Tag: Featured

The B. F. Connell Prize for Dux of the School is awarded to Jayden Kumar. Jayden has maintained a place in the top five students in the A stream throughout his time at Auckland Grammar School.

His academic abilities are exceptional. In Form 6, he scored 93 in A Level Mathematics, 94 in Cambridge AS Level Biology, 94 in Physics, 95 in Chemistry and 96 in English Literature.

Jayden also achieved NZQA Scholarships in English, Statistics, Earth and Space Science and Geography, and an Outstanding Scholarship in Chemistry. He was one of the 51 students nationally who were awarded Outstanding Scholarship Awards at the 2022 Top Scholars Awards Ceremony. In recognition of his achievements, he was named on the 2022 Honours Board at this year’s Scholars’ Assembly.

Jayden has continued to excel in Form 7, maintaining As for Attitude and Effort throughout the year. In his final set of examinations, he scored 88 in A Level Physics, 89 in Biology, 96 in Chemistry and 97 in Level 3 Latin, giving him an overall aggregate for the year of 370/400.

His academic achievements have been recognised previously through the award of the Delamare Prize for Biology, the Wayne Douglas Prize for Physics, and the Dr Kidd Memorial Prize. In 2023, he also received the Eric Astley Prize for the top performance in Science and Mathematics, the Ben Gould Prize for Chemistry, and the H. O. Ingram Prize for Form 7 Latin. 

In his time at the School, Jayden has actively engaged with a number of extracurricular activities. He is a member of the Chronicle Committee, the Debating Premier Advanced team and Football Senior 1, he is Captain of Debating, a Library Monitor, and a member of the Model United Nations group.

He is a 2023 Prefect and a member of the School’s Proceres Grammatici group for top scholars. In 2023, he was also selected to represent New Zealand in the International Chemistry Olympiad.

Jayden is described by his masters as “a student of rare ability”, with “acumen, motivation to succeed”, a “genuine interest” in his subjects and a willingness to work beyond the scope of the syllabus. 

Jayden embodies the School’s values in a remarkable way, working with humility, diligence and a warm and personable approach.

The Sportsman of the Year is awarded to the student who is the highest performing sportsman in a single code, and the 2023 recipient is Deputy Head Prefect J. A. Mora.

Jamie Mora is an able sportsman who has earned national recognition at the Under 20 level in both Distance Running and Cross Country this year.

At the New Zealand Secondary Schools Road Race in December 2022, Jamie won the 6km race setting a new record time of 18:13. He followed this up by winning the Auckland Road Race title and guiding the three and six-man teams to Bronze.

On the track, his record-breaking performances continued as he won the Senior 1500m at the Auckland Secondary Schools Championships in a record time of 3:56:06.

His performances in Cross Country are also impressive. After illness and a long recovery, Jamie returned to place fourth at the New Zealand Secondary Schools Championships, helping the School win the Senior Boys’ three-man race and Silver in the six-man race.

His dedication and commitment to his training have seen him secure a scholarship to the University of Missouri in Columbia in the United States in 2024, a powerhouse in NCAA athletics.

Alongside being the Deputy Head Prefect, Jamie was Captain of Athletics in 2023. He also received Colours in 2022 and 2023, and won the College Sport Young Sportsman of the Year award for Distance Running.

The Rope Cup is for the best all-round young man in the School, the young man who has been most outstanding for personality, leadership, strength of character, a sense of responsibility in performance of duties, scholarship, co-operation with staff and an athletic prowess and record in school activities.

The emphasis is on personal achievement – the best young man on the above points. Much of this could be achieved in his final year and the 2023 recipient is Head Prefect Q. H. D. Te Tamaki.

Quinlan Te Tamaki has distinguished himself for his inclusive style of leadership, a good sense of humour, self-reliance and compassion. He has acquired a broad range of knowledge that he has utilised well in the Cambridge pathway over the last two years, including Top in the World in AS Physical Education.

Quinlan has been fully committed to School life, acting with personal responsibility and courage to uphold high expectations daily. He has been held in universal esteem by staff and students because of the quality of his interactions with others, and he has represented the School with calmness and composure in all capacities. 

He has demonstrated athletic prowess and courage as a committed member of both the 1st XV Rugby Team and the Premier Touch Rugby team this year.

As the 2023 Head Prefect, Quinlan has been an exceptional leader – one who presents at first with a quiet disposition and is often self-deprecating, but it is in the consistency of his actions that his true character and ability is tangible and quickly understood.

Quinlan has personified the School’s values through his genuine interest in others, and respect of them. Alongside his personal attributes, he has achieved well, both academically and in sport. In doing so has built resilience, strength of character and integrity.

These characteristics along with his humility and empathy have engendered confidence in those around him. Quinlan Te Tamaki knows who he is, where he belongs and he has willingly served others.

