Tena Koutou,

ko ahau te tumuaki o tēnei kura, Ko Gareth Williams tōku ingoa,

ko kei te koa te ngākau ki te tutaki i a koutou

E ngā manuwhiri rangatira, e ngā mema o te Poari Kaitiaki, e ngā mātua, e ngā koroheke,

e ngā whānau, e ngā kaimahi, e ngā tauira, e mihi atu ana ki a koutou katoa e huihui mai nei i tenei ra ki te whakanui i ngā mahi a o tātou rangatahi.

Ka nui te hari me te whakahīhī i tū atu ai ahau ki mua i a koutou i tēnei rā

ki te whakanui i ngā me ngā whakatutuki tanga o ā mātou tauira tino rongonui.

Ladies and gentlemen, students, teachers, parents, and honoured guests,

Welcome to the Te Kuiti High School Prizegiving. It is with great pleasure and pride that I stand before you today to celebrate the achievements and accomplishments of our exceptional students.

Over the course of this academic year, we have witnessed the growth, dedication, and resilience of our students, who have faced challenges and overcome obstacles with great determination. It is a testament to their hard work, the guidance of our dedicated teachers, and the support of their whanau that we gather here today to honour their achievements.

This afternoon, we come together not only to recognize academic excellence but also to acknowledge the diverse talents and qualities that make our school community exceptional. While academic success is crucial, it is equally important to recognize those who have demonstrated leadership, community service, and outstanding character.

We commend our students for their commitment to academic growth, their willingness to explore new horizons, and develop their passion for learning. These are the qualities that will enable them to make a lasting impact on the world and achieve their dreams.

We also celebrate the teachers who have inspired and nurtured our students throughout their educational journey. It is also important to acknowledge the staff that have left us this year and the contribution they have made. We have farewelled Mr Dave Follas, Mrs Michelle McNulty, Ms Tracey Mitchell, Ms Kristen Joyes, and our Deputy Principal Whaea Stella Stewart. We wish them well in their new roles and appreciate their support and the work they have done for our school.

At Te Kuiti High School, we believe that a well-rounded education goes beyond the classroom. We take pride in nurturing qualities such as empathy, teamwork, and resilience, as we understand the importance of producing not only brilliant minds but also kind hearts and good people.

I would like Te Kūiti High School to be a place where we expect all our young people to grow and succeed.

Our collective challenge as teachers, parents and whānau in 2024 is to continue to grow not only strong young people who experience academic and personal success, but young people who are compassionate, considerate and community minded.

We thank all parents, caregivers and whānau members for your ongoing support of our kura and look forward to continuing to build strong working relationships focused on further student success next year.

I would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank the volunteers, coaches, managers, sponsors and supporters who help our school provide experiences that our students thrive on and succeed in. Without your support this couldn’t happen.

This year has proven to be really successful for our school despite interruptions out of our control earlier in the year.

We have listened to feedback from both whanau and students and have started to remove barriers, no longer are students restricted by their year level in terms of achievement, We are taking away ceilings for our tauira. this year we have had a number of students punching above their weight academically. We have Year 11s topping Level 2 subjects. Year 10s taking external exams and gaining excellence at L2 NCEA. We want to keep working on ways to stretch all our students so they can achieve above expectations.

The year started with the opening of Te whare Takarangi o te kuiti or Galleger recreation centre. This has been an awesome facility and has been great for our students, our school and the community.

In Sport we started our year with the Swimming Sports and then Athletics and had students go onto represent the school at King country and Waikato swimming and athletics events

We continued our long standing exchange with Hauraki Plains College.

This year our 1st XV Boys won the Waikato secondary schools second division and went unbeaten for the season, winning their final at home against Putaruru. This is such a great achievement It was great to see a large crowd supporting and for the boys to share the success with our community.

Our Under 15s Boys’ Rugby teams made huge improvements in their competitions getting better week after week.

Our Girls U15s Rugby team had a great season and came runners up making the final against Hamilton Girls. This was a real David and Goliath situation and our girls did themselves their whanau and the school proud.

Hone Mathieson made the NZ Maori U18s and Chiefs U18s

We had three football teams this year which is great: we had a Girls team that grew throughout the year, a Junior Boys’ team that finished 3rd and a Senior Boys team that won their competition and took the opportunity to compete against schools nationwide at Tournament week in New Plymouth.

Ki-o-rahi came 3rd in the National Championships, with Potahi Mctainsh getting selected for the New Zealand Secondary Schools’ team and Hone Matheison making the NZ Maori team. Both of these students were captains of their respective teams. We have the Juniors of to National champs this term.

There were 3 Netball teams this year and it was great to see them competing down at the courts each Thursday.

Te whare takarangi o te kuiti has given our basketball teams a great facility to train and play in. All the basketball teams went well, and another growing sport, Volleyball, continues to be successful in the Waikato Secondary Schools’ competition. With our junior teams currently taking part

A big congratulations to all those that made representative teams in all of the different codes. Our school, although small in number, always performs well. The saying that we punch above our weight is so true. That is down to you, the students, giving it your best, being determined and resilient.

It has been great to see Kapa Haka back at the school initially with students part of Te Waikoowharawhara that competed at Tainui secondary schools Kapa Haka. What a great way to Finish term 3 with Waiwaia. What an awesome event and great feeling within the School. It was an opportunity to have the community at the school and to celebrate Kapa Haka and make connections with other Schools and whanau. We really appreciated the support and the numbers of people that attended.

In the Arts who are strong as always. We have celebrated the opening of the music room and had the opportunity to see our talented students in term one’s showcase. It was awesome seeing the range of talent and also see students who had only just started able to perform. What I really liked was the support shown from their peers.

Leadership we have had students recognised and given the opportunity to develop their leadership skills Tyra Arinui in Year 12 along with Tyler Collis were chosen to be part of a secondary tertiary partnership. Tyra was also accepted into the Pacific future leaders academy and went out to Samoa.

Potahi McTainsh won a scholarship to Outward bound in Nelson. What a great experience this was and the first time a student from Te Kuiti High School has gone.

All of these things show that there are opportunities to be recognised and to go onto to represent yourself your whanau and the School on regional and national stages. We want you to be prepared to take these opportunities and to know you can coming from Te Kuiti High School.

To our students leaving us, I want you to remember that your journey does not end here. Continue to challenge yourselves, dream big, and always be prepared to strive for your best. The future is bright, and with your passion and determination, you can achieve greatness.

In the words of Nelson Mandela, "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." As you receive your awards today, I encourage you to think about the positive changes you can bring to the world through your education and your character.

Congratulations to all our award recipients. You are the future leaders, innovators, and change-makers of tomorrow. Embrace this responsibility and continue to make us proud.

Thank you to our entire school community for your commitment to success, and thank you to our students for the inspiration and hope you bring to Te Kuiti High School. Together, we are shaping a brighter future for our community. Congratulations, and may you all continue to shine brightly.