Last week we acknowledged the outstanding academic achievement of our eight students who gained 12 NZQA Academic Scholarships in the 2021 National Exams. We could not be more proud of the planning, sacrifice, and study they put in to achieve these results.

To rank among the top 3% in a subject across the country is just outstanding. We say it takes a village to raise a student, and we know family and whanau have supported these young achievers. So, we would like to thank them immensely for their support.

At Waitākere College, we have a mantra: “make a positive difference out there”. Our teachers have. So we would like to thank all the staff for their support of these students over the last five years. 

Our specific thanks go to the teachers of these scholarship winners who inspired and supported our students, working with them before classes, at lunchtimes, and after school to give them feedforward and feedback in preparation for these exams. 

That expert subject knowledge and expertise level ensure our students are the best they can be. Thank you to Jane Coup in Biology, Alistair Kendrick and Natasha Wade in Chemistry, Stuart Anderson in Calculus, Amy Petrie in Design and Sculpture, Andy Rankin in English, Alison Sydenham in Painting, Lee Devenish in Photography, and Adam Snitch in Physics.

You have all made such a positive difference to your students last year.