Good morning and welcome to the 2024 Prize Giving ceremony. My name is Oliver Ruane and I have had the privilege of being the Head Boy for this year. We gather here to look back over the year’s highlights and share the many successes of our hard working students. A huge congratulations to all our award winners today.
My time at The Cathedral Grammar School started in Year 6, and over the last three years I have thrived in a supportive learning environment both in and out of the classroom.
My favourite time at Cathedral Grammar has to be the amazing Year 8 camp at Castle Hill. It was filled with so many incredible activities like; Rafting, Rock-Climbing, Abseiling, and Hiking. The rafting was a real highlight especially when we all deliberately capsized the boat. I also enjoyed camping out and cooking dinner on the fire we made. While sleep was in short supply that night, except for a few who were blissfully snoring their heads off, everyone had such a good time and we were all still laughing at the end.
Sport has been a huge part of my time at Grammar. I have been lucky enough to represent the school in Sporting Exchanges for both cricket and football. One particular highlight was when our cricket team managed to win the Primary Sports summer tournament last year. Another memory that I will cherish is the satisfaction of beating the teachers in the Year 8 boys versus teachers touch rugby. It was a tight, competitive match but we managed to triumph in the end.
Throughout my three years at Cathedral Grammar, I have had incredible support from my homeroom teachers which I have greatly appreciated. Mr Lean-Massey was my first homeroom teacher in Year 6 and I remember that you were always up for a laugh, especially in the mornings which were usually chaotic and filled with boys having way too much fun for school. Thank you for your personalised support helping me settle into the school and get up to speed with my learning.
The main highlight from Year 6 was Civix, a political game Mr Lean-Massey teaches that explores the world of politics. Voting was riddled with favouritism and the court was extremely harsh, for example one boy was driven into debt simply for forgetting to make a receipt. I was speaker of the house and thoroughly enjoyed shouting ‘ORDER’ when havoc broke out between major rival parties.
Year 7 was a blast with many cool activities such as Wearable Arts and the Amazing Race. For our Wearable Arts costume, Justin and I created a fearsome warrior creature. We even got to compete in the Showquest Toi Wearable Arts Competition and were interviewed by the TV show ‘What Now’ before we went on stage. The Amazing Race was another great event where we got the chance to whizz around the city answering questions about Christchurch landmarks.
Thank you to Ms Dyer, my Year 7 homeroom teacher. One of my favourite memories in your class was learning to crochet, something entirely new to me, and quite a challenge that I managed to conquer. Thanks also for always being on top of the Boys’ school assemblies, and for the great leadership advice and support you gave me.
In Year 8, I was fortunate to have the amazing Mrs Bennett. You were the perfect, calm homeroom teacher and you helped finish our time at Grammar on a high note. I especially enjoyed Social Science and appreciated the interesting topics that you prepared for us. My favourite one was learning about the Olympics and Paralympics. I learnt so much and it was such a great experience having an Olympic Ambassador come and talk to us.
I would also like to call out a couple of specialist teachers that have shaped my time at Grammar. Thank you to Mrs Leith who always made English enjoyable. You helped improve my spelling and sharpen my speech skills which helped me get to the speech finals. Also a special thanks to Mr Brooke who over the years taught me Maths, Science, Chess, Cricket and Football. Science was one of my favourite classes and you opened our eyes to many fascinating topics. Thanks also for your amusing jokes and for entertaining our ‘questionable’ discussions after class. The most unusual being our theory that oxygen slowly kills you but it takes 80 years… which you quickly dismissed.
Thank you to my fellow head students; Edward, Sammy and Heather for helping to organise events and assemblies. We’ve learnt so many great skills about leadership and I‘m sure we will continue to put them into practice in high school. To Mr Thelning, I appreciate all the support you gave me whether it was the small things like how to use a microphone, to preparing me to speak confidently at assemblies and chapel services. Also many thanks for the great lunches every term. My favourite had to be the delicious pizza at Spagalimis.
I would like to congratulate Kiran, Hamish, Naomi and Amelie who will be our 2025 leaders. I wish you the best in your positions and hope you learn from all the amazing life opportunities that will come your way. Don’t be too stressed as it’s easier than it seems and you will get used to speaking in front of a large audience.
Lastly, I would like to farewell my fellow Year 8 students as we take our next steps, the next chapter of our book. I couldn’t have asked for a better group who made me feel welcome right from my Experience Day. We have created so many memories together that will stay with us as we move on to different schools. But like a book, don't re-read the last chapter, be excited for the next one. I hope you will cherish the many memories, the page turners and the plot twists, because if our time at Grammar was a book it would be a book worth reading. Thank you.
Oliver Ruane
Head Boy 2024