Student Achievement

The Papanui High School Jazz Band is currently, in conjuction with a recording studio, performing songs to be recorded and burnt onto a CD.

The Jazz Band is also currently preparing themselves for a competition in Christchurch, nationals at Blenheim, and various other events scattered across New Zealand.

The Shirley-Papanui Council recently held their annual Garden Pride awards, and for the ceremony Gabriel Pollard was given the task of processing various photographs of the award winning gardens and composing them into a slideshow. The council not only repaid Gabriel back for his time, but praised him for his work done. "The PowerPoint presentation looked great and was well received."

They have also appointed Gabriel as the official photographer for their upcoming volunteer awards ceremony on June 23.

The three students were vying for a name change after being through many other band members, including an exchange student from Germany, since forming in mid-2007. Isaac said, "We wanted to give ourselves a new image, and with a new name we could have a fresh start, with just the three of us, Josh, Sam and myself."

When known as Morti Humani - which means Dead Men in Latin -, LtL played their original song, Mama, at the Christchurch Civic Theatre heat rounds for Rockquest. While Isaac says they had a perception that their performance was "absolutely shocking", the judges obviously thought otherwise. "The next day [after the audition], I was at production rehearsals and got a txt from one of my mates from Burnside [High School], who also competed in it, and she said something along the lines of 'Congrats on getting through guys'.

"[Sam and I] just both went nuts, but silently, because people were rehearsing," Isaac said while laughing.

The next venue for the regionals was the Town Hall where they again played hard rock song Mama and another titled Katie, a pop rock-style of song. Ironically they thought this was their best performance but failed to proceed onto any further stages but, through a grin, Isaac told me that they "were all really stoked with their performance and [thought it] was such an awesome experience."

While the two songs they played at Rockquest have ties to the rock genre, Isaac says that they can play any type of music the audience wants from country to techno to blues.

LtL have 13 original songs, such as the ones aforementioned and a song memorialising former Papanui High School Student Marie Davis who passed away earlier this year. Later in August they will be recording a few of their songs, which Isaac said should be "really good". The purpose, he says, to be "something we can play to people without having to get out all our instruments."

As well as original songs, they can also cover at least three songs off by heart such as Why Does Love Do This To Me? by The Exponents, Face Down by Red Jumpsuit Apparatus and The Divynals' I Touch Myself.

LtL have played around five gigs, "if you count playing at school"; two at school, played at the Loons in Lyttelton, once at the Civic and performed at the Town Hall. Recently New Zealand's Got Talent came to Christchurch, while LtL didn't know they were able to audition, Isaac says that they should have entered.

The school’s Year 10 team gained second place (Daniel Gray Hayes, Laura Cadigan, Sally, and Hannah Chew - pictured) and the Year 9 team of John Yang, Kimberley Choi, Su Shing Chen and Wilhelm Horne came fourth.

Papanui High School recently performed a modern turn on Shakespearean drama to audiences. Over the course of three-nights, the cast showcased their talent with the play, "A Midsummer Night's Dream".

A Midsummer Night's Dream is about the adventures of four young Athenian lovers and a group of amateur actors, their interactions with the Duke and Duchess of Athens, Theseus and Hippolyta, and with the fairies who inhabit a moonlit forest.

The student help of around 55 on-stage and about 10 off-stage, played the modern-twist on the romantic comedy popularised in the 1590's when first played to the public. While it was still the classic William Shakespeare play that's studied in school to this day, the director did make some cuts and tweaks to fit the angle they went with. The changes made included making the play "psychedelic" with a 1960's-inspired theme.

Director and head drama teacher at Papanui High School, Miss Jay Versteeg (hereafter referred to as Miss V), said that all the students who were involved in one way or another worked tirelessly for approximately four-months with rehearsals during school, after school, weekends and holidays.

Students ranging from year nine to year 13 were involved, including dancers which had been added for more of a twist to the classic play. Miss V said that it was cool getting dancers involved because the school hadn't partaken in the Stage Challenge competition this year.

Some aspects of the set design, lighting and acoustics was done by teachers and professionals alike, but students remained the vital role in ensuring they delivered on the nights. And delivering on the night they did. Miss V said that only a few minor things went wrong during the performances such as "line fumbles, but nothing major".

The response from the audience after each show was overwhelmingly incredibly positive, Miss V says. She says that everyone was impressed with the level of talent shown, including herself. "I'm very happy and proud of all those involved.

"It's hard work doing a Shakespearean play; they did it justice."

The play was performed in the school hall which catered for an almost full house on the Friday night. The other shows on Wednesday and Thursday were not as full. While Miss V would like more Papanui High School students to attend the annual productions, Casebrook Intermediate School were treated to a matinée performance for free.