Nelson College for Girls

ALUMNA UPDATE: Glasgow bound! 🇳🇿

A huge congratulations to former NCG student Litia (Tia) Nacagilevu, who has been selected to represent New Zealand at the 2026 COMMONWEALTH GAMES in Glasgow!

Yesterday, the Weightlifting New Zealand team received their official selection ferns, making it all feel very real. Tia will compete in the Women's 86kg division, proudly wearing the silver fern on the world stage 🌿

We're incredibly proud of you, Tia. Wishing you all the best as you prepare for Glasgow. Kia kaha! 💙

📷 The NZ Team,

🥇 GOLD at JazzQuest! What an incredible achievement for our Combined Colleges Jazz Combo.

Congratulations to Grace Palmer, Ciara Higginbotham and Kinnaree Price from Nelson College for Girls and Tully King Turner and Oliver Diamond from Nelson College, who travelled to Christchurch to compete in the Ara Jazz competition and came home with a Gold award 🏆

After performing a 30-minute set and taking part in workshops with Ara Music tutors, the group impressed the judges at the gala concert and prize-giving. Gold is only awarded to ensembles performing at an exceptionally high standard, making this a fantastic result.

Ka mau te wehi to these talented musicians for their hard work and commitment. Ngā mihi nui to Brad Banks and Simon Williams for their guidance and mentorship 👏🎶

🎶 Congratulations and good luck to three NCG musicians who are heading to Christchurch for the South Island NZCT Chamber Music Competition after winning the district round last week!

Year 13 student Taemen Lee (piano), Year 12 student Enya Kienzle (violin), and Year 10 student Siena Cayuelas (cello) have been performing together as The Piano Trio since the start of the year. After months of dedication and rehearsals, they delivered an outstanding performance of Haydn’s Trio in A Major to secure their place at the South Island competition.

A special congratulations also to another NCG ensemble, The Minors, who were recognised with a Highly Commended award from the judges 💙

This achievement reflects real Rangatiratanga, with students showing commitment, confidence and excellence in their music while supporting one another along the way.

🍀 We wish The Piano Trio all the very best for the competition in Christchurch on 27 June. Ka mau te wehi! 🎵

Fantastic results at this year's Ngā Manu Kōrero regionals, where our students represented the school with confidence, skill and pride, bringing home an incredible four individual awards, a national qualification and the top senior school title.

✨ Paige Wilson – Tā Turi Kara Junior English: 4th equal
✨ Kararaina Haruru-McKinnon – Rāwhiti Ihaka Junior Māori: 4th
✨ Mahina Taylor – Korimako Senior English: 3rd Prepared Speech, 3rd equal Impromptu Speech, 3rd Overall, and Best Female Speaker
✨ Leighlarney Te Kawa-Wiremu – Pei Te Hurinui Senior Māori: 2nd Prepared Speech, 1st Impromptu Speech, 1st Overall, and Best Female Speaker, qualifying for Nationals in Kaikohe this September

✨ We were also proud to be named the school with the highest overall scores in the senior section.

A massive mihi to Sharon Kennard, whose dedication and expertise help prepare our speakers for the stage each year. Thank you also to Sharon and Nicky for supporting and managing our huge crew of 45 students, and to Whaea Claire for coming along to tautoko our students.

These achievements reflect real Rangatiratanga, with our students leading through their voices, sharing their whakaaro with courage and inspiring others along the way.

Ka mau te wehi, everyone. We are incredibly proud of you all 💙

Congratulations to 💙 Maungatapu House 💙 for winning the inaugural Junior House Quiz! 🏆🎉

Friday's quiz was filled with enthusiasm, teamwork, laughter and some impressive quiz knowledge from all involved. It was wonderful to see our junior students getting behind their houses and giving it their best effort 💙❤️💛💚💜

Thank you to all students and Deans who participated and helped make the event a success - particularly Ms 'Superstar' Stickney🌟 The energy in the gym was incredible and students are already looking forward to the next one!

Pictured are Maren Kitney (winning team) and Yasasmi Mbrm (2nd team). Maren is holding the house mascot, the Maungatapu Monster 💙

💚 ❤️ 💙 💛 💜

Huge Congratulations to Year 13 student Tegen Stewart on her selection to the New Zealand team for the World Junior Open Water Championships in Argentina this September! 🇳🇿

Tegen earned her place on the national team after winning the New Zealand Under-17 Open Water Championship earlier this year and achieving the qualifying standard in the 1500m at the New Zealand Swimming Championships

She will compete against the world's best junior open water swimmers over 7.5km — the same distance she claimed her national title in earlier this year.

