Our Director of Culture, Mr Tim Dent, reports on how our cultural performers fared in Napier.

The Super 8 Cultural Festival was held on Friday the 20th and Saturday the 21st of May, and HBHS was dominant, winning the title of champion school across all events having earned 23 points, with Rotorua and Palmerston North Boys' High Schools in second equal place with 16 points. 

At the presentation of the Super 8 Shield by the Headmaster of Napier Boys' High School, Mr Jared Williams (a former staff member at HBHS), spoke to the boys and said that while we should be very proud of our efforts and results from the weekend, we wanted to reiterate that we should take pride from his observation of the visiting schools over the two days.  He said HBHS was the most polite, well-behaved, respectful and well-dressed school of the eight schools involved in the festival.  He made the point to our boys that even the classroom we were allocated for the weekend as our base was by far the room left in the cleanest state.  He said it was the combination of these little things, in conjunction with the dedication to our codes and our pride in representing our school, that resulted in the success of the weekend.

Our results:

🥇  Group Music

🥇  Senior Debating

🥇  Senior Art

🥇  Chess

🥇  Junior Debating

🥈  Kapa Haka

🥈  Junior Art

🥈  Junior Music Solo

🥉  Drama

🥉  Junior Theatre Sports

These results were made even more special due to the fact that five of our students were unable to attend the festival because they contracted COVID-19 on the Tuesday and Wednesday before the festival.  This affected the Chess, Theatre Sports, Drama, Debating and Music event teams, all needing replacement students with two days notice.  This demonstrates the quality and depth of talent of our boys, that replacements could fit so well into their respective teams and the performance level remained so high.  I would especially like to mention two groups, the Theatre Sports students that put together a drama piece while we were in Napier on Friday, with Mr Dwight Ashton's mentorship, to perform on Saturday morning.  Our original entry had to withdraw last week due to COVID and these boys managed to finish in third place.  I also have to mention Year 9 student Mason Johnstone who played drums for the Gypsy Pickers.  I received an email on Wednesday from the mother of another student in the band stating he would be unable to attend, and grabbed Mason from his period 4 English class with Mrs Linda Hill on Wednesday to attend an urgent meeting to meet the group and rehearse, once his father gave permission for him to attend the festival over the phone.  In just two days he learned four songs and performed them in a group he had never attended a rehearsal with, and then performed with them in Napier to a standard sufficient to to win the Music Group event - an outstanding effort.  

I would like to finish by thanking the staff involved.  Dr David Williams, for driving the van of Senior Chess and Debating students to Napier who were sitting an examination with Mr Phil Basel from 5:30am until 9am on Friday morning.  These boys were unable to depart with the main group at 7:40am on the bus and would have missed the festival otherwise.

Mr Dwight Ashton, for preparing the Theatre Sports and Drama events with minimal time and constantly changing group members.

Mr Maihi Jones, for his mahi with the Kapa Haka boys.  Their performance was, once again, one of the highlights of the weekend. 

Ms Jamieson Hudson, for preparing and framing the art work.

Ms Melissa Young, for all of her work with the Debaters leading up to Super 8.

Mr Rob Wilson, for his preparation and work with the Gypsy Pickers. 

Mr Graham Nolan, for his efforts in preparing and looking after the Chess team, defending the Super 8 title once again.  Our current chess winning streak is now the longest consecutive title reign in any Super 8 Cultural event.  

Congratulations once again to all of the students involved in such a successful weekend.

Ngā mihi mahana kia koutou katoa. 

Video footage courtesy of the HBHS Film and Television Department and Māori Television.