Pippa Smyth is 2020 Dux Of Dannevirke High School

Pippa Smyth 2020 Dux of Dannevirke High School

On Thursday, December 10, Pippa Smyth was awarded 2020 Dux of Dannevirke High School in an award ceremony which celebrated some amazing achievements despite adversity.

Like all schools, 2020 has been extremely difficult for Dannevirke High School but it has survived the lockdown and is coping with the tragic recent loss of three much-loved students to hold this remarkable prizegiving which followed closely on its very successful school ball.

The 2020 Head Students after receiving their Service Awards: From left Chantelle Monteith (HG), Zane Gatchell (HB), Ella Christini (DHG), James Mollison (DHB).

Tribute was paid by Principal Di Carter to the hard work of staff and students to promote academic, sporting and cultural achievement with reduced schooling and the glittering prizegiving was a tribute to their efforts.

She said: "Our staff demonstrate day after day, the difference that commitment makes in the education of your sons and daughters."

Pippa Smyth has attended Dannevirke High School for the past five years, fully involving herself in sporting, leadership and academic challenges, concluding her final year as Netball A and Equestrian Team captains, a prefect and Dux, following five years of consistently being in the top three of her year group.

She earned awards for being top student in Level Three Biology, Chemistry, Maths with Statistics, and Physics and first equal in Maths With Calculus.

She won the DHS Science Department prize for Chemistry and Physics, Kevin Hoar Cup for Excellence in Practical Biology, National Bank Cup for Level Three Maths With Statistics, J S Cusack Cup for Level Three Physics and was co-winner of the Tararua Alliance Prize and DHS Cup for Maths With Calculus, MCI and Associates Prize for First Place in Year Thirteen, Geoffrey M Wright Memorial Cup for Dux.

In the sporting arena, she was awarded a Year 13 Sports Plaque for winning at least four championship trophies in her five years at school and the J C Whibley Cup for Athletic and Scholastic Achievement for Girls.

As a prefect, she was awarded a Service Award and was one of a select few across the school to achieve a 100 per cent Attendance Award for 2020.

Pippa is going to Massey University next year to study Animal Science on an undergraduate scholarship.

The 2020 Head Girl Chantelle Monteith was Proxime Accessit - runner-up to the Dux - in a close battle with Pippa.

A remarkable night became even more remarkable for the Walker family when, after numerous subject awards, Stephanie and her brother Cameron were awarded Sports Woman and Sports Man of the year for their involvement in athletics, particularly distance running, cricket and netball.

Stephanie was awarded Sports Person of 2020 but also gained as a prefect the Year 13 Stuart Atkinson Cup for Outstanding Service to the School and the Elise Stephens Memorial Scholarship to help finance university study.

Deputy Head Boy James Mollison won the Year 13 Derek Stratford Memorial Cup for Character, Athletics and Scholarship, while prefect Clare Seatter won the Exemplar Award reflecting best "the student all other students should aspire to be like".

Top in each Form Level Academic Awards went to

Year 9 - Taj Chapman-Peters;

Year 10 – William Southgate;

Year 11 – Sophie Southgate;

Year 12 - Anne Barrow.

Special senior awards went to

Rylee Murphy – David Ennor Cup for Year 11 All-round Academic, Sporting and Cultural Excellence;

Caleb McCutcheon – Year 12 Academic, Sporting and Cultural Contribution to the School.

Two amazing young vocalists exposed for the first time to the public during the equally remarkable School Talent Quest on September 24 - Jordyn Walsh and Tama Ruaporo - both performed beautifully in the prizegiving, adding a sense of what is to come in the next few years – just reinforcing the message the list of achievers receiving awards must have done.

Roll on 2021.