King's High School

King's Mountain Biking Trio go Global🌍

Huge congratulations to Mason Jelgersma (Y11), Ben Shaw (Y12) and his older brother Jacob Shaw (Y13), who recently travelled across the ditch to Brisbane, Australia, to compete at the BMX World Championships, proudly representing New Zealand and wearing the Silver Fern.

All three boys qualified to represent New Zealand following impressive performances at the BMXNZ National Championships in Te Awamutu earlier this year, an incredible achievement in itself.

The World Championships brought together more than 2,800 riders from around the globe, creating an incredibly competitive environment and a week full of highs, lows, fast racing and plenty of unforgettable experiences.

While the boys didn't progress through to the finals, all three rode hard and consistently throughout their motos, showing fantastic determination, skill and composure on the world stage.

Mason and Ben competed in the fast and furious 16 Boys category.
Jacob competed across two highly competitive categories — 17–24 Men on his 20-inch bike, as well as Cruiser.

A massive congratulations to Mason, Ben and Jacob on an outstanding achievement. Reaching the BMX World Championships and representing New Zealand is something very few get the opportunity to experience.

As BMX Race Coach Andrew Hickey put it:

“Pulling on the Silver Fern and lining up against the world’s best is something very few people get to experience. Every one of you should be proud of what you’ve achieved and the way you represented New Zealand.”

We couldn't be prouder of you boys 🦁🦁🦁

Choir wins prestigious te reo award

Held in Timaru last weekend (21–22 August), twelve top secondary school choirs from throughout the South Island gathered for the two-day South Island Big Sing Cadenza. The festival showcases exceptional youth choral talent through formally adjudicated performances and combined choir workshops, culminating in a gala concert and award ceremony at the Sacred Heart Basilica. The adjudicator for 2026 was leading New Zealand choral conductor and multi-instrumentalist Brent Stewart.

After winning the Te Reo Māori Award for the best performance of a waiata in te reo at the regional Big Sing in June, Polyhymnia was thrilled to claim the award once again at Cadenza, standing out among incredible waiata performances from rival choirs. This award honours, preserves, and embeds indigenous language and culture into New Zealand’s youth choral music community and is awarded to the choir who demonstrates vocal excellence, reo pronunciation and authenticity as well as emotional/spiritual delivery of the text.

Overall, Polyhymnia earned a Silver (Koromiko) Award for their two-programme performance, which featured four songs in total.

A huge thank-you goes to directors Dale Irvine and Kris White, accompanist and director Jo Dryden, and the 35 dedicated students in the combined choir for their hard work and commitment.

Staying with tradition, King's 1st XI Football team played their final warm-up match against King's Old Boys.

Both teams were playing to win, but it was the 1st XI who created some opportunities early. Loan keeper Kian Geeves (he'll be an ‘Old Boy’ next year) made a couple of great saves, as well as striker Jonty Hill being unlucky to hit the post.

The Old Boys won corner in the last few minutes before half time. Tom Connor delivered a fine cross to the far post, Bradley Scott headed the ball back towards the 6-yard box, where Nic Boereboom calmly headed it over the goal line. 1-0 at half-time.

Once again, the 1st XI came out fizzing at the start of the second half, but some great pressing from Max Davidson and a cool finish from him gave the Old Boys a 2-0 cushion. Fitness levels were starting to wain and the from a poor pass from the back, the students grabbed one back through Jonty Hill.

A couple of chances flew high or wide near the end of the game, with the Old Boys winning 2-1.

We want to wish the 1st XI, Mr McPhail and Mrs Jopson all the best at the Premier Football tournament in Palmerston North next week.

Old Boys team: Shane Stewart (and son Luka Stewart Yr10), Nic Boereboom, Hamish Philip, Logan Mamanu, Tom Connor, Quinn Mair, Paddy Tyrell, Max Davidson, Jonty Davidson, Jacob Anderson, Bradley Scott

King's snowboarder, Marlee Silva (Y13) is ranked 2nd in NZ, 5th in Oceana Asia 🏂

Recently, Marlee Silva competed in the New Zealand Junior Freeride Tour (NZJFT) at Treble Cone - a premier four-stop competition series for over 200 top young snowboarders and skiers. In freeride, riders find a pathway over natural, ungroomed terrain without a set trail to follow. It emphasises creative, personalised lines and combines technical skill with adventure seeking.

