Every year the level of dedication and academic success seems to increase and improve. 2017 has been a wonderful one for our IB Diploma students as well as those doing NCEA and studying for scholarships.

The International Baccalaureate graduating class held a special prize-giving ceremony at The Spencer on Byron Hotel this spring, as their final examinations were underway before the other senior prize-giving took place. 

The top IB students were Yujie (Stephanie) Wang and Suhwoo (Veronica) Yoon, jointly awarded the Jackie Rodgers Cup for Excellence in IB. Between them they took out the top awards in all bar four of the subject prizes. Stephanie topped Chinese literature, English language, economics, physics and mathematics and Veronica in Spanish, history, chemistry and theory of knowledge.

JJ Maran was top in biology, Cloe Barbera in geography, Gabrielle Jones in visual arts and Thomas Bension in English literature and first equal in theory of knowledge.

For these students, part of the cohort of 42 students, it is the culmination of their two-year diploma course, with the final diploma scores being awarded in early January 2018.

At the senior prize-giving, held in the Bruce Mason Centre, more than 130 students were awarded prizes in their academic subjects.

Heading the list were the Dux of the school Katherine Jacobs, who was awarded subjects prizes in Spanish, English, mathematics with statistics, and French, and the Proxime Accessit, Head Boy, Harvey Merton, who took out the subject awards for biology, computer science, and economics, and a Distinction in mathematics with calculus.

Four further top academic awards – Summa Cum Laude - were won by Mitchell Cuthbert, Ao Ke Jiang, Ella Johnson, and Richard Lu. The top academic awards, for Academic Excellence in Year 12, were awarded to Kate Lee and Luke Pank, and in Year 11, to Libby Lord and Faith Poppelwell.

The special awards, considered to be the most prestigious, included the Spooner Cup for Overall School Spirit, which was awarded to Gabriel Jones, the White Cup in Year 12 to Lockie McNair, and the Chubb Cleverdon Cup in Year 11, to Volkan Ozyurteri.

In a special part of the ceremony, the school leaders for 2018 were presented with their badges by the outgoing leadership team. Head Girl for 2018 is Sinalei Faulalo, Deputy Head Girl is Kate Lee, Head Boy is Will Clarke and Deputy Head Boy is Lockie McNair.