Kia Ora Parents and Friends of the College,  This term has been a very uplifting and positive term for the school. It is hard to know where to start with the many wonderful things that have happened recently and this is certainly a good indication of things to come. 

You will see in this newsletter an article about the success our Year 12 Chemistry students have enjoyed. These students, along with Ms Middleton, have won the prestigious ChemQuest Prize. This is a very hard fought competition and traditionally winners have  come from the larger schools. However, we have competed for many years now, determined that one day our school would have its name engraved on the trophy. It turns out that 2016 is the year to enjoy that success.   Congratulations to the students and to Ms Middleton who has worked tirelessly for 25 years to obtain this prize. It certainly highlights the strength of our Science Faculty within the school.

It was wonderful to see our Year 7 & 8 Production celebrating the Arts within their area. My thanks to Mrs Nelson and her wonderful team of dedicated teachers for creating a spectacular evening. With the talent that was showcased last Wednesday night there is certainly a lot to look forward to in the years to come.

We held our Senior Prizegiving earlier this week. While preparing for this wonderful evening, what really impressed me was the number of Tertiary Scholarships our students are winning.   I’m sure that the many thousands of dollars that have been awarded to our students will certainly help them in their Tertiary studies. Over $100,000 was awarded to senior students who have excelled at College and are now moving onto Tertiary Education. Many are our top academic achievers, lots are students who have worked hard to enjoy their success and a number have made really important decisions and achieved against many hardships. 

Congratulations to our new head students for 2017. It is always a difficult decision and we acknowledge the depth of leadership potential throughout our school. Our Head Boy and Girl for 2017 are Fergus Chinnery and Gemma Thorp with Christopher Surtees and Anna Noble our Deputy Head Boy and Girl.

As you will have been aware, we held our 50th Reunion during Labour Weekend. It was a very successful event and we were very pleased with the turnout with over 650 people registering to attend. It was great to see so many familiar faces return to their former school and enjoy catching up with friends and family. One of the things that struck me during the weekend was the repeated comments around how connected people felt to their school and community. It is a rich part of our tradition that students mix across year levels and become firm friends. The opportunities provided through the Arts, Sport and Community links means that students know each other really well throughout the school. Getting involved is key and those students who do participate and commit to the opportunities that are provided, end up making lifelong friends and enjoy their schooling far more.

Next week all our Year 9 & 10 students will be sitting their end of year exams. These are important indicators of where students are at. These exams are especially important for our Year 10 students as they prepare for NCEA in 2017. A number of subject areas will be introducing an NCEA assessment this year to help with this transition.

Nāku noa

Mr N Harray | Principal