and basketball tournament . We tried our best in volleyball , with some great games , but were often outgunned by houses stacked with volleyballers . However , a real highlight was the senior boys team winning two fantastic matches . Basketball was more of a Miro House event with both our junior teams winning and senior boys also taking top spot . Overall , we ended up a close second to Kauri House and could take pride in our gutsy performances . House choir was also cancelled in 2022 so , for a cultural event , the houses competed in Master Chef and a Quiz . This new challenge encouraged us to step outside of our comfort zone and endeavour to learn new strategies to get us through . We all knew we had to maintain the exceptional efforts we began the year with . The turnout from Miro House was exceptional . We stood strong , adorned in orange headbands and orange facemasks ( courtesy of our esteemed Mr Lowry ) ready to win the fight . And , for the second challenge this year , Miro managed to not only win the overall event , but every single year group won their respective events as well . Through a mixture of our achievements in Master Chef and an excellent performance during the quiz , we took out the joint event pushing us even further out front in the race for the Patu .
Our lead was big and we knew it . It almost seemed like we had already secured the win . We became confident in our abilities and it was then that tragedy struck . The house form challenge was a new event the forum group organised to make up for the lack of house events throughout the year . It was here that Miro faltered . The lead we worked so hard to build was quickly lost as we suffered a complete defeat , coming 4th - by no small margin . This was a huge wake-up call as now , Kauri was well within distance to take out the Patu for the year , and Rata could also win . There was only one house event left .
Army challenge was on the first Thursday of Term 4 . This gave us only three days from when we received the information about the event until the event began . We knew it was exam season and we were stretched for time . However , we had to win this event ! Two training sessions were organised and strong mahi was observed . Miro rose to the challenge and showed their mana with huge turnouts to both of these sessions and it was clear everyone wanted one thing , to win the patu . The day of the army challenge came and with a nail-biting finish , the Kauri juniors beat the Miro juniors . This meant that the seniors had to beat the Kauri seniors . Were we going to
do it ? Only time , effort and a lot of screaming would tell . Ultimately , the training paid off as Miro charged forward to victory in the army challenge , confirming that the Patu would return home , to the hands of Miro House .
This year wouldn ’ t have been the same without the enormous support from our form teachers showing up and cheering us on at events . Thank you for your guidance this year . Also , a huge thank you to Mrs Nowell-Usticke . Her constant presence at events and advice greatly aided us in our success this year . And of course , this win would not have been possible without the enormous presence of Mr Lowry . He embodies the mana that all Miro students have and displays huge determination , perseverance , and passion . Mr Lowry ’ s leadership and commitment to the house are nothing less than you would expect from someone whose life revolves around the colour orange . Without him , Miro wouldn ’ t be Miro . The challenge and ferocity of competition from the other houses also deserve praise . It was a nail-biter down to the last second in the race for the Patu . Finally , without the combined efforts of the entire house , we wouldn ’ t have even come close to winning the Patu , so from the house leaders , we extend a huge thank you to all of Miro house . You really brought the mana this year and we hope you continue to do so in years to come !
MIRO BRINGS THE MANA !!! Daniel Cunningham and Hannah Estcourt
Anja Edwards , Ty Ormsby , Hannah Estcourt , Daniel Cunningham House and Deputy House Leaders
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