Te Awamutu head students 2024 ready for challenges of final school year

Student leadership at Te Awamutu College is in good hands this year.

The head students and Board of Trustees student representative which were appointed last year, has now been joined by committee, house and academic leaders.

Head students for 2024 are Avé Culpan, Sienna Sanders, Ruben Kasper and Xavier Scott.

Representing the student body on the board of trustees is Millie Thackray.

In charge of the school’s committees are Olivia Bell (Ball), Francis Palaganas (Health), Abbie Carmichael (SADD), Sophie Dale (Sport), Sienna Sutton (Environment), Olivia Hopping (Culture), Sophie Yarndley (Service) and Milly Chambers (Hokioi).

The house leaders and deputies are Kikorangi: Ellie Morrison, Jesse Ramsey, Sophie Dale, Josh Chisholm; Kōwhai: Martha Newland, Rylan Bell, Olivia Bell, Tawhaki Waaka; Pōhutukawa: Sienna Sutton, Keelan La Master, Kyla Aymes, Jaoquin Burke; Pounamu: Manasseh Morgan, Fynn Clements, Georgie Rewha, Kryton Collett.

On Thursday, April 4 Te Awamutu College held the Academic Excellence Evening at Vilagrad Winery where 79 students received their medallions.

This year, 233 students, their whānau, school staff and board members gathered to celebrate the students’ success and socialise.

Students earned a Gold (50-59), Silver (30-49) or Bronze (20-29) Medallion for achieving NCEA Excellence Credits. Gold with Distinction can be gained by achieving 60 plus credits at Excellence level.

Topping Year 11 was Dejah Stojanovic-Stark who earned 109 Excellence Credits at NCEA Level 1 and at the top of Year 12 was Avleen Kaur who earned 87 Excellence Credits at NCEA Level 2.

They received blazers to wear throughout the year.

Senior student leaders

Head student Avé Culpan studies Sports Science, Sport Elite, Extension English, Chemistry and Biology. She worked hard for the past two years to pass NCEA Levels 1 and 2 with Excellence and looks forward to pushing herself even further this year and making the most of all opportunities that come her way.

She said she loves sports and has played rugby, hockey, netball and basketball for Te Awamutu College. Avé captains the basketball and hockey girls’ development teams.

She also enjoys creative arts and drawing, painting and playing guitar.

Avé plans to be the best head student she could be, as well as excelling in sport and academic areas.

Her plan for next year is to study health science.

Sienna studies English, Mathematics & Statistics, History, Geography and Sport Elite and has achieved Levels 1 and 2 NCEA to a high standard.

Sport is a crucial part of her life, and she strives to find a good balance between sport, study, social and leadership.

She has played volleyball since Year 9 in both TAC junior and senior premier teams and made the Waikato U17 team in 2022 and 2023. She also plays for TAC girls’ First XV and represented Waikato U16 in 2022 and 2023.

Sienna also plays premier netball and has been a representative player from a young age.

She plans to carry out her Head Student duties in a way that she is a role model to other students, achieve NCEA Level 3 to gain entrance to university, further develop her skills as an athlete and enjoy her final year of high school.

Ruben is taking Physics, Mathematics with Calculus, Accounting, Geography and Outdoor Education and has gained Levels 1 and 2 for NCEA through a balance of school, work and sports.

He enjoys a range of sports, having played basketball in Years 11 and 12 and premier lacrosse last year and looks forward to continuing lacrosse this year and picking up rugby for my final year of college.

One of his main hobbies is mountain biking and he competes in enduro races.

His focus for the year is achieving NCEA Level 3 to a high standard and enjoying his final year.

Xavier studies Geography, History, Sports Science, Sport Elite and Outdoor Education. He has attained NCEA Levels 1 and Level 2 and plans to pass Level 3.

Last year, he was a member of the 1st XV and he hopes to retain his position and also retain the Waipā Cup against Cambridge High School – for a four-peat.

Xavier’s goals for 2024 are to fulfil his role as a head student, make the most of his last year of school and achieve a good balance between work and play.

Board of Trustees student representative Millie takes History, Geography, Mathematics and Statistics, Extension English and Outdoor Education. She obtained NCEA Level 1 with Merit and passed Level 2 and is working hard to pass NCEA Level 3.

She enjoys several sports and looked forward to another season of lacrosse – her seventh – and possibly joining a school hockey team.

Millie said she wanted to make the most of her final year at Te Awamutu College and take in all the wonderful opportunities this school has to offer.

She would give her best to the role of student representative while encouraging and inspiring others.