Student success snippets
Seumas Eade (Year 13) has been at the World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow with the Manawatu Scottish Pipe Band. The band placed 9th in the world and 2nd in the world for bands outside of the UK. At a smaller competition, the band won the medley event and came 2nd overall in the top grade. Seumas also competed in a couple of solo competitions in a small town called Oban.
The St Paul's Junior Adventure Racing Team competed in the Get2Go competition and came out on top as the Waikato Champions. Cameron Walters, Charlie Storey, Kaani Trueman (Year 10s) and Finn Henry (Year 9) joined with four students from Waikato Diocesan School for the competition on 4 August at Lake Karapiro. The students competed in mountain biking, kayaking, paddleboarding, and navigation against 30 other top teams from the region. The team is off to the National Finals in December at a five-day event at Tongariro National Park.
The Junior Debating Team, consisting of Year 9 students Srikar Jandhyala, Leon Li, and Bohan Yao, won the Waikato Schools Junior Novice Debating Finals. Facing off against a strong girls' team from Hillcrest High School, the team clinched victory (2 to 1 by the judges). The debate topic was very relevant; the team affirmed the moot that as a young athlete, they should specialise in a particular sport. The team was coached and supported by Mr de Beer and Year 13 Lawsen Harte.
Congratulations to the following students selected to play for Waikato Rugby Representative teams.
Waikato U18 Boys
Jack Ruske
Preston Sykes
Michael Robinson
Kingston Kahotea
Waikato U18 Girls
Ella Smith
Waikato U16 Boys
Will Pemberton
Waikato U16 Girls
Lachyn Moeke
Anika Cowley
New Zealand U16 Harlequins Boys
Kaden Robinson
Congratulations to the following students selected to play for Hamilton Representative Netball
U16A
Caitlin Foote
Anika Cowley
U18B
Ella Smith
Tori Clarke
Jess Laws
Congratulations to the following students selected to play for Eastern Suburbs Representative Netball
Emily Pickering
Jetta Kete
Ella Readman
The Premier Netball Team played in the Girls Premier B grade finals in August. The game was against Waikato Diocesan School for Girls (WDSG), a team they had played twice already during the season. It was always going to be a grudge match with both teams having beaten each other previously. The St Paul's team had a slow start but the girls pegged back an eight-goal deficit in the second quarter. Everyone worked hard to get and retain the ball. Whilst the team lost a little momentum in the third quarter, it was goal-for-goal in the final quarter with the final result WDSG 34 - St Paul's 29. For both teams, it was a great game as a lead-up to Upper North Island Secondary School Competition (UNISS). The team thanks and acknowledges the supporters and sponsors.
Congratulations to Liam Inman, Nate Bodle and Will Hadley who have been selected to play in the New Zealand Under 17 Harlequins Squad.
Richard Wang (Year 10) received his ABRSM (The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music) Piano Grade 8 certificate after passing the exam with Merit. Richard plays the clarinet in the St Paul’s Concert Band, Waikato Symphonic Band and Waikato School Symphonic Band (WSSB). The WSSB was awarded a Silver at the New Zealand Concert Bands Festivals in August.
