Latest news with #DunstanHighSchool
Otago Daily Times
03-07-2025
- Otago Daily Times
Rowing drawcard for German student
German exchange student Jelte Stuke with his host Tracey Driehuis and Dunstan High School principal Andrew King. PHOTO: ELLA JENKINS After the best year of his life, German exchange student Jelte Stuke had his final day as a year 13 student at Dunstan High School and returned home with many memories. Originally from Leer, a town in Germany with a population of 35,000, Jelte wanted to experience life outside of Germany. "So I wanted to go somewhere where I can still do my rowing and UK was a bit too close to Germany," he said. Australia and Canada came up as choices but his brother had already gone to Canada and Jelte hated spiders and snakes which ruled out Australia. After contacting an exchange agency and saying he wanted to do rowing in New Zealand, the agency provided Jelte with options for high schools with good rowing programmes where he could do an exchange. "They text me or they showed me schools with good rowing where I can go and then I looked at all of them and decided Dunstan." Jelte arrived in Central Otago in time to start at Dunstan High School in term three last year; that first day of term he said he felt out of his depth. Fortunately for Jelte, his host family already had a German exchange student who showed him around and made starting at Dunstan High easier, he said. Hosted by Barry and Tracey Driehuis, Jelte said he enjoyed experiencing normal Kiwi family life and taking part in rowing and outdoor education. Jelte said his year in New Zealand was the best year of his life, and encouraged anyone looking to do a school exchange to just do it. Mrs Driehuis began hosting students more than 10 years ago, wanting to learn about other cultures and to give students a taste of life in New Zealand. She said it was great hosting Jelte for the year. "It was good to have him come over and we could allow him to come here and do what he wanted to do and experience New Zealand." Dunstan High School international director Rosemary Flanagan encouraged those with a spare bedroom to look into hosting an exchange student. "Hosting international students can enrich your family's life, broaden horizons and create lasting friendships. It is a chance to experience other cultures and make a positive impact on a young person's life," she said.
Scoop
19-06-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Otago Students To Benefit From More Classrooms
Minister of Education Hon James Meager Minister for the South Island The Government's ensuring hundreds more students in Otago benefit from new, safe, warm and dry classrooms. A $27 million investment into new infrastructure will help make sure schools meet the needs of their communities and gets ahead of new growth. It will support the construction of: Six new teaching spaces at Dunstan High School A twelve-teaching space expansion at Te Kura Whakatipu o Kawarau The investment is in addition to the purchase of a site at Ladies Mile in Queenstown last year, which will accommodate a new primary school in the area. 'Queenstown in particular, has had strong and steady growth over the last decade, and we are committed to ensuring they are equipped to teach the basics brilliantly. Planning for the two growth projects is underway and is expected to begin in the next 12 months. This means that students, families and the Otago community can benefit sooner,' Education Minister Erica Stanford says. 'Funding for the construction of the new primary school at Ladies Mile will be considered in future years. Securing the land at this time means that we will be able to hit 'go' on construction when capacity is needed.' This announcement builds on the Government's commitment to ongoing investment in school property, and follows recent announcements to support growth in Canterbury, the Central North Island and provision of specialist education. 'Quality education is crucial to growing the regions. These new classrooms are an investment in the future of young learners in Otago Central Lakes and builds on the 120 new classrooms announced for Canterbury in the last month," South Island Minister James Meager says. "There is huge potential for Otago Central Lakes to become a hub for digital and tech investors, alongside our traditional backbone industries of tourism and agriculture. To enable that investment, we need to foster brilliance in our young people by investing in their future and building for growth. We also need a high-quality education infrastructure to attract the best quality workforce to our regions." 'Our efficiencies in school property delivery allows more schools, communities and children benefit sooner. The use of standardised building designs and offsite manufacturing have lowered the average cost of a classroom by 28%, allowing 30% more classrooms to be delivered last year compared to 2023. We will continue to drive costs down so more Kiwi kids can thrive,' Ms Stanford says.
Otago Daily Times
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Gold rush brought to Showquest
Dunstan High School pupils perform at Showquest Southland 2025. PHOTO: CHONTALLE MUSSON Student actors from Dunstan High School performed their homegrown production exploring the hardships of Central Otago's gold rush era to a packed audience at Invercargill's Civic Theatre on Monday night. The troupe was one of 12 from across Otago and Southland to compete in Showquest 2025, which challenged young people to create an eight- to 10-minute performance around a theme of their choosing. Gold Beneath Grief followed several families as they navigated the trials of the 1860s goldfields — from losing loved ones in floods to the heartache of homesickness and the relentless pressure to strike it rich — offering audiences a glimpse into the resilience and sorrow that shaped early settler life. The performance by Dunstan High School was recognised with an award for excellence in dance, while the teachers who supported the production were honoured with the Teacher Spirit Award. Monday night's overall winner was Mount Aspiring College, whose pupils created and performed Wāhine Toa, a dance piece celebrating significant women from throughout Aotearoa's history.
