Dance NZ Made Results
Fantastic day at Dance NZ this week! All the students were amazing and danced their hearts out during the workshops and performances.
Shout out to our Contemporary troupe in an open class of 12. Very tough competition, unable to place, but totally nailed their dance.
Year 9/10 Jazz Troupe – 3rd Place
Year 9/10 Hip Hop – REGIONAL CHAMPIONS 2026
Also placing 5th out of 24 troupes overall!
Golden Tickets awarded to Rubi Scott (Year 9) and Ali Hunt (Year 10)
Year 10 Solo finalist to represent in Palmerston North – Ali Hunt
Link to view Hip Hop Dance NZ Made Performance
Robotics Scrimmage Recap
On August 8th two of our VEX Robotics teams competed at the season-opening scrimmage at Otahuhu College in Auckland, bringing home a 2nd place trophy and a quarter-finals finish.
Junior Team 2941X Makes Waves
In their first major tournament setting, team 2941X reached the quarter-finals while learning key lessons about game preparation and mechanical reliability. Their strong driving performance and clever, independently developed passive toggles turned heads across the pit area.
Senior Team 2941G Reaches the Finals
Senior team 2941G delivered a dominant 7–1 run through qualifications to secure the 2nd seed. Teaming up with the 1st seed, they powered through to the final round. Though a bold final strategy narrowly missed the mark, the team walked away with valuable strategic insights.
2941G built the most competitive robot at the event—boasting dependable autonomous code and the fastest scoring speed in the building. Using this modular test chassis to stress-test their ideas, the team is now heading straight into a full rebuild to take their design to the next level.
When to keep your child home to get well, and for how long
Going to school every day is important for all our rangatahi/ adolescents to build confidence social skills and to achieve their education and life ambitions.
However, in the winter terms, we see an increase in seasonal coughs, colds, and flu-like symptoms across the school. To help keep our classrooms healthy and minimise the spread of bugs, please keep your rangatahi home if they are unwell.
The following guidelines HERE can help you decide if your rangatahi should stay home:
Thank you for your ongoing support in keeping our school community healthy and well this winter.
Ōtūmoetai College Year 12/13 Business Studies/Young Enterprise Groups
Ōtumoetai College has 9 Year 12/13 Business Studies/Young Enterprise groups that have been busy creating and developing innovative products to take to market as part of their course this year.
In the spotlight this week are the following teams; Ouch Pouch, Pivot, Rau & glow, Side Quests, Soapy Scents, Squeezeables. Go follow them on their socials, share their product with friends and family and support however you can! Some businesses have giveaways too, so keep an eye out so you don’t miss out!
Our other Young Enterprise groups can be found in this News Roundup here (and scroll down).
Find SideQuests, Pivot, Buzz Bites and Portion Pal at the Little Big Markets on the 22nd August from 9:00am – 2:00pm at Coronation Park Mt Maunganui.
Find Ouch Pouch, Rau & Glow, Soapy Scents, Squeezables, Bottle Refresh, Kiwi Protein at: The Careers Expo on 6th August, Bottle Refresh and Kiwi Protein will be at the Food Show on 15&16th August and Squeezables will be at the Little Big markets on the 22nd August.
Ouch Pouch
Got an Ouch? Reach for the pouch.
Ouch Pouch is a washable, reusable and adjustable pouch that is used to put ice or heat packs in, so that you won’t have to worry about keeping it in place. Our product is created to solve the problem of when using an ice or heat pack and the fact that they don’t stay in place, therefore having to be held in a specific spot for a period of time when in use. Ouch Pouch allows you to keep doing what you need to do while ensuring the pouch holds your ice or heat pack with a velcro lid to ensure it stays inside the pouch. The straps are then connected to this pouch with Velcro and a D-ring, so that it can be adjusted to any body part where the ice or heat pack is needed.
Pivot
We are Pivot, a student-led business passionate about helping indoor athletes perform with confidence. We created Pivot Grip Spray to improve shoe traction on indoor courts, helping reduce slips while enhancing performance and control.
