Cornerstone Secondary prize giving, not only celebrated academic excellence, but also congratulated those students who showed great progress, diligence and Christian character. As Head Boy Conrad de Groot said in his speech, ‘there is much we can learn from our teachers. It is more than just the subjects they teach. We really are being equipped and inspired to creatively impact the world’. Conrad also reflected on his thirteen years at Cornerstone. Starting with ‘bucket hats, games of tanker, and math I could understand’ in Primary School. Then moving to ‘demonstrating the doppler on the physics balcony, and building my own electric guitar in Digitech’ in Secondary School.
There was a memorable performance by the senior music class – with great costumes. Mr Groube’s crocodile skin shoes, matching the song Crocodile Rock.
The annual staff video for Year 13 leavers had plenty of emotion. Year 13 lifelab teachers, Mr Doody and Mrs Sisson declared a deep fondness of their students in the humourous recording.
Zebulun Tribe, who were coming last at the start of Term 4, finished the year with three wins to claim the overall 2021 tribe competition. It was Zebulun’s first win in the Shield’s eight year history.
Head students for 2022:
Year 12 Joshua Ah-Chan had a day to remember – sharing the top academic award, as well as being chosen as Cornerstone’s Head Boy for 2022. He is joined by the very busy Secondary Service Shield winner Matthew Smith as Deputy Head Boy. Livinia Prior and BOT representative Irin Lipson were awarded Head Girl and Deputy Head Girl respectively.
Scholarships
- 2021 Dux Litterarum Hanna Fail received three scholarships worth $16,000 combined. She will study at Law and Political Studies at Canterbury University in 2022.
- Celine Gan received a Performance Entrance scholarship worth $16,000 to study Health Sciences at Otago University.
- Matthew Hollier won a Talent Central award to study ICT at UCOL.
- Lourdes Fouva’a won a $13,000 University of Otago scholarship. However she opted for the $5,000 Te Herenga Waka Tangiwai scholarship to study Commerce and Law at Victoria University.
- Deputy Head Boy Daniel Murray won a $17,000 scholarship to study Physiotherapy at Auckland University of Technology.
- Nathan Spargo won a Prime Minister’s Vocational Excellence Award worth $2,000 towards his Electrical Apprenticeship.
View livestream and leaver’s videos below.
Staff video to leaving Year 13s: “Can’t Live”