Year 8 ākonga celebrated their graduation at the OAEC with a warm and uplifting ceremony that recognised excellence, progress and manaaki.

Year 8 ākonga were celebrated at this year’s Prizegiving ceremony in the OAEC with musical performances by Jack Ward and the Year 8 band.  

Whānau and staff came together to mark a significant milestone in the kura journey before they move forward in the Middle School to Year 9 next year. The prizegiving recognised not only excellence in academics, but also leadership, service and personal growth throughout the year.

The Manaaki Orewa Award was presented to Christian Ralph for his contributions to the school community. Anrich Mattheus received the Ako Orewa Award for Most Improved. Henry Blakeman and Ava McIlroy were jointly honoured with the Principal’s Award for All Round Excellence, while Leah Nielsen received the Mātauranga Award for outstanding academic achievement.

View the full photo gallery of our special award winners here.

Congratulations to all recipients and a heartfelt thank you to everyone who supported our Year 8 ākonga throughout their journey so far.

Photo credit: Samaira Chauhan, Madi Gooding

Runner: Katelyn Martin