In Term 2, Senior Outdoor Education classes have been participating in assessments for bushcraft and survival skills, camping, mountain biking, and rock climbing. The students have been making use of the Manawatū, Horowhenua-Kāpiti, and Porirua regions. Level 2 & 3 Outdoor Education students completed a three-day trip into the Tararua Ranges camping beside the Waiotauru River and exploring the Tararua Ranges. They have also been climbing at Moffat’s Rock in the Ōtaki Gorge with a trip also planned for Pukerua Bay. Year 11 students have been mountain biking in Foxton Forest, at Bright Ridge Skyline Track in Paraparaumu, and at Rangituhi Trail Park in Porirua. Daniel Riggs TIC Outdoor Ed                    

Our Rangatahi Ora Year 9 students had an amazing day working with Muaūpoko Tribal Authority and Horizon’s Regional Council planting trees in the Arawhata Bush Reserve. 1000 trees were planted to connect the existing bush reserve with the plants along the Arawhata Stream to help improve the quality of the water flowing into Punahau (Lake Horowhenua). Dylan Kiriona Rangatahi Ora Co-ordinator

We had four students attend the World Vision Youth Conference. The focus this year was the “one drop more foundation” which provides safe water for people all over the world. Every day, 2,000 children under the age of five die due to not having access to safe water. Before this conference, I had never thought twice about if I could drink water safely or even have a shower, but millions of kids do not have that same luxury. The hosts, Matt and Rach Renata, were amazing. Their passion for what they were talking about and the change that they wanted was clear. Every person in the room could feel how much they were working towards a better future. They discussed in depth the effect water availability has on people. They showed us videos of real people who suffer first hand with this issue and people they have helped. Seeing real…

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Model EU was an amazing experience for us students at Horowhenua College. There were many schools from all over the country. Some were very intimidating but we stuck together and performed well. We were all given a country to represent in the European Union. I had Romania. We then were split off to different rooms which looked very professional and official as we were at parliament. We then argued about many different directives and policies, all while acting as if we were the official delegate of the country. We had researched weeks prior for this event and made many new friends from all over the country! We then had the chance to hear from many different ministers and delegates of countries which were all very influential. It was scary at the start, but as the event went along we all got comfortable in the different committee sessions that occurred. We…

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Anna Cochrane, a Year 13 art student, has been successful in her selection to a very special art exhibition in Wellington this week. She chose a painting from her Year 12 folio boards, and entered into the exhibition. Judges then go through the submissions from throughout NZ and choose only a few. Anna’s work was selected, she is then provided with the exhibition space, the work gets framed, and prints are taken to be sold. The artist, Anna, gets a large percentage of the sales. She has attended open night in Wellington with her family. We are so proud of Anna and her tremendous talent, and look forward to seeing her do well at art school in 2024 and beyond.  

Year 12 Student Rihara Norgrove-Rangihuna placed 3rd Overall in the Pei Te Hurinui – Senior Māori section at the Manu Korero Speech Competition. His prepared speech of 11-12 mins in Te Reo Māori was on “Ka waipuke ana te whenua, ka waikurahia ngā tikanga” meaning “When the land floods, our customs are washed away”. His impromptu speech of two-three mins in Te Reo with only five mins preparation was “Ko ChatGPT te kaiwhakaora i taku reo” meaning ChatGPT strengthens my Māori Language”