New Zealand Boys High School performs farewell haka for cherished teacher

A school filled with outstanding young men perform an amazing haka for a beloved teacher during his retirement ceremony...It's very entertaining to watch. I cannot imagine a school in the US being able to pull off such a chant.

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Mr. John Adams Retires

At assembly this morning we bid farewell to Mr. John Adams, the school Guidance Counsellor, who is retiring from teaching. Mr. Adams is moving to Nelson to be closer to his family so that he can dedicate more of his time to them.

Mr. Adams has provided thirty years of dedicated service to Palmerston North Boys’ High School and the young men who attend this school. Mr. Adams was appointed to a long term relief position teaching science and agriculture in February 1986 and gained a permanent position as a teacher of science and physics in June 1986. He was the Year 10 Dean from 1989 – 1993, the Assistant Head of the Science Department from July 1990 – December 1992, and the Head of the Physics Department from 1992 – 1997.

In 1998 Mr. Adams was appointed as the Head of the Science Department, a key leadership position in the school, and one he held until the end of 2004. He was awarded a Royal Society Teacher Fellowship in 2001, when he spent time at Massey University researching renewable energy sources. This fellowship recognised the high esteem with which Mr. Adams was held in the physics and science teaching fraternities in New Zealand and the outstanding results students he taught had achieved over a long period of time.

In 2005 Mr. Adams was appointed as the school Guidance Counsellor, a position he has held until now. In order to fulfill this position Mr. Adams was required to complete a counselling qualification, a Master of Counselling, which he did in 2007, having been selected to receive a teacher study award.

Mr. Adams has a real affinity for young men and has worked tirelessly in all of his roles to remove obstacles to student learning and to help ensure that our young men are able to achieve the best possible academic results. In his role as Counsellor, Mr. Adams has assisted countless young men and families in some very trying circumstances. Each of these situations has been approached with empathy, genuine care and concern, and strategies enacted that have the best interests of the young men concerned at their core.

Additional to this service at Palmerston North Boys’ High School, Mr. Adams served as a parent representative on the Board of the New Zealand Correspondence School from 1995 – 1998 and in 1998 was appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Correspondence School.

Prior to his teaching career Mr. Adams had a range of experiences as a dairy farmer, in forestry and a stint as a possum trapper. A notable component of his teaching was how he was able to draw on these experiences in the classroom and put his teaching into context for the young men in his classes. This has played a significant role in the outstanding academic results his classes have achieved.

This morning at assembly Mr. Adams was presented with an Academic Stole. This award, normally made at the end-of-the-year at the full school prizegiving, is reserved to recognise those teachers who have had an unwavering focus on academic achievement throughout their careers. Mr. Adams has certainly embodied the requirement for this award.

Guidance counselling by its very nature often involves being the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff – responding to problems and crises after they occur. Mr. Adams has endeavoured to also bring a proactive approach to his role. An example of this is the system of support that has been implemented for our young Pasifika men on his initiative. Mr. Adams is also a staunch supporter of the Palmerston North Boys’ High School Leadership programme, recognising the proactive nature of this approach to the development of young men.

Mr. Adams has been fully involved in the co-curricular life of the school. He has coached rugby teams, been involved with the mountain biking group, and more recently managed hockey and basketball teams. Mr. Adams has a particular interest in the outdoors, and has organised and participated in a wide variety of school camps, including running one on his own farm a number of years ago.

On behalf of the young men of Palmerston North Boys’ High School, the staff, Board of Trustees and the wider school community, I would like to thank and acknowledge Mr. Adams for the very significant impact he has had on our school over the last thirty years, and to wish him all the best for his retirement.

D M Bovey
RECTOR