Our goal is to provide athletes with a reliable, affordable, and effective grip solution for sports such as basketball, volleyball, netball, and badminton. Through innovation and teamwork, we’re proud to develop a product that supports both safety and performance every time athletes step onto the court.
You can find us on our instagram @pivotgripspraynz or on our website nzpivot.com
Rau & Glow
At Rau and Glow, our “why” is driven by a passion for creating skincare that is safe, natural, and meaningful. We believe people deserve products that not only enhance their appearance but also care for their skin without exposing them to harsh chemicals. Our product is a natural lip and cheek tint balm made from locally sourced New Zealand ingredients such as kawakawa and beeswax, along with other nourishing plant-based components. This product is designed to be multi-functional, providing both a subtle tint for beauty and deep nourishment for the skin. By focusing on high-quality, natural ingredients, we aim to deliver a product that supports skin health while enhancing a natural, healthy glow.
Side Quests
Have you ever had days where you wanted to go outside and have fun but you just couldn’t think of anything to do? SidQuests are your answer! We are an interactive card game where you have the option of 20 fun and exciting quests to complete to win vouchers from our Sponsors, Hashtag Cafe. We began this business because we’ve seen the decline in people going into the City Centre and how empty it has become. Local businesses
are shutting down so we wanted to give the people of Tauranga a reason to visit the City centre. Show your support by following us on Instagram and Tiktok @sidequests.tga. Find us at the Careers Expo on August 6th Located at Mercury Baypark Arena. Our product is $15.
Soapy Scents
Looking for a way to enjoy popular men’s colognes without the hefty price tag? Our business Soapy Scents has the perfect solution. We infuse popular men’s colognes directly into our soap bars. Our unique process gives consumers the luxurious, long lasting aroma of top tier designer fragrances at a fraction of the cost. Instead of spending hundreds of dollars on a single bottle of cologne, you can now elevate your daily grooming routine affordably. Support a local school business and upgrade your shower experience today. Follow us on social media at @soapyscentsnzl and find our website in our bio to browse our collection.
Squeezables
As teenagers from Ōtūmoetai College, we’ve noticed that a common problem amongst all young adults and also children is mental health. Knowing this, we decided to create a product to help everyone, but specifically teenagers and children aged 5 years or older.
Squeezables, our product is a squishy/fidget toy designed to help people with mental health issues. Stress relief toys are found to be very effective tools for mental health-targeted disorders/illnesses, and for regulating the body’s nervous system, evening out your breathing and providing your mind and nervous energy with a healthy outlet. Along with being unique in its small size, it’s easy to conceal, fit in any pocket, and smoosh together with other colours and squishies. Collect all the colours!
Message from Te Whatu Ora – Scabies – Te waihakihaki
We are seeing a significant increase in cases of scabies in our community. We ask whānau to be aware of the signs and symptoms so cases can be identified and treated early. Students with scabies need to stay home until 24 hours after their first treatment is completed.
For more information on how to identify scabies and what treatments are available please click here.
SVA Foodbank Drive – 5th-18th August
Your Education – Scholarships and Application Deadlines
Is your student wanting an international experience this year?
Your Education High School Exchanges still have spaces available for all their two and three-month exchanges starting in December and January. The application deadline is 1st September.
Discounts & Scholarships Available
They have several offers to help make an exchange a little bit more affordable:
- $1,000 OFF: Valid for short-term Canada exchanges (departing Dec ’26) OR Canada for any duration departing in Feb ’27.
- $500 OFF: Valid for any short-term exchange departing in Dec ’26 or any destination departing in Jan ‘27.
They also have scholarships up to the value of $2,000. Interested students should check out the criteria on their website here.
The best way for students and their parents to find out more is to join one of their Online Information Meetings. They also have a Book a Chat function on our website where students or their parents can book a time to speak with one of our team.
Any students wanting more information can email enquiries@youreducation.co.nz.
