Welcome to Term 3.

A new term gives us something really valuable – a fresh start. It’s an opportunity to pause, reflect on where we are, and decide where we want to be by the end of the term.

If you have yet to set a goal for term 3, I encourage each of you to set one. It doesn’t need to be a huge goal. In fact, the best goals are often small, specific and achievable. It might be improving your attendance, contributing in class, reading each evening, managing your time better, or simply having the confidence to ask for help when you need it.

As many of you will know, the Commonwealth Games have just begun, and many of you may be watching athletes from across the Commonwealth compete at the highest level. What we see is a race that lasts a couple of minutes. What we don’t see are the years of training, the sacrifices, the setbacks, and the thousands of hours of practice that make those moments possible.

This week, New Zealander Lewis Clareburt gave us a perfect example. He won New Zealand’s first gold medal of the Games in the 200-metre butterfly, but it wasn’t an easy victory. Halfway through the race he was sitting in seventh place. Going into the final 50 metres he was still fourth. It would have been easy to think the race was over.

Instead, he found another gear.

With an incredible final burst, he surged past the field to win in 1 minute 55.05 seconds, overtaking the Australian swimmer who had led almost the entire race.

Watching that finish was inspiring. But the most important part of his story wasn’t those final 50 metres. The reason he was able to dig so deep was because he knew the work had already been done. Every early morning, every training session, every difficult day in the pool had prepared him for that moment. When it mattered most, he trusted his preparation.

There’s a lesson in that for all of us.

Success is rarely about one big moment. It’s about the choices we make every single day. Every homework completed, every practice attended, every chapter read, every act of kindness, every time you choose persistence instead of giving up – those are the moments that prepare you for success when it really matters.

So this term, think about your own training. What habits are you building? What are you doing today that your future self will thank you for? When things get difficult—and they will—remember that progress doesn’t always look like you’re in first place. Sometimes you’re in seventh. Sometimes you’re still fourth with one lap to go. But if you’ve prepared well, keep going. Trust the work you’ve put in.

As a Mercy community, we know that success isn’t measured only by medals or marks. It’s also measured by the people we become. As you work towards your goals this term, remember our Mercy values: show Māia (Courage) when things are difficult, Manaakitanga (Care) for those around you, Whakaute (Respect) in all your interactions, Āwhinatanga (Service) by lifting others up, and Tika (Justice) by always choosing what is right.

I hope that when we gather again at the end of this term, each of you can look back and say, “I gave it my best. I kept going. I trusted the work I had put in.”

Have a wonderful Term 3, and I wish you every success in achieving the goals you set for yourselves.