What an incredible achievement and a testament to the dedication, hard work and resilience Tegen has shown in the pool and open water. We wish her all the very best as she prepares to represent Aotearoa on the world stage.

🌟 PLEASE SUPPORT TEGEN - https://tinyurl.com/Help-Tegan-Swim-for-NZ
Representing New Zealand at a World Championship is the honour of a lifetime, but international sporting campaigns in NZ are largely self-funded - flights, accommodation, team uniforms, coaching support & event fees add up to thousands of dollars. Please consider helping at Tegan's Give-A-Little page (link above) 🌟

Ka mau te wehi, Tegen! 🇳🇿

📸 various, including Nelson Triathlon and Multisport Club
Nelson College for Girls Sport

Parenting in the digital age doesn't come with a handbook, but these events might help.

Join Jo Robertson NEXT WEEK for two free* community events exploring some of the biggest issues affecting rangatahi and whānau today. You'll gain practical, evidence-based insights on:

• Social media and screen use
• Online safety and digital citizenship
• Healthy relationships and consent
• Navigating tricky conversations with young people
• The wellbeing of boys and young men
• Supporting young people to thrive in a rapidly changing world
• Building stronger connections within whānau

As a therapist, educator, researcher and creator of the Tricky Chats Parenting Guide, Jo is known for making complex topics accessible, relevant, and engaging.

These sessions are designed for parents, caregivers, educators, youth workers and anyone supporting rangatahi and whānau.

THE LOST BOYS OF THE WEST
🗓 16 June
📍 Victory Community Centre | Te Puna Hauora o Wairepo
https://events.humanitix.com/the-lost-boys-of-the-west

LEFT TO THEIR DEVICES
🗓 17 June
📍 St Barnabas Anglican Church
https://events.humanitix.com/left-to-their-devices-with-jo-robertson

❗* These events are FREE, but you do need to register at the above links (or use the QR code on the images)

💗 We had so much fun at our annual Pink Ribbon Breakfast – thank you to everyone who attended, donated, and helped create a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Plus a very special thank you to Raeonie Ellery for sharing her powerful and heartfelt story, which was both moving and inspiring.

💖 Ngā mihi nui to our Social Services Committee, whose hard work and organisation made the event such a success - a perfect example of Rangatiratanga in action, with students showing leadership, initiative, and service to others.

💞 Each year, we host this event to help raise vital funds for breast cancer education, research and patient support. But it’s also an opportunity to bring together our staff, students and whānau in support of an important cause.

🎀 If you’d like to host a similar breakfast, you can find plenty of ideas and resources here: https://fundraise.bcf.org.nz/event/pinkribbonbreakfast

Together, we are making a difference.
🎀 Breast Cancer Foundation NZ

🎶✨ What an outstanding day at The Big Sing! ✨🎶 Our Bel Canto Choir and Combined Colleges Choir (NCG & Nelson College) delivered incredible performances, showcasing their talent, dedication and love of choral music.

We are especially proud of Bel Canto, who received two of the five festival awards:
🏆 Audience Impact Award
🏆 TSB Te Reo Māori Award (shared with Richmond View School, Blenheim)

These achievements reflect the countless hours of rehearsal, commitment and passion shown by our students throughout the year.

💙Ka mau te wehi! Congratulations to all the singers involved, and a heartfelt thank you to our inspiring directors Zoe Dee and Rosemary Galton for their dedication and leadership.

“Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini” - Success is not the work of one, but the work of many.

🎵 We are incredibly proud of you all!

Science in action at Cable Bay! 🦀 Our Level 2 Biology students swapped the classroom for the rocky shores of Cable Bay, exploring the fascinating intertidal ecosystem and collecting real scientific data for their NCEA assessments 🔬

With perfect weather, ākonga investigated the diversity of life found between the tides, recording species and observing the remarkable adaptations that help organisms survive in this ever-changing environment 🪸

Head of Science, Helen Feek, says, "Experiences like these bring learning to life while deepening students' connection to the natural world around them. Living in Te Tauihu gives us access to incredible ecosystems, and opportunities like this help foster our value of kaitiakitanga - caring for and protecting the environment for future generations." 🌏

💙 A huge thank you to our science staff - teachers and support staff - for making this valuable learning experience possible.