Honours for outstanding students

EXCEPTIONAL: The first crop of excellence awards recipients at Okaihau College for 2016. See bottom of article for a list of their names. PICTURE/SUPPLIED

Twenty-five students were recognised for academic and sporting excellence at Okaihau College's first Celebration of Excellence assembly for the year last week.

The assemblies were first staged in 2007, last week's being hosted by head students Sequoia Stevens, Leon Schaumkel, Komene Marino, Emma Bolton and Destinee-Jayne Wikaira.

Guest speaker was former All Black Eric Rush, who now owns and operates Kaikohe's New World supermarket, who had his audience hooked from the outset with his sharing of anecdotes from his time as an All Black, including famous people he had met and places he visited, along with stories from his time as a lawyer.

More seriously he offered the students tips on goal-setting and achieving what they wanted from life.

The assembly was well supported by a number of proud parents, caregivers and whanau, and members of the wider school community.

Award recipients were as follows.

Academic: Virginia Park (NCEA Level 2, 49 credits), Caitlin Adams (NCEA Level 1, 51 credits), Rebekah Clunie (NCEA Level 1, 66 credits), Carym Wharerau (NCEA Level 1, 46 credits), John Cooper (NCEA Level 1, 64 credits), Aimee Walden (NCEA Level 1, 70 credits), Alexis Clements (NCEA Level 2, 39 credits), Sienna Munford-Stokes (NCEA Level 1, 37 credits), Keani Erstich-Coles (NCEA Level 2, 33 credits), Carinza Filia (NCEA Level 2, 27 credits), Shaniah Flood (NCEA Level 1, 21 credits), Emma Gerrard (NCEA Level 1, 23 credits), Kathy Kopa (NCEA Level 1, 25 credits), Jessica Moselen (NCEA Level 1, 29 credits), Craig Nelder (NCEA Level 1, 20 credits), Caroline Turner (NCEA Level 1, 26 credits).

Sport: Siakini Taulangau (Northern Swords under-13 rugby league), Thomas Bolton (Northland secondary schools Year 9-10 cricket), John Cooper (Northland under-19 sevens), Addalicent Croft-Haenga (Tai Tokerau under-15 mixed touch), Te Tai Rawhiti Haenga-Albert (Tai Tokerau under-13 touch), Sam Grant (Northland juniors and colts polocrosse championship), Jayden Zielinski (Northland juniors and colts polocrosse championship), Elsie Quarrie (Horse of the Year) and Jasmin Quarrie (Horse of the Year).

Names to accompany the image: Back left: Craig Nelder, John Cooper, Caitlin Adams, Rebekah Clunie, Sam Grant, Addalicent Croft-Haenga, Thomas Bolton and Siakini Taulangau. Middle - Shaniah Flood, Caroline Turner, Alexis Clements, Kathy Kopa, Jasmin Quarrie, Sienna Munford-Stokes, Virginia Park, Keani Erstich-Coles, Carinza Filia and Carym Wharerau. Front - Elsie Quarrie, Emma Gerrard, guest speaker Eric Rush, principal Allan Forgie, Aimee Walden and Te Tai Rawhiti Croft-Haenga. Absent: Jessica Moselen, Jayden Zielinski and Thomas Bolton.