2015 HNHS School Magazine | Page 11

Tainui House The year started off with a great time at year 13 camp (with an incredible chant and performance, which would have won it had we not interrupted the school song with Nicki Minaj’s jam “Anaconda”). A second place in swimming sports and a third place in athletic sports would have placed us in a great place for the Patu in any of the last 4 years, however after athletic sports everyone was in a dead tie. Our amazing and powerful performance at Kapa Haka, followed by an intuitive and confident showing at Theatre Sports which we won, placed us duly first! Touch was not so flash with the girls being the only Tainui team to perform well, meaning that leading into the last event of the year, Army Challenge which left in second place. Everyone in Tainui this year has put in 100% effort and we couldn’t ask for any more. Many people had their influences into house efforts so it was not only Eve, Robert, Lachlan and Mr Throp at the helm, but a large array of people which was what made Tainui so successful in 2015. If there is one thing in which we take away from being part of Tainui it is that yes, winning is amazing and being this close to the Patu for the first time is great for moral, although being part of a team that has become so much closer is worth so much more. A stand out moment for Tainui was the final practise before the Kapa Haka performance, where I don’t like to admit it but we were a little dubious of our progress. And then all of sudden we had every single person in the room giving it their all and we ROCKED it. It may not have been the winning performance but to get 50 to people to believe in something enough to put themselves fully behind it was one a amazing experience, and I doubt anyone will be able to forget it. From the previous years of lows, where Tainui has stayed pretty firmly at the bottom of the table, to years where we’ve almost gotten there, to continuous second placings behind Rata. Tainui has been a wicked ride and one all Tainui students would have learned to love. We cannot thank anyone enough for their contributions to Tainui, that has let it become such a family spirit. We wish everyone the best in their future!! All the best, Robert, Eve, and Lachlan