After a great run, Marlee came away with a very well deserved 4th place (3 points off 3rd!). He has one more competition in this series, at the Remarkables on 18-20 September.

"Inspiring Us" Interview series: Mr Turner
by Rhys Milmine, Prefect

What's been your journey to this point?
I mean, have you got all day? In summary, I’m Dunedin-born and bred, raised in a proud working-class state house family. My parents are celebrating their 62nd wedding anniversary this year, and I've spent nearly 95% of my life within five kilometres of where I was born. I’m loyal: one club, one life. My path wasn't conventional. After high school at King's, I spent ten years on the dole living the punk rock lifestyle, sporting an eight-inch mohawk and safety pins, completely content being poor because money wasn't my priority. Everything changed when I met my wife. She had two young children, and falling in love meant embracing parenthood. We had to figure out how to build a future where our kids could thrive. My wife worked night shifts at the fish factory so I could study every day, making incredible sacrifices while I completed a double degree in mathematics and psychology. I went to Teachers' College to support our family, bringing years of experience as a scout leader working with young people outdoors. After teaching at Otago Girls' and Bayfield, the opportunity came to return to King's High School. This school is home; my son, my brother, and my nephews all came here. Returning was a dream come true, marking 50 years of involvement with King's as a student, parent, and rugby coach.


How do you see participation shaping a student's overall high school experience and their connection to the school community?
Participation is about being part of the action. It creates a genuine sense of belonging, a feeling that this place is part of your DNA. Whether it's debating, singing, tech, or sports, finding a group of like-minded peers is the key to feeling like King's is your place. The connections you make here last a lifetime. When I turned 50, my high school friends and I bought motorbikes and rode around the South Island together. We might have taken completely different paths in life, but there's a shared core of integrity, respect, and sportsmanship that this school instils in all of us.


As a House Dean, what does true participation look like?
It means signing up and turning up without any view of a reward. In the Haka competition, for example, we step forward because we want to for each other, not for the judges. We are good winners and good losers. True participation means valuing family over winning every single time. In house volleyball, Hanover will play a six-a-side match with 20 guys swapping in so everyone gets a turn, even if the talented athletes complain that we aren't putting our best lineup out. We will always make space for every single guy to be part of the action.


What would you say to a student who feels like they haven't found their 'thing' yet?
There's no hurry. Picking a path when you're young is tough because you don't even know what most jobs actually entail. Don't rush. Relax, be yourself, and your place will find you.


Could you share a story of a student who has grown through participating?
I see it every year. Boys come in with baggage or bad past experiences in mathematics, and my job is to give them a clean slate and turn that around. The reward comes much later, like former students like bumping into me on the street to tell me how much fun they had in math class, or hearing a story from a local dentist about a boy who hated school until Year 9 turned his confidence around. Walking through town with my wife and still getting called "Sir" by people in their 30s. Those moments are pure gold.


What advice would you give to a future student or parent considering King's?
If you want a place where you will belong for the rest of your life, be part of something meaningful, and have the opportunity to be authentically yourself, come here. We don't put on a show for open nights; we offer a real, transparent view of who we are. Trust us and believe in us, because King's is home.


One word to describe King's? Home.
Best artist and greatest song of all time? The clash, London calling
Does pineapple belong on pizza? Yes
Best season of the year? Winter - frost, fires and snowboarding
Most influential person of all time? My dad or Alan Turing
Your hidden talent? ‘Mathematical artist’ - newly invented term
Cats or dogs? Both but cats (they're independent)
Your style in one word? Passionate
Your favourite movie? Star wars episode 4 A New Hope
Finish this sentence, “the way to my heart is…” My beautiful wife.

