Challenging performance draws praise
Horowhenua College has again impressed judges by taking on a tricky issue in their Stage Challenge performance depicting human trafficking. Four Horowhenua schools took part in the Palmerston North round of the national dance and drama competition on Monday at the Regent on Broadway. Wanganui High School won the event, with Horowhenua College finishing runner-up for their production Collected Innoncence. Manawatu College also participated in Stage Challenge, while Levin Intermediate and Ohau School took part in J Rock, the parallel event for primary schools. All four local schools walked away with two or more awards. The teacher in charge of the Horowhenua College Stage Challenge team, Gary O’Brien, said the students chose their own topic after some had looked at human trafficking in social studies. The story planning, choreography and soundtrack design were all completely student led, as well as fundraising efforts to support their entry, he said. “We have…
HC students win two awards at the National Shakespeare Festival
Horowhenua College Drama students Ryan Burnell, Vikatolia Finau, Sina Moala, Sierra Tafeamaalii and director, Roha Taiapa attended the University of Otago SGCNZ Shakespeare National Festival in Wellington over Queen’s Birthday weekend. The group were awarded the prestigious Minister of Arts The Hon. Christopher Finlayson Award for Outstanding Movement/Dance and the Trinity College of London Award for Best Recovery. This group previously performed at the Kapiti Regional Festival on the 5th of April gaining a First place for Best student direction from Roha thus gaining entry into the nationals. Congratulations team, you make us proud!
Ryan joins The Basement Theatre Company
Level 2 Drama student Ryan Burnell has been selected to join The Basement Theatre Company. Attached to professional theatre Centrepoint in Palmerston North, this is a company of young high school performers and directors from all over the Manawatu region. This is the first time a student from Horowhenua has been involved. Congratulations Ryan, you make us proud!
Vietnam Trip 2014
Ten Horowhenua College students have recently returned to school after a two week trip to Vietnam during the April school holidays. The students were part of a Sister School Exchange to Hanoi, being hosted by Nguyen Tat Thanh High School. This was a return visit after Horowhenua College hosted students from NTT High School in 2013. Our students found that life was very different in Vietnam compared to New Zealand. Our hosts organised a programme which gave our students the opportunity to see what it was like to attend a school in Vietnam and what it would be like to live there. There were approximately 50 students in a class. The school day started at 7.30am and finished at 5pm. This included a nap time during the lunch break. Students lie on a mat in the classroom. Our programme included this which is something we are not used to. Our…
Rugby Sevens team successfully defends Horowhenua-Kapiti title
The Horowhenua College open boys Rugby Sevens team successfully defended their title in the Horowhenua-Kapiti competition yesterday, winning the final 27-14 against Kapiti College. The boys steadily improved throughout the tournament and played well as a team. They displayed composure and patience to come from behind against Waiopehu and to put Kapiti away in the final.
Outstanding all-rounder heading to Cambridge University
Shem Harris, a first-year University of Auckland student determined to have a positive impact on society, will study at Cambridge University after being awarded the prestigious Sir Douglas Myers Scholarship 2014. The scholarship, valued at $100,000 over three years, will see him heading to Gonville and Caius College at Cambridge University where he plans to do an engineering degree specialising in environmental engineering. He would like to follow this up with a postgraduate law degree. “Environmental engineering aims to address the ramifications of human activities like pollution, large-scale construction and global warning, while studying law will enable me to work towards changing legislation and policy to be part of the solution to prevent these impacts.” Shem believes that Cambridge will help to ‘open doors’ to fulfil his goal of contributing to solve some of the world’s most pressing challenges. “The opportunity to learn alongside other motivated students will allow me…
Amy on track for success
Nua student Amy Horn recently competed in the Track Cycling Nationals in Invercargill. She was able to get through to the semi finals in the Derby, achieved a personal best time in the 500 time trial, achieved a top 5 result for the scratch race and a 7th in the points race. Amy has trained for the past five months for this event as well as competing at track cycling events all around the North Island. She even ndured two crashes only weeks out from nationals. This was a great experience for Amy. To compete at a national event is a great achievement for a 14 year old. We are very proud of her!
Xsavier inline for success
Last weekend HC student, Xsavier Taiaroa, attended a Hamilton trial for the New Zealand Under-14 Junior Women’s Inline Hockey team. Xsavier has been playing Inline-Hockey for the past 6 years. She is currently playing for the Rimutaka Renegades Under-14 and senior women’s team which are based in Upper Hutt. Last year she was a member of the senior women’s Renegade team who place 3rd at New Zealand nationals. From this tournament Xsavier was chosen for the Lower North Island Interregional Junior women’s team which placed 2nd. Xsavier will find out in the next few weeks if she has made the New Zealand team.