Kuranui celebrates outstanding year of achievement

Kuranui College celebrated its 57th Annual Senior Prize giving and Graduation farewelling 59 students from Year 13.

Principal Geoff Shepherd recognised the many successes of 2016: “When I look back over the year I can see that it has been an incredibly busy, but incredibly successful one for the college, the staff, but most importantly for our students,” he said.
“We started off the year with the long-awaited demolition of B Block, which had stood since 1959. We implemented a revised Year 11 to 13 curriculum which featured redesigned courses and the trial of half-year semesters, and after months of fundraising. We also took the delivery of a brand new twelve seat Toyota minibus,”.

“In May, we received a letter from the Minister of Education, the Honorable Hekia Parata, congratulating the college on outstanding NCEA results in 2015 and in particular praising us for the significant lift in the NCEA results for Māori students.
For the second year running, our Year 10 students won the regional Matharapa competition, with the Year 9 team coming second.
“Culturally we’ve had some amazing results, starting with our success at the Hawke’s Bay Regional Smokefree Stage Challenge. Followed by the team’s win for the 15-minute section at the regional Sheilah Winn Shakespeare competition and the subsequent presentation of national Shakespeare awards to two of our students.

We also saw our senior rock band ‘Simplicity’ represent the college at the Wairarapa and Wellington Rockquest competition and picking up the People’s Choice Award.

“On the sporting front, our Girls Football team won the Division 1 grade with no points against them for a second year in a row. Senior footballer Emily Morison was awarded Wairarapa Secondary Schools Outstanding Sportswoman of the Year.
The Junior Boys Basketball won the Wairarapa competition, our Junior Netball team won the Wairarapa B grade competition, the 1st and 2nd XI Boys football teams made the finals of their Wairarapa competitions. The Girls 1st XI Hockey team also made the finals of the Rosie O’Brien national hockey tournament.

“We’ve ended the year with the opening of our brand new visual art studios,” he added.
Deputy Principal Gary Hall, who retires after 32 years at the college was farewelled along with teachers Hillary Thompson and Brine Styles.
The South Wairarapa Rotary Bursaries and Trophy to Georgia McNeill and Jacob Skinner. Dux for 2016 went to Rosie Isaacs and Georgia McNeill.
Other awards went to: Sarah Garrity (Most Dedicated Wairarapa USkills Student), Wanita Namana (Most Improved Wairarapa USkills Student), Aseri Waqa (Rotary Club of South Wairarapa Shackleton Cup), Puhi Te Whaiti (Greytown Lion & Lioness Clubs Endeavour Trophy), Amber Spicer (First Overall in Level 2 Lisa Rose Cup, Harvey Morison, Maya Templer & Melissa Wall (First Overall in Level 1 Featherston Lions Cup), Joseph Redfern (Minolta NZ Cup), Georgia McNeill (Tocker Cup), Cole Freeman and Georgia Wilson (Service Blue Awards), and Sarah Garrity, Alexander Southey and William Taber (Service Awards).

The Kuranui Leaders for 2017 are: Amber Spicer (Head Girl), Luke Linton (Head Boy), Rose McKenzie (Deputy Head Girl), Thomas Laybourn (Deputy Head Boy).