The Torch of Tradition is awarded to the young man who has been most conspicuous for devotion to the School and its traditions, service and self-sacrifice, general conduct inside and outside the School, character, bearing and manner, and a sense of responsibility and school spirit.

The record over the whole of a young man’s school career, or most of it, will have to be considered, and the 2023 recipient is Deputy Head Prefect J. A. Mora.

Jamie Mora is an able all-round student who has worked with determination to advance his academic standing in Cambridge qualifications. 

He has been committed to School life throughout his five years at the School and has demonstrated considerable character in and outside of the classroom through his conduct and demeanour.

As an athlete, Jamie has demonstrated leadership, responsibility and service as Captain of Athletics this year. He is community-minded as has been tangibly demonstrated through his support of the School at a range of events and the sidelines of Premier sports fixtures.

Jamie has been this year’s Deputy Head Prefect. He has contributed extensively to the tone and culture of the School through his partnership with Head Prefect Quinlan Te Tamaki as well as the Prefect cohort. He has readily accepted responsibility and shown pride in his School through his actions.

Jamie has responded with modesty, respect and good humour as a representative of Auckland Grammar School and has lived our values.

Jamie Mora has made the most of the opportunities presented to him. He has excelled, understood and respected Auckland Grammar School traditions and endorsed its ethos through his service, character, bearing and manner.

The Ian Mackinlay Memorial Scholarship is for a young man who has shown personal excellence in every field of endeavour, whether in the classroom, on the sports field, or in cultural activities. Essential values shown should include honesty, loyalty and integrity as well as strength and determination in tackling challenges.

The recipient should have shown a responsibility to the wider community, showing a combination of individual excellence, commitment to others and pride in being part of a team, and the 2023 recipient is Senior Prefect A. K. Baker.

Angus Baker has earned the right to be described as a highly regarded member of the School community for his tenacity, humility, self-discipline and high level of personal organisation.

His ability, focus and commitment have enabled him to achieve sound academic results. In 2021, Baker produced an 89.75% average over four Advanced Subsidiary (AS) subjects and 90% in A Level Mathematics in the Cambridge International Examinations.

He has also participated in a broad range of extracurricular activities. This year alone these have included the student editor of the Chronicle, the Ethics Olympiad, the Headmaster’s Social Awareness Group, Interact, Model United Nations and Proceres Grammatici.

Angus was appointed as a 2023 Senior Prefect and Head Boy of Tibbs House. In both capacities he has displayed outstanding leadership skills. He has applied himself cheerfully and energetically to all aspects of School life, is affable and held in high regard by his peers and teachers. 

His character approach and performance have seen him awarded the Sir Douglas Meyers Scholarship to study at Gonville and Caius College at Cambridge University in 2024.

Angus is a personable young man with a positive attitude and a strong work ethic. He has been a loyal, proud and significant contributor to Auckland Grammar School.

Angus Baker has the utmost integrity and has embodied the School’s values and he is a worthy recipient of the Ian Mackinlay Memorial Scholarship.

Oliver Gunson is an extremely capable academic, having maintained a place in the top six of the A stream at the end of every year during his time at Auckland Grammar School.

Oliver’s academic strengths are evidenced by his remarkable attainment. In Form 6, he was first in class and recognised with the Flying Officer Alfred P. Fogerty Memorial Scholarship, the Headmaster’s Prize for the Outstanding Scholar in 6A, and awarded the Dr F. Wilson Lang Memorial Prize for Mathematics.

In his end-of-year Cambridge examinations, he scored 94 in A Level Mathematics, 87 in AS Level English Literature, 94 (and Top in New Zealand) in Biology, 96 in Physics, and 97 (and Top in New Zealand ) in Chemistry. He also achieved NZQA Scholarships in English, Calculus, Biology and Earth and Space Science, and an Outstanding Scholarship in Chemistry.

His achievements saw him named on the Honours Board for 2022, and he was one of the 51 students nationally who were awarded Outstanding Scholarship Awards at the 2022 Top Scholars Awards Ceremony. These levels of achievement saw him invited to join Proceres Grammatici, the School’s elite group of our most promising scholarship candidates, in 2023.

Oliver continued these excellent academic standards in 2023, being first in Class in A Level Biology and AS Level Accounting, third in Class in Chemistry and fifth equal in Physics in his Term 3 examinations. His achievements are recognised in 2023 with the award of the Eric Astley Prize, the O’Sullivan Prize for Biology, and the Rabone Prize for Form 7 Science.

Oliver has consistently contributed to the extracurricular life of the School. He has played Football and been involved with Orienteering throughout his time at Grammar, and was Captain of Orienteering in 2023.

He has been a Library Monitor, he completed Duke of Edinburgh Bronze and Silver awards in 2021 and 2022, and in 2023 he has served as a School Prefect. He was also selected as a member of the New Zealand team for the International Chemistry Olympiad.

