This issue, we peek back to the final week of Term 2 to bring you up to date with what our community has been up to over the past few weeks. Enjoy!

Term 2 wrap up

Performing Arts

The Big Sing: On Thursday, June 15, the annual regional 'Big Sing' competition occurred at Holy Trinity Church in Tauranga.

St Peter's, Cambridge proudly sent forth their talented group, ‘The Voice Collective’ after preparing with a series of dedicated twice weekly rehearsals during Term 2. Under the expert guidance of St Peter’s Head of Voice, Mr Sam Cleaver, the twenty-two Years 9 to 13 student members were prepared to impress.

The Big Sing event provided a wonderful opportunity for singers to come together and share their passion for music with their peers, parents, teachers, and friends. Choirs from schools in Hamilton, Cambridge, Rotorua, and Tauranga showcased a wide-ranging repertoire, creating a vibrant and diverse musical experience for all attendees.

The Voice Collective delivered a stellar performance during the competition, presenting three captivating songs. They mesmerized the audience with 'Aue, Te Āriki Aue', a traditional Māori waiata, followed by 'Vene Jesu' by the Italian composer Cherubini. Lastly, they uplifted spirits with their rendition of the traditional gospel song, 'Stand Up (You Gotta Do Right)'. The Voice Collective's outstanding performance throughout the competition was truly commendable. 

To watch the performance, click here.

St Peter’s Hootenannies: Recently, nine members of our community music group, The Hootenannies, mesmerised a group of 3 and 4 year-olds at the local Montessori preschool with their musical prowess.

Sitting on the deck, the students shared their instrumental skills and performed beloved preschool songs before engaging the young audience in storytime, captivating their attention. The students' energetic performance and willingness to share their talents fostered a wonderful sense of community, inspiring the little ones to explore their own musical abilities and leaving a lasting impression.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Cambridge Montessori Preschool for their kind hospitality and look forward to future visits.

Academic

Biology Cell Competition: The Year 12 IB Biology cell competition challenged students to create physical and virtual models and metaphors to represent a cell. Examples included cake, clay models, metaphors, Minecraft 3D cell tours, and a unique video walkthrough of the girls' boarding house representing different cell parts.

Chinese cultural workshop: On Tuesday of Week 9, St Peter’s hosted Yan Yang from Tui Tuia, along with two assistants from the CNSST Foundation. Their mission was to introduce our students to the art of making Chinese mooncakes.

During the workshop, students from Years 9 to 13 had the opportunity to delve into the cultural significance of mooncakes in Chinese tradition. They learned about the specific time of the year when mooncakes are traditionally enjoyed.

After the insightful introduction, students successfully participated in the hands-on activity of making snow-skin mooncakes.

Geography Tour: The much anticipated Geography - ESS Northern Queensland Tour took place recently with twenty-four students and three staff heading off to explore. The group took in the sights of Cairns, the Great Barrier Reef and the Undara outback, Cobbold Gorge, Daintree River, Mossman Gorge and Port Douglas. To read more about their adventures - click here. 

Ag/Hort

Young Farmers: Thom Dijkstra (Year 10), Evelyn Dijkstra (Year 13), Travis Miers (Year 12), and Caleb Van der Bijl (Year 12) headed to Timaru for the Finals of the Junior Young Farmers of the Year competition in the school holidays.

Making up two teams and the Waikato Regional representatives, the teams worked hard to complete a hectic timetable of competition and activities, including academic and practical applications of their food and fibre industry knowledge. This was the first time St Peter’s has sent a team to compete at the national level in this competition. Well done to everyone who took part.

Boarding

Self Defence: Boarding students participated in self-defence classes held after school. Participants learnt basic self-defence skills and moves from qualified instructors from Legends Gym, receiving their Level 1 self-defence certificates.

Term 3 | Week 1

International students: This week, St Peter’s welcomed five new international students from China, Chile, South Korea and Germany to New Zealand and the school. The International Student Support team were on hand to help guide them through their first day at school.