We absolutely love reporting on the amazing variety of activities, sports and cultural events that out students are regularly involved in. Please read on for recent news.

Languages Department / Te Tari o ngā Reo

Congratulations to Tava Leota for achieving first place in the recent Wellington Regional Japanese Speech Competition for the Year 10 grade. He spoke eloquently about his connection with his hometown of Porirua and its sister city Nisho, Japan, and how this ignited his interest in Japanese culture and language. たいへんよくできました！Well done!

Technology Department

Congratulations to Year 12 student Trent Swaine, winner of the bowl carving competition supported by ‘Well Hung Joinery’, based in the Ngauranga Gorge. Stephen Fairbass, Manager of Well Hung Jointer, chose Trent's bowl for the form that he had carved and the quality of his finishing work.

Trent used the Japanese technique of Shou Sugi Ban (charing the wood), to gain the distinctive black finish. We also celebrate each student's hand carved bowl, carved from Red Pine beams. They demonstrate the range of new skills learned by our students; the level of skill shown across the whole class was very high.

Music Department

Chamber Music Contest National Finals - Eddy Sneyd-Utting performed in the Virtuoso Strings Octet playing a four movement work composed for the group by his father Craig Utting. They placed second in New Zealand. This is a stunning achievement.

Big Sing 2024 - Congratulations to our junior choir Tira Tawa who qualified for the The Big SingLower North IslandCadenzaand gained a silver (Korimako) award. Their pieces included a waiata composed by Year 13 student Elisabeth Te Puni. Elisabeth was also the only student conductor at the festival.

The Blue Notes choir have qualified for the Big Sing Finale that will be held in Wellington this year at the Michael Fowler Centre. The choir will present recitals on Thursday 29 August at 9pm and Friday 30 August at 6.55pm, as well as perform in the gala concert on Saturday 31 August that starts at 6.30pm. 

Another choral composition by Elisabeth has won the SOUNZ-NZCF Te Reo Māori ​​​​​Choral Composition Award for 2024. Her piece entitled Te Oriori o Hine-Nui-Te-Pō will be presented as part of the gala concert.

Barbershop Nationals - we will be represented by five quartets and two choruses at Lower Hutt Town Hall on 25 and 26 September. The Quartet contest will be on Wednesday at 12pm - 5.30pm. On Thursday the Chorus contest will begin at 12.30pm - 4pm. There is also a Parade of Champions Concert on Thursday evening from 6.30pm - 9pm. This will feature performances from the winning groups across all contest categories as well as 'Signature Quartet'. 

Tawa Goes To Town (the Tawa Music Festival) - After a six year break due to the Covid19 pandemic this event is back on the calendar! It is happening on Monday 23 September at the Michael Fowler Centre. This is a huge performance involving all the primary students, our Dawn Chorus and the adults, who have been rehearsing since June for this event. Tickets are on sale at Ticketmaster and the concert begins at 7pm.

Jazz Band-it - Our Jazz Band has again qualified again for Jazz Band-it. This competition will take place on Saturday 28 September at Victoria University between 10am - 6pm. 

Play It Strange Songwriting Competition - Congratulations to Year 13 student Theo Dennison whose musical composition 'Stationary Inclination' was selected as a finalist in The Play it Strange National Secondary School Songwriting Competition. Theo's prize  is a day in a professional recording studio (one day to the value of $800 plus gst) to record his song for the annual digital album plus a $50 Rockshop voucher and a certificate. See the full list of finalists here.