Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate Middle School

Congratulations to our Boys’ and Girls’ Rugby Teams on their outstanding performance at the South Eastern Zone Rugby Competition!

Both teams finished in 1st place, demonstrating tremendous skill, teamwork, determination, and sportsmanship throughout the tournament.

We are proud to announce that both teams have now qualified for the Auckland Finals Competition. This is a fantastic achievement and a testament to the hard work of our players, coaches, and supporters.

We wish our teams all the very best as they prepare for the Auckland Finals. Go well and make us proud!

Attendance Summary - T2|W8

Our top 3 classes for this week are:
3rd - MR8 (96.8%)
2nd - MR12 (97.4%)
1st - MR11 (97.6%)

What an incredible way to wrap up 𝐒𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐚𝐧 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤 | 𝐕𝐚𝐢𝐚𝐬𝐨 𝐨 𝐥𝐞 𝐆𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐚 𝐒𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐚!

To bring the week to a close, our school community came together for a spectacular performance assembly. It was a beautiful celebration of culture, music, dance, and community spirit.

A massive Fa'afetai tele lava to all of our special guests, fānau, staff, and students who gathered to make this event so memorable. Your support and energy made the day truly special!

Check out some highlights from the assembly below! 👇📸

Samoan Language Week 2026 Assembly Performances Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

𝐈𝐧 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐌𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐊𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐞 𝐍𝐠𝐚𝐤𝐮𝐫𝐮 (𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐚𝐥 - 𝐒𝐢𝐫 𝐄𝐝𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐇𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐌𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐥𝐞 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥)

𝐴 𝑀𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑆𝑖𝑟 𝐸𝑑𝑚𝑢𝑛𝑑 𝐻𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑎𝑟𝑦 𝐶𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑔𝑖𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝐶𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑦

It is with immense sadness that we inform our wider community of the passing of our former Principal, Kallie Ngakuru.

After a courageous battle with cancer, Kallie passed away peacefully on Friday 5 June, surrounded by her beloved whānau.

A humble mana wahine, Kallie lived a selfless life of service to the rangatahi of Ōtara. She dedicated her life to uplifting others through education, leadership, compassion, and an unwavering commitment to our community.

For those who did not have the privilege of working alongside Kallie, her contribution to Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate and the wider Ōtara community was nothing short of extraordinary.

The Early Years: Kallie began her teaching career at Bairds Intermediate as a sewing teacher, embedding herself early on in the hearts of local families.

The Collegiate Leadership: She joined the Collegiate and served with distinction as Middle School Principal from 2004 to 2023 and Executive Principal from 2008 to 2023.

Throughout her career, Kallie led with humility, wisdom, and a deep belief in the potential of every young person. She never sought the spotlight. Instead, she quietly devoted herself to creating opportunities for others, advocating for equity, and ensuring that generations of students and whānau felt seen, valued, and supported.

Kallie was a mentor, a leader, a colleague, a friend, and a guiding force. Her influence lives on in the lives of countless students whose futures she shaped, the staff she nurtured, and the strong foundations she helped build across our Collegiate. We will forever remember her gentle strength, her fierce commitment to Ōtara, and her ability to lead with both courage and compassion.

As we reflect on Kallie’s life, we acknowledge the profound loss felt by her whānau, friends, colleagues, former students, and the wider Ōtara community. While her passing leaves a space that can never be filled, her legacy will continue to live on through the values she embodied.

𝑀𝑜𝑒 𝑚𝑎𝑖 𝑟𝑎̄ 𝑒 𝑡𝑒 𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑟𝑎.
𝑀𝑜𝑒 𝑚𝑎𝑖 𝑟𝑎̄ 𝑒 𝑡𝑒 𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑎 𝑤𝑎ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑒.
𝑀𝑜𝑒 𝑚𝑎𝑖 𝑟𝑎̄ 𝑒 𝐾𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑒.

Your legacy of service, leadership, and love for the people of Ōtara will never be forgotten.

Ngā manaakitanga,

𝐒𝐢𝐫 𝐄𝐝𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐇𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞

Ōtara Network Action Committee | Facebook | Linktree ŌNAC is Community-Owned, Community-driven, and Community-Led. Our Vision - Ōtara, a Thriving and Loved Community.

Samoan Language Week Highlight Video

Samoan Language Week 2026 Highlights Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

🇼🇸 A Wonderful Week of Samoan Language and Culture! 🇼🇸

What an incredible week of learning, celebration, and cultural immersion for our tamariki as we celebrated Samoan Language Week!

Throughout the week, our students participated in a wide range of authentic Samoan cultural experiences that brought language, traditions, and community to life. Our girls embraced the beauty and grace of Samoan siva, while our boys learned the rhythm and energy of traditional Samoan drumming.

Students also enjoyed hands-on learning through cooking delicious Samoan dishes such as pisupo and kapisi, creating traditional Samoan arts and crafts, and taking part in the much-loved game of kilikiti. These activities provided meaningful opportunities to learn about Samoan culture, values, and heritage in engaging and enjoyable ways.

A special highlight of the week was seeing our Bi-Lingual Unit students sharing their talents beyond the school gates. They proudly represented our kura in the community, performing a variety of traditional Samoan dances and showcasing their language skills, confidence, and cultural pride.

We are incredibly proud of all our tamariki for their enthusiasm, participation, and willingness to learn. Thank you to our staff, whānau, and community members who helped make this week such a memorable and enriching experience.

🏆 Attendance Champions! 🏆

MR11 has reclaimed the top attendance spot this week! 🎉

A huge congratulations to all the students in MR11 for their commitment to being at school, on time, and ready to learn every day. Your consistency, dedication, and positive attitude have helped you regain the lead.

Keep up the fantastic work, MR11! Let's see if you can hold onto the crown next week. 👏📚⭐

🇼🇸 Samoan Language Week 2026 Launch 🇼🇸

Today, our Collegiate came together to proudly launch Samoan Language Week 2026 with a meaningful and memorable opening ceremony.

The celebration began with the traditional Ava Ceremony, a significant cultural practice that symbolises respect, unity, and the strengthening of relationships. This was followed by the raising of the Samoan flag, a proud moment that honoured the rich heritage, language, and identity of the Samoan people within our school community.

As students, staff, and whānau gathered together, we reflected on the importance of embracing and celebrating the diverse cultures that make our school such a vibrant place to learn and grow. The ceremony set the tone for a week filled with engaging activities, cultural learning experiences, language development, and opportunities to deepen our understanding and appreciation of Samoan culture.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who contributed to making this special occasion possible. We look forward to celebrating Samoan Language Week together and encouraging our students to learn, participate, and embrace the beauty of the Samoan language and culture.

Ia manuia le Vaiaso o le Gagana Samoa! 🇼🇸

Attendance Summary T2|W6

Our winning class is MR12!! Congratulations.