Otago Daily Times
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Student art front and centre
The artwork of Dunstan High School students on display at Central Stories Museum and Art Gallery in celebration of Youth Week. PHOTO: ELLA JENKINS Alexandra Library and Central Stories Museum and Art Gallery hosted an exhibitions of Dunstan High School students' artwork in celebration of Youth Week. Puna Rangitahi Alexandra & Districts Youth Trust youth worker Courtney La'ulu said the idea to hold an art exhibition during youth week came from wanting to something different this year. A passion for the creative community and a desire to foster collaboration within the community gave her the idea to reach out to the Alexandra Library, Central Stories and Dunstan High School to highlight the talents of youth in Central Otago. Art from different year groups were on display at both Central Stories and the Library. A variety of artworks in different styles were provided by the Dunstan High School art department. Self-portraits, lino prints, cubism and architectural paintings were on display at Central Stories. Two sets of lockers were also on display, painted in a protest art style. "It was awesome just like being able to give the youth a space to be able to show off some of the talents for starters that we've got in our area and to be able to have them feel like they've got that place of belonging in our community as well." Ms La'ulu said the exhibition had been a huge success and she would not be surprised if the event was carried in the years to come. "We might look at getting more schools involved or doing something different, it could be a large mural or something like that," she said. Celebrating the community together for Youth Week in a creative space was something she was passionate about continuing, Ms La'ulu said.
NZ Herald
19-05-2025
- Sport
- NZ Herald
First XV rugby shakeup shock: South Island boys schools plot breakaway competition
The new competition would, therefore, include up to eight schools across Canterbury and Tasman, and six schools in Otago and Southland. 'We are excited about the impact this could have on our boys and communities.' Christchurch Boys' High School drive hard against Southland Boys' High School. Photo / Supplied At present, the top schools in the Crusaders catchment area contest the Miles Toyota Premiership. This season includes Nelson College, Marlborough Boys' College, Christchurch Boys' High School, Christ's College, St Thomas of Canterbury College, St Bede's College, St Andrew's College, Shirley Boys' High School, Rangiora High School and Selwyn Schools Combined. Timaru Boys' High School is contesting the lower tier championship, but are favoured to gain promotion back to the top tier this season. In the Highlanders' catchment, it's the Freeman Roofing Southern Schools Rugby Championship. There are 18 teams split across three divisions, with the top tier this season involving Southland Boys' High School's First and Second XVs, King's High School, Otago Boys' High School, John McGlashan College and Dunstan High School. The new structure would exclude co-ed schools like Rangiora High School, the Selwyn Combined Schools, St Andrew's College and Dunstan High School. Rangiora High School and St Andrew's College confirmed they had not been included in the proposed competition. 'I've not heard so much as a murmur,' said Bruce Kearney, Rangiora High School principal. Rangiora High School principal Bruce Kearney. The snub comes after co-ed schools had a weekend to remember against traditional powerhouse boys' schools. Dunstan High School in Alexandra travelled to Dunedin to tip up their more fancied opponents – Otago Boys' High School. Dunstan's 22-19 win was celebrated well beyond Central Otago, with Feilding High School congratulating their fellow co-ed school on social media. In Rolleston on Saturday, it was a similar story with Selwyn Schools Combined coming from behind to beat St Bede's College 18-12. Turning with the wind at their backs in the second half, the home side had all the momentum and sealed the game with a late try. Selwyn Schools will cease to exist in 2026 with Rolleston College electing to go it alone. Lincoln High School, Darfield High School, Ellesmere College and Akaroa Area School plan to continue in a new arrangement. It was almost three big scalps for the co-ed schools with Rangiora High School falling just short of spoiling rugby's return to Christ's College's Upper Field in a 38-37 win for College. Under a single-sex competition, their students could miss out on top-tier schoolboy rugby. That's long been an issue for certain schools in both regions. The flow-on effect is that those schools are prone to either losing their brightest rugby talent to bigger schools, by choice or by scholarship, or they're never even considered as an option by those who are in-zone but enrol elsewhere. Harrison Inch (holding trophy) and Saumaki Saumaki (right), two of the standout players for Nelson College in 2024. Photo / JDW Photography Details of how the competition would work aren't yet known, but combining the entire South Island would require a huge amount of travel. Invercargill to Nelson is a 12-and-a-half hour drive – or an expensive exercise by plane. But travel isn't something the top sides shy away from. Southland Boys' High School First XV coach Jason Dermody told the Herald last month that his side needs to travel to face the best opposition, referring to the distance that they'd travelled in pre-season. 'We've got to travel to play the best teams because if we just play the teams down here, we just think we're good,' said Dermody at the time. Southland Boys' High School First XV coach Jason Dermody. Photo / Debbie Fahey Photography His side had travelled to Auckland and Christchurch for matches with King's College and CBHS in preseason. Last year, they made the trip to Nelson to contest the South Island final. That could become a more familiar journey under the proposed competition. It will be a bold pathway, both literally and figuratively, for the single-sex collective. 'At the heart of this kaupapa is a shared desire to enhance the experience of boys' education. These ideas are still in development, and we are working carefully to ensure they reflect the values, needs, and aspirations of all our school communities,' the joint statement read.
