Students from Waiopehu, Horowhenua and Manawatū Colleges competed in the annual Rā Whakawhanaungatanga day.
Students from Waiopehu, Horowhenua and Manawatū Colleges competed in the annual Rā Whakawhanaungatanga day.
OPINION
Guy Reichenbach is the principal of Waiopehu College
As a school, we are always proud of the achievements of our past students and at last week’s Business After 5 event, three of our former students spoke as locally educated individuals who have gone on to achieve great success after their time at Waiopehu.
Dr Caitlin Bland has begun her career as a junior doctor at Hawke’s Bay Hospital. Mariah Hori Te Pa recently joined Māori law firm Whāia Legal as an amo ture (associate) after practising in civil litigation at Meredith Connell for more than six years.
Liam McLeavey is a strategy, transformation and equity consultant at PwC and deputy board chairman at Student Job Search.
It is inspiring to see our growing number of alumni achieving success in their chosen careers, and we were delighted they were able to find time to return to their te whenua tupu and share their success with our community. They are aspirational role models to our students.
Last week we also celebrated Te Wiki o te Reo Māori. We are fortunate to have matua Jared MacDonald teaching whakairo to our tauira.
In August they began a special project, and early last Thursday morning we unveiled the finished whakairo, named Ngā Hau e Whā. It symbolises the journey of our te reo Māori programmes offered in our whare: it was a real pleasure to see the boys’ faces light up with pride after the unveiling.
Waiopehu College unveiled the finished whakairo, named Ngā Hau e Whā, during Te Wiki o te Reo Māori.
A big thank you to matua Remana from Muaupoko tribal Authority for the beautiful karakia to unveil our whakairo and to matua Jared for his expertise.
We marked Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori by also hosting our annual Rā Whakawhanaungatanga day, when we welcomed Horowhenua College and Manawatū College for a day of connection and competition in the kemu Ki-o-Rahi.
There were two pools: competitive and non-competitive. In the competitive pool, each school fielded a team. The first match was between Waiopehu and Manawatū. It was a tough game with both teams putting up a great fight, but in the end Waiopehu came away with the win.
The second game was between Waiopehu and Horowhenua. Once again, it was a tough match with impressive skills on display, and this time Horowhenua took the win. After that, Horowhenua faced off against Manawatū.
Each team showcased their strengths in all areas, but Horowhenua secured the victory, earning them a spot in the finals. Because Waiopehu had won one game and lost one, they also advanced to the finals. After a short break, the finals began. It was a fierce contest, with remarkable teamwork from both sides, but Waiopehu ultimately emerged the winners.
In the non-competitive pool, there were only two teams: Horowhenua and Waiopehu. They played each other three times throughout the day. Horowhenua won the first game, Waiopehu took the second, leaving the final match as the decider.
Despite many of the players being new to the sport, they gave it their all and had a fantastic time. Their enthusiasm and team spirit were contagious, making the games a joy to watch.
Horowhenua claimed the victory in the final game. This was after a week of sport in our annuals against Horowhenua College. A big thank you to Mr Good for organising our games.
I was particularly proud of the sportsmanship shown by our players during the matches. I congratulate Horowhenua College on their overall win, but do note that many of the games were close and could have gone to either team.
Well done to all the players who represented the school so ably over the week of sporting clashes. This comes to you on the last day of term three. I want to thank all the staff of the college for their hard work over the term.
As always, term three has been incredibly full of events and I encourage all staff and students to use their holiday break to recharge before we embark on the final term of the year.
