ARTS & CULTURE
The education that we provide at St Peter’s College is enhanced and enriched by our commitment to Arts and Culture.
Our extra curricular activities are planned to suit all interests and abilities. These include: Kapa Haka, Pasifika Group, Dance, Music, Drama, Visual Arts, Creative Technology & Design, VEX Robotics and Debating.
Music technology has been developing at the College over recent years. A professional standard music recording facility is part of the Music Department: this is a serious asset for our students, particularly for the song-writing vocalists and band performers.
Students have the opportunity to learn to play a variety of instruments including guitar, drums, piano, brass and strings, and also to take vocal lessons. One of the highlights of the year for the wider school community is to be entertained by our most talented and gifted students - pianists, dancers, vocalists, actors and musicians – at the Performing Arts Evening.
Visual Arts are strongly encouraged. Designers, painters, photographers and mixed-media artists learn together in a vibrant art space. Senior Students are encouraged to use their skills as event photographers and publication designers.
Kapa Haka
Kapa Haka in St Peter’s College is offered to all students, beginners and experienced students to Kapa Haka. The Kapa Haka group is currently tutored by the Māori Department staff and we endeavour to get tutors in to support and prepare for competitions.
The Kapa Haka group us utilised in supporting speakers of Ngā Manu Kōrero Regional and National Speech Competitions, at Regional Kapa Haka Festivals like Pae Taiohi and Pae Rangatahi and Catholic School Kapa Haka Festival.
Students involved in Kapa Haka are also encouraged to support Pōwhiri and Haka within St Peter’s College and also outside of the college. If students wish to gain NCEA credits through Kapa Haka, we offer 10 Level 3 NCEA credits for students who perform a whole bracket, however, students must be in the Kapa Haka for 2 years to be able to successfully attain these credits.
Kapa Haka at St Peter’s College is a great way to become part of a strong whānau community in and out of the College.
Pasifika Group
Any student interested in being part of the Pasifika Group are most welcome to join by contacting any of the Senior Pasifika students or seeing Mrs Lynch.
The main event for Pasifika students is Pasifika Fusion. This includes Cultural Dance, Visual Art, Talent, Science, Debating, Cinematography, Drama, Wearable Art, Essay writing, Poetry and Speeches (both in English & Pasific Languages).
The Cultural Group also performs at the Performing Arts Evening, International evening, and various community events throughout the year.
Dance
Students may have opportunity to perform and choreograph as soloists, small groups and large ensembles in a range of dance activities including our own Performing Arts Night, at the Regent Theatre, competing in DanceNZmade and Pasifika fusion competitions and school productions as they arise.
Music
Our well resourced classroom caters for students of varied ability and interest. Students have the opportunity to perform in the school and out in the wider community, as well as to achieve academic aspects of the subject.
Year 7-8 students all participate in Project Music where they get the opportunity to experience and develop their performance skills. Students can then choose Music from Year 10 as an option where they cover the music curriculum and can then lead into NCEA for L1-3.
Drama
Drama students have the opportunity to experience, develop, perform and review Drama in a range of areas. Our drama room is equipped with professional theatre lights, mobile staging and blackout curtains. This means we can transform the classroom environment into a 'little theatre' offering students a quality performance space to use as part of their classroom drama experience.
Year 7-9 students all participate in Project Perform where they get the opportunity to experience and develop their performance skills. Students can then choose Performing Arts from Year 10 as an option where they cover the drama curriculum and can then lead into NCEA for L1-3.
Visual Arts
Students explore a range of Visual Art subject areas including printmaking, painting, design, photography and sculpture. Students are encouraged to choose topics of inquiry that are relevant to their interests.
In the senior school students choose specialist areas within the commercial and fine arts space. They may specialise in more than one ‘subject’ if their tertiary and career pathways require a more in depth knowledge and skill base. Many of our students go on to work in the wider creative industry.
Creative Technology & Design
Students conceptualise, plan and design their own projects in the digital creative space. Moving image or production based projects are the focus here within the context of film, motion graphics, info graphics and 3D sculpture and animation.
Students are encouraged to research and explore areas of interest and create to either solve a problem or issue or communicate an important theme or message..
Vex Robotics
VEX Robotics is both a subject and an after school club that runs in our dedicated VEX Robotics room. Students attend monthly scrimmages and compete for regional, national and international titles within the wider VEX Robotics global community.
Students learn how to make and programme their own robots to compete in games and a range of challenges.
Debating
Our students enjoy competing across a variety of public speaking disciplines such as prepared and impromptu speeches and debates.
We have a thriving debating club which attracts students from Year 7 through to Year 13, teams participating in local and national debating competitions.
Learning to write creatively for media publications, as well as for local and national competitions, has extended our most talented students in this area.