An April not for the fools

by Noah Everard, Year 13 Student, Kaipara College

One is not often thankful for the rain. Or the blanket of morning moisture residing over the lawn. However, after the recent spout of the Mount Rex fire, we can all happily state our gratitude to the stubbornness of the grass and surrounding bush, which resisted the heat, forcing the fire to not spread to a tumultuous degree. So in that case one can be quite thankful for the rain, even though it may be constant and dreary, it still gives an excuse to be quite unproductive. Remaining indoors, dry, as the symphonies of rain herald an end to summer days. Lucky is how I would describe it. We are lucky to have this abundance of water. We are lucky that the climate caused the surrounding bush to be non-flammable. This notion of luck and good fortune was made apparent during my hike to the Pinnacles, in the Coromandel. My friends and I completed the hike this April, and I still get chills thinking of the serene landscape, dotted with native trees, streams and waterfalls. In this case I or we are extremely lucky to live and experience such a country as this. From birds to bushes I am forever in love with Aotearoa and the peace it can give me.

Besides this surge of good fortune, April has been like most months that occur at the end of a school term. Students rushing to turn in assignments, teachers allowing the class a moment of leisure when all is completed and the inclusion of events and class trips which everyone forgot about. In my experience this was the Waitakere sports exchange, where several of Kaipara College’s sports teams (Football, rugby, netball and basketball) travelled via bus, to play a friendly match against Waitakere College’s opposing teams. Each match was tough, but softened by the addition of sportsmanship, making each loss exponentially less painful and each win all the more deserved. The sports exchange was first to happen after Covid-19, so yet again I find myself gifted with luck and the good fortune of the teachers who helped make the event come to fruition.

The first term of my last school year has come to an end and I am satisfied. The wishes I made at the beginning of the year have so far been met. As a Year 13, you are encouraged to try everything for the last time, with no judgement. The environment of my classes revelled in friendships between students and teachers. The common goal is to reach your potential, caring not for the embarrassment of failure, but for the satisfaction of learning.

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