If you were lucky enough to have gone to the Te Huinga Whetū Kapa Haka competition at the Trafalga Center two weeks ago, you would’ve seen Nayland College’s Pūaha Te Tai kapa haka group take the competition by storm, winning a brace of first placings and second placings. It is a victory that has been several years in the making, and a fitting ‘see you later’ for one of the key ingredients in the group’s ascendency.

For the first time in the history of the school, our Junior Girls A Volleyball team has made it to the final of the South Island Championships, coming runner up in the entire competition held in Invercargill earlier this week.

Last Thursday, Nayland College was lucky to have the world champion Black Ferns rugby team visit the school for a training run before Saturday's game against the New Zealand Barbarians.

For most of my life, I had bought into the idea that if I was slimmer, whiter, taller or scarless that I would finally be pretty and therefore my life would be better. The fashion industry and the media reinforce the idealisation of thinness and the concept of a ‘perfect’ body. This causes a toxic culture that permeated so much of my daily life that it was hard to escape.

This term the students have been learning about what it means to be a good coach/leader. This has included learning how to plan, implement, and evaluate a leadership session with the aim of developing interpersonal skills of Year 3-5 students at Birchwood Primary.

Whew! We are almost there, but there still hasn't been enough weeks to profile all the amazing 'new' teachers that joined our staff this year. Today we say a happy Thanksgiving hello to Californian import Amanda Wharton.

Despite delays with all the rain, River has completed his mission to bring life and colour to an otherwise blank Chorus telecommunications box.

NBS Nelson City Brass presents 'Christmas Festive Brass'. Saturday 5 December, 7:00pm at the Christ Church Cathedral, Nelson. Conductor: Nigel E. Weeks.

6-8pm Thursday 3 December at Suter Art Gallery. It's our first Art Before Dark....Grab a drink from The Suter bar and kai from the food trucks and catch our awesome new exhibitions and unpredictable, upbeat performances from clever locals.