The Cathedral Grammar School

🏆 The Moment Sanne Found Out...

Today, during a special school hui, Year 5 student Sanne Mitchell discovered she had been named the Years 4–6 Supreme Winner in the 2026 League in Libraries Creative Writing National Competition.

As a special surprise, One New Zealand Warriors player Ali Leiataua appeared on the big screen to announce that Sanne's story, The Travelling Pōro, had been selected as the national winning entry from more than 700 submissions from students across New Zealand.

The look of complete surprise on Sanne's face is one we won't forget!

This achievement is incredibly special - not only for Sanne, but for our entire school community.

Three consecutive years of national literacy success reflects far more than individual achievement. It speaks to a school culture where reading, writing, imagination and creative thinking are celebrated every day. We are incredibly proud of the way our students embrace opportunities to challenge themselves as readers, writers and storytellers.

🏆 2024 – National Literacy Quiz Champions
🏆 2025 – National League in Libraries Creative Writing Champions
🏆 2026 – National League in Libraries Creative Writing Champions

Led by Mrs Natasha Leith, our Head of Literacy, Cathedral Grammar's Creative Writing Enrichment Programme provides aspiring young writers with opportunities to extend their creativity, refine their writing and develop confidence in their own voice. Together with our rich literacy curriculum, it is one of the many ways we inspire a lifelong love of reading and writing.

Congratulations again, Sanne. We can't wait to follow your Warriors adventure when you travel to Auckland as a special guest of the One New Zealand Warriors! 💙💚

One NZ Warriors

🏆 National Creative Writing Competition Winner | 2026 League in Libraries Competition

For the SECOND CONSECUTIVE YEAR, The Cathedral Grammar School has produced the national winner of the Warriors Community Foundation's League in Libraries Creative Writing Competition—this year selected from more than 700 entries nationwide.

A huge congratulations to Year 5 student Sanne Mitchell, who has been named the Years 4–6 Supreme Winner in the 2026 League in Libraries Creative Writing Competition—a national initiative that inspires literacy through the mana of the One New Zealand Warriors.

Sanne's winning story, The Travelling Pōro, follows a Warriors match ball that mysteriously goes missing before embarking on an unforgettable journey around the world and eventually finding its way back to the team. Her creativity, originality and storytelling impressed the judges, earning her the competition's highest honour in the Years 4–6 category.

To make the announcement even more memorable, One New Zealand Warriors player Ali Leiataua surprised Sanne with a special video revealing that she had won!

As the national winner, Sanne will travel to Auckland as a special guest of the One New Zealand Warriors, where she will attend an upcoming Warriors home game and enjoy an unforgettable prize experience. Her prize also includes having her story professionally published and illustrated, working with an editor to refine her writing, accommodation in Auckland, and a One New Zealand Warriors jersey.

Congratulations, Sanne! We are incredibly proud of you and can't wait to follow your exciting Warriors adventure.



One NZ Warriors

🎼🎹 Specialist Music | Our Musical Journey Begins in Pre-School

At The Cathedral Grammar School, a love of music begins from the earliest years.

Our Pre-School students have the opportunity to participate in our Specialist Itinerant Music Programme, where they are collected from the Pre-School and accompanied to our dedicated Specialist Music Centre for individual lessons in piano, violin or ukulele.

One of the unique strengths of our programme is the continuity it provides. Miss Marina, our specialist piano tutor, teaches students in both our Pre-School and Junior School, allowing children to continue learning with a familiar teacher as they transition into primary school. This consistency helps make the move to school seamless while supporting each child's musical growth.

Whether discovering an instrument for the very first time or continuing to develop their talents, our students enjoy specialist tuition from experienced musicians within the school day—creating a pathway that can continue throughout their years at Cathedral Grammar.

Well done Issy and Kiven!

🔧🏆 Engineering Excellence | EPro8 Semi-Final Year 7-8 Winners!

Huge congratulations to our Year 7 & 8 students who have won the Canterbury EPro8 Semi-Final following a thrilling competition at Hillmorton High School.

Our winning team of Oliver, Travis, Miller H and Miller F held their nerve in a nail-biting finish to secure first place and earn their place at the Epro8 Canterbury Regional Event.

