This week WC has been celebrating the arts, with some fantastic events and performances happening around the school! The weather hasn’t been kind which sadly meant we have postponed our junior rock bands and some of the front “gatertainment” performances, but the indoors have been packed at lunchtimes with students getting involved with the activities.

We kicked off on Tuesday with the ever popular Staff vs Student debate, complete with the traditional sledging between our teams of (for the staff) Mr Michie, Ms Bartlett and Mr Tester and (for the students) Max Delahunty, Miles Beaglehole and Hudson Todd. This year, once again, the students took the victory arguing for the moot that “Teachers can never be replaced by AI”. Next year in the interests of fairness we promise to have judges not entirely made up from the student body – hopefully the teachers can finally secure a victory.

The theatresports competition, excellently run and compèred by Mr Gorman, was a real highlight with three teams representing the juniors, seniors and staff. Arlo Pryor’s real-time improvised music on the keyboard and trumpet provided a dramatic backdrop to the chaos occurring on stage. Taking out the victory was the teachers by a narrow margin.

Also of note was the inaugural “Recollection Art Competition” where teams of four competed to recreate a drawing – but the catch being that only one of them saw it and had to guide their team through communication alone! The competition drew a large crowd of students that otherwise are not involved in art and was a great success, with some surprisingly accurate end results!

To wrap up the week we had the third annual “Like a Version” song competition, where groups competed to perform their own interpretations of the Split Enz classic “I see red”. There were some incredible performances (and a unique one from the music staff), with “Nicholas Kennedy’s Reggae Experience” taking the top spot.

Thanks to all the boys and staff who have organised events this year and turned up to participate – here’s hoping the weather is kinder in 2027!