Senior Prizegiving

Thursday 12 November 2009

With the end of the senior academic year, all staff and parents gathered in the Memorial Hall to congratulate this year’s winners.

Invited guests, Board members, Principal, Staff, Head Boy and Deputy Head boy made up the official party, who were welcomed to the stage with a rousing haka.  After the introductions were undertaken the Sports and Cultural Awards were read by DP, Mr F Whata and presented by Councillor Dave Donaldson (representing the Mayor and RDC).

The first of the musical items was a guitar solo by Kerry Maxwell.

The Academic Awards were read by DP, Mr D Glynn and presented by Mr Todd McClay MP

The second musical item was “Kahu-o-te-rangi” presented Raukura’s Kapa Haka group.

Our Head Prefect, Jordan Bird, read to the packed hall his valedictory speech outlining his years here at RBHS, and specifically hi year as Head Prefect.

The third musical item was a piano solo by Daniel Barbour.

Mr Grinter followed with hi annul speech outlining the successes the school has experienced this year, and what we are looking forward to in 2010 by way of anticipated academic, cultural and sporting achievements.

The fourth and final musical item was “Wandering Eye” by big band Skaxwell and the Rest.

The first 11 Prefects and their responsibilities were announced for 2010 by Mr Grinter and presented by Mr G Hall of the Rotorua Energy Charitable Trust.  The Recipients for these coveted badges were: Aperahama Hurihanganui – HEAD PREFECT, Tuwharetoa Hapi – Moari Achievement Captain and DEPUTY HEAD PREFECT, Ethan Fett – House Captain Raleigh and DEPUTY HEAD PREFECT, Kieran Botha – Environment Captain, Timothy Easthope – House Captain Frobisher, Shannon Eldridge – Arts Captain, Teimana Harrison – House Captain Drake, Ryan Nixon – Sports Captain, Robert Pak – Academic Captain, James Pakoti – House Captain Nelson, Joel Prakash – Pasifika Captain.

This year’s Ultimate Awards were again read out by Mr Grinter and presented by My Hall:

Jordi Webber - Year 11 Speech and Drama Scholarship

Ngarangi Haerewa – Year 11 General Excellence

Yuki Takahashi – Year 11 Proxime Accessit

Himesh Gosai – Year 11 Dux Litterarum

Tuwharetoa Hapi – Year 12 General Excellence

Robert Pak – Year 12 Proxime Accessit

Timothy Easthope – Year 12 Dux Litterarum

Kaperiere Wharewera – Year 13 Top Sports Academy Student, NZ Schools’ Rugby Representative and Captain, Josh Dennett Personnel Development Trophy

Rokini Seruvakula – Year 13 Prefect, Best Pacific Island Role Model

Rakei Amohau – Year 13 Prefect. Best Maori Role Model, Receives a ‘Maori and Pacific Island Entrance Scholarship to Otago University’

Morgan Godfery – Year 13 Prefect, Top Maori Scholar

Henry Kershaw – Year 13 Deputy Head Prefect’s Award

Tutere Waenga – Year 13 Senior Athletic Champion, 1^st XV Rugby’s MVP, NZ Schools’ Condor Sevens Representative and Captain, Rotorua Young Achiever, Dux Ludorum

Tom Kelly – Year 13 Rotorua Young Achiever, Joint Proxime Accessit

Min Ho Lee – Year 13 Rotorua Young Achiever, Joint Proxime Accessit

Daniel Walker – Year 13 Prefect, Rotorua Young Achiever, General Excellence

Jordan Bird – Year 13 Rotorua Young Achiever, Head Prefect’s Award

Nikhil Balakrishnan – Year 13 Top Chemistry Student, Prefect, Rotorua Young Achiever, Dux Litterarum and receives an ‘University of Auckland Scholarship for 2010’

While some students may be approaching their forthcoming exams knowing that they should have worked harder, there is one who has already been rewarded for the hard work he has put in.

Nikhil Balakrishnan has been awarded a Vice Chancellor of the University of Auckland Scholarship. Each scholarship has a monetary value of in excess of $50,000.00, as it covers all tuition fees and course related costs, as well as 2x return air fares and $5,000.00 cash per year, for every year of study.

Perhaps more important than the monetary value, is the prestige of the award, arguably one of the most sought after scholarships available to secondary school students within New Zealand. With close to a thousand students from across the country applying for the scholarship, the competition is fierce, and awards are made not only on the basis of academic excellence but for general excellence.