At Cathedral Grammar, Technology is a specialist, timetabled subject for all Year 7 and 8 students. As part of the programme, students undertake EPro8 engineering, developing practical engineering, design thinking, creativity and problem-solving skills through authentic, hands-on challenges.

The EPro8 Challenge is New Zealand's premier engineering and STEM competition, where students race against the clock to design, build and test innovative solutions to complex engineering challenges.

We now wish Oliver, Travis, Miller H and Miller F every success as they progress to the Canterbury Regional Event, where Cathedral Grammar has proudly claimed the regional title in 2021 and 2023.

🏑⚽ Friday Afternoons | Team Sport in Action! 🏐🏓

At The Cathedral Grammar School, every Year 5–8 student is part of a winter sports team, taking to the field, court or table each Friday afternoon to compete in the Canterbury Primary Schools Weekly Sport competition.

With opportunities to participate in netball, football, hockey, table tennis, and badminton, our students develop far more than sporting skills. Through regular competition, they build teamwork, resilience, perseverance and sportsmanship while proudly representing our school.

It's wonderful to see our students encouraging one another, embracing new challenges and giving their best each week.
Here are a few snapshots of our teams in action at Nunweek Park.

We couldn't be prouder of the enthusiasm, commitment and Grammar spirit they bring to every game

🌱 Raising Adaptable & Resilient Children | Parent Workshop

At The Cathedral Grammar School, we believe educating the whole child is a partnership between school and home.

We're excited to welcome John Quinn and Anna Simcic from Performance Wellbeing for a practical and inspiring parent workshop on raising adaptable and resilient children.

Discover practical strategies to help your child build confidence, navigate challenges and develop the skills they need to thrive in today's changing world.

📅 Wednesday 19 August
🥂 Drinks & nibbles: 6.30pm
🎤 Workshop: 7.00pm–8.00pm
📍 School Hall

RSVP by Monday 10 August
👉 Register here: https://forms.gle/Gnc8he1NaZLtPk516

🎼 🎨 Chords & Couture | Inspiring Confidence Through Performance

What a fantastic way to begin the term!

Our annual Chords & Couture showcase at Aldersgate celebrated the depth and breadth of The Cathedral Grammar Schools' Specialist Music and Art programmes, with students from Years 2–8 sharing their learning with family, friends and our wider community.

From our youngest string players and choir members to our accomplished choristers and orchestral musicians, students performed at every stage of their musical journey, showcasing the many pathways and performance opportunities available throughout the school.

Our performers included:
🎻 Chester Street Strings
🎶 Junior School Chapel Choir
🎶 Prep School Chapel Choir
🎻 String Ensemble
🎼 Orchestra
🎵 Boy Choristers
🎵 Girl Choristers

Guests also enjoyed an exhibition of artwork by our talented Year 7 students, showcasing their creativity and artistic growth.

Performance is an essential part of learning. It builds confidence, develops musicianship and provides authentic opportunities for students to share their talents while continuing to grow as performers and artists.

A special thank you to our Director of Music, Nicola Holt, and Specialist Art Teacher, Jude Gray, whose passion and expertise continue to inspire our students every day.

🎻🎨 Chords and Couture | Music Meets Wearable Art

We warmly invite our school whānau and wider community to join us for a special evening celebrating the extraordinary creativity and talent of students at The Cathedral Grammar School.

Chords and Couture brings together Music and Art for a spectacular combined showcase at the Aldersgate Centre on Thursday 23 July.

The evening will feature performances from across our Specialist Music Programme, including Chester Street Strings, our Junior and Preparatory School Chapel Choirs, String Ensemble, Orchestra, Boy Choristers and Girl Choristers.

Taking to the runway will be our Year 7 students, presenting their original creations in the Year 7 Wearable Art Show — where imagination, design and artistic expression come to life.

From choral and instrumental music to bold and creative wearable art, Chords and Couture will showcase the breadth of opportunity available to our students and celebrate the dedication, creativity and talent of our young musicians and artists.

📅 Thursday 23 July 2026
📍 Aldersgate Centre
🕡 6.30pm – 8.30pm
🎟 $20 per family (up to five people)

We invite Cathedral Grammar families to book their tickets and come and experience Chords and Couture.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfnuFUyHc-o4I_ZqxmHm5MR3MjxSL0kxyojEHM2PXpTEnrD1w/viewform