. This was a fantastic season, and we look forward to tracking their progress in the Lotto Premier Tournament. The 2nd XI beat HNHS 2nd XI 5-1 and KHS 1st XI 4-1 to end the season unbeaten. The Junior A team also had good wins against NBHS Junior B beating them twice in the space of a week, 4-1 and then 6-0. 

In Hockey Congratulations to the Colts B team who secured a 6-1 win against NBHS Junior White and thereby winning the league with a game to spare. On Monday night they completed their competition for the Division 4 Secondary Boys Grade winning 7-0 against Napier Boys Junior Blue team. The Colts B team are the Championship winners for 2025 and played the second half of the season beating all the top teams in this grade comprehensively. A fantastic season, and the boys can be very proud of their progress this year. 

The 1st XI secured third place in the Premier competition beating THS 1st XI 12-0 and the 2nd XI were highly competitive in their final against NBHS 2nd XI eventually losing 2-5.   

In Rugby The 1st XV put in an incredible performance against Wesley College in the 3rd / 4th play-off of the CNI competition. They won the match 69-15 to secure a 3rd place finish for the second consecutive year.  

The final week of the Hawke’s Bay competitions brought plenty of drama and some standout performances from our Lindisfarne teams. 

The highlight was our Division 3 side, who pulled off a brilliant upset over previously unbeaten St John’s College, winning 24–19 to claim the Ian MacRae Cup. A fantastic achievement for the boys and a well-deserved league title! 

In other finals, the 2nd XV went down narrowly to Te Aute College 1st XV in a nail-biter, 14–15, while the 3rd XV battled hard but fell 17–29 in their final. 

The Intermediate A team produced a superb performance against HIBS on Tuesday, drawing the match 29-29. 

In Basketball Our Junior A team played in the final against Whare Tapere on Monday evening to determine who would take the league honours. The boys came so close, but Whare Tapere secured a 33-27 win to see our boys finish as runners-up. 

Our Junior Grey team also progressed to the final and are to be commended for their efforts against a very strong Flaxmere College team. 

In Jiu jitsu Max Russel and George Powdrell competed at the North Island jiu jitsu championships and they achieved the following results 

George Powdrell won Gold in the Juvenile Under 67kg Gi and Silver in the Juvenile Under 66kg No Gi  

Max Russell won Gold in the Men's under 76kg Gi. 

In Tough Guy & Gal Challenge On Monday, twenty-three Lindisfarne runners took on the annual Rotorua Tough Guy and Gal competition — a gruelling 6-kilometre course held at Lakes Ranch in Rotorua. 

Hamish Butler powered through the course in an impressive 30 minutes and 19 seconds, placing 2nd overall and 2nd in the senior category. Close behind, Titus Dunnett crossed the line in 31:47, finishing 4th overall, with Braith Carew not far behind in 32:44 to claim 5th overall. Their results also secured Titus and Braith 2nd and 3rd place in the junior competition. 

Together, Hamish, Titus, and Braith’s outstanding performances earned Lindisfarne College the Toughest School Trophy for 2025. 

In Badminton Four of our boys Ben Tian, Jianzhi Zhu, Jamison Chheur and Ninja Danphattaraworawat participated in the Badminton Secondary Schools’ Individual Championship on Tuesday this week. Ben reached the semi-final of the Boys’ A grade, losing 31-16 to the top seed. Jianzhi, who is in Year 9, won the Boys’ B grade 31-11. Jamison and Ninja reached the final of the C-grade Doubles draw, losing 31-19. 

In Chess On Friday, Lindisfarne sent three teams to compete in the annual Hawkes Bay chess team tournament. The Intermediate school A team finished second in Division 1 and the Intermediate school B team finished first in Division B. 

Can TJ North, Magnus Jones, Shaan Arora and Lin Kokuryo come forward to receive their certificates. 

In Boxing Austin McDougall represented the Hastings Giants Boxing Academy at the Saletoga Showdown, a New Zealand versus Samoa amateur boxing tournament held last Saturday evening. Competing in the Youth 90kg division, Austin put in a strong performance to claim the win by unanimous decision. 

Well done, Austin! 

Note We would like to wish the 1st XI Football and Hockey teams all the best for their National Tournaments taking place in Palmerston North and Auckland respectively. The Under 15 rugby team will be competing in the Under 15 tournament hosted here at school from Wednesday and we wish them well. Good luck to the Shooting team who travel to Whanganui on Sunday for their next event. 

Also wish Cordell Henare and George Pogson all the very best for golf nationals. 

Rector Comments: 

Thank you, Matt.  

Congratulations to everyone whose been recognised today. And all the best to all those who are competing or performing over this weekend and next week during tournament week. 

Year 12 student Jasper Jamieson will now close our assembly in prayer. 

Article added: Friday 22 August 2025