Nikhil is going to the University of Auckland to study medicine. The Year 13 student gained scholarship physics and biology last year as a Year 12 student and is studying 5 subjects at scholarship level this year. He has already gained Level 3 with Excellence and his goal is to achieve a 100% GPA for NCEA. To do this he must achieve 80 credits at excellence level. Nikhil is a focused member of the Rotorua Boys’ High Karate Club, and has developed a passion for martial arts during his time here. He is 2 gradings away from his black belt in Karate and 3 away from his black belt in Taekwondo. In his spare time Nikhil is a member of the Rotorua Youth Environment Forum and recently represented the Bay of Plenty at an International Conference in Canberra.

If you ever had any doubt about whether hard work pays off you need look no further than this outstanding young man. Nikhil is fully deserving of not only the recognition, but the remuneration that goes with it!

Research indicates that one of the key requirements of an effective teacher in the 21^st century is the ability to establish effective relationships with students. For new teachers to Rotorua Boys’ High School, the annual staff versus Year 13 student rugby game is more than just an opportunity to develop relationships with students, it is the chance to become a legend.

For the more experienced members of staff, the game can be more about holding on to hard earned reputations with dignity, as the ravages of time slowly but surely take their toll on fitness and agility. Some languish on the reserve bench hoping they don’t have to go on the field.

Students are out for revenge.  After 5 years being required to acquiesce to the constant demands of teachers, Year 13 students are given a level playing field. Reputations count for nothing as both sides take to the field with the entire student body cheering them on.

History and tradition are vital elements in the culture of any school and the student team that puts an end the 7 year winning streak that the staff team currently enjoys will become part of folklore forever. Such was the pressure on the boys, as they took to the field. Boasting Kaperiere Wharewera, the half back and captain of the 2009 New Zealand  Secondary Schoolboys’ Rugby Team, amongst their ranks, the students were quietly confident they could pull of the victory.

The exuberance of youth is no match for the wisdom that comes from experience, however, and even the score line had a touch of déjà vu. It must have felt like Groundhog Day for many of the staff team – at the full time whistle the 10-5 win to the staff was a repetition of last year’s winning margin.

For first year teacher, a former student and 1^st XV member, Mr Liam Coleman, the game was an opportunity to show the boys his superior physical skill, but it was the fleet footed new comer to the science department, Mr Jason Steyn-Ross, who emerged from the game with the status of legend. His footwork, fend and formidable speed left the students in the dust on several occasions.

 Better luck next year, boys!

Conducting an extended practical investigation into the variation in the concentration of dissolved oxygen from the upper reaches of the Utuhina Stream at Pukehangi to its mouth near the City Centre, may not be everybody’s idea of a good time, but it has earned Nikhil Balakrishnan of Rotorua Boys’ High School top honours in the Australian Chemistry Quiz.

Over 120,000 chemistry students from around the Asia Pacific region compete for this award annually and Nikhil was awarded the Excellence Trophy for his investigation. He is a member of the Rotorua Youth Environment Forum and is part of a team presenting a workshop in Canberra, Australia, on behalf of Environment Bay of Plenty.

Nikhil, who is a year 13 student and prefect at Rotorua Boys’ High, is currently studying scholarship chemistry as well as four other scholarship subjects. He has already gained Level 3 NCEA Certificate endorsed with Excellence and received scholarships in both physics and biology last year, while in year 12.  

Year 12 student Aperahama Hurihanganui outdid himself last week at the National Manu Korero Maori Speech Competition.  Aperahama spoke with power and emotion to take out Best Male Speaker, Best Prepared Speech and 2nd Overall in the Pei Te Hurinui Jones (Senior Maori) section of the competition.

A fantastic achievement for Aperahama and a highlight of his school career so far.  Congratulations. 

Rotorua Boys’ High School 1^st X1 hockey team returned from their winter tournament week with joy and jubilation. Not only did they qualify for the 2010 Rankin Cup, they won the India Shield outright and in impressive fashion, beating Whangarei Boys’ 6 – 1 in what turned out to be a one sided final.

This is the 3^rd year Rotorua Boys’ High has competed at India Shield, an elite secondary school hockey tournament where those schools ranked from  17^th to 32^nd in the country fight it out for the right to compete at the Rankin Cup, where the top 16 schools compete to determine who has the best team in New Zealand.

