The Marimba Group are a group of enthusiastic musicians and together learnt a collection of ten songs all themed around the sun for the 2024 ONZA Marimba Festival last week.

Along with six other local schools, they learnt and memorized ten songs that told stories about the sun. Despite it being rainy most of the day, it cleared just at the right time to perform.

The whole event was super fun and a great way to bring a community of 100 students together and play Music. A huge thank you to the many supporters who came and cheered us on for the event.

On October 23, Year 7 and 8 students from afar-a-field as Gisborne, Rotorua, Hamilton and of course teams from the Bay of Plenty put their heads together in an effort to win the mathematics problem-solving competition for this, our thirteenth year.   Thirty Year 7 teams and thirty-five Year 8 teams (each team comprising 3 members) competed for medals, prizes and of course the trophy for the top team in each year group.

Major Year 7 placings for the top team overall went to Peachgrove Intermediate (Hamilton, first), with Tauranga Intermediate School second and Bethlehem College in third placing.  Ōtūmoetai’s A team (Yi Xin Chan, Evelyn Jelley and Nate Bryson) and our B team (Oli Bennett, Chester Webb and Hunter Frost) also achieved commendable placings – 19th and 7th respectively.

In the Year 8 competition, the top teams were Peachgrove Intermediate School (A team, first), with Fairfield Intermediate second and Peachgrove Intermediate (B team, third).  Our A team (Jordan Wilce, Will Darmody and Jackson Corrigan) came out 16th overall and our B team (Olivia Hubbard, Elissa Berry and Juliet Beauchamp) achieved 21st placing.  Well done, Ōtūmoetai!

It was a fabulous evening’s event with lot’s of enjoyment and pleasure from both student competitors and their supporters.   Great to see mathematics is alive and thriving in our schools!

We thank all our Ōtūmoetai Intermediate students, parents, and staff who assisted on the evening as markers, runners and in various other capacities.  Without that help and support the competition would not have been the success it was.

We are also indebted to the following firms and organisations for their support and sponsorship of the events:  New World Brookfield (prizes of grocery hampers for the Supporter’s Quiz), ASB (pens for each competitor), Bay of Plenty Maths Association, NZ Association of Maths Teachers and The Ministry of Education for funding towards medals and spot prizes, and to Whittaker’s Chocolate for providing product for prizes.

Roll on the 2025 event!