Students rise to the challenge

The Wairarapa Youth Choices Trust, an education provider for teenagers excluded from the mainstream system, held its seventh annual prize giving yesterday, celebrating the achievements of what manager Chris Vaughan describes as its "dynamic" students.
A large gathering of staff, parents, former students, trustees and community members turned out to help celebrate the achievements of this year's students.
Mr Vaughan took the opportunity to tell people of the success the course is having with the youngsters, who sometimes arrive after struggling through their backgrounds or school attendance records.
The purpose of the course is to take the youngsters in, put them through a course heavy on outdoor education but also taking in English, maths and other life skills, and then either return them to school, the workforce or work-based training.
Mr Vaughan said this year 20 have left the course, with 75 per cent of them leaving to follow a "positive pathway".
Seven are back in mainstream school, six have gone on to further training, and two are in fulltime jobs.
Also significant is the fact that the trust has achieved an 89 per cent student attendance rate this year, close to a normal college.
He said the success of the course is totally reliant on the support of the parents, most of whom had been great, but he was disappointed that some parents had let their children stay at home when there was no reason for them to do so.
"We need full support from parents," he said.
Trust chairman Keith Hunt said he was extremely proud of the achievements of this year's class.
"It makes me so proud every time I come out here and see the work and see what they've achieved."
He said at the end of the last Christmas break he received a letter from police saying none of the Youth Choices Trust students had come under the recognition of the police, and it was a feat he would not mind being repeated this holidays.
"Keep your chin up and have absolute pride in yourself."
The prizewinners were: Suzanne Hansen for English student of the year and for being the best at the student jobs, like dishes; Alastair White for media studies student of the year; Hamuera Paku for maths student of the year; Brooke Clode for most improved student; and Aiano Wilson, student of the year and winner of Principal Youth Court Judge's award.