Napier Boys’ High School’s open evening may have been cancelled due to Covid-19 restrictions, but the school is welcoming prospective students and their families.
Headmaster Matt Bertram said while they would love to be able to showcase the attributes of NBHS, with an abundance of caution in these trying times, they felt it was best to cancel the event.
“However, this does not mean that parents and prospective students of our school will not have the opportunity to experience all we have to offer.
“We welcome parents to contact us for a private tour of the school. We are confident that we will have an excellent intake of students next year.”
As Hawke’s Bay’s oldest secondary school, and one of the leading schools in the country, NBHS boasts an array of opportunities for young men.
Whether it is academia, sports, cultural or leadership, Deputy headmaster Bruce Smith says there is something for all students.
Boys are offered programmes to suit their specific needs. There are a range of classes depending on the student’s ability, from an accelerated programme, right down to learner support, to help them achieve.
“As for sport, we would have to be considered the top sporting school in Hawke’s Bay just because of the breadth of success in a wide range of codes.”
Currently, NBHS hold the Moascar Cup – the Ranfurly Shield of schoolboy rugby, the Bartholomew Cup for XI Hockey, and Dean Ronberg Challenge Shield for football.
There are a huge number of teams, and all boys have the opportunity to play some sort of sport, whether at an elite level or simply playing socially.
This month has already seen several cultural highlights for the school. The Rockquest regional winners were announced with two NBHS bands, Clouded Lens and Astropope, finishing 2nd and 3rd respectively.
While the School Band and Funk Band gained Silver Awards at the Festival of the Bands. Several students gained individual golds but Jackson Stone, notably, was top performer.
The chess team have also had a successful run, winning virtually every grade they could at the Hawke’s Bay schools championships.
Mr Smith said leadership potential, particularly based around service to the school and the community is a “real strength”.
And despite being a large school, all students will always be a part of the ‘Sky Blue’ brotherhood.
“The boys think of this as a very large family.”