Oliver is highly regarded by all his masters. He has maintained a straight-A average for his attitude and effort in every end-of-year report. He embodies the Grammar values, especially in his commitment, and his masters draw attention to his “content mastery”, his “excellent problem-solving skills”, his ability to sustain a high level of performance and to act as a role model to his peers at all times.

Oliver hopes to pursue engineering later in life, and next year, he plans to study for a conjoint degree in Engineering and Commerce at the University of Auckland.

The Hal Radford Memorial Trophy is awarded to the young man who by quality of performance and all-round effort has also contributed the administration of a sporting code.

This award is given to a young man involved in a sport that is not necessarily considered a mainstream code and the 2023 recipient is Prefect A. D. Lipscombe, for his contributions to Olympic Weightlifting.

Aidan Lipscombe has been a member of the School’s Weightlifting squad for four years, starting the sport as a Form 4 student while at Tibbs House.

He has become renowned in the Weightlifting community for his vociferous encouragement of Grammar lifters, but also for his quieter encouragement of fellow lifters from other schools. His ability to boost younger lifters’ confidence with such support has made him a popular figure on the Olympic Weightlifting competition circuit.

In 2022, Aidan won gold in the 102kg class and claimed the Jerry Wallwork Trophy for the best weightlifter in the School.

This year at the New Zealand Secondary Schools Championships, he earned Bronze. With his personal best 100kg snatch and 110kg clean and jerk, this 210kg total was the biggest by a Grammar lifter in the competition in seven years. 

Aidan has also continued to actively recruit students into the code.

The Burroughs Cup is awarded to the young man who has entered most whole-heartedly and most widely into the sporting activities of the school. Consideration is given to sportsmanship, School spirit and an all-round interest in games.

The award is not necessarily for individual prowess, but rather for all-around participation, and the 2023 recipient is Prefect L. J. D. Lepionka.

Louis Lepionka is a hardworking sportsman who has made the most of the opportunities given to him over his five years at Auckland Grammar School.

This year, he was captain of Rugby, a member of the Premier Touch team, the Senior Athletics team, Cricket Senior Red and the Senior Swimming team. In his captaincy of the 1st XV Rugby team, he demonstrated pride, commitment and loyalty. He led by example throughout the season, putting team before self.  His commitment to the training load and expectations of him as a premier sportsman never waned. His positivity in the squad reflected his high-quality character. 

There is no doubt that Louis’ sporting talent, work ethic, leadership through action, and humility have all contributed to his success during his time at Grammar.

As a 2023 Prefect, his leadership is shown by his loyal and humble ability to complete tasks and support others without seeking personal reward.

Louis Lepionka is a young man who whole-heartedly competed in School sporting activities, giving his all, and meeting the criteria of the Burroughs Cup – sportsmanship, School spirit, and all-around interest in sport.

The Douglas Cup is for the best sporting performance of the year – for the best individual performance in any sport whilst representing the School, and the 2023 recipient is the Senior A Cycling team, consisting of J. A. J. Barclay, B. C. Pawson, R Y. Turnbull, C. P. Wagener, Z. F. Wyllie and 2023 captain F. A. Malpass.

At the National Secondary Schools Championships held in October in Rongotea over a 17km course, the Senior A team raced in the Under 20 Team Time Trial in wet and windy conditions. As the last team on the course, they were chasing the fastest team’s time of 22:14.

The finishing straight was 1km and on the day had poor visibility. This close-knit team performed to their potential to convincingly beat the fastest time of the day, completing the course in 21:46 to retain the Sir Bernard Fergusson trophy for the second year in succession and for the 24th time in its history (since 1968). The Senior A team also defended their Auckland and North Island titles.

This performance makes the Senior A Cycling team worthy winners of the Douglas Cup, received by captain F. A. Malpass (pictured above with guest presenter, Old Boy Aaron Gate ’04).

The Turner Cup is for all-round participation in School activities, including sound academic progress, participation in extracurricular activities, (especially in sport) and a manly, responsible approach to life, and the 2023 recipient is Senior Prefect P. H. J. Morunga.

Preston Morunga has accepted the opportunities to participate and compete in a curricular and extracurricular sense during his five years at Auckland Grammar School. Through determination and personal drive, he has progressed annually.

His respectful, diligent and resolute approach has exemplified what can be achieved through active participation and a desire to excel.

Preston’s approach has embodied the School’s values, earning the respect of his peers and staff. This approach also demonstrated leadership potential, resulting in Preston being named as one of four Senior Prefects for 2023.

In this role, Preston led the Form 3 Interclass competition, and he was also an active Tuakana Teina Mentor exemplifying leadership qualities and willingness to support junior students.

His commitment to the extracurricular life of the School is evident in playing Rugby and Water Polo as a junior student and has been a member of the 1st XV rugby team for the past two seasons. Preston has excelled academically, actively engaged in extracurricular activities, and embodies a manly, responsible approach to life.