A few weeks ago we had the Otago Polytechnic Awards. We were also lucky enough to have ex-Queen's girl Ana Teofilo speak at school.

Guest Speaker Ana Teofilo

A few weeks ago we had an amazing visit from Ana Teofilo, ex-Queen’s girl, and current phenomenal artist. Ana Teofilo’s work is very hard to miss, she is well known for using glue dots to heighten the colours of her art, and the masterful carvings. Her work is mixed media, and each piece tells a story. Ana’s philosophy is to go big or go home, and as such much of her art is several meters wide. 

Ana visited the Whanau Class and brought in a beautiful piece of art, which we all wished we could buy. The students were incredibly impressed with Ana’s story of perseverance, when she first started out she was told she had little talent, and now her work is displayed in dozens of galleries, shows, and homes. The class asked her how she learned to carve, how she knows what she will make, and whether she needed any helpers in her studio. Thank you Ana for showing our students the many possibilities art can provide.

Otago Polytech Awards 2019

This year Year 10 student Leah Faitonu and Year 13 Pasifika Prefect Serena Evile were nominated for the Secondary School Pacific Island Students Recognition Awards 2019. These are monetary awards that recognise the  academic, cultural, and community work that students put in. Leah this year has entered speech competitions, written stirring poetry, creative writing and spoken word for English, and was a valuable member of Queens of the Pacific. Serena, also entered the Otago Voices speech competition this year, and led the Queens of the Pacific, and put in many hours mentoring and organising younger students. Despite being having the pressures of Pasifika prefect and university entrance weighing on her shoulders, Serena performed well and received a tertiary study scholarship. Queen’s High School is proud of these two students, and congratulate them on their award.