Monday 14th, Tuesday 15th, Wednesday 15th September school will finish at 2pm to allow for Literacy and Numeracy testing. The timetable will be slightly different on those days- further details to follow via e-mail.

If you have any questions/concerns please don't hesitate to reach out via e-mail [email protected].

Lights. Camera…
By Y13s Benjamin Downing, Farhaad Jamil & Aidan Blakie

The zenith of Arts Week saw King's Senior drama students taking to the stage. . Audience members were treated to a diverse program of scenes, spanning well-known New Zealand plays, Political Theatre, Melodrama, student-devised pieces, open scripts, sneak peaks of scholarship monologues, and finally concluding with some entertaining Theatresports games.

Three energetic MC's, Aidan Blakie, Farhaad Jamil and fan-favourite River Ryalls led the evening's events. They spoke with style and charisma setting the mood and tone for the evening.

Scene highlights from the night included the acrimonious Court of Azdak Scene from Bertolt Brecht's 1946 epic play The Caucasian Chalk Circle, Benjamin Downing's Scholarship monologue from Vincent O'Sullivan's Shuriken, interpretations of Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot (including a jaw-dropping yet hilarious maneuver performed by Elijah Le), and an explosive rendition of a scene from Dynamite! by Roger Hall.

After the main scenes were performed, the audience was treated to energetic but questionable improvs from the Theatresports team consisting of Benjamin Downing, Logan Gray, Farhaad Jamil and Kaden Williamson. They first performed an eclectic scene involving a Mountaineer on Everest, a wannabe Actor working at McDonald's, a tragically untalented choir and finally Farhaad Jamil played Lebron James, as he demonstrated his amazing basketball skills. They then closed out the night by improvising a hilarious scene, involving a quest for the key to reach the Holy Grail in Grandma Bettie's basement. The quest was a narrow success, with some audience members overhead stating it as being “Awesome Sauce” and “Cool Beans”.

Overall the night was a huge success, and we hope to improve on it for next year. A big thank you to Mr McKenzie for organising this event as TIC of Drama, and Mr Harington for organising the sound system in the PAC, and, of course, the Senior Drama Class.

Four King's athletes were featured in the ODT this week, for this podium successes in the Otago Road Championships. Two of the four, Thomas Weatherall and Caleb Dobier are aiming to represent NZ one day, with Thomas already making good progress, ranked #23 in NZ (Men's).


Great photo by Peter McIntosh at Otago Daily Times

King's of the Arts
By Prefects Aidan Blakie, Vincent Laban & Ben Downing

Last week was our annual Arts Week, with each day assigned a different artistic theme: Musical Monday, Tempest Tuesday, Weird & Wonderful Wednesday, Raiona Thursday and Fabulous Friday. What a rollercoaster.

We listened to art: with various musical performances by Polyhymnia, Orchestra, “Queen Bee and the Swing King's”, Mr. Kaine on guitar, and an impressive live performance in the quad by Mr. Sharma and Seafog. The range was varied, from protest songs to James Bond.

We created art: making co**se collages and black-out poetry

We watched art: Senior drama students performing scenes from an array of classical and New Zealand plays - Shuriken, Dynamite, Caucasian chalk circle, Waiting for Godot, and The Tui Bird - wrapping up with a taster of theatresports.

We even built art from Science: with 9Sp and 9St building their own periodic tables.

Now down to the nitty gritty of who won what?

● Junior Photography winner - Oumaier Liu (tree)
● Senior Photography winner - Yahya Albahnasawi (Basketball)
● People's Choice winner - Farhaad Jamil (Raptors)
● Blackout Poetry winner - Chris Booyens
● Exquisite Co**se winner - Alex Bailey

Finally, a big thank you to Mrs Dryden, Mr Harington, Mr. McKenzie, Mrs Vercoe, Mrs Sharma, Mr Kennedy, Mrs Rozenberg, and of course, arts director extraordinaire Mrs Welvaert, whose meticulous organisation has once again made King's of Art a roaring success.