Largely due to the efforts of coach, Matt Dalton, the Rotorua Boys’ High 1^st X1 hockey team has gone from strength to strength in the last 5 years. The team’s nation ranking has gone from below 80 in 2004 to the top 15 currently and they have not lost a game in the local Bay wide secondary competition for the last 3 years.

Although they drew  the most difficult pool at tournament, Rotorua Boys’ were undefeated. Solid wins against Wellinton College 5 -1 and Timaru Boys’ 4 -2 meant that the 3-3 scoreline against Tauranga Boys’ placed them top of their pool on goal differential. A 6-1 scoreline against Wanganui Collegiate in the quarter finals signalled to all that they were the form team and the one to beat.

Semi final time saw the team under pressure. Perhaps overawed by the occasion, Rotorua Boys’ were down 2-0 with 10 minutes to go and looked to be on the way out. An inspirational goal from Bronson Wainohu, the full back, lifted their spirits and the score was tied 2 -2 at full time.  The winner was decided by penalty strokes and the final score was 11 -10. Vaughan Hatton in goal, who had injured his thumb during the game, showed incredible skill and resolve to save the decider.

A crowd favourite due to their clean and skilful team game, Rotorua Boys’ were well supported in the final. Regular rivals Western Heights High School and Whakatane High School took a detour on their way home from tournament in Whangarei to support their local adversaries. The support, as well  as inspiration from the school haka they performed prior to the commencement of the game, saw them off to a flier and they were up 4 -0 at half time. From here Rotorua Boys’ never looked like losing and at the full time whistle the 6-1 score line was indicative of the game. The India Shield victory further cements Rotorua Boys’ High’s position as the premier secondary school hockey team in the region.

On Saturday night RBHS band Skaxwell and the Rest out-performed some very talented soloists and groups in a number of genres to take second place behind the Fearless Dance Crew who have formerly placed 3rd in the World Hip Hop Dance Champs and are semi professional.

It was an outstanding effort by Year 12 and 13 band members Joel Prakash, Tama Ratana, Daniel Barbour, T.K Webster, Rangi Maranui, Lachlan Crowe and Kerry Maxwell.

There were also great performances from our other non-placing competitors the Shiika Percussion Group, Kerry Maxwell on Jazz Guitar and Aaron Fausett solo Voice and Guitar.

It was another epic battle between Rotorua Girls' and Boys' High at the annual 'Great Debates'. RGHS won Years' 9,10,11 and while Boys' High won Years' 12 and 13. Unfortunately, that means Girls' High retain the trophy. However, we did win best speaker in 3 of the 5 debates - Ngarangi Haewera (Yr 11), Ethan Fett (Yr 12) and Jordan Bird (Yr 13), so the contest was fairly even overall.

Moots were as follows:-
Year 9 - "That experiments on animals should be banned" (Deep Joshi, John Osborne-Curtis, Jack Hallahan)
Year 10 - "That censorship should be left to the individual" (Jared Kelly, Jonathan Lee, Darshan Shrestha)
Year 11 - "That conservation is a luxury" (Ngarangi Haewera, Jordan Payne, George Watson)
Year 12 - "That we should work for the dole" (Ethan Fett, Tim Easthope, Shannon Eldridge)
Year 13 - "That experience is the best teacher" (Callum Roberts, Jordan Bird, Morgan Godfery - who are pictured above).

Students were ‘on song’ for the highly anticipated Inter-House Choral competition on 13 August. Each House was required to perform the School song and one other song of their choosing. This year there was a tribute to Michael Jackson, after his recent passing as well as a couple of old classics slightly re-mastered.

The standard of singing was high by all Houses. But there can only be one winner…

Congratulations go to Frobisher House.

Year 12 student Aperahama Hurihanganui proudly represented himself, his family, his School and his community at the Regional Nga Manu Korero Maori Speech Competition for Secondary School Students on Monday 3 August, 2009. He placed 1st in the Senior Maori section of the competition and will now go on to represent Te Arawa at the Nationals 15-17 September at the Rotorua Energy Events Centre.

Three other students also represented RBHS, placing in the top 4, in the 3 other Nga Manu Korero categories. Shannon Eldridge placed 3rd in Senior English, brother Hayden Eldridge placed 4th in Junior English and Wharehuia Manley places 3rd in Junior Maori.