Dux went to Isla Willacy and Mikai Somerville, with Louise Buckley.
Dux went to Isla Willacy and Mikai Somerville, with Louise Buckley.
Katikati College had a day of acknowledgment and rewards with goodbyes for some last week.
The school held its day of prizegiving on Monday which started with Years 9 and 10, followed by Years 7 and 8 and the day culminated in a poignant event for the senior school.
‘’To the students, you may be sick of your small town right now but remember it will always be there for you. For us Year 13s, it’ll be there when we return. And to the rest of you, it will be there to support you during these final few years at college.’’cal business and horticulture groups were there to watch the celebrations.
The event included performances from kapa haka and Pasifika groups, Junior Rock Band, Orchestra, Senior Rock Band, Summer Tocher, Tia-Maraea Brown and Manase Uilou.
Head students Peter Buckley and Isla Willacy took to the stage to acknowledge a raft of events and accomplishments throughout the year.
They spoke of their pride to have grown up in a town like Katikati.
“To the students, you may be sick of your small town right now but remember it will always be there for you. For us Year13s, it’ll be there when we return. And to the rest of you, it will be there to support you during these final few years at college.”
Proxime accessit (runner up to dux) was Jack Preston and dux (top academics) were Isla Willacy and Mikai Somerville.
Jack gained all three levels of NCEA with an excellence endorsement. His overall GPA was only 0.6 behind dux.
Isla gained excellence endorsement at all three levels of NCEA. A spokesperson says her “relentless pursuit of knowledge is evident through her insightful questions and determined exploration of ideas, showcasing a commendable commitment to academic excellence”.
Mikai is described by staff as a “beacon of brilliance” in both mathematics and physics. Mikai has also gained excellence endorsement at all levels of NCEA and has undertaken university papers this year gaining an A+ in advanced maths.
Principal Louise Buckley spoke of connections which have been built this year through culture, sport and arts — good examples were the whole school production Moana Jnr and the new horticultural hub GrowHub.
‘’You have achieved so much in your time here at school, you have made progress and grown as individuals and as a group. Now is the time for more! What will you do next? What challenges will you overcome? What problems will you solve? This is my challenge to you — to continue to grow your connections and to always contribute to your community.’’
The community sponsored $34,000 in prizes for students.
