Editorial: College pride inspiring

It is very important for young people these days to have a sense of belonging and pride in what they do.

It gives them a grounding that enables them to achieve great things in the future.

Enthusiasm, pride and community spirit were in abundance yesterday morning at the opening of Flaxmere College's new administration block by the Prime Minister John Key.

I was invited to attend the opening and I am so glad I went. It was good to see Flaxmere College and the community in general receiving recognition for the good things being done there.

I was particularly impressed by the attitude of everyone involved, from the principal Louise Anaru and the board of trustees, to the teachers and parents and finally to the students.

Everyone wanted to show off their school and quite frankly I was impressed. There is a desire to learn and achieve there and watching the leaders of these students, I saw future leaders of our community and potentially even our nation. The poise and confidence these young men and women carried themselves with will stand them in good stead. Mr Key's message to them was a straightforward one - you can achieve whatever you want to if you have a good education. He encouraged the students to reach for their goals and to not be afraid to make mistakes.

You could see that his words were absorbed and I am sure they will inspire some of those youngsters to achieve great things.

The mass haka performed by the students was a good indication of the pride they have in their school and, in a broader sense, their culture.

Take a bow, Flaxmere College you did yourself proud.